Week 3: Back in Full Swing
Welcome to Week 3
After another busy and productive week at Halio, the children are now well and truly back into the rhythm of school life. New routines are becoming familiar, classes are in full swing, and children are already getting creative and diving into new projects across the school. It has been great to see everyone picking up where they left off and getting back up to full speed so quickly.
This Week
Rugby Club will continue on Monday from 4:00–5:00 p.m. with Mr. Chris and Mr Chad running it this week.
Football Club will take place on Wednesday. Both groups will be at school from 4:00–4:45 p.m.,
Coffee with Mr Vincent will continue on Wednesday morning from 8:30–9:30 a.m. Parents are very welcome to drop in for a coffee and a chat, whether you have a question, something you would like to discuss, or simply want to catch up.
Friday Trips
Lower Primary will be heading to Suan Son Beach for their Friday trip.
Upper Primary and Middle School will have their first swimming session of the term. Please make sure children bring their swimwear, goggles, towel, a change of clothes, sunscreen and appropriate sun protection.
Looking Ahead
We have several important dates coming up over the next few weeks that we would like families to save.
Wednesday 7 October – Lower Primary Parent Morning: Lower Primary parents are invited to join me from 8:30–9:30 a.m. for a short presentation about our Lower Primary programme and curriculum. We will share more about what and how children are learning, how the different parts of our curriculum work together, and answer any questions you may have. More information will follow, but we hope as many Lower Primary parents as possible can join us.
Tuesday 13 October – King Bhumibol Remembrance: We will hold a small gathering at school to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Parents will be welcome to join us for the ceremony and to bring offerings if they wish. Further details will be shared closer to the date.
Wednesday 21 October – Halloween Party: Save the date for our annual Halio Halloween Party! This will be an evening event for children and families, normally start at 4:45 p.m. finishing at around 8:00 p.m. We will also have a shared dinner together, so we ask each family who would like join to please bring something to share. More details will follow soon, but we would love to see all our families there.
Thursday 22 & Friday 23 October – Mid-Term Break: School will be closed for our two-day mid-term break.
Highlights from the Week
Our trip to Cha-Am Park was a great success. Children enjoyed badminton, football and rugby, as well as riding bikes, scooters and skateboards around the park. There was also plenty of exploring, with children discovering different plants and spotting lots of butterflies and reptiles along the way.
Lower Primary enjoyed another successful swimming session, with perfect weather and lots of time in the water. It has been great to see children continuing to develop their confidence and make progress in their swimming lessons.
Our after-school sports clubs got underway this week. Rugby Club had a fantastic first session on Monday, while Wednesday’s rain meant our two football groups joined together for a lively session in the cage. There were some great drills, lots of energy and a very enjoyable first week of football.
Our Areas of Responsibility are really beginning to take shape, with children identifying things they would like to improve around the school and then taking responsibility for making them happen. Max has been sourcing books and activities to create more choices during self-directed time, while our playground group have submitted new designs for the water garden and mud kitchen area. The Bank group have also created their own bank stand and are now planning a more permanent wooden structure.
A special thank you to Pohn, Linus, Jom and Patee for taking the time to help some of our younger students learn the playground rules and pass their playground test.
Our Events Group have already started planning for Halloween, including gathering ideas for this year’s haunted house. There are some ambitious ideas beginning to emerge.
The Silver Sharks have been sending out surveys as part of a project exploring food from Truly Organic that they hope to sell at school. It has been great to see students taking the lead, gathering information and turning their ideas into something real.
Circle Time Highlights
Congratulations to Amanda, Mac, Max, Noa and Sarah, who achieved 100% attendance last term and were never late to school. They each received a small certificate in recognition of their fantastic attendance and punctuality. Well done to all five.
Across our Circle Times, children discussed what respect means and what it looks like in everyday life; from respecting ourselves and one another to respecting teachers, our school and the natural world. There were lots of thoughtful examples, lively discussions and some very insightful contributions from the children.
We also had plenty to share and celebrate. Children showcased dance, homemade Play-Doh, sewn plushies, tie-dye fabrics and some spinning-top creations from the Polar Bears and Agent Owls. The Hummingbirds also shared some of their work from World Detectives.
Our anonymous contests continued this week, with Jude winning a binder and Winston winning a 3D-printed boat.
We also gave several acknowledgements during the week, including recognising children who found some lost Butterfly Money and made sure it was handed in and announced at Circle Time. When nobody claimed it, it was eventually returned to them; a lovely small example of integrity and doing the right thing.
Relationship Class
The Polar Bears
The Polar Bears explored how good relationships are built by noticing and respecting others while also respecting ourselves. They practised communicating both verbally and non-verbally, thinking about the signals we send and how we can recognise and respond to the signals of others.
The Agent Owls
The Agent Owls discussed boundaries, including physical boundaries around school and our own personal boundaries. They considered how certain actions might be appropriate or inappropriate depending on the time and place, and explored strategies for responding when somebody crosses a personal boundary.
The Hummingbirds
The Hummingbirds linked their Relationship Class to our wider school focus on respect. They explored what respect actually means and shared examples of how we can show respect towards ourselves, other people and the world around us.
The Sabertooths Group
The Sabertooths mapped the different ways we use the internet, learning, creating, communicating, watching, playing and buying, before reflecting on where they spend most of their own time online. In pairs, they worked through different online scenarios, judging the level of risk and deciding how they would respond. We finished by introducing the topic of misinformation, which we will continue next lesson.
The Silver Sharks
The Silver Sharks continued their work on leadership with a building challenge in which each student had a turn leading the group. The sessions were recorded so students could watch themselves afterwards, identify what they did well and consider areas for improvement. They also explored different leadership styles and the qualities and responsibilities of an effective leader.
Closing
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It has been great to see the children so quickly getting back into the rhythm of school life, and we are looking forward to another busy and enjoyable week ahead.
If you have any questions or need to discuss anything with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Mr Vincent and the Halio Team
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