STMARKS NEWSLETTER 13 (07 FEBRUARY 2025)

SPORTS DAY 2025

We are excited to invite you to our annual Family Sports Day, which will be held at our Srinakarin Campus on Friday, 7 March, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. While parent attendance is optional, parents are warmly invited to join the festivities and actively participate in sports events alongside teachers and students. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote the importance of physical activity for both mental and physical well-being, while also connecting with members of our school community.

This event provides a fantastic opportunity for students to have fun, compete in races, engage in field events, and develop skills in various sports disciplines.  Starting on 24 February, several Primary and Secondary students will participate in elimination rounds, held after school from 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm. These rounds will determine the final two teams who will compete in the ultimate showdown on 7 March, where the winning teams of each sport will be crowned.

Event Details:

• Date & Time: Friday, 7 March, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
• Location: Srinakarin Campus
• Dress Code: Students should wear the P.E. uniform/Sports Shirt according to the newly assigned house color for Sportsday. Parents participating in the events are encouraged to come dressed in sportswear, and ready for friendly competition.

As this is a half-day event, please note that no lunch service will be provided. Parents and family members are welcome to bring refreshments and snacks to share with others. For those using the school bus service, please note that the bus will operate as usual, and parents may use this service to travel with their children.

We look forward to seeing you on Family Sports Day and encourage you to show your support for the students’ athletic achievements. If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us via LINE or email.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ASSESSMENT (ISA) 2025 SCHEDULE

We would like to inform you that the ISA Assessments for Years 3 – 8 began this Monday. Some students have already completed their assessments. Please ensure that your child has a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast before taking the assessments. The assessment fee is subsidised by the school, so no payment is necessary.

What is ISA?

ISA is an annual assessment program that specifically measures mathematical literacy as well as reading and writing skills of students in international schools.  It is based on the internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy frameworks of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.  ISA was designed and developed in Australia by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

What is ISA not?

ISA is not a competitive or comparative test, such as the IB Diploma or Advanced Placement.  It is not a test that students “pass”.  It will not be used for purposes other than providing data to us, you, and your child, about his/her learning.  While we give opportunities for practice, students do not ‘prepare’ for the tests, since they are consistent with what students learn on a regular basis.

Who uses ISA?

A number of international schools worldwide now use and acknowledge the ISA as an international assessment benchmark that is effective in measuring students’ academic abilities in English and Mathematics.  This includes many of the acknowledged world leaders in international education.

How do the assessments work?

Students complete a reading literacy test (Year 3-8), a mathematical literacy test (Year 3-8) and two writing tests (Year 5 -8), each of which take between 45 minutes and one hour to administer.  The tests include both multiple-choice and open-ended tasks.

When is ISA administered at St. Marks?

The tests are administered during normal school hours here in the regular St. Mark’s environment that students are comfortable and familiar with. 

How will St. Marks use the results?

As a school, we will analyse all data about the general patterns of performance and use these as one of the ways in which we monitor and modify our educational program.  These data will be one of the ‘success indicators’ to which we pay attention each year.

What information will I receive as a parent?

We will pass on all information about your child to you in the form of an individual report provided by the Australian Council for Educational Research.  These reports are very comprehensive and give you a detailed record of your child’s performance in relation to scales that describe increasingly advanced skills in mathematical literacy, reading literacy and writing.  You will receive them by the end of May 2025. 

In Conclusion

We see participation in ISA as significant in international education as it provides you with clear information about your child’s progress against credible, objective international standards.  We would like you to encourage your child to perform to the best of his/her ability. Please ensure that your child is present on these dates. We advise that you put your child to bed early on the night before the tests, and provide them with a nutritious breakfast before coming to school.

It is important that your child arrives at school by 8:00 a.m. so as to give them enough time to settle, listen to the test instructions and concentrate well during the tests.

If you have any question about the administration of ISA at St. Marks, please feel free to contact the School’s Office. You may also wish to visit the websites of PISA (www.pisa.oecd.org) and/or ACER (www.acer.edu.au) for further information.

MATH OLYMPIAD CLASSES

At St. Marks, we recognize that many of our students possess exceptional mathematical talent. With the right guidance and support, they can achieve great things. With this in mind, we offered a special initiative to nurture their potential and prepare them for prestigious Maths Olympiad competitions, including the International Academic Competition organized by the Ministry of Education and similar events.

The Maths Olympiad classes, offered to students from Year 5 to Year 12, began last Monday 27 January, and students have now been assigned to their respective groups. The Monday and Wednesday sessions (7:20 – 8:00 am) are for mathematically advanced students, while the Thursday session (12:20 – 1:20 pm) is for beginner students. Our school has assessed each student’s mathematical ability to ensure they are placed in the most suitable class.

We believe that participation in the Maths Olympiad will significantly benefit your child. Not only will it enhance their mathematical and problem-solving skills, but it will also strengthen their academic profile, helping them stand out from their peers. Such recognition is invaluable when applying for competitive programs, scholarships, and university placements.

We would like to inform parents that these classes are now in progress, and registration has closed.

SPEAKING CLASS AND MUN REGISTRATION

We are pleased to announce that our school offered a Speaking Training Class for Year 7–9 students every Tuesday during the after-lunch period, from 12:40 pm to 1:20 pm. These sessions will be held in Room 503, starting on Tuesday, 4 February 2025 and is free of charge.

Led by our experienced English teacher, Mr. Gerard Dunne, this training will not only help students develop their public speaking and presentation skills but also enhance their confidence and critical thinking abilities. Additionally, these sessions will support students in their speaking exercises, benefiting them in their IGCSE and ATAR English speaking exams. 

The Speaking Training Class is designed to prepare students for the upcoming Model United Nations (MUN) event, where they will role-play as United Nations representatives, presenting their viewpoints and persuading a panel on a variety of complex and controversial global issues.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Our students welcomed the Lunar New Year with joy and creativity in their Mandarin classes! To honor the Year of the Snake, they participated in a series of exciting cultural activities, immersing themselves in the traditions of this special festival.

The celebration featured dumpling making, where students learned the significance of this delicious dish while shaping and filling their own dumplings. They also practiced Chinese calligraphy by writing spring couplets on red paper using brush pens, preparing beautiful decorations to bring good luck and prosperity to their homes.

In addition, students designed their own angpao (red envelopes), a symbol of blessings and fortune, and created snake-themed artwork to represent the zodiac animal for this year.

It was a wonderful experience for our students to embrace Chinese culture, express their creativity, and celebrate the Lunar New Year together. We wish everyone a year filled with happiness, success, and good fortune!

YEAR 1 ENGLISH: READING SESSION "DIGGERS"

Our Year 1 students recently had a reading session in their English class, where they explored the book Diggers. This engaging story not only introduced them to the world of big machines but also helped them develop essential reading and comprehension skills.

During the session, students practiced reading aloud, working on their pronunciation and fluency. They also learned new vocabulary words from the book, expanding their language skills. To ensure they understood the story, the teacher guided them through a series of questions, encouraging them to think critically about what they read.

This interactive reading activity helped build confidence in young learners while fostering a love for books. We are proud of our Year 1 students for their enthusiasm and progress in reading!

YEAR 5 THAI: ABBREVIATIONS AND REGIONAL DIALECTS

Our Year 5 students learned about the use of abbreviations in the Thai language and the different regional dialects across Thailand. This lesson served as a supplement to their core studies, helping them better understand the Thai language in everyday contexts.

Students explored how abbreviations are used to shorten words or phrases, making writing and reading more efficient. For example, "พ.ศ." is the abbreviation for "พุทธศักราช" (Buddhist Era), and "รพ." stands for "โรงพยาบาล" (hospital).

Additionally, students studied regional dialects from different parts of Thailand, such as Northern, Northeastern, and Southern Thai. They compared vocabulary and pronunciation differences, gaining a deeper appreciation of the linguistic diversity within the country.

This lesson helped students develop their language skills and use Thai appropriately in different contexts. 

YEAR 7 MATHS: RATIONAL NUMBERS

This week, our Year 7 students learned about ratios in their maths lesson. Ratios are an important concept in mathematics, used to show the relationship between two quantities. Understanding ratios helps students make comparisons and apply them in real-life situations, such as mixing ingredients in recipes or comparing distances on a map.

The lesson started with a quick review of rational numbers to ensure students had a solid foundation. Then, the teacher introduced the concept of ratios, explaining how they represent relationships between different quantities and how they can be simplified.

To apply their learning, students worked on a variety of practice questions to develop their understanding and confidence. Towards the end of the lesson, they played an interactive maths game, which helped reinforce their knowledge in a fun and engaging way.

Well done to all our Year 7 students for their effort and participation in learning about ratios. We look forward to seeing them use these skills in future lessons.

HEALTH CORNER