Si Ri Panya News Highlights (issue 26)
- Nicola Bunchuay
- Oct 31
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 8
Oct 31, 2025 — Honesty in Focus.
This half term, we're focusing on the value of Honesty. 🦉✨
At Si Ri Panya, we have six core school values that shape our culture and guide our students as learners and citizens:💛 Community-Minded | 🌊 Balanced | 🦉 Honest | 🐢 Resilient | 🐘 Respectful | 🐯 Courageous
Each half term, we explore one of these values in greater depth through assemblies, PSHE lessons, and everyday school life. This half term, students will be learning from Honest Henry — reflecting on what it means to tell the truth, make good choices, and act with integrity, even when no one is watching.
Together, we're growing principled, thoughtful young people. 🌱💬
Learn more about our school values: www.siripanya.com/mission-and-values
Frightfully Fabulous Fun! 👻
🎃 Our Halloween celebrations were full of colour, creativity, and spooky fun! Enjoy this gallery of costumes, laughter, and festive moments from across the school. 👻
Analyzing data in graphs and charts and translating that data across pictogram and tally charts - Year 4
🌼 Year 1 Admissions – September 2026
We’re excited to share that enrolment for Year 1 entry in September 2026 opens soon!
For our current Si Ri Panya families: Families with a child already at the school will receive an email on 1 November inviting them to express their interest in Year 1. These families enjoy priority enrolment throughout November, before places open more widely in December.
For new families: Enrolment opens on 1 December, when island families can apply for our small-group, play-based sessions designed to help children feel at ease as they begin their school journey.
We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of happy, curious learners to Si Ri Panya in 2026! 💛
For more details, please contact our Admissions Lead, Kim, at admissions@siripanya.com.
Barry Dvash - Our Very Own Footballing Hero! ⚽
We’re missing Barry from Year 9 at the moment — but for a brilliant reason! He’s in Spain attending an international football training camp alongside young players from around the world, each hoping to impress professional talent scouts.
Here’s a short interview with our very own football star about his experience — we can’t wait to hear all about it when he’s back!
ARRI ghost gear and recycling workshop with Year 7
ARRI is an environmental organisation based on the island who work with volunteers and modern technology. In their work they do research to understand the environmental challenges that affect our beautiful ocean, and are developing ways for us to deal with these problems.
The team from ARRI recently came in to school to deliver an engaging workshop with Year 7, explaining their work on the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Using drones, they identify ghost gear (lost, abandoned or discarded fished gear) which contribute to the destruction and loss of sea life and habitat as well as microplastics to our oceans.
Working with our students to help them understand what is happening to our oceans, and what we can do to help, is a key part of our school's mission to support our students growth into active and responsible world citizens. We are sure they will remember this experience, and we are very grateful to ARRI and T. Kat for giving them this opportunity.
☔ Rainy Season Reminder
As the rainy season continues, we kindly ask families not to send umbrellas with primary-aged children.With over 120 primary students arriving each morning, umbrellas can be tricky and unsafe in busy spaces.Older secondary students may use either a raincoat or an umbrella, as they prefer.
Please ensure your primary-aged child brings a light raincoat with a hood each day.Raincoats allow children to continue enjoying outdoor play and movement, even when there’s a light drizzle — without missing out on fresh air and exercise.
Raincoats for all ages are available from Decathlon Thailand, with delivery to the island in just a few days.
Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe, happy, and ready for any weather! 💛🌦️
Year 9 Student Leni Shines at the Primary Holiday Camp
Our student Leni was an absolute superstar at the recent Primary Holiday Camp! She jumped right in to help with a smile — from cooking in the kitchen and helping teachers to cheering on the younger campers during activities.
Her energy, kindness, and leadership made a huge difference throughout the week. The younger children looked up to her, and the staff were so impressed by how responsible and hardworking she was.
Helping out in the holiday camps is also a great chance for our Year 9s to build important life and work skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving — all while having fun! A big thank you and well done to our amazing helpers for helping to make the camp such a success!
Year 9 Debating Skills
Year 9 are reading 'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen which is about a young boy who survives a plane crash and over a month in the Canadian wilderness.
Our descriptive writing activity changed the scene to a crash in the snow which led to a discussion about the 1972 Uruguayan rugby team who survived in the Andes for over 2 months (as recently retold in the Netflix movie 'Society of the Snow').
We debated the question: “In a life-or-death situation, resorting to cannibalism for survival can be justified.”
Both teams put forward very passionate arguments and the students effectively honed their debating skills. Putting across their views and backing up their arguments will be hugely useful in the future - the more practice they can get, the better prepared they will be for the world!
Our new Scholastic Book Club is up and running! Go to https://world-schools.scholastic.co.uk/si-ri-panya/digital-book-club to browse the latest books and order online. For every £1 you spend on this month’s Book Club, our school will earn 20p in Scholastic Rewards.
Please place your order online by November 20th, 2025.
Loi Krathong Festival - November 5th, 2025
On Wednesday, November 5th, students from Year 1 to Year 9 will celebrate the Loi Krathong Festival by creating beautiful krathongs and learning about Thai culture.Each class will work together to construct their krathongs, which students will take home to float later that evening.
At Si Ri Panya International School, we aim to make our krathongs as environmentally friendly as possible by using only natural materials such as banana leaves, wooden toothpicks, and fresh flowers.
🌸💮 Flowers for Decoration 🌸💮
Please send plenty of flowers with your child to help decorate their krathong. This ensures that every child has enough materials to make their creation truly beautiful.
Costumes (optional)
Children are warmly encouraged to wear traditional Thai costumes to enhance the festive spirit of the day.
Boy's Costume example: Click to view
Girl's Costume example: Click to view
About Loi Krathong?
Loi Krathong (ประเพณีลอยกระทง) is a beloved festival celebrated across Thailand.The word ลอย (Loi) means to float, and กระทง (Krathong) refers to a small, lotus-shaped raft traditionally made from banana leaves and trunks, decorated with flowers, candles, and incense sticks.
Many people also place a coin, a lock of hair, or nail clippings inside as offerings. The festival is a time to ask forgiveness from Pra Mae Khongkha (พระแม่คงคา), the goddess of water, for any harm caused by pollution or waste.
Thai Language Learning
To wish someone well during this festival, you can say:สุขสันต์วันลอยกระทง (sùk-săn wan loi grà-tong) — Happy Loi Krathong Day!
Learn How to Make a Krathong
There are many creative ways to fold banana leaves and decorate krathongs. Watch the short videos below for inspiration:
We look forward to celebrating this beautiful Thai festival together and appreciate your support in helping make the day meaningful for all our students. 💛
Key Dates at a Glance
Looking Ahead: Key events and special days for the school year are published on our homepage.
Parent Discussion Circle - every Friday
See Newsletter Issue 21 for full details
Links to our end of term event songs to practice at home
See Newsletter Issue 21 for full details
Get Caught Reading competition
See Newsletter Issue 22 for full details
Our Next Parent Discussion Circle Topic
Friday 7th November: How can we guide children through the changes of adolescence—puberty, self-confidence, relationships, and risk-taking?
📅 When: Every Friday, 9:00am – 10:00am
📍 Where: Boardroom, upstairs at the main office
👩🏫 Hosted by: Pastoral Lead - Faye Reading
✨ Come as you are—whether to share your thoughts, ask questions, or simply listen in. Every parent is welcome.
Ongoing Weekly Reminders
Library Reminder: Please check at home for any lost books and return them to the Primary or Secondary library so everyone can enjoy them!
Bottle Cap Collection: We're collecting bottle caps for our Precious Plastic Project! Please bring your bottle caps to the collection point located inside the Primary school gate on the left. Secondary students can bring theirs to the Design and Technology Lab. Find out more about this exciting long-term project here: Precious Plastic Phangan Facebook.
Drop Off and Pick Up: Drop-off is at 8:30 am (not earlier). Pick-up times are 2:50 pm for Primary (or 4:00 pm if attending an ASA) and 4:00 pm for Secondary. Please be punctual, as some Primary children have been waiting up to 30 minutes after 2:50 pm, which can be distressing for them.
No Idling Zone: Help make the area outside our school a NO IDLING ZONE which means switching car engines off while you wait for your child. We appreciate your action for the environment and health of all.
Absence and Illness: Notify your child's class teacher (Primary) or form teacher (Secondary) directly to inform them of absence and sickness.
Head Lice Check: Continue to check your child's hair for head lice regularly and treat accordingly. Boys and girls with long hair need to tie it up.
Uniform Orders: Ensure your child wears the correct uniform each day. Uniform orders can be placed online: 🔗 Secondary Order Form 🔗 Primary Order Form
Healthy snacks: Healthy snacks only. No sweets, crisps/chips or cakes at break times. Birthdays are the exception and dealt with per class policy.
Si Ri Panya News Highlights — Previous Issues
Explore earlier issues of Si Ri Panya News Highlights via our school blog archive.
