Week 9: Back in Full Swing
Updated: Nov 2
Welcome to Week 9
After all the excitement of Halloween, things have settled back into their usual rhythm at Halio, and we're now entering the final stretch of the term. With plenty of projects underway, preparations for our end-of-term showcase and more activities to look forward to, it's going to be a busy few weeks.
Thank you to all the parents who attended our parent-teacher meetings last week. It was lovely to have the opportunity to catch up and discuss how the children are getting on. If you weren't able to attend, or would like to arrange another conversation with a teacher, please feel free to contact us.
This Week
Monday – Rugby Club: Rugby Club will continue as normal from 4:00–5:00 pm. As many of you know, Khun Gary has been volunteering his time to establish and run our Rugby Club, and we are incredibly grateful for everything he has done. Unfortunately, he will be leaving us next term, but Mr Chris and Mr Chad will continue running the club. We would love to have some more parents involved to help keep it going. If you are interested in volunteering, whether regularly or occasionally, please get in touch. We would be delighted to have you join us. More information will be sent on Line App.
Tuesday 3rd November – School Photo Day: We will be taking school photographs on Tuesday morning. Please make sure children come to school wearing one of their Halio polo shirts or school shirts, along with plain, block-coloured trousers or shorts. Once the photographs have been taken, proofs will be made available for parents to view, and you will be able to choose which photographs you would like to order.
Wednesday – School Café: We will have another small event at our Wednesday café, with some organic products available for sale. We will share more information as the details are confirmed.
Friday – Polar Bears Trip to Loch Camp: The Polar Bears will be visiting Loch Camp for a fun day out. They will have the opportunity to enjoy the play area and spend some time at the café.
Friday – Agent Owls and Hummingbirds Trip to Khao Kalok: The Agent Owls and Hummingbirds will be heading to Khao Kalok. They will begin by exploring a small local wat before hiking up to a viewpoint to enjoy the scenery. Afterwards, they will head to the beach for some fun activities.
Please ensure your child brings suitable shoes for hiking, sun protection, swimwear and a towel. We aim to return to school by approximately 3:45 pm and will keep parents updated via LINE throughout the day.
Friday – Upper Primary and Middle School Swimming: Our older students will be heading to the pool for their Friday trip, where they will enjoy a swimming session. Further details will follow.
Friday 6th November – 3D Printing Masterclass: We are delighted to welcome Khun Mattias, Linus's dad, who has kindly volunteered to come into school and deliver a 3D printing masterclass for our students. It's wonderful when parents share their knowledge, skills and interests with the children, and we're very grateful to Mattias for giving up his time.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday 24th November – Loy Krathong: We will be celebrating Loy Krathong at school, with more details about our activities to follow.
Friday 13 November – Lower Primary Trip and Activities: Lower Primary will have a slightly different schedule next Friday. Students will head out on their trip in the morning before returning to school for afternoon lessons and activities, including a crab-release activity. More information will be sent separately.
Wednesday 2nd December – End-of-Term Showcase: Preparations are underway for our end-of-term showcase, where students will share the projects, performances and creative work they have been developing throughout the term.
Friday 4th December – End-of-Term Trips: Lower Primary will be visiting Sam Roi Yot, while Upper Primary and Middle School will be heading to Kanchanaburi. More details about both trips will follow closer to the time.
Highlights from Last Week
Our Upper Primary and Middle School students had a fantastic day at SO Sofitel on Friday. The inflatable water course was a particular favourite, with students enjoying the challenges and having plenty of fun in the water. Mini golf also proved very popular, and some students had the opportunity to try pickleball. It was a great day out, with lots of different activities for everyone to enjoy.
Kindergarten and Lower Primary also finished their swimming sessions for the term. Over the past few weeks, the children have had the opportunity to develop their swimming skills, build their confidence in the water and enjoy time together at the pool. It has been lovely to see their progress, and we're now looking forward to introducing some different Friday trips and experiences for the younger groups.
On Monday, the Polar Bears hosted their Indian Spice Sampler for parents, sharing some of the work they have been doing as part of their learning about spices and the spice trade. They prepared Indian-style curry and turmeric lattes for parents to sample. It was a lovely opportunity for the children to share their learning through food and introduce parents to some of the flavours they had been exploring.
Our new rugby shirts have arrived, and we're very pleased with how they've turned out. The shirts have been ordered with individual sizes and students' names on the back, and we look forward to seeing the Rugby Club wearing them soon.
We have also begun trialling a new digital banking system with our oldest students, giving them their own QR-code bank cards linked to their Butterfly Money accounts. The cards allow students to make cashless purchases at the school shop and café, with payments taken directly from their accounts. The system will also help us develop our student job market, allowing children to apply for jobs and earn Butterfly Money through their responsibilities around school.
We're currently testing the system with a small group of older students, and if it works well, we hope to introduce it across the school. It's an exciting development that should give students more opportunities to manage their own money and take responsibility for their earnings and spending.
Circle Time Highlights
We celebrated the winners of the Crispy Penguins' Halloween presentations, which explored different cultural traditions, beliefs and stories connected to Halloween and death. Congratulations to Alisa, who took first place, Toa in second and Luca in third. We were impressed by the research and effort that went into all the presentations.
We also presented two special awards. Sarah received recognition for her fantastic presentation about witches, which she delivered both during our Halloween celebrations and to the Silver Sharks on Thursday. She spoke with confidence and demonstrated a great understanding of her subject. Matthew was also recognised for his outstanding contribution to the Halloween activities and preparations. Well done to both students.
We announced some additional Halloween costume awards. Our teachers recognised Luca for his impressive handmade mask, which combined hand-stitching and 3D printing, Matthew for his entirely self-created plague doctor costume, and Ticha for her wonderful homemade costume, created with help from her parents. The parents' choice award went to Eden, whose costume received the most votes. Congratulations to everyone for their creativity and effort.
We also celebrated the winners of our Halloween art competition. Congratulations to Elsie, John and Smile for their fantastic artwork.
Students from Stories in Motion shared some of the handmade paper they had been creating as part of their project. It was lovely to see the results of their experiments with making paper from pulp.
The Sew Cute Club shared some of the bags they had been making, while the Sabertooths showed more of their handmade bags, which they are preparing for the end-of-term showcase. Both groups have been developing their creative and practical skills through these projects.
The Polar Bears shared some of their recent artwork, while the Agent Owls showed everyone some of the artwork they had created using 3D printing.
Willow and Nari recited a poem for everyone during Circle Time, demonstrating their confidence in speaking in front of the school.
The Hummingbirds shared the books they had been creating about famous people. Their finished books are now available at school for others to look through and enjoy.
The Muck and Magic Club also shared some of the worry stones they had been making. These small, handmade objects are designed to be held and rubbed as a way of helping people feel calm.
Relationship Class Highlights
Polar Bears
The Polar Bears reviewed the key ideas they have been learning with Mr Tommy, focusing particularly on kindness and compassion. They discussed how these qualities can be demonstrated in everyday situations before taking part in role-playing activities. These gave the children an opportunity to practise responding thoughtfully to different scenarios and put what they have learned into action.
Hummingbirds
The Hummingbirds explored the idea that there are often two sides to every story. They began with a simple activity in which children stood on opposite sides of a number drawn on the floor. One group saw a 6, while the other saw a 9, showing how two people can look at the same thing and see something different.
The children then worked in pairs, with each partner reading a different perspective on the same everyday problem. They took turns explaining their side and listening to each other before using three questions to investigate what might really have happened: What did I see? What might I not know? What could I ask?
The lesson encouraged the children to avoid jumping to conclusions and to ask questions before making judgements about others.
Sabertooths
The Sabertooths continued their discussions about growing up by exploring puberty. They learned what puberty is, when it typically begins and some of the physical changes that boys and girls experience as they develop. The lesson helped students build an understanding of this important stage of growing up.
Silver Sharks and Crispy Penguins
The Silver Sharks and Crispy Penguins explored our new Butterfly Money banking system. Students learned how their digital accounts and QR-code bank cards work, including how they can use them to make purchases at the school shop and café. They also discussed how the system connects to our student job market, giving them opportunities to earn, manage and spend their Butterfly Money. This initial trial will help us see how the system works before potentially introducing it to the rest of the school.
With the final weeks of term approaching, we're looking forward to seeing the students' projects continue to develop and come together for our December showcase.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support, and we hope everyone has a lovely week.
Warm regards,
Mr Vincent and the Halio Team
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