Si Ri Panya News Highlights (issue 55)
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- 7 min read
July 14th - Our Last Newsletter of the Academic Year!
The final stretch of term has been full of activity at Si Ri Panya, with celebrations, annual events and many opportunities for our community to come together.
This final newsletter brings together highlights from 6–14 July, including one of the most special moments of the year: our Year 6 Graduation Ceremony.
The morning included speeches, poetry, a class song and the presentation of graduation certificates. It ended with students walking through an arch formed by parents, teachers and pupils from across the school — a fitting celebration as they completed Primary and prepared to take their next steps into Secondary.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the occasion so memorable. We are very proud of our Year 6 students and look forward to seeing them continue to grow in confidence, independence and responsibility.
Read on for more highlights from the closing days of the school year.
From Business Plan to Finished Product: Year 5 Launch Artote
Year 5 have brought their Business Enterprise Project to life, turning their ideas into a range of original, hand-printed tote bags.
Working in teams, pupils developed their designs, prepared stencils and experimented with colour and printing techniques before producing their final bags. The classroom became a busy workshop as pupils measured, cut, printed, solved problems and helped one another improve their work.
The project has taken pupils through many of the stages involved in building a real business. Alongside creating the product, they have considered branding and marketing, developing the name Artote and producing their own colourful advertisement.
It has been an excellent opportunity for pupils to combine creativity with teamwork, communication and practical decision-making—and to experience the satisfaction of seeing an idea progress from an initial plan to a finished product.
Year 1: The Best of the Best Cross the Finish Line!
Year 1 have been an absolute pleasure this year. As Head of Primary, I have often called them the best of the best—the crème de la crème—because every member of the class has brought energy, enthusiasm and maximum effort to school each day.
They have worked exceptionally hard, made excellent progress and are now well prepared to take the big step into Year 2 in September.
The final week and a half brought several memorable moments. Pupils welcomed a visit from Phangan Animal Care for Strays (PACS), having raised money for the charity by selling their handmade postcards during our end-of-term event. They also took part in a range of athletics activities on the second-to-last day of term, an event we hope will become an established part of our annual sports programme.
Well done, Year 1. Have a wonderful summer, and good luck as you begin Year 2 next year.
Thank you to all our Year 1 parents for their support throughout the year, and especially to Teacher Olivia and Teacher Pam for the care, commitment and encouragement they have given our youngest pupils at Si Ri Panya.
Secondary Giving Back Week
In this final full week of term, Secondary students have been taking part in a series of activities designed and organised by them to give back to our community.
When we talk about being community-minded, this is not just an attitude, but also about taking action to really show our appreciation of each other and our environment, and to support each other to be our best selves.
On Monday, our students visited the Ban Tai Primary school and took it in turns to give leads short activities for the students there. They also delivered baskets of school supplies requested by the school, using money raised by the students through tickets sales for the school play. It was a wonderful afternoon and a real eye-opener for our students to see the kind of educational experience that local Thai children have, and they talked a lot about the similarities and differences when they got back to Si Ri Panya.
On Tuesday, the rain stopped our planned beach clean, but we were lucky to still be able to host a visit by ARRI to talk about their work in locating and dealing with 'ghost' fishing gear. As well as finding this gear using drones and removing it from the sea, we talked a lot about 'what next?' - how to recycle or upcycle the items that have been recovered. Students then used smaller items and their creativity to produce keyrings to take home, a useful and imaginative way to turn rubbish into treasure!
Tuesday through to Thursday was planning and preparation for a fund-raising bake sale to take place at the Primary End Of Term Event on Thursday afternoon. Each class independently researched, budgeted for, planned and made their own contribution, and then all took part in the sales to create a wonderful Siripanya food court. The students also chose what to do with the money raised, which came to almost 3,000 baht.
Throughout the week, some of our Secondary students have also been giving back a bit closer to home - volunteering to work with T. Kimmy in PE classes with Primary to give them an extra special sports and fitness experience. Our students showed their support and leadership skills, many of them would make great teachers themselves one day!
Friday was a final day of fundraising activities, with a Charity Football Match to raise money for sports equipment for local schools, and a series of sponsored events in school so that everyone has a chance to do their bit. The sponsored activities were varied and interesting, some active and some distinctly not - students choosing to do sponsored silences was amazingly calm, and some even managed to do absolutely nothing for minutes at a time! Many thanks to all the family and friends who sponsored these activities, and a special mention to Marlene in Year 7 who raised 1,634 baht on her own!
We were delighted to welcome Koh Pha-Ngan Suksa School to participate in the friendly competition. Despite the very hot conditions, the tournament was a fantastic success! Students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, impressive athleticism, and a wonderful sense of community throughout the day, all while raising funds to provide local schools with new sports equipment. A huge thank you to Atleti-Koh Phangan for generously hosting the tournament and supporting this worthwhile cause. If you would still like to contribute, donations are still being accepted, and every contribution will help make a positive difference for local schools.
Sister Circle: Creating, Connecting and Supporting One Another
Sometimes the most valuable conv
ersations happen while hands are busy.
During a recent Sister Circle session, pupils spent time designing and decorating their own personalised journals. As they chose colours, textures and details, they talked, shared ideas and encouraged one another—turning a creative activity into something with a much deeper purpose.
Sister Circle gives pupils a relaxed and supportive space to strengthen friendships, build confidence and feel connected to others within the school community. The finished journals were all different, reflecting the individuality of each pupil, but the real success of the session was the sense of belonging created along the way.
Watch Matilda The Musical: Our Secondary School Production
Our Secondary students brought Matilda The Musical to life in a production shaped by their creativity, teamwork and commitment.
Students took responsibility not only for performing on stage, but also for the costumes, set design, lighting and sound. The result was a true whole-school production and an experience they can be proud of.
Missed the performance—or would simply like to enjoy it again?
Students Help Shape Our New School Menu
Over the past four weeks, Primary and Secondary students have been helping us review the school lunch menu.
After each meal, students placed their name tag in a Yes or No box and could leave comments. This gave our kitchen team a clear picture of which dishes were enjoyed and which needed to change.
Pesto pasta received some of the lowest feedback, so our new Head Chef, Nat, prepared butter garlic spaghetti for students to try. Following a positive response and further discussion with the Food Committee, pesto pasta will be replaced from Term 1 in September with butter garlic spaghetti with diced chicken breast. A vegetarian version with edamame will also be available.
Thank you to all the students who shared their views. Their feedback has directly influenced the new menu for the start of the academic year.
Small Actions, Big Impact: A New Slide for Bantai School
Throughout this academic year, our students and parents have raised money through school events and community activities. This week, we were able to see exactly where that support had gone.
The funds were used to purchase a new playground slide for Bantai School. A small group of Si Ri Panya students visited to present it, meet the children and take a tour of the school.
For our students, it was more than simply handing over a piece of playground equipment. It was a chance to see how collective effort can create something practical, lasting and joyful for another school community.
Thank you to every parent, student and staff member who contributed. The new slide is a visible reminder that even small acts, when brought together, can make a real difference.
Reminder: School Uniform & Equipment Pre-Orders — Deadline 15 July
Leaps & Beats Holiday Camp
Click this Link to Register! Full details were shared in Issue 51.
♻️ Upcycling Uniforms Donation Reminder
Full details were shared in Issue 51.
Key Dates at a Glance
Looking Ahead: Key events and special days for the school year are published on our homepage.
SRP Music Academy
See Newsletter Issue 35 for full details
Primary End of Term Event
See Newsletter Issue 48 for full details
Primary Term 1 After-School Activites
See Newsletter Issue 50 for full details
Upcycling Uniforms Initiative
See Newsletter Issue 51 for full details
Weekly Reminders
🎂 Birthdays: Primary birthdays (Years 1–6) are celebrated every Friday at 2:00 p.m. during Enrichment Time. Secondary birthdays (Years 7-11) are celebrated during tutor time.
📖 Library Books: Please check at home for any school library books and return them to either the Primary or Secondary library.
♻️ Bottle Cap Collection: We’re collecting bottle caps for our Precious Plastic Project. Collection point outside the primary gate. Find out more about this exciting long-term project here: www.siripanya.com/precious-plastic-project
🐞 Head Lice Checks: Please check your child’s hair regularly and treat if needed. Children with long hair (boys and girls) should keep it tied up.
👕 Uniform Orders: Please ensure your child is wearing the correct uniform each day. Uniform orders can be placed online:🔗 Secondary Order Form 🔗 Primary Order Form
🍎 Healthy Snacks: Healthy snacks only at break times. No sweets, crisps/chips or cakes.
🚗 Drop-off & Pick-up:
• Drop-off: from 8:30 a.m. only
• Pick-up:
– Primary: 2:50 p.m. (or 4:00 p.m. for ASA)
– Secondary: 4:00 p.m.
Please be punctual, as some children have been waiting for extended periods.
🌬️ No Idling Zone: Please switch off engines while waiting outside school to support a healthier environment for all.
🤒 Absence & Illness: Please notify your child’s class teacher (Primary) or form tutor (Secondary) if they are unwell or absent.
Si Ri Panya News Highlights — Previous Issues
Explore earlier issues of Si Ri Panya News Highlights via our school blog archive.
