Term 2 Magazine April 2018

The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana

Magazine

Issue 54 Term 2, April 2018

RESIDENTIAL VISITS

Primary

Secondary

Cross Campus

Year 3: Excitement at Jomtien Beach

Year 9: Challenges and Cooperation

Can Cyberbystanders Help to Reduce Cyberbullying?

Bangkok Patana School is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

Today - 31 Dec 2018

LEARNING

CONTENTS

Issue 54, Term 2, April 2018

PRIMARY

10 8 10 12 14

Year Year Year Year

3: 4: 5: 6:

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Excitement at Jomtien Beach Exploring the River Kwai Residential Celebrations Sun and Sea in Chanthaburi

SECONDARY

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16 18 20 22 24

Year Year Year Year Year

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7: A Week of Fun in Rayong 8: A Trip to Kanchanaburi 9: Challenges and Cooperation 10: Cow Dung, Trangias and a Lazy River 12: All ToK’D Out

CROSS CAMPUS

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26 28 30 32 34

Virtual Reality in Education Can Cyber-bystanders Help to Reduce Cyberbullying?

The TigerSharks Orange Army ‘Oil, a Gap Year and Cordon Bleu’ Sharing Slam Poetry with Sara Hirsch

Front Cover Artwork: Chia-Yu (Beryl) Hsu,13L

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FOREWORD

L ERAORSNSI N C CG AMPUS

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love the Residential Visits that Bangkok Patana provides us with, the picturesque scenery, the yummy foods and exotic animals! That’s what it’s all about! Well, that and the resort rooms... Will you end up with your best friend? You don’t know! But that’s not the point. The point is that Residentials give you a chance to escape the loud, bustling streets of Bangkok, into a quiet patch of greenery. You can go biking in meadows of flowers, stroll through dense foliage and visit elephants in their natural habitat. It’s a wonderful experience and we are privileged to have them.

Over the pages of this magazine, you will get a good taste of all the Residential Visits, from Year 3 through to Year 12. I can think of many highlights from the Residentials I have attended; however, I do have a couple of favourite memories. Walking through the beautiful tropical rainforest in Year 5 and hearing, seeing and even smelling the nature around us is still vivid in my mind today.

Many students do not have this opportunity and their knowledge of rainforests comes purely from learning in class… I still can’t believe I was actually in one! My next memory took me out of my comfort zone; camping under the stars in the rainforest on the Year 6 Residential recently was something that I would never do in my normal daily life. Not only did we wake up surrounded by nature but we also had to cook for ourselves and the others on camp. I now know that if I’m ever stuck somewhere I can light a fire and ‘attempt’ to cook for myself! The stresses of cooking were eased by a tranquil cooling dip in the natural waterfall the next day.

For any students out there that fear being away from home, I assure you that Residential is one of the best experiences you could ever have! – Advaita (Advi) Sinha, Year 6

643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna, Bangkok 10260, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 Email: reception@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th

Editor: Rebecca Meadows Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Email: reme@patana.ac.th Advertisement: Finn Balslev Tel: +66 (0) 2943 7166-8 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

Design & Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. Tel: +66 (0) 2943 7166-8 Fax: +66 (0) 2943 7169 www.scandmedia.com

Bangkok Patana Magazine is the termly publication of Bangkok Patana School published three times per year and distributed to 2,000 members of the School community. Reproduction of articles, artwork and illustrations by written permission only.

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LEARNING

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 3:

EXCITEMENT AT JOMTIEN BEACH Hannah McLaughlin, Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 3 This year saw Year 3 return to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club at Jomtien Beach. Their first Bangkok Patana Residential always generates a huge mix of excitement, wonder and trepidation.

Dear Diary, We were bursting with excitement for our very first Residential! The night before we went to bed feeling really excited. What amazing things would there be to do? What does the Royal Varuna Yacht Club look like?

What tasty food would we eat? Although we were excited, we also had some worries, such as falling off the bed and missing our families. As we lay on our beds, staring at the ceiling, we all wondered what tomorrow would bring. – 3A

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Dear Diary, When we first saw the bus, we were very excited for what was to come next.

Our parents started to wave. They said that they felt a bit sad, but were very proud that we were going to be independent. On the bus, some of us played Top Trumps whilst others chatted, told jokes or even slept! When we eventually arrived, we took a tour of the luxurious resort and saw the sparkling ocean in the distance, then we had a delicious picnic. We enjoyed

sharing our food with our friends and getting to know the other class. Our highlights of the picnic were the fabulous sandwiches and tasty Doritos. – 3C Dear Diary, After check-in, we finally got to see our rooms! Once unpacked, we began our treasure hunt challenge, which first required us to use our map reading skills!

The activities included body art, bridge building and holy water. We worked

Bangkok Patana Magazine

excellently as teams, showing that we can communicate and take risks! Before long it was time for a much needed cool down in the swimming pool, before getting our smart clothes on for dinner. After dinner, we reflected on our day in our Residential diaries. It was then story time before getting cosy in bed. We went to sleep dreaming of the fun and adventures that were still to come on day two. – 3H Dear Diary, We woke to a beautiful morning, with no sign of yesterday’s rain. The blue sky welcomed us to a scrumptious breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans, toast, khao tom and cereal. Once we had eaten, it was time for room inspection. It was a little funny having our bed-making, hair brushing and our ability to tidy the room skills inspected!

We definitely need to improve on the bathroom and bed-making parts before tomorrow’s inspection.

One of the first activities of the day was kite making. As well as written instructions and diagrams, we were given a working model of a kite to work backwards from to make. It was a challenge to fold and put it together. We had lots of fun running up and down the lawn trying to fly them but there was not much wind.

Perhaps we can try again on a windier day. – 3K

Dear Diary, In the afternoon, we made boats with Mr Chris and raced them against our friends. The boats were made from sticks, sticky tape, lolly sticks and rubber bands.

We also used paper to create our small, colourful sails. Next, we painted the view from the balcony of the Yacht Club that overlooked the boats, beach and the island of Ko Lan. Using watercolour paints and thin brushes, we created beautiful masterpieces of the wonderful view in front of us. These creative activities were very fun for us all! – 3J Dear Diary, As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, we zoomed down to the gorgeous beach where we jumped over cold, salty waves and built enormous, golden sandcastles. Some people spent ages carefully digging out deep holes for the waves to flow into, while others looked for shells of all shapes and sizes. As we had all remembered to put on lots of sun cream and to keep our hats on, our teachers told us we’d earned a treat. So, after having a fabulous time on the beach, we got to eat something delicious and frozen … chocolate ice cream! YUM! – 3M Dear Diary, In the late afternoon, we hopped in the

shower, then quickly transformed ourselves with our best clothes into smart, fabulous Year 3s. Because we were starving, we rushed down the grassy hill to the barbecue like famished cheetahs! The food was delicious! After some scrumptious carrot cake, it was time for the Talent Show. Three boys put on a hilarious puppet show and there were many other fantastic performances for us to enjoy. Finally, it was time to hit the hay so we strolled calmly and sleepily back to our rooms. Even though we were exhausted, we read some interesting chapter books for a little while until lights out. Tomorrow it will be time to go…

Why can’t we stay here forever? – 3E Dear Diary, We’re going back to Bangkok today.

We felt a little sad because the time had gone so quickly; however, happy at the same time as we were going to see our families. In the morning, we got up at 7.00am and went to do some hula hooping with Mr Tatam. Not long after, we had toast, CocoCrunch and scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Some of the boys sang the Coco-Crunch song! Finally, we got on the bus and chatted with our friends all the way back. It took just over two hours to get there but the time went quickly. In the end, we arrived at the school to see our parents waiting and waving at us, we were so happy. – 3B TERM 2 – 2017/18

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LEARNING

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 4:

EXPLORING THE RIVER KWAI Jade Ashby, Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 4

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or the Year 4 Residential Visit, the children went to Kanchanaburi and stayed at the Felix Hotel. As soon as they arrived, they were treated to a delicious lunch before having a tour of the hotel’s facilities. After unpacking their suitcases and listening to a fire drill and safety briefing, the students were able to play with their friends on the luscious green fields or cool off in the swimming pool. That evening, there was a quiz. There were some really tricky questions, but the students all worked well in teams, doing their best to answer them.

The next morning, Year 4 ate a yummy

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breakfast altogether, before half went to the bat cave and the other half visited Prasat Muang Singh. The group that visited the Wat Tham cave were greeted with a surprise – they saw a beautiful, majestic peacock wandering around. As they journeyed to the cave, they passed Buddhist statues and shrines before entering the cave via a narrow staircase and using their torches to see the stalagmites and stalactites on the floors and ceilings. At some points in the cave, the corridors were so narrow that the children had to go through one at a time!

In the middle of the cave, they were greeted by another, very large, beautiful Buddhist

statue. After exploring, they headed up to the viewpoint which looked out over the River Kwai. The sight was spectacular and luckily enough, there was an ice-cream cart. All of the children and staff enjoyed an ice cream whilst looking over the River Kwai, it was one of the most memorable moments of the trip. When the ice creams were finished, they all headed back to the resort and participated in some team building games and sketching of the River Kwai Bridge before more time to play and swim.

The other group visited Prasat Muang Singh and also had a fun-filled day of exploring. When they arrived, the children

Bangkok Patana Magazine

spoke about Prasat Muang Singh and the Khmers with their teachers, who were very impressed at how much they had learned and remembered from their Connected Learning lessons. Then, it was time to explore! The students walked around the large site wondering if there were different rooms and what those rooms were used for.

They thought about the entrances and why they faced in particular directions. After evidence gathering and inference making, the children sat down in front of the structure and began to sketch, using different sketching pencils to produce different textures and effects. The sketches were beautiful and the children were very proud of them.

Whilst at Prasat Muang Singh, the students walked through the forest to visit a partial burial site. Two skeletons had been found there, as well as pottery and jewellery. The children used the information boards to learn more about them and answer questions in their booklets. They learned that the skeletons dated back to 10,000 BC and

were therefore not Khmers. We thought about why they were buried with pottery and jewellery and made links to our Year 3 learning about the Ancient Egyptians.

After eating a delicious packed lunch and doing some souvenir shopping, the group left Prasat Muang Sing for Nam Tok train station. After a quick ice-cream, the train finally arrived and everyone piled on-board. The large windows were pulled down and once the train started moving, a lovely breeze blew in. The scenery was majestic and there were plenty of photo opportunities. The children saw the River Kwai and the surrounding greenery in all its beauty, the sights really did take everyone’s breath away. However, the journey was over far too quickly!

Some of the most memorable moments of the trip happened during the evening activities. During the talent show, the children displayed skills such as: singing, dancing, reciting poetry, performing a comedy sketch and gymnastics. The other children, teachers and judges were amazed at the talent they saw! On the night of the disco, the students busted some moves to popular songs and participated in party games, such as musical statues and musical bumps. All of the children and adults had lots of fun!

The end of the week came along much too quickly so with heavy hearts and tired bodies, they packed their bags and left the resort on Friday morning with everyone wishing they could have had more time on Residential!

TERM 2 – 2017/18

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PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

LEARNING

YEAR 5:

RESIDENTIAL CELEBRATIONS Steven Rhodes, Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 5

Celebrate: To take part in special enjoyable activities in order to show that a particular occasion is important.

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his year, Bangkok Patana has been recognising and celebrating the many different people and events that make this such a great school. The annual Year 5 Residential Visit to Khao Yai is one such experience. These trips have such a long-lasting and positive effect on the students, they are something that should be celebrated. So, who better else to celebrate this than the children. Here are their thoughts on their Residential Visit!

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Night Safari

I think the night safari is something to celebrate because we saw such a wide range of extraordinary animals. We were lucky to see eight wild elephants strolling along the edge of the rainforest; a family of porcupines racing along the side of the road; many kinds of deer, both large and small, and I even saw a civet cat. We should also be thanking and celebrating the people who guided us on the night safari, helping us to search out animals that we would otherwise have not seen

without their help and bright lights. – Lucas Collin, 5D

Trekking I want to celebrate trekking through the rainforest because it was challenging to go through the forest and to walk a long distance. We found elephant footprints that were 30cm long! We also saw lots of other footprints, which belonged to mostly deer or buffalo. It was scary to be there without my family, but my best friends supported me, and so I am also thanking and celebrating them too. – Saaya Suganuma, 5P

River Study

For me, the river study is something I want to celebrate. I had an amazing time

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trying to find all the different creatures that live in rivers. I was surprised when I caught a strange looking bug, and my friend caught a crab! I was also amazed at the beauty of the river as I saw how it sparkled. I also learnt about the speed and depth of the river. I had to be careful because the rocks were slippery and I didn’t want to fall in, but I had a great time with my friends. – Maria (Masha) Usokina, 5R

Bat Cave and Quiz Night

The bat cave was a truly amazing sight. At first, I saw a few groups of bats fly out of the cave in the hill side and then I saw thousands of them in a long stream in the sky flying off into the distance. I shared a pair of binoculars with my friends so we could get a closer look at them. During the quiz night, I had to

be part of a team and each of us helped one another when we got stuck on a question. I really enjoyed it when we all helped, supported and encouraged each other, which I would like to celebrate. – Pippa Phisuthikul, 5W

Talent Show

I think we should celebrate the ‘Talent Show’ because lots of people were risktakers, performing in front of the rest of the Year group. It took a lot of practise and effort to perfect their acts and also took a lot of courage to perform in front of an audience and I think we should celebrate that. All the teachers were amazing too for being judges and introducing the different performers. Everyone put in lots of effort and I want to say thank you.

– Ava Harvey, 5H

Independence I would like to celebrate independence because it is a very important factor of life. I became more independent during the Residential as there were so many things I was responsible for. For instance, I had to take care of my room keys, make my bed and keep my room neat and tidy.

I had to pack my day bag and make sure that my clean and dirty clothes were folded neatly and placed in my suitcase.

I am celebrating independence because it is such an important skill to have! – Thirawat (Matthew) Thepsoparn, 5M

Clearly, the Residential Visits are an integral part of our students’ experience at Bangkok Patana and they will continue to be celebrated.

TERM 2 – 2017/18

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LEARNING

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 6:

SUN AND SEA IN CHANTHABURI Thomas Iredale, Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 6

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or their last Residential Visit in the Primary School, Year 6 packed their bags and headed off to Chanthaburi for a week by the sea. In school, the children are learning about human impact and sustainability, and our visit to Chanthaburi provided the perfect opportunity to enhance this learning.

We visited the mangrove forests, where we saw first-hand the impact that shrimp farming, fishing and logging has had on the delicate ecosystem. In a very popular part of our visit, we boarded kayaks and explored the bay and deep into the backwater channels of the mangroves.

The children learnt very quickly the importance of cooperation and communication in their efforts to navigate their vessels without ending up stuck in a mangrove tree!

We learnt about how dugongs used to populate the area. How they disappeared as the mangroves were cut back and human activity increased. And, in a ray of 14

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hope for the future, we learnt how, as a result of recent conservation efforts and the continuing regeneration of the mangroves, the dugongs have been spotted in the area once more.

We took a trip to the local aquarium and sea-life rehabilitation area, where rich discussion was had about the ethics of animal captivity, its benefits to education and conservation and the quality of life of those animals held captive.

Another much anticipated part of the visit was the night we spent out in the wilderness, camping and cooking under the stars (or, during week one at least, under the rain clouds). For many of our students this was their first experience of camping.

The children prepared and cooked their own food on charcoal campfires and ate from banana leaves, sitting on the floor. At night, after another exhausting day, they retired to their tents where there was no air conditioning, no soft fluffy mattress or Egyptian cotton sheets. This experience

of ‘roughing it’ in the wild, encountering and enduring torrential downpours, creepy crawlies and cold showers, is for the children, one of the most enduring memories of the Year 6 Residential. They put aside their creature comforts, material possessions and electronic devices for an evening of experiencing nature, friendships and life at its most basic, and each child leaves richer as a result.

‘An enriching experience. One for children and adults alike.’ This is how best to describe our Residential Visit. Our curriculum is enriched by the learning that takes place; however, just as importantly, our lives are enriched by new friendships or by discovering something new about an existing friend. By learning to stand on our own, by developing empathy for our fellow classmates through shared experiences, by assuming increased responsibility and learning and developing essential life skills. And, as I am sure you can see from the photos, by having fun!

Bangkok Patana Magazine

“Residential was amazing. We learnt how non-sustainable logging, shrimp farming and over fishing is affecting the planet and important habitats. It made me, and I am sure many others, think about how we can make more sustainable choices and about how we can help the planet.” – Prithvi, 6P “We had a lot of fun doing the forest cooking and we learnt how to cook on a fire and use a lighter safely. Also, we enjoyed the mangrove walk because we got to see lots of interesting wildlife such as Kingfishers, snakes, mudskippers, and Hermit crabs.”

– Harriet and Samantha, 6D “This Residential was amazing! Kayaking was my favourite part, even though getting extremely wet was part of the process.

I learnt lots in the mangrove forest.” – Varit, 6N “It is important to learn about sustainability at Residential so we can teach the future generations what is happening to our planet and how we can protect it, by providing sustainable sources of energy or how to maintain sustainable fishing.” – Thiti, 6R My favourite thing about Residential was toasting marshmallows. It was my first time and it was really fun. It was cool when my marshmallow caught fire! – Utkarsh, 6P I enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves most of all. I liked it because it made me realise that the only way you can go forwards is by working together. – Eimaim, 6N My favourite Residential memory was when we went to the mangroves and learnt about the animals and how the mangroves help. My second favourite thing was when we went to the sea ocean farm. Seeing the marine life was AMAZING! Especially the Bull Shark. – Jasmine, 6M Having a delicious jungle dinner cooked for me was one of my favourite moments. I especially liked the mushroom dish!

Also, I really enjoyed kayaking because I liked going around the mangroves and seeing the wildlife. – Miss Davies, 6D My favourite memory was when we made food, because I normally never make food for myself and it was pretty cool cutting a lot of tomatoes…even though I hate tomatoes! – Petite, 6D My favourite part of Residential was the camping. I loved how we made our own food, and that it rained in the night! I also really liked the coconut ice cream! – Charlotte, 6D TERM 2 – 2017/18

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LEARNING

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 7:

A WEEK OF FUN IN RAYONG Amanda Ljungberg, Year 7

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ovember 13th, 2017 marked the first day of the Year 7 Residential Visit to the seaside province of Rayong. It also marked the first day of a week of fun, of laughter, of learning, and most importantly, of experience. Having been at Bangkok Patana my whole life, I have been on four other Residentials.

Therefore, I can say without a doubt, that the Year 7 residential was the best one yet.

The drive from Bangkok to Rayong was approximately three hours long. We stayed at the Rayong Chalet Resort, a humble seaside accommodation providing us with a pool, surprisingly clean beach and rooms to spend the night.

From the very first day we arrived we 16

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were split into groups. These groups allowed us to step outside our comfort zone and interact with people from other classes, and perhaps even befriend those we’d never consider befriending. In fact, I made most of my close friends during Residential, and became closer to those I’d already known.

Once we had settled into our groups and had spent some time together, we were ready to take part in some activities. Each day the groups would rotate to try something new. The activities we took part in included nature trekking, visiting a turtle sanctuary, Thai cooking, kayaking and snorkelling. When we returned from these activities, we had free time around the hotel, enjoying swimming in the pool, games

on the beach and relaxing after a long day.

In the evening after dinner, as a Year group we would take part in even more activities, including a quiz night, a talent show, trash fashion and a disco.

For me, the highlights of the trip were the activities we did in the sea; kayaking and scuba diving. We kayaked off the shore outside our hotel after receiving efficient training. In pairs we practised synchronisation, speed, changing directions and getting back up on our boats after capsizing before playing games. It was incredibly fun to be able to go kayaking out at sea with a big group of friends, playing games and enjoying ourselves. I believe I speak for many when I say the moment I

Bangkok Patana Magazine

got off my kayak I wanted to get straight back in again!

Snorkelling and scuba diving was the most popular activity, at least according to my friends and classmates. Following a bus drive from the hotel, we boarded a boat to a beautiful headland where we had the opportunity to go diving. Though some of us didn’t have experience scuba diving, we all caught on very fast and were able to experience the breath-taking splendour of the corals and fish beneath the water. After a long session, we boarded the boat again to have lunch before we took off to our next diving destination, where we were able to dive again just off a brilliant white beach.

Of the evening activities, I loved ‘trash

fashion’ the most. After doing a thorough beach clean-up on our first day, all the trash we had found (an alarming amount) was collected together and split up equally amongst the classes. We were given the challenge of designing two costumes made solely out of garbage, for both a male and female “model” of our choosing. Along with some friends, I came up with the idea to stray from the typical dress-and-suit costume choice and gave our male model female clothing, and our female model male clothing. Not only was this hilarious to watch play out, but it was unique and rather boundary-defiant.

As our “models” walked the runway, we were able to speak about both the pressure

of gender roles and the disturbing amount of waste we found - more than enough to fully clothe 16 people - just on the small stretch of beach outside the hotel. Though the activity was supposed to be fun, the deeper meaning behind it really stuck with me, and probably stuck with a lot of people.

As our week drew to an end after the starlit disco night, and we went to bed with our bags packed to leave the next morning, I was sad to say goodbye to Rayong.

Though no trip is truly without flaw, this Residential was almost perfect. The activities were exhilarating, the lessons learned were memorable, and never will I forget the experiences I had.

TERM 2 – 2017/18

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WELL-BEING

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 8:

A TRIP TO KANCHANABURI Kate Flynn, Head of Year 8

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he Year 8 Residential trip to Kanchanaburi proved to be the highlight of the year. On a steamy November morning, we set off on our long drive to the western province and town of the same name. Fully fortified with the junk food contents of a small Big C, the students arrived ready to bond through team-building and ice-breaking activities, including what must be close to the world record for the tarp fold and some very precarious looking balloon towers!

For many, the toughest part of the trip, and the best opportunity to display the strengths of bravery, perseverance and humour, was the cycling route. It was so pleasing to see students helping and encouraging each other on the way, demonstrating so much cheer and positivity whilst 18

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getting sweaty, dirty and tired, and the looks of pride when completing the course.

Students wore their scrapes and bumps with pride – hopefully for many this will be the first of lots of cycling experiences.

Ably led by Mr Summers and Mr Reid were the activities at the beautiful Erawan

falls. Walks through lush vegetation, dips in the pleasantly cool pools and plenty of excited screams on the rock slides meant that this was a welcome break from some of the more somber and serious parts of this trip.

These included visits to the Hellfire Pass Memorial and the Thai-Burma Railway

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Museum, where students learnt about the building of the railway, including the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Students also paid their respects at the nearby cemetery, which houses the graves of many of the men who died building the railway.

Students placed a rose on a grave and took a few quiet moments to reflect on the experiences of those men, and how fortunate their own lives are in comparison.

For many students, the most exciting part of the trip (and the most nerve-wracking for their Head of Year) was the trip to the elephant sanctuary – did you know that elephants really are very big?! There, the Year 8s had the chance to prepare food and feed the elephants, and then experience bathing them in the river. For many, it was the first time being so close to such

an amazing animal – one student commented that they could believe elephants were aliens! This was followed by a watery and pretty ‘’shrieky” obstacle course at the accommodation which was a great opportunity for more team work.

New this year were a select group of students responsible for taking photos and recording all our activities for posterity. As you can see from the photos in this article, they did an excellent job – although there were plenty of selfies and funny faces too.

We can’t wait to look back at those when the students are in Year 13!

Evening activities included a top-notch quiz from Mr McDonagh and Ms Steciuk, the disco ably DJ’d by our in-house expert DJ Staley and of course the now legendary talent night lead by Ms Bailey and

Ms Ellis who set the bar high with their own Kanchanaburi/Despacito version.

There was also chance to celebrate the achievements of the students that day; the strengths and positive attributes that they demonstrated, including curiosity, kindness and vitality. With students’ this great it was easy for the teachers to nominate.

What really stood out about this year’s Kanchanaburi trip was the way that the students welcomed others into their groups and bonded so closely with people that they had probably never spoken to before. It was wonderful to be able to return to school and tell Secondary Principal Mr Smith how kind and considerate the Year 8 students had been to each other and to their teachers. I am very much looking forward to the Chiang Mai Residential next year!

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WELL-BEING

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 9:

CHALLENGES AND COOPERATION Lucia Polastro, Year 9

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he Year 9 Residential to Chiang Mai was by far the best one yet, but why?

Our trip to Chiang Mai gave us the opportunity to carry out a vast variety of physical activities, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the North of Thailand and spend time with friends and meet new people. It

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also helped us to learn valuable lessons that will help us to become better individuals.

During the Residential, we were able to enjoy many activities which were not only enjoyable, but also helped us to build many skills that can’t be taught inside a classroom. We were also expanding our

IB Learner Profile attributes to an extent impossible to do in school. We became knowledgeable about seed variety by going to the Pun-Pun Centre. We had to rely on our communication skills to safely navigate during white-water rafting. It came as no surprise that we had to be risk takers for

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almost all the activities. A clear example of this was when we did cycling and had to complete an obstacle course. Many people didn’t want to do it but they still took the risk and many even finished it.

Many new and unforgettable memories were created. One of the funniest was when my group was kayaking and we had to do a challenge called “Titanic”.

During the challenge, everyone had to stand on the edge on the kayak with one leg and at the end everyone fell into the water. Another great memory was camping; for many of us it was the one of the first times camping since Year 6. In the camp site, we were mixed with people that weren’t in our room meaning we had to be independent and responsible, making

sure no one was left out. We did it successfully and as a reward we had a secret talent show which was extremely amusing. We were also given a mouthwatering reward – marshmallows!

On Residential, I became more aware of people in other classes who I hadn’t talked to or interacted with before and made friends with them something that I am extremely proud of. This also shows I became more aware of my surroundings making me more caring towards others. Because of this I believe that I was the best person I could be when I was at the Pun Pun center.

I was also caring when thinking of how by using the bricks I helped to build a house for someone. I was the first one to go in the mud and mix it thoroughly and was

supportive of my friends by helping them, taking over their jobs when necessary.

Finally, I think Residential taught us that we can live without social media for four days. It was fantastic to see people during the activities interacting with each other without a screen between their faces.

This definitely made people become better global citizens, making us more aware of the wider world and giving us a sense of our roles in the world.

To finish off, here are some top tips for next year’s Year 9 Residential: bring old clothes, meet new people and enjoy! Thanks to everyone who made this Residential the most memorable one yet.

Here’s what some of the other Year 9 students said:

I believe I was at my best when I was cycling. I don’t really cycle a lot in Bangkok so I had to get the hang of it first.

Cycling was very tiring, going uphill was the hardest but I loved going downhill. I enjoyed looking at the view and enjoying the breeze. – Midori Ishibashi, 9C

I would not normally do, which I liked at times but at other times it could be really scary which I think was a big part of the Residential.

We went to the Pun Pun Centre where we met lots of people which was really nice and made soap. However, we couldn’t take it home because it takes one month for the soap to set so instead I bought some at the shop. We also went on a tour around the garden and picked some fruit. I loved the star fruit and pepper which made me sneeze a lot! – Róisín Sehmar, 9V

If I had to advise next years’ Year 9 students about the Residential, I would tell them to face the challenges presented to them head on! Enjoy the experience, sense of joy and accomplishment and conquering challenges that this residential provides. I think each team-based activity promotes ‘Global Citizenship’ and I felt good because I was not just doing something myself, I had people to support me and vice versa. – Alex Schuepbach, 9C

Year 9 Residential was my favorite Residential so far. This year our activities were making soap at the Pun Pun Centre, cycling, kayaking, archery, camping and white-water rafting. All of the activities pushed me to do things that

This Residential was too short! – Jack Slater, 9H

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WELL-BEING

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 10:

COW DUNG, TRANGIAS AND A LAZY RIVER Clara Boucher, 10D and Henry Brosnahan, 10W

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esidential Visits are always a week of thrills, excitement and letting loose, but this year it was a lot more than that. It was a week full of learning, overcoming challenges and team building. The Year 10 Residential, more than any other in the past, was a trip that really tested our ability to work cooperatively with different people and surmount challenges that were thrown at us.

The biggest challenge we faced, but definitely my favourite part of the trip, was the trek. We set off on a two-day trek with a map, a compass, a pencil and a few people we didn’t really know, and we had to make it to a campsite...16 kilometres away... It

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doesn’t sound like it can get much harder than that! The rain and the mosquitoes definitely didn’t make it an easy task, but it really helped us all learn to communicate effectively, and most importantly, support and help one another in rougher times. Getting lost a few times along the way didn’t discourage us. We persevered through it by working together, communicating and checking our bearings!

Residential is also a time to have fun and enjoy yourself. The Life Park and Splash World in Scenical World were definitely a highlight of the week as we got to let loose after our exhausting trek in the

forest. We also got to take part in some things that not many people get to do in their lives; get all dirty in cow dung and rotten papaya! Dr Heddle taught us how to create an amazing pile of compost and although it smelled bad and it got a little messy, it felt great to be able to do something positive for the environment whilst having a bit of fun.

The Year 10 Residential really taught us a lot about the environment, navigation, team work, and also about ourselves. It definitely tested us as individuals, but more importantly as a team, making it a trip to remember. – Clara Boucher, 10D

Bangkok Patana Magazine

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hat do cow poo, trangias and lazy rivers have in common? They are all important parts of the Year 10 Residential! This year’s Residential was one of our best yet because of the variety of activities that we did. We walked 25 kilometres in two days on a scenic trek to a campsite where we cooked under the stars and slept in tents.

Another day we learnt about the variety of plants in Thailand, and the importance of diversity among crops, whilst also making compost so that we could help a small forest thrive. To top it all off we also visited a theme and water park and had loads of fun; speeding down thrilling waterslides, firing water canons at each other and relaxing in the lazy river.

Even though the entire trip was full of amazing experiences, I would have to say that the trek was my favourite part because it was really great to spend time with people that I didn’t know that well so we were able to develop friendships. It was also fantastic to be free of electronic devices and just be out in nature, enjoying a walk with our backpacks on and our friends beside us.

One of the skills we learned was how to

use a compass, map and bearings to navigate from point to point, it is a useful skill and, at times, really challenged our thinking. We also learned the skill of building compost consisting of a variety of different energy sources for use on crops and in forests and the importance of balancing different kinds of nutrients for plants.

Overall it was an amazing experience that everyone was able to enjoy and learn something from. One challenge I think many groups had to overcome was the navigation and teamwork required during the trek. It was important that everyone understood how the coordinates and bearings were found so that we could all contribute to our group’s navigation abilities.

We also had to make sure everyone was drinking enough and taking enough breaks so that no one became dehydrated. The experience of building compost was useful to our communication skills because we had to decide as a larger group how much of each ‘ingredient’ we were going to use, so we had to collaborate to make decisions.

Ultimately, the Year 10 Residential was a fantastic way of building global citizenship, from learning about the importance of the environment and helping to grow part of a forest, to working with others and communicating with our peers to successfully overcome the challenge of a lengthy trek and camping. – Henry Brosnahan, 10W TERM 2 – 2017/18

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SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 12:

ALL ToK’D OUT Sakooltipaya (Koko) Lotharukpong, 12G

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

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heory of Knowledge (ToK), part of IB’s flagship core curriculum and everyone’s favorite subject, is a conceptually challenging course that is notoriously difficult to understand, and so it was with some trepidation that the Year 12s boarded the buses on Monday morning for their Theory of Knowledge Camp, our very last Bangkok Patana Residential Visit.

We stayed at Cholapruek Resort in Nakorn Nayok, an expansive, naturefilled complex complete with water canals that snaked around the fields, swimming pools, conference halls, and 50-odd villas that made up the resort. Although the resort wasn’t new or modern (or insectfree!), the accommodation was one of the best we have encountered on Residential, primarily because the seclusion of each villa gave students a sense of independence and closeness within villa groups.

These villas and the various large conference halls scattered around the complex provided a perfect setting for our academically focused trip. Unlike previous Residentials that guaranteed a week of adventure, our five-day trip was packed with perplexing lectures designed to provoke thought and heated discussions, as well as provide us with a better understanding of ToK—something that began promptly upon arrival.

Each lecture varied considerably in style and subject matter: some were more interactive, whilst others were designed to overturn previously held assumptions and trigger deep thought. All talks were created to explore Ways of Knowing (WoK) and develop our understanding in different Areas of Knowledge (AoK) in order to aid us in future presentations and essays.

Lecture topics ranged from ‘Ethics’ and ‘Empiricism’ to ‘Indigenous Knowledge Systems’ and ‘Language’. Many of us were unprepared for the mentally exhausting aspect of absorbing the sheer number of lectures that were given in five days. (Even some of our night activities required mental energy: watching the Christopher Nolan film ‘Memento’ left the whole Year group trying to untangle the spaghetti mush that our brains had become, and prompted some of us to debate on the film hours after retiring to our villas. The film was then further explored in Mr Robertson’s illuminating memory-focused session the next day.) Despite this, every one of us learnt

something new and intriguing from each session, whether it was from a subject they currently study or a topic never encountered before. These lectures culminated in students giving a presentation in which we extracted and dissected knowledge questions from a controversial Science topic.

To allow our brains to rest and recharge following these intensive sessions, we were given generous amounts of free time in the afternoon. This was spent socialising and participating in technology-free activities outdoors, ranging from sports like football, running, and swimming to playing cards and board games such as Set and Monopoly Go. The afternoon activities

also included teacher-organised activities such as the Hash Run and the classic ‘Old Skool’ sports event. Post-dinner games were enthusiastically awaited and highly appreciated. The Quiz Night (which turned out to be an intense and highly competitive activity) tested us on trivia ranging from the type of milk needed to make Mozzarella cheese to the works of Ernest Hemingway.

‘Global Citizenship’ postcard-making night was far more fun than anyone had expected. We decorated our postcards with vast resources of googly eyes, stickers and glitter. The highlight of the evening activities was the Hunger Games-themed ‘Hungry Games’. After all, who could forget Kent’s incredible egg-cracking skills? It was truly an event worthy of the Capitol*, complete with teachers dressed in costume, Alessandro’s valiant attempts to retrieve the cereal box, a fiery confrontation that ended in the splits, and other hilarious incidents.

We left Cholapruek Resort as a group of tired, ToK’ed-out students who had learnt how to look at the world and at knowledge from a different viewpoint.

Whether it was the friendships and memories made or the ability we gained to question anything and everything, our final Residential will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on us. * Hunger Games reference: The Capitol of Panem is a technologically advanced, utopian city where the nation’s most wealthy and powerful citizens live. The nation’s thirteen districts are ruled from this city, and the Hunger Games are organised and celebrated inside its city limits.

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VIRTUAL REALITY IN EDUCATION Brian Taylor

Assistant Principal for Cross Campus Curriculum Technology Integration

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hat will be the next development in technology to influence education? Some say it will be virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), or perhaps mixed reality (MR). In this article, I will guide you through the terminology, what we are currently doing in the VR/AR/MR field at Bangkok Patana, and discusses the potential impact this technology may have on the way we learn in the future.

Demystifying the Terminology The table below compares the different ‘realities’ and provides a simplified overview of the often-confusing terminology.

The definitions are changing as rapidly as the technology itself, and eventually I foresee the merging of AR and MR. Some of us may remember the videotape format battle between Betamax and VHS in the 1970s and 1980s; I predict MR will absorb and supersede AR as the level of interactivity for the user is far superior.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented Reality (AR)

Mixed Reality (MR)

Definition

Computer-generated scenario that simulates a realistic experience and / or environment

Layered virtual information over a live feed

Visualisation where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time

Example

In your device you appear to be on the moon walking with a dinosaur!

A virtual dinosaur pops out of your real business card when you look at it through a device!

Through a device you see a virtual dinosaur in your real room and you can interact with it!

Typical equipment

Headset connected to a desktop computer and handheld controllers

Typical equipment Common manufacturers

Oculus HTC Vive

Current main drivers of technology

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Headset and/or mobile phone Android and Apple smartphones

Gaming and entertainment industry Medical research App developers

Microsoft HoloLens

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Examples of Learning in These Environments at Bangkok Patana

Below: Our Ricoh 3600 camera has been used to create virtual 360 enrichment rooms in Mathematics3 and document the flora and fauna discovered in our Outdoor Classroom4.

The Horizon Report1 is an annual synthesis from 61 experts on the trends and technologies that will drive educational change.

In the 2017 report they stated the Time-to-Adoption Horizon for virtual reality is two to three years, that both games and natural user interfaces are already finding applications in classrooms, and VR has the power to make learning simulations more authentic.

Our whole school ICT Vision and Development Plan emphasises exploring the learning potential of these technologies.

Digital transformation is the organisational activities, processes, competencies and models to fully leverage and assess the changes and opportunities a mix of digital technologies provides. Below are just a few of the many examples of our students and teachers using these technologies to transform learning.

Below: Students and staff have been exploring exploring the human body using the MR platform zSpace2.

Left: 360-degree videos, also known immersive or spherical videos, are recordings in which movements detected by the device are used to change the viewing angle within the video. Many students and teachers have been using our sets of VR cardboard viewers to help develop empathy in the topic of human migration in Year 6.5,6

Our Next Steps As a school, we are constantly reflecting on how this technology can be effectively used to enhance learning opportunities. We ask ourselves: Is this technology a “necessity” for our curriculum or a just “nice to have”? Does its use align with our mission, vision and guiding statements? We use the following characteristics as a metric for adoption: Is it reliable, flexible, scalable, cost-effective, relevant and healthy?

Ultimately, does is have a positive impact on the learning?

Often disruptive technology like this is ‘cool’ but quickly fades – remember fidget spinners? I have no doubt that these types of ‘reality’ will have a significant part to play in our learning in the future, however, the key ingredient to their successful adoption is their ability to adapt and amplify fundamental human traits: empathising, collaborating, designing, storytelling, creating, negotiating etc.

As Simon Sinek said in the recent Screenagers showing earlier this term: “current technology is good for the maintenance (of relationships), but not necessarily for the building (of them).”

Links in this article (1) https://www.nmc.org/publication/nmccosn-horizon-report-2017-k-12-edition/ (2) https://zspace.com/ (3) https://community.patana.ac.th/mathematics/key-stage-3-1/enrichment-room (4) https://goo.gl/kDbfng (5) https://goo.gl/VB9xMw (6) https://with.in/watch/clouds-over-sidra/ TERM 2 – 2017/18

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CAN CYBER-BYSTANDERS HELP TO REDUCE CYBERBULLYING? Helen Thew

Assistant Principal, Secondary Student Welfare Adapted from Helen’s Master’s dissertation “Is there a role for the cyber-bystander in helping to reduce cyberbullying?”, 2017

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hen it comes to social media usage among Secondary students, the landscape is regularly shifting. Surveys by the Pew Research Centre, who have been tracking social media usage since 2005, have ratified over the years that students’ usage has substantially increased. While technological advancements bring many positive aspects, such as social support, identity exploration and cross-cultural interactions, an unintended consequence of the increasing access to and use of these forms of technology are the potential risks that the youth may face in the cyber-space. At the forefront of these discussions both in the popular media and from researchers, are the ways in which technologies are being used to change the face of bullying.

“Cyberbullying is any behaviour performed through electronic or digital media by individuals or groups that repeatedly communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others” (Tokunaga, 2010, p.278).

Unlike traditional forms of school bullying, where once the victim gets home they are away from the bullying until the next day, with cyberbullying the victim may continue to receive text messages 28

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and emails wherever they are. Additionally, digital storage archives, provide the potential for episodes of cyberbullying to be forever available on-line. Compared to most traditional bullying the person carrying out cyberbullying may be less aware or even unaware of the consequences of their actions. Without such direct feedback, there may be fewer opportunities for empathy or remorse.

The Role of the Cyber-bystander

When examining cyberbullying there is a third party that can also play a critical role, namely the cyber-bystander. The potentially unlimited audience in the online world suggests to me that the role of bystanders may be particularly important in cyberbullying. The inaction of bystanders can augment the deleterious effects of bullying on a victim or bystanders can intervene to stop a cyberbullying incident or offer support to the victim. However, the downside to the Internet is that the bystanders often do not know how many other people are witnessing the cyberbullying and more importantly from a student perspective cannot see others’ reactions to help them know what they should do.

As educators, we need to play an important role in preventing

Bangkok Patana Magazine

cyberbullying and encouraging positive online behaviour. In May 2017, Year 7-10 students were asked to complete an online questionnaire about cyberbullying. The importance of answering the questions truthfully was communicated to the students. The total number of questionnaires I used in my final analysis came from 600 students.

Main Findings from the Student Survey

The purpose of my study was to gain knowledge about the extent of cyberbullying and to investigate the current views of students on cyberbullying. I was looking to find out how students currently responded as victims, bullies and/or bystanders to cyberbullying.

• Overall, 20% of the students surveyed acknowledged that they had been cyberbullied at least once since the start of 2017. This is in line with the average victimisation rate of 24.4% quoted by Patchin & Hinduja (2012) from the 35 articles that they reviewed.

• The greatest frequency of cyber-victimisation occurred in Year 7 and 8.

• There was no significant gender difference in terms of those who had been cyberbullied.

• It was found that 43% of the cybervictims asked the cyberbully to stop with the girls being almost twice as likely as boys to take this approach.

• The majority of the students did choose to tell someone.

When looking to whom they told, over half of the students 54.17% had told a friend, followed by telling a parent 34.17% and finally only 10.83% of them telling an adult at school.

• Almost a third (31.33%) of the students reported that they had been actively targeted as cyber-bystanders. Of these, over half of the students (56.38%) did nothing with this information, hence on the one hand ending the distribution of the cyberbullying material further from their point of view. However, on the other hand, unless the bystander explicitly expresses the rejection of the cyberbullying or the support of the victim, their disapproval can remain invisible.

Prevention and Intervention Measures I strongly believe a promising way to address cyberbullying is to work with the potential cyber-bystanders and educate them on how to become an active defender or in other words a digital upstander to the cybervictim. In cyberspace, the potential for a large audience should, I feel, be turned into a potential for many active defenders. Bystanders can act immediately to help stop the cyberbullying incident and/or offer social support to the cybervictim.

However, some students who would like to help may not be sure how best to do so and may be fearful of consequences to themselves and the cybervictim if they take action. Therefore, as a school through role-play activities and discussions, we need to make the student bystanders aware of the seriousness of cyberbullying and teach them to both act against it and report it to a trusted adult.

When asked during a Key Stage 3 assembly what strategies students could take to be an ‘upstander to cyberbullying’ the following ideas were suggested: • Do not encourage the cyberbully in any way • Help the cybervictim by telling the cyberbully to stop • Do not laugh, tease or spread gossip about others • Do not forward on or respond to messages or photos that may be offensive or upsetting • Screenshot evidence of cyberbullying so you can show it to a teacher later • Talk to a teacher or your parents • Help the cybervictim in any way you can e.g. show them how to block the cyberbully These powerful suggestions indicated to me that the students do know how to be an upstander to cyberbullying, in other words, they know what they could do to defend others against injustice.

We need to continue to teach all students to act upon their negative feelings in reaction to cyberbullying and encourage pro-social engagement amongst all students.

Finally, although their opinions have not been part of this study parents can also help by teaching their children how to use technology responsibly. I encourage parents to keep up to date with the online behaviours of their children and to keep the channels of communication open so should their child experience any difficulties whilst online they know they have you as trusted adult to turn to.

Reference: Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research in cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(3), 277-287.

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THE TIGERSHARKS ORANGE ARMY Cindy Adair

Assistant Principal Extra-curricular Activities and Sport

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he TigerSharks Swim programme has long been a feature of the Bangkok Patana School sporting provision. As the team has grown, so too have the size and number of events we host. This year is no exception with the TigerSharks hosting Feeding Frenzy, FOBISIA and Senior SEASAC all in the same calendar year! All three events featured up to 600 swimmers, and as many spectators, competing over two or more days.

Large events such as this require a lot of manpower to ensure they run smoothly.

With the Bangkok Patana staff involved

with the planning of the logistics (transport, catering, venue set-up and technical officiating) it’s very special group of parents, affectionately known as the “TigerSharks Orange Army” to the rescue for other aspects. These volunteers give up their time to run the marshalling area, police traffic flow around the pool deck to ensure smooth and efficient running of the meet, update the event board, ferry around baskets for the swimmers to put their clothes into while they swim, label over 500 medals and post results for swimmers and visitors to reference.

The Orange Army is now a vital feature of our meet hosting “machine” and many visiting schools comment on how nice it is to see our community working together in this way. A welcoming smile from a fellow swimming parent is always much appreciated. At the recent FOBISIA event, the PTG were also out in force with the Tiger Cart and even the new Tiger Mascot made an appearance!

Here are what some of our parents have to say about their membership in the TigerSharks Orange Army…

The best thing about being involved is it makes you feel more of a contributor to the swimming rather than just being on the sidelines screaming for that one minute followed by a two hour wait, when you know your child can’t hear you under water but makes you feel better. Whether giving a ribbon, flipping a number or collecting

clothes, it brings you closer to the swim meet and your child throughout the day.

Plus, if you think about it, if your child swims eight events over two days that’s an absolute total of 16 minutes max in almost 20 hours! Being part of the Orange Army not only helps pass the time, but you feel good and you also help make your child feel good that their parent is involved. I

feel it helps motivate them knowing that their parent is working and volunteering so they can compete. As a secondary but just as important motivator, it makes for a stronger team because if parents are seen as a team then the children also want the same. And simply it’s fun getting to know other parents. – Paul Dibbayawan

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

Being involved in the TigerSharks Orange Army has always been a fun and rewarding experience for me. It is a great chance to not only cheer on the TigerSharks and be a part of the team spirit but also a chance to meet and socialise with other parents. In addition, when we have travelled abroad together with the team, coaches and other parents there is no doubt we always end up having a great time and it is a good bonding opportunity. I would highly encourage parents to get involved in the Orange Army and be a part of the TigerSharks community. – Dyan Zimmerman

During an academic year when Bangkok Patana has hosted three of the biggest events in international school sport – Feeding Frenzy, FOBISIA and SEASAC, it becomes even more essential that all aspects of the community unite.

Behind the scenes of every successful event, a team of volunteers are pulling strings to ensure that the event is memorable for all the right reasons.

As a Swim department, this means finding people to be behind the blocks, organising medals, acting as security guards and running a marshalling system to organise more than 600 swimmers. These parent volunteers serve as the heartbeat of the meet, and they are the ones who make large-scale events possible.

Three months in numbers:

3 major swim meets 36 schools who have attended at

least one of the events 167 parents have signed up to support the events 1,100 races have taken place 1,400 swimmers have raced at the 50m pool who contributed to a total of 5,012 event results

For making this happen, we have to thank our Orange Army. It really does not happen without you. – Richard Molloy, Head Swim Coach

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L ELRA C A U ORM SNN SI N ICP G ARM OPFUI LSE

‘OIL, A GAP YEAR AND CORDON BLEU’

Name: Clare Lawry Nationality: British/Australian Left Bangkok Patana School: 2003 What are your favourite memories of your time at Bangkok Patana School?

There are too many to list but one of my absolute favourites was ‘Earn and Learn’ with Mr Ward in Year 6. Amongst other things we had to pay rent on our chairs (which varied depending on proximity to air con/ number of neighbours etc.), we could earn ‘Patanas’ which was our currency, by being pencil monitor or by other tasks and the sheriff, Joanna Darrington, policed the classroom fining people for leaving their chairs untucked. I was one of two accountants who tallied cheques/fines/rent each week!

Of course Residential Visits is in there including going to Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai, as is being in productions including “Lord of the Sausages”! Another favourite was Victorian Day in Year 6 and defending the class room from pillaging Year 4s who stole stationary and wreaked havoc on their Viking day!

What have you been doing since leaving Bangkok Patana School?

I finished Secondary school in Norwich, UK. The last two years of which were boarding school. I then undertook an undergraduate degree in Geology at the University of Liverpool. I actually didn’t get the grades I needed for my conditional offers so got in to UoL through clearing. At the time, it felt like I’d failed at everything but it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me!) I went on to do a Master’s degree in Petroleum Geoscience at Imperial College London.

From there I got a graduate job as a Geologist for Statoil, a Norwegian oil company in Trondheim, Mid Norway. After four years in Norway, I took voluntary redundancy in August 2016 and embarked on the gap year I never had! Over the last year I have gained a Cordon Bleu Diploma in Culinary 32

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Arts from Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking, UK, worked in a top London restaurant, at food festivals, taught cookery classes, ran a supper club and worked as a food stylist!

I have spent three months travelling around Myanmar, India, Japan and New Zealand. I took a rest stop in Bangkok and visited Bangkok Patana for the first time since I left in 2003 and was blown away. It brought back fantastic memories!

In December, I returned to the oil industry and started a new job with a French

company based in my hometown of Norwich. It was a “gap 15 months” rather than a gap year and I highly recommend it!

What are the things that you learned /experienced at Bangkok Patana that you still use today?

I learnt how to make friends and be open to new experiences. It sounds obvious but not many children experience such a transient place where people arrive and leave all the time. Bangkok Patana students have new classmates on a termly basis and we were always so excited to welcome them. Making people feel welcome and making new friends is a skill and I’m grateful that I can talk to anyone as a result!

I now have friends all over the world and it’s not unusual for me to know someone from Bangkok Patana when visiting somewhere new. While in Chennai recently, I reconnected with an old Patana friend who invited me to her wedding there.

I’ve also been told I have a beautiful swimming stroke that is solely the result of a gruelling training regime enforced by Justin, the formidable Patana Tigers swimming coach during my time at Patana! I’m grateful now...!

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Alumni Sports Day, 18th November 2017

London Alumni Reunion, 20th January 2018

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SHARING SLAM POETRY WITH SARA HIRSCH Sally Flint

Head of Libraries

Grant Robertson Head of English

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his term, our Secondary students were very lucky to spend time with former UK and European Slam Champion, Sara Hirsch. They experienced first-hand the power of the spoken word and were encouraged to reflect on the global issues of equality and diversity through the medium of poetry.

With a master’s degree in creative writing and education, Sara is a passionate advocate for young people and spends her time encouraging the next generation to speak out. Sara is a proud feminist and describes her most recent body of work as “attempts to tackle gender inequality through an urban lens and dismantle the patriarchy, one poem at a time.” She firmly believes that poetry can change the world.

Her work is inherently political, but with a human focus and was a superb medium for our students to explore contemporary issues in a creative context.

The depth of thought and discovery that Sara’s poetry encouraged our students to engage in was reflected in some very

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powerful discussions and debate about the nature of poetry from incredibly thoughtful and articulate students from Years 7-11.

Sara stated that she was thrilled to hear such passion from our students!

The highlight of her visit was when Year 7 and 8 Extended Learners performed

artistic interpretations of her poetry, which they proudly shared with a Year 6 audience. Some students created dramatic interpretations and others wrote their own poetry inspired by Sara’s ideas and craft; one group even decided that her 2010 poem ‘Connected’ was a bit dated in its depiction of social media and created a 2018 version that Sara herself said was far more relevant.

All the presentations demonstrated a deep engagement with the themes of identity, loss, fairness, injustice and fear. Sara was also a wonderful role-model to the students, inspiring them to come out of their comfort zone and perform with confidence in front of a packed Black Box. It was a really superb visit; Sara herself stated the following: “Being at Patana blew me away! I have never known anything like it.

From the moment I saw the incredible display in the Library to watching the artistic presentations of my poetry, it has been a privilege” – a wonderful compliment from a truly inspirational poet.