Foundation Stage & Key Stage 1: Not all superheroes wear capes

Fun Day was an exciting day for everyone.  Year 2 meet some real-life superheroes, and we welcome a new member of staff to our team.

Hope you had fun!

After school on Friday the campus was cleared early to give the Estates team the chance to bring in the rides and start setting up the  marquees that transformed the school in readiness for Fun Day.

People started to arrive early to see what was on offer, with the popular White Elephant Stall once again doing a roaring trade from opening time to closing time!  They raised over 20,000 baht for charity - a very worthy cause that we will tell you more about in a future newsletter.

It was fantastic to see so many of the Foundation Stage and KS1 students enjoying the incredible range of activities that were on offer for all ages.  The cool weather meant that everyone was happy to stay all day.

There is no way to adequately thank all the people who worked so hard to make the day such a success - the PTG, the Estates Team, the teachers, the vendors, the musical talents of Mr Matt and the High School bands and Mrs Alice and the Primary School band, The Shoelaces, all contributed to the amazing atmosphere, but it would have been nothing without all of you coming along to join in the fun!

Congratulations to the Talent Show Winners who treated us to two extra special showcases, and to the winners of the lucky draw - as only the main prizes were drawn on the day, later in the week make sure you check if you were lucky enough to win one of the smaller prizes.

Emergency Services Visit

Miss Lauren explains: ‘Not all superheros wear capes’

This term Year 2 have been learning all about the qualities and characteristics of superheroes and last Friday we got a chance to meet some real life superheroes.

The Thai Fire Department and Ambulance Service came to visit us  and the children were able to be a part of an interactive presentation to learn more about the Thai Emergency Services.

First the children had the opportunity to dress like a firefighter - we were shocked at just how heavy the clothes were. The firefighters explained that the outside layer is made from a fire resistant material called Nomex and the inner layer is a waterproof material that keeps the firefighter dry. After that, we were able to try on the oxygen mask and carry the oxygen tank on our backs - again, it was so heavy. Sometimes the firefighters have to carry oxygen tanks on their backs up 30 flights of stairs - displaying super strength!

We were then able to explore and get our hands on some of the equipment on board the fire truck. We were shown how to use the hose correctly, the children were surprised at how powerful it was - it was quite difficult to keep control of and some bystanders accidently got splashed. Oops!

A definite highlight was watching a demonstration of how to put out a real fire using an extinguisher. The heat from the flames could be felt on our faces from as far as 20m away.

We all agreed that firefighters have to be incredibly strong and brave - definite characteristics of a superhero.

Next we were able to go on board the ambulance where we checked our heart rate using a pulse sensor. We had a lot of questions - the ambulance was full of pieces of technology we had never seen before. The nurses took the time to explain to us how to use each piece of equipment. We then had the opportunity to try out the stretchers and wheelchairs - some children offered to pretend to be patients, while we strapped them in and transported then safely into the ambulance. The nurses displayed qualities of kind heartedness, selflessness and compassion.

We ended the presentation with a honk of the horns and blast of the sirens - it was a wonderful morning and lovely to see the children so inquisitive and actively engaged in their learning.

We would all like to say another big thank you to the firefighters and nurses who came to visit us.

We think you are superheroes.

Moodle Workshop for Parents

On Tuesday 6 February there will be a Moodle Workshop for Parents, at 8.00 a.m. in the Drama Studio.

If your family arrived in Term 2, or part way through Term 1, it might be useful for you to come along and find out the basics of navigating your way around Moodle.  Please register using the sign-up email sent to you last week, or by contacting the office.

Introducing Caitlin Cassidy - a new member of staff based in the Primary School

You may know that St Andrews International School Bangkok prides itself on employing specialist staff to support all of the children in the Primary School - including Speech and Language Therapists, an Art Therapy Counsellor, a Physical Therapist and a Play Therapist. This term we have been lucky enough to retain the services of Caitlin Cassidy, an experienced Occupational Therapist.

But what is Occupational Therapy - often referred to as OT?

Occupational therapy is a health profession that enables people to engage in developmentally appropriate activities that make up daily life.  For school-age children, occupational therapists work to ensure that a student can participate in the full breadth of school activities—from paying attention in class; concentrating on the task at hand; holding a pencil, musical instrument, or book in the easiest way; or just behaving appropriately in class. They look at why a child might be having difficulties managing his or her daily activities (occupations) and what can be done to help them participate to their full potential.

Before joining St Andrews, some children have had assessments that have recommended a course of OT.  With Caitlin on staff, hopefully more children can access OT during the school day or early afternoon. We look forward to working with her.

Please contact Khun Third (third.th@standrews.ac.th) if you would like any more information about Occupational Therapy.