15th November 2024
Dear Samakee Community,
Recently, the school's air monitoring devices have fluctuated, indicating a moderate change in air quality. We are keeping a close eye on these changes as we approach the cooler season.
For your information, we use a Flag Programme to keep our community informed of the air quality. The appropriate flag is displayed at the school entrance and changed routinely to show the current air quality at our school: Green—Good; Yellow—Moderate; Orange—Unhealthy for sensitive groups; Red—Unhealthy; Purple—Very unhealthy. The coloured flags tell children and staff whether outdoor activities have been modified.
Loy Krathong
A big thank you to our amazing Thai staff for putting together such a wonderful event today! We are so proud of our Year 1 and 2 dancers and our talented Year 6 and 7 musicians for such a delightful assembly. And let's remember our two fantastic Year 3 MCs!
After the assembly, the children and staff had fun at workshops, making krathongs, Thai desserts, and mini-kites. We are so grateful for everyone who helped make this Loy Krathong celebration a memorable one!
Chula Graduate Students Visit
On Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting eight master's graduate student teachers from Chulalongkorn University and their professor. The group visited our school to gain insights into our teaching and learning practices. After exploring the classrooms, our library, farm, and music room, they attended an informative presentation by our EYFS Lead on early childhood education principles and best practices. A question-and-answer session followed, providing an opportunity for fruitful discussion.
Packing Bags for Northern Thailand
Thank you for helping us raise 104,000 Baht for flooding victims in Chiang Rai! We have sent the majority of the money directly to the Thai Volunteers Foundation, which is using it to repair and restore multiple schools. The rest of the money has been used to buy school supplies for impacted children. We have one set of school supplies for every Samakee child to donate. The children packed these items, and the bags were sent to students in Chiang Rai.
Upper School Assembly: Anti-bullying
Our Upper School assembly this week centred around Anti-bullying. The students looked deeply into the nature of respect and the role it plays in making us feel safe. It was great to see photos of how students at Samakee already encourage respect in the things they do for each other and the Samakee community.
Mental Health 'Tip' cards (made by students in Art) were shared among the students and staff. Two of our younger students organised some slides to share about Mental health and what we can do to improve our own lives.
CPD Training Session: Emergency Safety Measures for School Field Trips
Spanish Day is coming!
On Wednesday, 20th November, our students will be diving into the vibrant culture of Argentina! We’re inviting all kids to dress in blue, white, or anything Argentinian to celebrate.
Here’s what’s in store:
Tango Dancing
Learning about famous Argentinian football players
Arts & Crafts inspired by Mafalda, the Gauchos, and the colorful graffiti in Buenos Aires
A fascinating exploration of Eva Perón’s life and legacy
Parents! Don’t forget to sign up for our special Tango taster session from 2–2:30 pm and join the fun!
It’s going to be a day of creativity, history, culture and fun as we explore what makes Argentina unique!
Teaching and Learning Highlights!
EYFS - 3D Krathong
The Early Years class has been immersed in the enchanting festival of Loy Krathong. A highlight was their collaborative creation of a 3D krathong, which was used to decorate our Loy Krathong performance stage. Thank you Early Years for a beautiful Krathong!
Year 2 - Pumpkin Fun
This week, Year 2 students are diving into multiplication by making equal groups with pumpkin seeds! They worked in pairs to cut open a pumpkin, carefully counting and grouping the seeds to practice their math skills.
But the learning doesn’t stop there! On Friday, we'll be planting our seeds and watching them grow, plus we’ll be using the pumpkin to cook a healthy, delicious soup. It's the perfect way to blend math, science, and healthy eating!
Year 5 - English Students in Action!
Year 5 students have been mastering persuasive writing techniques in their English classes, and they’re putting their skills to the test! They’re writing engaging magazine articles to convince tourists to visit Bangkok. Using their knowledge of our vibrant city and the powerful AFORRESTPIE persuasive strategies, they’re crafting compelling arguments that are sure to persuade readers.
Keep up the amazing work, Year 5 – we can’t wait to read your fantastic articles!
Year 6/7 - Mathematics Engagement
Students are active learners in their Samakee Mathematics lessons. Year 6 and 7 recently engaged in a series of fun maths contests related to topics such as recurring decimals, prime factorisation and rounding to significant figures! They worked in teams to solve challenging problems, collaborated to explain their solutions and encouraged each other to carry on even when things got tough! Studies have shown that students learn more deeply when they collaborate with their peers and focus on explaining the reason for their answers. Well done team!
Forest School in action!
Students are having a blast exploring with their new tool - the Sheath Knife! This versatile tool is perfect for whittling wood, allowing the children to bring their imaginations to life.
Watch as they craft their dream toys, tools, and even weapons! It's amazing to see how focused and relaxed they become as they master the art of whittling.
Upper School Ambassadors and House Captains
I am the ambassador for Shakspeare. I enjoy swimming in my free time and I love science.
I am the Ambassador for the house Einstein and my favourite subject is science.
I am the school ambassador for Nightingale. I enjoy playing basketball and I like hanging out with my friends.
I am the Deputy Ambassador for Shakespeare. My favourite subjects are Art & PE.
I will be the deputy ambassador for Einstein. I enjoy football and sports and I am very good at swimming.
I’m the deputy ambassador for Nightingale, I like eating steak and enjoy singing.
I’m the House Captain for Shakespeare. My favourite subjects are Art and PE and I am 9 years old.
I am the House Captain for Einstein. I really like Basketball. I like to play with my friends and have fun. My favourite subjects are PE, Art and Maths.
I am the house captain for Nightingale. I like to learn science and English and I also enjoy playing sports.
Awards and Achievements
Growth Mindset Master
For persevering with difficult tasks and constantly trying her best with all her tasks. Especially with her reading, writing, maths and dance.
Artist of the Week
Artist of the week goes to a year 9 student who has shown great progress in his work. He has perservered showing commitment to his work, resulting in some lovely outcomes. Well done!
Upper School Celebrations
Upcoming Important Events
November
16th - U12 Taokaenoi Football Tournament
20th - Spanish Day
23rd - U13 & U15 FOOTBALL @MYIS
28th - Farmers Market
29th - Y3-Y9 Sports Day
30/1st - SHR Storm Cup
SAS LINE Communication Platform
LINE is a widely used communication platform in Thailand, and it's a platform that Samakee has been utilizing for quite some time. We encourage all our families to connect with our official SAS LINE account to ensure we can easily disseminate important school-wide updates to our entire school community. Click to add
Monica L Sudhirak
Head of School
Head of School, Monica L Sudhirak: msudhirak@standrews-samakee.com
First School Lead, Tabietha Sudhirak: tsudhirak@standrews-samakee.com
Middle School Lead, Hannah Riddi: hannah.ridd@standrews-samakee.com
Upper School Lead, Nicky Page: npage@standrews-samakee.com