STMARKS NEWSLETTER 13 (12 MAY 2023)

SRINAKARIN CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

We are pleased to update you on the construction progress at our Srinakarin Campus.

Our contractor is currently working on installing classroom windows for levels 2 to 6. We are excited to see this important milestone in the construction process. In addition, tiling work along the hallways, classrooms, library, canteen, and nurse room has been completed. We believe that this work will create a comfortable and pleasant learning environment for our students.

We are happy to report that most of the air-conditioners have been installed and a good percentage of acoustic ceilings are now in place. These improvements will help ensure that our classrooms' echo and unwanted noise level will be kept at a minimum, creating a conducive environment for students' learning.

Over the past two weeks, we have also been making significant progress in the construction of the drainage system, parking area, and roads around the main school building. We believe that these works will greatly enhance the safety and accessibility of the school.

As always, we are committed to providing the best possible facilities for our students to learn and grow. We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of our construction.

SCHOOL DAYS DURING THE YEAR-END EXAMINATION PERIOD

We would like to inform you of the timeline for the end-of-year examination period for our school. Please take note of the following details as student attendance and last day of school for different grade levels may vary.

Early Years (Kindergarten, Pre-prep and Prep), Year 1, Year 2, and Year 11

All classes will be carried out as per normal, and students are required to come to school every day until Thursday, 8 June, which is the last day of school.

Primary students (Year 3 – 6)

The examination period will be from Wednesday, 17 May to Friday, 26 May. During this period, students will only come to school when there are exams. On days with no exam, students will stay at home for revision. However, Monday, 15 May, and Tuesday, 16 May are normal school days and students are expected to attend. The last day of school will be on Thursday, 8 June.

Year 7 and Year 8

The examination period will be from Monday, 15 May to Friday, 26 May. During this period, students will only come to school when there are exams. On days with no exam, students will stay at home for revision. The last day of school will be on Thursday, 8 June.

Year 9

Lessons will be carried out as per normal, except for those taking the IGCSE Mandarin exam, who are not required to come to school from Monday, 22 May to Wednesday, 24 May. The last day of school will be on Thursday, 8 June.

Year 10

All students are expected to come back to school from Wednesday, 17 May to Friday, 2 June, with the exception of students taking the IGCSE exams on 17 May and 18 May. These students are expected to come back to school on Friday, 19 May. The last day of school for all Year 10 students will be on Friday, 2 June.

ANNUAL SCHOOL FUNCTION (FRIDAY, 2 JUNE)

We are writing to inform you that our teachers have decided to hold this year's Annual School Function at our school on Friday, 2 June. As our students have been practicing diligently, we do not wish to disappoint them by canceling the event. Moreover, holding the function at our school will help us save costs and provide an opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and skills to their peers, teachers, and parents.

The function will start promptly at 8:00 am and will conclude at around 11:00 am. As the event will be held in school, there will be no fees required of parents, and our school will absorb all the costs involved in organizing the function. Light refreshments and drinks will also be provided for our students on that day.

We have divided the program into two sections: Early Years Show and Primary & Secondary Show.

The Early Years program will start at 8:30 am sharp and will finish at 9:00 am. There will be a half an hour break between 9:00 - 9:30 am to allow Early Years students and parents to leave, while Primary and Secondary students and parents will start coming in.

The Primary and Secondary program will start at 9:30 am and will finish at around 11:00 am.

We encourage you to fill in the participation reply form by Wednesday, 17 May, by clicking the link to the Reply Form here. This will help us plan and organise the event better.

We appreciate your continued support and commitment to our school and our students. We look forward to meeting everyone at our Annual Function on Friday, June 2.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (26 APRIL)

We would like to extend our congratulations to the following students on receiving the Award of Excellence! This award recognizes their outstanding achievements in Effort, Creativity, and Respect.

Your achievements have made a positive impact on the school community and have set a fantastic example for your peers. We are proud to have you as a student and are confident that you will continue to make great strides in your future endeavors.

Students who received the Award of Excellence had the opportunity to join the Award of Excellence Breakfast last Friday, 28 April.

PITCHAYAPA - Year 3 (Creativity)

PACHARA - Year 4 (Creativity)

PRIN - Year 5 (Creativity)

NAPHON - Year 6 (Creativity)

MONPACHARA - Year 7 (Creativity)

PUNN - Year 7 (Creativity)

VILANPHAT - Year 7 (Creativity)

WASHANETA - Year 7 (Creativity)

NIRA - Year 7 (Creativity)

PATTAWAS - Year 7 (Creativity)

ANNABELLE - Year 10 (Effort: Completing Assigned Work)

TINN- Year 10 (Effort: Completing Assigned Work)

JESSICA - Year 10 (Effort: Completing Assigned Work)

JANE - Year 10 (Effort: Completing Assigned Work)

NAKAMON - Year 10 (Effort: Completing Assigned Work)

YILING - Year 10 (Respect)

KINDER ENGLISH: READING AND WRITING LETTERS

Over the past few weeks, we have been focusing on reciting the alphabet and practicing writing letters in our Kindergarten English class.

We are happy to see that our students have shown great enthusiasm and dedication to learning these foundational skills. They have been actively participating in class activities and which has helped them develop their abilities.

During class time, our students have been using a variety of interactive and engaging activities to make learning the alphabet and writing letters fun and exciting. Teachers have incorporated songs, games, and hands-on activities to help reinforce their understanding and retention of the material.

As a result of their hard work, our students have made significant progress in their ability to recite the alphabet and write letters. They have shown improved handwriting, and letter recognition, and have become more confident in their abilities.

YEAR 3 MANDARIN: EATING UTENSILS

Year 3 students have been exploring the topic of eating utensils in their Mandarin class.

During the lesson, students learned the names of different eating utensils in Mandarin, such as chopsticks (筷子 - kuàizi), spoon (匙子 - chízi), fork (叉子 - chāzi), and knife (刀子 - dāozi). They have also learned how to make sentences using these vocabulary words and practice writing the Chinese characters.

To further enhance their understanding of the topic, the students have participated in interactive activities and discussions in class.

YEAR 5 ENGLISH

In our Year 5 English class, our students have been reading the book "The Tale of Despereaux" by American author Kate DiCamillo, which has been captivating them with its exciting storyline and engaging characters.

The students have been enthusiastically participating in class discussions, sharing their thoughts on the various themes and motifs in the book. They have also been practicing their critical thinking skills, analyzing the text, and drawing connections to their own lives.

Reading is an essential skill that opens up new worlds of knowledge and imagination, and we are thrilled to see our Year 5 students embracing this mindset. Through this book, they have developed their vocabulary, comprehension, and reading speed.

YEAR 6 THAI: THAI HISTORY AND ROYAL HERITAGE

In the Year 6 Thai class, students have been learning about Thai Royal History from Rama 1 to Rama 9. This has been an exciting opportunity for our students to learn about the rich history of Thailand and its royal heritage.

During this unit, students have been reading about the lives and achievements of Thailand's past monarchs, including King Rama 1, King Rama 4, and King Rama 9. They have also been learning about the significant events and milestones that occurred during their reigns, such as the construction of important landmarks, the establishment of diplomatic relationships, and the modernization of the country.

In addition to learning about the history of Thailand's royal family, our students have also been expanding their vocabulary by reading and discussing royal words. This has included learning about the meaning and usage of words such as monarchy, sovereign, coronation, and palace.

Through this unit, our students have gained a greater appreciation and understanding of Thailand's rich cultural heritage and its important role in shaping the country's history.

STUDENTS' SHOWCASE #3

PREP ENGLISH: READING POEMS

We are excited to share with you the success of our recent student showcase from our prep class. Our students put on a fantastic display of their skills and creativity by reading poems based on a given word.

The showcase was a culmination of weeks of hard work and dedication from our students, who were tasked with reciting poems centered around a specific word. The students were encouraged to use the power of language to express themselves through their work.

The poems were nothing short of exceptional, and it was evident that our students put in a lot of effort to produce such a great display of their abilities. They captivated the audience with their confidence and unique interpretations of the words given to them.

It was heartening to see the support and encouragement they received from their peers, teachers, and parents who attended the showcase.

PRE-PREP MATHS: BEE BOT

Our young learners from Pre-Prep had the opportunity to explore the world of robotics through the use of Bee-Bots in the recent students' showcase.

Bee-Bots are programmable robots that allow children to develop their computational thinking skills while having fun. Our students were able to learn about sequencing, problem-solving, and logical reasoning through their interactions with the Bee-Bots.

During the showcase, each student had the opportunity to program their own Bee-Bot to navigate through a maze, using directional commands such as forward, backward, left, and right. It was amazing to see how engaged and excited our students were as they watched their Bee-Bots move along the path they had programmed.

Not only did this activity promote critical thinking skills, but it also encouraged teamwork and collaboration as the children worked together to solve problems and overcome challenges.

YEAR 1 SCIENCE: WATER & AIR

The Year One scientists have enjoyed learning about water and air. For Showcase #3, our Year 1 students showed our paper aeroplanes to the audience who were asked to predict their flight performance. After the planes had crashed some of the students used a mask to filter some dirty water to demonstrate how they are good for filtration. Finally, some students used lots of puffing and blowing to make their hovercraft fly.  Science works best through active learning.

STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT

HIPPO ENGLISH LANGUAGE OLYMPIAD & SIAM INTERNATIONAL MATH AND SCIENCE OLYMPIAD (SIMSO) PRELIMINARY WINNERS 

We are thrilled to share with you some exciting news about our students' recent achievements in the SIMSO Math and Science Olympiad and the Hippo English Language Olympiad 2023.

We are proud to announce that our students have demonstrated their exceptional skills and knowledge in these highly competitive Olympiads and emerged victorious. These Olympiads are renowned for their challenging questions and rigorous standards, and our students have demonstrated that they are among the best and brightest in the country.

Our students' remarkable achievements in these Olympiads reflect their dedication, hard work, and talent, as well as the tireless efforts of our teachers and staff who have supported and encouraged them along the way.

We would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the SIMSO Math and Science Olympiad and the Hippo English Language Olympiad 2023. Your success is a testament to your passion for learning, your pursuit of excellence, and your unwavering commitment to achieving your goals. You have brought great honor and recognition to our school, and we are immensely proud of you.

As we celebrate your achievements, we also want to remind all our students that these Olympiads are an excellent opportunity to challenge themselves and showcase their talents. We encourage all students to participate in such competitions and continue to strive for academic excellence.

Once again, congratulations to all our winners, and we wish you continued success in all your future endeavors.

START-UP COMPETITION 3RD PLACE WINNER

Congratulations to Year 10 student, Fafa, whose team was awarded third place in the Start-Up competition. The 150 teams who entered had to come up with an original idea and develop an app that would help and contribute to our everyday life. Fafa's team invented the App, CLENT (clothing rent) which enables people to rent clothes for different occasions. The competition started in 2022 and teams competed over four rounds. 

Fafa's team won 5000 Baht and will now have the opportunity to talk with the competition promoters who have shown some interest in investing in the app in the future. Well done, Fafa. You are an inspiration to everyone at St Mark's