STMARKS NEWSLETTER 8 (15 NOVEMBER 2024)
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (13 NOV)
We are delighted to announce the following students who received our Award of Excellence in Respect this week. To acknowledge our students' achievements, they will be given a special "Award of Excellence Breakfast".
KANYAWEE - Year 1 RESPECT
NADON - Year 1 RESPECT
ALA - Year 7 RESPECT
ENXI - Year 8 RESPECT
KINDER MANDARIN: COMMON STATIONERY ITEMS
Our kindergarten students dove into a new vocabulary adventure in Mandarin class as they learned how to say the names of common stationery items. Their lesson began with a fun discovery activity, where students explored the contents of a school bag, identifying and naming each item in Mandarin. This hands-on approach helped our kindergarten students connect with the new words, building their excitement and understanding.
To reinforce what they’d learned, the class played a flashcard review game, matching words with pictures and practicing pronunciation. Finally, they expressed their creativity by coloring their school bags and carefully choosing which stationery items to place inside. It was an engaging way for our young students to build their Mandarin vocabulary and have fun with school essentials!
YEAR 6 MANDARIN: BORROWING ARROWS WITH BOATS
Our Year 6 students delved into the Chinese tale "Borrowing Arrows with Boats," a legendary story from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The story follows the strategist Zhuge Liang, who, with quick thinking and creativity, fulfills the challenging task of collecting 100,000 arrows in just three days. Using boats stuffed with straw and thick fog as cover, Zhuge Liang's plan tricks the enemy into firing countless arrows at his empty boats, allowing him to "borrow" the arrows without a battle.
In class, students read this captivating story, answered questions, and practiced creating sentences to enhance their comprehension and Mandarin skills. Afterward, they played a game of "Whisper Down the Lane," where they passed along the story's details and key points, reinforcing their understanding through fun and teamwork. This engaging approach brought both language learning and Chinese history to life!
YEAR 10 ENGLISH: TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
Our Year 10 students began this chapter in their English class by exploring technological advances, and how they have influenced our lives. At the start of the lesson, they had an informal discussion regarding how their hometowns have changed over time. They also discussed why the world has changed so much in recent years, which led them to explore some recent technological advances. The students watched a brief video that detailed how common devices have changed in recent years.
Students then had an opportunity to further their understanding of related vocabulary through a matching exercise, before using these words to complete sentences from the textbook.
Next, students read extracts from the textbook detailing the top ten inventions that have changed our world. Afterward, students had to use this information to answer a number of comprehension questions.
The next activity involved students compiling their own top ten list of inventions that have changed our world. Surprisingly, two students listed earphones as essential devices in the modern world. Whilst another student proposed that the air-conditioner is an often overlooked necessity in the modern world, especially in warm climates like Thailand.
For the final part of the lesson, Year 10 students were invited to consider what the future world may look like and what types of future inventions might be present. To illustrate this, the class watched a short video exploring future inventions. Some students thought some of the ideas were outlandish, but felt that others were not only possible but highly likely to appear in the near future.
STUDENTS' SHOWCASE 1 (08 Nov 2024)
YEAR 5 MATHS: ORDER OF OPERATION
Our Year 5 students recently had an impressive showcase performance, demonstrating their skills with the Order of Operations in mathematics. With confidence and enthusiasm, they presented problem-solving techniques and illustrated the importance of following mathematical rules to reach the correct answers.
The highlight of the event was a friendly challenge where students competed with each other to solve math problems on the spot. Not only did they rise to the challenge with accuracy and speed, but they also invited parents to participate, making it an engaging family experience. Parents eagerly joined in, and—just like our Year 5 math students—they provided correct answers, showing how well they understood the concepts.
YEAR 5 MANDARIN: SAY HELLO & I LIKE MY HOUSE
Our Year 5 students recently held a wonderful Mandarin showcase, where they proudly demonstrated their growing language skills to their parents. The students greeted everyone in Mandarin and shared phrases like "Hello" and "I like my house," engaging in simple conversations that reflected their hard work in class.
They also displayed their written Mandarin activities, reading aloud what they had written and impressing parents with their progress. To wrap up, each student asked classmates questions about the topic, practicing both speaking and listening skills.
YEAR 6 THAI: THAI CHALLENGE
Our Year 6 students recently presented an impressive showcase of their Thai language skills, highlighting both their language proficiency and creativity. The event began with an elegant dance performance by our student host, setting a joyful atmosphere for the audience.
Following the dance, the host invited parents to suggest words for a unique challenge. In this activity, students were tasked with creating poetic lines in the Kapayanee form—a traditional Thai poetic structure. With enthusiasm and skill, students crafted beautiful verses, incorporating each word given by parents, demonstrating their grasp of the Thai language and culture.
YEAR 6 SCIENCE: PH LEVEL IN DIFFERENT FOOD
Our Year 6 students recently showcased their knowledge of pH levels in food to parents and teachers in an informative science presentation. Students explained the pH scale, discussing the acidity and alkalinity of various foods and why balance is essential for a healthy diet. They presented samples to illustrate different pH levels, making the science behind everyday foods easy to understand.
As a highlight, they demonstrated an experiment conducted in class, showing how they measured pH levels in different foods. Through this showcase, our students effectively conveyed the importance of pH balance in what we consume.
YEAR 7 ENGLISH: PERFORMANCE OF A MYSTERY STORY
Our Year 7 students recently captivated their audience with a dramatic showcase based on an original mystery story written by one of their classmates. The story centers on a young girl with a talent for solving mysteries, proving herself to be the best investigator in her area despite her age.
In a lively performance, the students brought the story's characters to life with humor and enthusiasm, sparking plenty of laughter and giggles from the crowd. Each student portrayed their role, showing off both their acting talents and their creativity.
YEAR 8 PHYSICS: DENSITY AND DISPLACEMENT
Our Year 8 students recently delivered an impressive science showcase, diving into the concepts of density and displacement. They explained these scientific principles clearly, helping everyone understand how density affects materials and how displacement is used to measure the volume of irregular objects.
The students demonstrated how to properly measure density and perform displacement experiments, showing the correct technique for placing objects in water to avoid splashing and ensuring accurate measurements. Their careful explanations and demonstrations made complex concepts easy to grasp.
YEAR 9 MATHS: TRIGONOMETRY
Our Year 9 students recently showcased their impressive understanding of trigonometry in a dynamic math presentation. They walked parents through key trigonometric concepts, including the sine rule, cosine rule, and the formula for the area of a triangle, explaining how each is used to solve real-world problems.
Students demonstrated the application of these formulas, guiding parents step-by-step through calculations to show how to use them effectively. Their clear explanations and demonstrations helped make these important mathematical concepts accessible and engaging for everyone.
STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT: THAILAND INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION 2024
We are thrilled to share the fantastic achievements of Mira (Year 3) and Arty (Year 1), who recently shined in two prestigious music competitions, showcasing their extraordinary talents and hard work.
In the Thailand International Music Competition held online in October 2024, both Mira and Arty achieved remarkable success. Mira, competing in the challenging Grade 6 category, and Arty, in the Grade 1 category, both received Gold Medals, demonstrating their dedication and passion for music.
Additionally, at the Asia Student Arts Festival, Arty won 2nd Runner-Up in the Grade 1 category, while Mira triumphed as the Champion with the Highest Marks in the Grade 6 category! Their outstanding performances in this competition have earned them a place in the finals, which will be held in Hong Kong.
We are incredibly proud of Mira and Arty’s achievements and look forward to cheering them on in the next stage of their musical journey. Congratulations to both for their hard work and success!