STMARKS NEWSLETTER 11 (7 APRIL 2023)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
School Holidays
We would like to inform you that our school will be closed on the following dates in observance of the holidays below.
Thursday, 6 April – Chakri Memorial Day holiday
Monday, 10 April to Friday, 14 April – Songkran holiday
Please note that classes will resume on Monday, 17 April.
Songkran is a time for families and friends to come together and celebrate. We encourage all families to take this opportunity to spend time together and enjoy the holiday festivities. During this time, we would also like to remind all students to stay safe and hydrated in the warm weather.
Learning Format for Primary School
We would like to inform parents that starting Monday, 17 April, we will no longer require our Primary (Year 1-6) students to be kept in their respective classrooms during their learning at school. Instead, the learning mode in Primary will be returned to the pre-pandemic mode, where students will move from class to class throughout the day depending on the subject period and students will not be required to stay in their own homeroom.
We would like to wish you all a happy and healthy Thai New Year holiday.
NEW FACILITIES
We are thrilled to announce some exciting updates to our school facilities. We have recently completed renovations and upgrades to several key areas of the school, including the computer room, library, Prep, and Pre-Prep classroom.
Our new computer room was made bigger and wider to provide a comfortable and modern environment for students to learn about technology and computer science.
Our library has also undergone a significant transformation that serves as a welcoming space for students to explore their interests and expand their knowledge.
In addition, we have created a new Prep and Pre-Prep classroom that is tailored specifically to the needs of our younger students. The classroom is bright and way wider. We believe that this new classroom will provide a stimulating environment for our young learners to develop their skills and creativity.
We are confident that these new facilities will enhance the learning experience for all of our students, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have on our school community.
NEW LIBRARY
NEW PRE-PREP CLASSROOM
NEW PREP CLASSROOM
NEW COMPUTER ROOM
PHOTO TAKING AT SCHOOL
We would like to inform parents that our annual photo-taking session for all of our students has been scheduled for the following dates:
Wednesday, 26 April – Individual photos of students
Wednesday, 3 May – Class group photos
On the days mentioned above, we ask that all Early Years students to wear their white polo shirts while all other students wear their regular white student uniforms to school. Students who have P.E. on those days may bring their P.E. uniforms to change for their P.E. class.
SHOULD GOVERNMENT BAN MOBILE PHONES AT SCHOOL?
We are excited to share with you a video that highlights if mobile phones should be banned in school and the positive effects they can have on student learning and well-being.
The video presents compelling evidence that mobile phones can be a major distraction in the classroom, with students spending a significant amount of time texting, browsing social media, and playing games instead of focusing on their studies. This can lead to a decline in academic performance and a lack of engagement in classroom activities.
By banning mobile phones in school, students will be able to concentrate more on their studies, develop better social skills, and participate more in extracurricular activities. They will also be encouraged to engage in face-to-face communication, which can improve their overall communication skills.
Moreover, a mobile phone ban can help prevent cheating and other forms of misconduct that can occur through the use of mobile phones during exams or in the classroom. It can also promote a safer and more secure learning environment, free from the distractions and risks associated with mobile phone use.
We hope that this video will raise awareness about the benefits of a mobile phone ban in schools and encourage more schools and education authorities to consider implementing such a policy.
SONGKRAN CELEBRATION
On Friday, 7 April, a number of students and staff at St. Mark’s had an enjoyable early Songkran celebration in school. They happily engaged in friendly water fights, where students were excited and jumped on the opportunity to splash their teachers during this fun-filled water game. The event provided our students with a glimpse of Songkran tradition and celebration, a very enjoyable afternoon, which also mark our start to the Songkran break.
Have a great and safe holiday!
PRE-PREP MATHS: PATTERNS
In our Pre-prep class's recent maths lesson, they explored the concept of patterns.
During the lesson, students were introduced to the idea of patterns, explaining that patterns are a way of repeating a sequence of objects or actions. Some examples of patterns were shown to them, such as those created by alternating colors or shapes.
To help the children understand patterns better, students were asked to create their own patterns using different materials such as buttons and beads. We were impressed by their creativity and ability to identify and repeat patterns.
A fun game was also incorporated into the lesson where the children had to guess the next object in a given pattern. This game helped them practice identifying patterns and predicting the next object in a sequence.
YEAR 1 SCIENCE: FILTERS
In our Year 1 science class activity, the students had a great time learning about how filters work and how they are used in everyday life. During the activity, the students explored different types of filters, such as air filters and water filters. They learned about how filters are used to remove impurities from different substances, and how they help to keep us healthy and safe.
The students also had the opportunity to make their own filters using simple materials such as masks and sand. They enjoyed experimenting with different materials and observing how effective their filters were at removing impurities from water.
This activity helped our students to develop their critical thinking skills and their understanding of scientific concepts. They also learned about the importance of protecting the environment by using filters to remove pollutants from air and water.
YEAR 7 ENGLISH: NOVEL STUDY
To complete the novel study unit, the year 7 English class is designing a mural that depicts key moments in each chapter of the book. Each student is responsible for designing and painting, or drawing an image that depicts a literal event or they can design an image that symbolises an event. Following that, a quote is chosen to support the picture they have created.
YEAR 8 CHEMISTRY: REACTION RATE & CONCENTRATION
Our Year 8 Chemistry class has been studying reaction rate and concentration, and we wanted to update you on our progress.
Over the past few weeks, our Year 8 students have been exploring how the concentration of reactants can affect the rate of a chemical reaction. They have conducted several experiments to observe the effects of changing the concentration of reactants on the reaction rate.
In their experiment, students used a variety of chemical reactions, including the reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate. Students monitored how quickly sulfur is produced by using a timer.
Through these experiments, students learned that increasing the concentration of reactants generally leads to a faster reaction rate. This is because increasing the concentration of reactants increases the number of collisions between the particles, which in turn increases the likelihood of successful collisions that result in a reaction.