Term 2 Magazine April 2017

The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School Bangkok Patana Magazine

Bangkok Patana

Magazine

Issue 51 Term 2, April 2017

Residential Visits

Secondary Year 12: Theory of Knowledge

Primary Year 4: Trip to Kanchanaburi

Cross Campus Meet Our Sports Coaches

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

TERM 2/2017

•

1

NEW PROBL EMS ARE SO LVED BY

N EW

T H I N K I N G.

For more information contact: Insight Education Consulting T: 081 870 6760 E: montakan@insight.in.th LINE: insight1 CRICOS provider: Monash University 00008C

SECONDARY

CONTENTS

Issue 51, Term 2, April 2017

12

14

PRIMARY

8 Year 3: First in Memories 10 Year 4: Trip to Kanchanaburi 12 Year 5: Back to Nature 14 Year 6: A Seaside Reminiscence

20

24

SECONDARY 18 Year 7: A Visit to Rayong 20 Year 8: A Trip to Kanchanaburi 22 Year 9: A Northern Adventure 24 Year 10: Going Tribal 26 Year 12: Theory of Knowledge

16

CROSS CAMPUS 6 Foreword 16 Fun Day 28 Meet Our Sports Coaches 32 Alumni Reunions 34 Alumni Profile Front Cover: Year 3 Residential

4

• Bangkok Patana School

32

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

FOREWORD

A

s teachers, we invest a significant amount of our day chatting to our students. Many of these conversations pass by without a second thought but often it is these magical moments that really leave a lasting impression. Be it unexpected happenings which send everyone – teachers and students alike – into fits of giggles, light-bulb moments in learning or those times you just take a step back and listen to remarkably, mature discussions!

One of these magical moments occurred when we were sat nose to nose in traffic on the expressway. It began with the classic question, ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ and my response of, ‘Rot tid mak mak!’ We were on our way to the Readers’ Theatre final in Siam and were talking about the differences in traffic between our home countries and Thailand. This led to a discussion of other priorities the Year 5 and 6s felt needed addressing, in particular, the number of plastic bags offered to customers when they are shopping. We spoke about two young sisters in Bali, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, who have made huge leaps in their campaign to rid the island of plastic bags.

Rightly so, they were very impressed by the girls’ efforts and understandably Sadie felt that with guidance from adults all children can do ‘amazing things!’

Without doubt, I believe our students are and will continue to do so many incredible things. I am in my fourth teaching year at Bangkok Patana and continue to feel exceptionally fortunate to work at a school which recognises the importance of providing a multitude of opportunities for its students, both inside and out of the classroom.

From hooking the Year 6s into exciting new units of learning by making them wade through plastic waste to get to their desks, to a Secondary student increasing important sustainability and environmental awareness through an expedition to Antarctica!

Our students are fortunate to not only be guided and supported by dedicated staff but also have the opportunity to listen to inspirational leaders such as Sir Robert Swan and Emily Penn. It really resonated with me when Robert spoke about how we so often focused on the negatives that the positive happenings in the world are so quickly overlooked, such as the remarkable shrinking of the hole in the ozone layer.

It is this important and tangible sense of positivity that ripples through Bangkok

Patana students which for me really stands out, never seen more prevalently than on Residential Visits. Having been lucky enough to attend two trips this term, I am always impressed at how the students grasp and relish each opportunity with smiles on their faces. As teachers, it is important we focus on bottling this enthusiasm as they continue on their amazing journeys into a world which never stands still.

It is a privilege to be at Bangkok Patana, a school which recognises and values the expertise, ideas and opinions of all students; supporting Sadie’s thoughts that one of our key roles as educators is to nurture a belief in all students that they can and will do amazing things! – Sally Clay, Leader of Extended Learning, Primary

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

“Children can do so much more than adults think.

They just need to show us the right way and we’ll do amazing things!” – Sadie, 6F

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.

6

• Bangkok Patana School

Kai New Zealand Restaurant & Bar Kai (Maori for Food), from the lush green pastures, pristine blue waters and acclaimed vineyards which have made New Zealand famous, Kai NZ delivers the essence of ‘Modern Kiwi Cuisine’. Combining the best from home, land and sea with fresh local ingredients, the focus at Kai is on 4 key things: New Zealand, Wild Catch Seafood, Free Range Meats & everything Homemade. We make all our own Bread, Sauces, Marinades, Conserves, Ice creams, Deserts, Pies, Sausages, Burger patties. We Cure & Smoke all our own Bacon, Ham, & Seafood using NZ Manuka wood, In-house age all our NZ Beef and much much more!! Kia Makona (be satisfied).

Opening hours: Mon - Fri 11am - 12am, Sat - Sun 8.30am - 12am.

Kai NZ, 142/22-23 Sathorn Soi 12, Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok.

Tel: 02 635 3800 Email: kainz@kai-bangkok.com Website: www.kai-bangkok.com

SECONDARY

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 3: FIRST IN MEMORIES Emma Woodhouse

Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 3

Year 3 returned to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club on the shore of Jomtien Beach.

As their first Bangkok Patana Residential Visit, the students were filled with a mixture of excitement, curiosity and of course, a little apprehension but everyone had a wonderful time!

Dear Diary, We were all bursting with excitement for our very first Residential! The night before we all went to bed feeling excited, but with questions floating in our minds. Some of the questions we had were: What tremendous things would there be to do? What does the Royal Varuna Yacht Club look like? What tasty food would we eat?

We also had some worries, such as falling off the bed and missing our families. On the morning of Residential, we all wore our t-shirts and hats and had our picnics in our daypacks. We were already looking forward to eating them!

From, 3A

8

• Bangkok Patana School

Dear Diary, It was finally time for our very first Residential Visit! First we loaded our small but heavy suitcases onto the bus, then gave our parents a great big hug and said goodbye. We knew it wouldn’t be too long until we saw them again! We finally arrived at the Yacht Club. After we unloaded the bus, we all settled down on the green grass and had a yummy picnic which included fruit, sandwiches and also a scrumptious treat. I wonder what we will be doing next…

Love from, 3E

Dear Diary, After check-in, we tested our beds for comfiness then got changed to swim or play team games on the green for a little while. At 3pm, we started our treasure hunt challenge, which required us to use our map reading skills! Other activities included body art, bridge building and holy water.

We had to use the IB profile, especially being risk takers and effective communicators. After dinner, we reflected on our day in our Residential diaries.

Then it was 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. Yours, 3H

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Dear Diary, This morning, as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, we slowly opened our eyes and stretched our bodies. We felt surprised to find we were not at home in our own beds then we remembered and shouted, “Oh yeah!

We are on Resi!” Excitedly, we zoomed down to the seaside for our morning warm up with Mr Chris (we played Simon Says and Tag).

Immediately after breakfast, we dashed to the beach where we jumped over cold, salty waves and built enormous, golden sandcastles.

Some people even buried themselves in the sand, which was hilarious! What will this afternoon bring?

All the best, 3G Dear Diary, After lunch was the best part of the day - the activities! The boat building was really creative, painting the landscape was quiet and relaxing,

first aid was fun because we got to bandage each other like mummies and making kites was cool and challenging. At the end, guess what, we got to eat something unexpected, delicious and frozen … we had vanilla ice cream! Even though I thought my mouth was going to freeze, everyone wanted lots and lots of scoops, YUM! Finally, we ran from the heat into our rooms to escape from the scorching sun.

Speak soon, 3C Dear Diary, The BBQ and the talent show this evening were amazing. We really enjoyed having the BBQ on the cliff next to the crashing waves. As we sat down, the beautiful sky was orange as the sun slowly descended below the horizon.

The food was super tasty and lip-smackingly delicious. After we ate, we went upstairs to see what talents our fellow Year 3s had. All the acts were different and it was fantastic to see a

variety of people do many things!

Will write tomorrow, 3K Dear Diary, I don’t know if I should be happy or sad as today is our LAST DAY! The time has gone so fast. Last night we all went to sleep so easily - I guess we were really tired! When we woke up we all started getting our rooms ready for the last room inspection. The inspectors would be coming after our breakfast of creamy scrambled eggs on toast, and we had to stand to attention when they came in. They had eagle eyes and spotted every lost sock or abandoned face cloth!

We knew the end of the trip was coming and while we really wanted to see our families again, we were all so sad that the trip was very nearly over. SNIFF! Can’t wait for Year 4 Residential, 3B and 3N

TERM 2/2017

•

9

SECONDARY

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 4: TRIP TO KANCHANABURI Jennifer Laird

Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 4

with Millie, Jazzie, Ava, Thames and Kai, 4L

For our Residential Visit, Year 4 went to see the bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, staying at the lovely Felix Resort hotel. As soon as we arrived, we ate lunch; the food was amazing. Then Year 4 had a tour around the resort, which has huge fields to play in, a swimming pool, swings and even a sand pit! The afternoon was spent playing football, tennis, badminton, swirly tennis and frisbee or swimming in the enormous pool.

Before dinner, there was just enough time to have a shower and get ready for the room inspection. The teachers were very strict! The first day of Resi ended with a very tricky quiz where the students won lots of prizes.

The next morning, after a big, long, yummy breakfast, Year 4 set off to explore Kanchanaburi. Some children went to the bat caves whilst others headed to Prasat Muang Singh.

10

• Bangkok Patana School

The group that went to the Wat Tham caves were greeted by a surprise - they saw some majestic peacocks! Then they walked down some very steep stairs leading down into the bat cave – it was like journeying to the centre of the world. There were a lot of Buddhist shrines and statues, stalagmites and stalactites, tiny bats that appeared out of nowhere and a mysterious journal which seemed to have been lost by an Indiana Jones type explorer.

At Prasat Muang Singh, the students explored the very large site and had lots of time to sketch the ruins. There was also a partially excavated burial site where we saw some skeletons and learnt about the people who lived in the Kanchanaburi area in the past.

After a very tasty lunch, we headed off to the bus to go to ride in an old fashioned train with wooden seats. The views as we travelled through the hilly areas were

absolutely amazing. One favourite part of the whole day was buying ice cream at the train station!

Possibly the best parts of Residential were the evening activities. As well as the quiz, there was also a talent show. Performances included gymnastics, singing, dancing and even some comedy – Year 4 definitely has talent!

On the last evening, there was a special treat – birthday cake! The Year 4 students and teachers danced the night away at their very own disco. There were special guest dancers, musical statues, best dancer competitions and even more prizes!

On Friday morning, it was with heavy hearts that the Year 4s packed their bags and headed home. Even though the students were all looking forward to seeing their parents (and maybe even brothers and sisters too!), most wished that Residential didn’t have to end so soon.

Bangkok Patana Magazine

TERM 2/2017

•

11

SECONDARY

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 5: BACK TO NATURE Steven Rhodes

Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 5

“If we want the children to flourish, to become truly empowered, let us allow them to love the Earth before we ask them to save it.” – David Sobel The above quote was recently shared with staff and has allowed us to reflect on how the Year 5 Residential Visit gave the children opportunities to love and respect the Earth. A number of simple yet effective changes were made to the Year 5 Residential this year to produce a positive environmental impact. One example was

12

• Bangkok Patana School

significantly reducing the amount of plastic we used; instead of being given bottled water at lunchtimes, the hotel provided water coolers so that children could refill their own reusable water bottles. This small change meant that in the two weeks of our Residential, Year 5 saved over 550 plastic bottles!

An additional achievement for Year 5 was the planting of 320 trees on the edge of the National Park boundary. This allowed children to ‘give back’ to the environment and to understand the importance of preserving forests all around the world. Here the students reflect on their experience of the Khao Yai environment:

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Tree Planting, Shelter Building and Night Safari Today we went to plant trees and build shelters. It was hot but the walk amongst the trees was cool. We each planted two or three trees to help reforest the area. Trees help the nutrient cycle, provide a habitat for animals and give us oxygen. It is important we protect our forests. After that, we built shelters with St Stephen’s School. Our shelter was an irregular triangle shape and it was quite strong. We poured water onto the shelters to test their strength, most of us got wet, but it was fun. In the evening, we went on a night safari where we saw a lot of deer and two gibbons.

– Jack Boyce, 5C

River Study and Disco Finding out that we would be doing the river study was a triumphant start to the day.

Once we arrived, we went over to the rock pools where we noticed that the water, was amazingly clear. We looked to see mini beasts lurking beneath the water. Most of the mini beasts that we found lived in unpolluted water, which meant the rivers here didn’t have any pollution in them! This made me wonder why other rivers around the world aren’t so clean. I realised that I could make a difference by refusing littering and by reducing, reusing and recycling – together we can make a difference and stop this pollution! That evening was the disco where my friends and I all had a wonderful, eccentric time, dancing, singing and tiring ourselves out!

– Ruby Newman, 5W

Forest Trek and Talent Show Today we were all tired from walking through the dense, humid but magnificent rainforest in Khao Yai. It was swelteringly hot so we all brought our water bottles instead of throwaway plastic to help the environment.

We heard the hornbills making pig-like calls, we saw termites in their mounds and we caught a glimpse of a wild cobra that the guide scared off with a stick! The natural environment we experienced was amazing! The wonderful smells, beautiful colours and musical sounds from the winds blowing through the leaves created a feeling of closeness to nature.

Later, we had the talent show, which everyone was looking forward to! The people who entered the contest sang, danced, mimed or did comedy! All the acts were amazing.

– Keira Lee, 5H

The Year 5 Residential was a wonderful experience for both teachers and students.

Our time spent exploring and learning about the rainforest generated a sense of respect and admiration for our earth and also how small changes in our daily habits can have a huge impact on helping to preserve and ultimately save our planet.

TERM 2/2017

•

13

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 6: A SEASIDE REMINISCENCE Duncan Ferguson

Assistant Leader of Learning, Year 6

“Every year, Residential is better than the last but Year 6 has got to be the best,” Anjali, 6S As the students sat in a circle with their teachers and instructors, reflecting on their week at the Sand and Sea Resort, she shook her head slightly; it was amazing that the trip was already almost at an end. She had grown used to the sound of the sea, gently swishing onto the sand but knew that she would miss it. Listening to the other students make their pledges to lead a more environmentally-friendly life crystallised in her mind how she could really make a difference. She thought back to their arrival and the beach clean-up on Day One. “We couldn’t believe how much plastic there was on the beach. There was also styrofoam stuck in the mangroves. It felt really good to do the walk along the beach collecting trash. We could enjoy playing safely in the sand afterwards.” – 6R

They had fanned out along the beach with instructions to pick up rubbish, of course avoiding anything sharp or dirty.

As one may have expected, it had developed into a competition. Who could find the most? Who could get the most obscure item? Fishing floats, plastic bottles, netting and plastic bags were all collected. The obscurity award went to a flip-flop and a rucksack. So much had happened since then. The voices of her friends floated to the surface of her mind.

“My most memorable moment from Residential was the ‘holey pipe’ game, because I learnt to work as part of a team – even though most people poured water on me instead of in the pipe!” – Matthew, 6C

The water had jetted out from the holes and soaked them! “Hey, quick – put your finger back on the hole. I can see the ball 14

• Bangkok Patana School

floating near the top of the pipe!” she had cried. Worried that the level was not rising quickly enough, she had yelled for her team to bring more water from the bucket down by the sea. Although many students were drenched, their spirits were not dampened; they stuck with it. Cooperation, challenge, consideration and communication had played a part. Of the 5 Cs, the big one for the whole week, she thought, was conservation.

to begin to make amends. Their pledges were wonderful small steps to a better future. Her mind continued its fond journey through their week.

“My favourite part was the fish demonstration centre because it’s not every day you get to feed sharks and clean crabs.” – Naythit, 6A

It had, indeed, been peaceful.

However, it had also been funny and frantic. It had been tiring, surprising, interesting and challenging. The range of activities had been huge – visiting the fishing village to quiz the locals about their industry, swimming in the waterfall, jungle cooking on open fires, drawing a sound map, camping in the National Park and so much more. Warmth crept into her. Most of all, she thought, it had been inspiring.

On arrival at the pier, they had marched eagerly along the boardwalk clutching buckets of small fish to feed to whatever lurked in the sections beneath them. The colossal grouper fish were certainly the most dramatic, but she had liked watching the turtles and leopard sharks, too. The jars of species had been slightly off-putting although it was interesting to know what lived in the local waters, and to know that there are efforts being made to conserve these creatures. ‘Are the efforts enough, though?’ she thought.

“Dear Ocean, I am sorry that I have taken so much from you. I want to repay you by collecting all the trash from you. I feel guilty that I may not be there for you in the future. I will try my best to repay you now.” – Letter to the Ocean from the Girl (after hearing The Giving Ocean Story) by Kelly, 6F

Hearing the sea continuing to gently lap the shore, she smiled. She glanced around at the faces in her circle of friends – she knew that they had all started a journey

“The Year 6 Residential Visit to Chanthaburi was great due to all the nature surrounding us with joy. For example, when we went kayaking in Kung Krabane Bay and amongst the mangroves, we were surrounded by animals and peacefulness.”

– Alise, 6J

“The campfire was a great end to the trip! We loved roasting marshmallows - even though some were more scorched than toasted!” – Nat, 6M

She looked around at her friends and breathed in a lungful of wonderful, coastal fresh air. Smiling at the recycling bins dotted around the area, she stood up. It was time to leave the swishing sea, get on the bus and return to Bangkok Patana, where her first pledge would begin.

“Probably the best Residential Visit I have been on at Bangkok Patana.” – Emily F (6J/W)

Bangkok Patana Magazine

TERM 2/2017

•

15

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

F U N D A Y

4th March 2017

16

• Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana Magazine

TERM 2/2017

•

17

PRIMARY

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 7: A VISIT TO RAYONG Owen McDevitt Head of Year 7

“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein The Residential Visits are a highlight of the school year for both staff and students. It is an opportunity to get away from the constraints of the classroom and develop relationships in an environment that provides both challenges and opportunities. The

activities encourage leadership skills and build confidence. The benefits of an engaging, challenging and fulfilling Residential or school trip can leave an impression for many years to come. For the Year 7 students, there is also the added expectation that somehow

things will be different this year, as they are no longer part of the Primary School and whilst the Residential experience itself is not new, the thrill of newly granted Secondary School independence offers both rewards and trials during this week.

RESIDENTIAL REFLECTIONS Active, volunteering, motivated, engaged, inquisitive, creative thinkers - these terms all describe the role of the students on the Year 7 Residential Visit to Rayong. Not only did this trip provide me with the experience to learn outside of school and in a completely new environment, but also the opportunity to develop personal and social skills.

Collaboration and teamwork were vital on this Residential Visit, as there were so many opportunities to show these social skills, including the Trash to Fashion show and during the Quiz Night. Both activities demonstrated that I can work in a team, giving ideas but also taking a lead role.

This comes naturally to me, and my SMART target is to be less domineering and actually listen to other classmate’s ideas, which might help to improve my ideas and offer alternatives.

– Rada (Sammy) Anuras, 7E

18

• Bangkok Patana School

I think that Residential is essential because we need to be independent and not just stick with our family, because when we are adults then we won’t have our parents to do things for us.

I loved the Trash to Fashion evening because I was the model. It was really amusing to see how my friends dressed me and their creative ideas.

My favourite day-time activity was Thai cooking because we had different food competitions like MasterChef. It was also really fun when I couldn’t crack the egg; I tried to get my fingers in there and crack it like that, but then it kind of exploded and the egg went all over my clothes. It made everyone laugh. We had kayaking after that so I washed the egg off there! We also went snorkelling. This is one thing I hadn’t tried before because of my phobia of swimming with fish, but I was a risk taker and tried my best. It was quite enjoyable but also scary, because the fish were coming straight towards me.

– Lily Jones, 7P

I think Residentials are very important especially in Secondary where they are a bit more relaxed compared to Primary. They are an excellent way to meet new people and get to know people in other classes better. I enjoy spending time with friends anyway in Bangkok, but it is not always easy to see friends at weekends but the Residential Visit is great for building relationships outside of school. The only negative thing about Residential is if you share a room with people who are totally different to you and you find it difficult in the room with them, then it can be a long week!

The Residential experience is an opportunity to participate in different activities, experience new things and to form better relationships and friendships with other students.

It also means you have great memories when you leave school.

– Max Masson, 7F

Bangkok Patana Magazine

TERM 2/2017

•

19

PRIMARY

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 8: A TRIP TO KANCHANABURI Yvonne Brown

Head of Year 8

The Year 8 Residential Visit to Kanchanaburi was the highlight of the year for many students. They relished the opportunity to take part in exciting activities, be surrounded by beautiful scenery, spend time having fun with their friends all while learning valuable lessons and working on their character strengths. Here are some student reflections of the trip: Why do you think Residential Visits are important?

“I think Residential is very important because students can use their skills and talents to help pass through different challenges. It’s also important because it’s fun and helps encourage creative and team learning. Sometimes there are fallings out but most of the time it’s making new friends in your Year group and learning the principles for being a team member for more than just the odd day or minutes in class time.”– Anthony Brettell, 8C 20

• Bangkok Patana School

What activity was the most enjoyable and why?

“On the Year 8 Residential, my favourite event was the obstacle course. This is because I got to know the people in my group as well as learnt how to work in my team. Our group worked with each other so we successfully completed five of the events. The point of this activity was helping each other to overcome our fears and work together as a team. The positive

feedback about this event was that it was a fun and exciting activity. For this event, I used several elements of the IB Learner Profile. This included being a risk taker by overcoming my fears of falling into the water, being open minded when listening to other’s opinions, using effective communication when coordinating with the team and caring when helping others and cheering them.” – Lucia Polastro Martinez, 8D

Bangkok Patana Magazine

“The time we spent with the elephants because for some people it was their very first time feeding and touching these animals. This made this Residential Visit special because they could experience something new.” – Camille Marchive, 8E “Cycling was my favourite activity, it was challenging as we had to do 20 km of cycling. The hard part of cycling was going uphill on the rocks and uneven roads but it was good fun and therefore I really enjoyed it. I think that the IB Learner attribute/character strength that I showed was perseverance; I had to over some challenges because the track we were on wasn’t very easy. I did get tired and did feel like getting off my bicycle but I didn’t and persevered!” – Maitri Jain, 8V “I think it was really important that this year we chose to work on our character strengths and build ourselves up!” – Moly Leelatham, 8C “I enjoyed feeding and swimming with the gigantic elephants. It was a very

different experience learning about what they eat and how they live. This was unlike any other place I’ve been with elephants as they didn’t do tricks, instead they taught us about what they do every day. As a result, we learnt about why we shouldn’t force elephants to do something they weren’t born to do. We are forcing them to do these tricks for human enjoyment but we don’t know the torture the animals go through. Overall, the Year 8 Residential was fantastic! I would do it again if I could.” – Khushi Mather, 8D

The students also visited Hellfire Pass and The Death Railway Museums along with the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery to learn about the historical significance of the area during World War II. The Year 8s were asked to think what it might have been like to have been a Prisoner of War and chose a grave from the hundreds in rows and write a diary entry or a last letter home from that person. What was written was incredibly moving and I was so proud of the way they were so respectful and were able to empathise with the prisoners. I leave you with two samples of their work.

“Dear Diary, I am getting sicker every day. I pray to God that I could see my dear son again.

The doctor is telling me to rest, but the guards are forcing me to work. People are dying every day. We are getting less food and we need more water but the guards won’t give it to us. Yesterday Frank died, we buried him with the other hundreds of people. This might be the end for me. I pray that I will lay in peace and see my family in heaven.

Signed, F.I.M Paulussen”

– Albert Ruckenbauer, 8H

“Dear Charlie, I am afraid. The guards have been beating me greatly. I don’t think I can take this any longer. My wounds are left open to get infected and the best of the weakest still have to work. I don’t know if I will see you again. They are so cruel and violent. The railway seems like it is getting nowhere.

Love H. (H.Boothby 14th July 1943)”

– Thomas Dimayuga, 8H TERM 2/2017

•

21

PRIMARY

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 9: A NORTHERN ADVENTURE Henry Brosnahan, 9W and Sonam Okuda, 9S

The Year 9 Residential Visit is often referred to as the best Residential of them all…but why?

Our trip to Chiang Mai had a vast array of physical activities and we were all able to explore and see a wide variety of what the North of Thailand had to offer from camping to quizzes and cycling to white water rafting. The number of activities we were able to do allowed all of the Year 9 students not only to experience something we may never have done before, but also to become better independent learners. These activities meant that we were able to learn interesting new skills whilst learning so much about the planet we live on. However, that was not the only thing we were able to experience in this process. We also had plenty

22

• Bangkok Patana School

of opportunities to use our IB Learner Profile attributes.

It does not come as a surprise that we were required to communicate almost constantly with people we needed to work with. This also made our trip far more enjoyable because we were placed with different people in different groups for various activities. A prime example of this was during our trekking expedition near a jungle. We were given GPS and coordinates to follow, but things didn’t always work quite how we thought they would and we needed to talk to each other about how to get to where we needed to go, even if those people were people we didn’t know very well or talk to very much. We also needed to be very open-minded, especially whilst we were white water rafting because we were required to listen to a captain sitting at the back of each

raft with six people in it, meaning we had to follow their instructions and consider how we would work together to paddle and manoeuvre our way down the river. We also needed to be open-minded to listen to what we needed to do in different situations like capsizing and be willing to focus if that happened and execute those skills.

Overall, this Residential was a fantastic experience for the Year group as a whole as we were able to try new activities, work with new people and build upon our own personal skills and attributes. The teachers who joined us on our adventure were a great deal of fun to spend time with and we were able to learn plenty from them.

No wonder everyone says it’s the best Residential!

– Henry Brosnahan, 9W

Bangkok Patana Magazine

This year, Grad 21 went to Chiang Mai for our Residential Visit. It was a great trip, and everyone agreed that it was one of, if not the most, exiting trips of Secondary.

There were numerous activities, such as cycling, kayaking, archery and white water rafting. During this Residential, we learned important skills, such as independence, team-work and responsibility – we had our own rooms, and had to exercise responsibility and team work to keep the room neat and our belongings in place.

The hotel we stayed in was superb, the

food was brilliant, we were so hungry after all the activities we did during the day so every meal was extremely well received. The evening activities were so much fun too; film night, the quiz and the disco were all loads of fun. My favourite was the talent show that Mr Baker organised when we were camping the night before white-water rafting, I was in stiches from laughing so much.

My personal favourite activities were kayaking and white water rafting – kayaking on a beautiful lake while playing water games is a great way to spend a sweltering

afternoon. White water rafting was simply exhilarating; it was fast-paced and intense yet very safe. The people who ran the activity took all the precautions needed to make sure we didn’t fall out and sustain an injury. If we did fall out, they taught us how to act during that situation. The best part of Residential, however, was the camping. The talent show was amusing, and the marshmallows by the campfire were delicious.

It lived up to the legend that is the Year 9 Residential, literally the Best Ever Residential.

– Sonam Okuda, 9S

TERM 2/2017

•

23

SECONDARY

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 10: GOING TRIBAL Akshay Kothari, 10I

The Year 10 Residential Visit was amazing with so many benefits. The biggest challenge of the week was our first full trek and camping experience.

For many of us starting the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, this would be the first of possibly many adventurous journeys. I think one of the best things was how well we got to know others by trekking together. We were randomly allocated our groups; something that can cause some resistance and anxiety. Perhaps it is a sign of our maturity now that we accept it and learn to value the opportunity to develop friendships with people with whom we don’t normally work. Not only that, but our evening camp involved games with forfeits; a good chance for us to unwind and have a good laugh. The tribal theme for the week was recurring, from our opening dances/chants on arrival to camp, to some of the mini competitions throughout the week.

The highlight of the week for most of us was the day spent at Life Park. The water park was amazing. It was a great chance to relax and spend time together, as there was such a good range of slides; some of which required us to go down in groups of four. The idea to have a tribal competition down the Everslide (downhill sledging) was great, creating some

24

• Bangkok Patana School

healthy (and pretty silly) competition, there was even a teachers’ race! In true Residential tradition, we were also able to see another side to our teachers; here it was the chance to see them get involved in the slides too, making us realise that it isn’t just the students who are challenging themselves during this week away from the relative ‘safety’ of the classroom…

Another positive about our Residential Visits was the variety of learning and experiences that we had in store for the week. This year, we continued learning about our local environment, in particular during the ‘Green fingers’ activity, thanks to Dr Heddle. This outdoor, composting task was tougher than

it first appeared. However, it taught us many things such as the science of how composting works and why it is important to plants. It is also very relevant to our current concerns about protecting the environment; it was a hands-on, outdoor Science lesson…with a chance to get our hands dirty too.

Camping for a night meant that, like last year, we were never all together for the evening activities. These were also varied and interesting; ranging from the obligatory ‘Resi disco’ courtesy of Alex, Matyas and Josh, group drama games courtesy of Mrs Meadows and Mr Gatiss, which culminated in a spontaneous mass karaoke.

Thanks to Sam and Alannah! Then there was the mystery task night (a choice between the Japanese algorithm march, rapping ‘Alphabet Aerobics’, or dancing a Scottish ceilidh – thanks, Ms MacRitchie) and a more relaxed movie night at the end of the week, with masses of popcorn for everyone.

Overall, there was a real buzz at this year’s Residential. There were hardworking moments that presented many of us with quite a challenge, yet this was balanced out with plenty of downtime to relax with friends. This was amazing as we really value the time to hang out, play and chill around the resort. Thanks to everyone who made the week another great one to remember.

Bangkok Patana Magazine

TERM 2/2017

•

25

SECONDARY

SECONDARY RESIDENTIAL VISIT

YEAR 12: THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE Pirawat (Putt) Punyagupta, 12L

It would be incorrect to say that the pre-departure climate of the Senior Studies block was one that was brimming with anticipation like other Year groups. Many were eager for a chance to temporarily escape the IB and were looking forward to five-days of relative relaxation. But due to

26

• Bangkok Patana School

this trip’s vastly different focus from all previous Residential Visits (academic preparation rather than adventure) others did not know what to expect of the upcoming Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Camp: a five-day trip designed to provide us students with a better understanding of the subject most championed by the International

Baccalaureate Organisation.

The one-and-a-half-hour bus ride took us to what was Nakhon Nayok’s Cholapruek resort – a sprawling complex purporting a general “back to nature” vibe, complete with vast canals dotted with large water lilies and other luscious vegetation. The complex

Bangkok Patana Magazine

also boasted various large conference halls, which provided the ideal setting for indoctrinating us with ToK – something that started promptly on the day of our arrival.

The nature of each lecture varied widely, differing in style and interactivity. Lectures included ‘The Arts’ and ‘Ethics’ as well as ‘Emotion’ and ‘Indigenous Knowledge Systems’. All talks were designed to develop our understanding in different Areas of Knowledge (AoKs), potentially helping us with future essays and presentations.

Overall, every student certainly picked up

something new from each lecture and the fact that each session offered something different from traditional classroom material made it even more intriguing.

To allow our brains to cool down following these intensive sessions, we were given ample free time in the afternoons, Ms Barton made it clear however, that maximising the use of our free time meant spending it outside, liberated from the confines of our rooms. Hence, students pursued various technology-free activities, ranging from swimming, football, runs,

playing cards and general socialising.

A highlight of the Residential was popcorn and movie night – the Year group was both astounded and dumbfounded by the film ‘Memento’. Our understanding of the film was enriched further through Mr Robertson’s Memento-focused session the next day, whereby students were given the opportunity to exercise their debating skills. Post-dinner activities were eagerly received and thoroughly enjoyed. The Hunger Games-themed ‘Hungry Games’, Mr Thombs’ exhilarating games night and the inter-tutor group, retro-themed sports competition also combined exercise, fashion and fun (much emphasis was placed on who could pull off the best eighties sportswear).

In contrast to previous Residentials and a change from the traditional themes of outdoor activities, adventure, fun and games, it is undeniable that this trip will have a lasting impact on us. What it delivered truly overruled some of our preconceptions of this trip. This visit was sadly our last Bangkok Patana Residential and it was therefore a culmination of eight years of unforgettable trips made with the school. Be it the ToK learned, activities and memories made, this trip will remain with us for a long time to come.

TERM 2/2017

•

27

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

MEET OUR SPORTS COACHES Cindy Adair

Assistant Principal Extra-curricular Activities and Sports

C

oaching a team is a hugely rewarding experience. There is nothing quite like forming a team and watching them improve and come together, all working towards a common goal. Coaches not only teach sporting skills but also help young athletes develop their

resilience, determination, commitment, work ethic, heart, teamwork and leadership skills. At Bangkok Patana School we field over 80 teams a year in various leagues.

We have three full-time head coaches, three full-time assistant coaches, 15 PE teachers and a team of over 50 fixed-rate

Daniel Ahl Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis Your Favourite Sports to Play: Cricket, Tennis and doing Parkruns Proudest Moment as a Coach: Coaching at grand slam events What is the Secret to Success? Hardwork, Hardwork and Hardwork Favourite Motivational Quote: “I don’t make excuses, I make results” – Anon.

Three Most Admired Sports People: Eric Cantona, Roger Federer and Andy Murray What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? The future of coaching will change only in appearance as technology allows us to learn more but deep down the basic ideals will always stay the same – stay true to what you believe.

part-time coaches who guide and mentor our student-athletes.

Let’s meet some of our fantastic sports coaches here at Bangkok Patana who go above and beyond to prepare our teams for their various BISAC, SEASAC and FOBISIA competitions.

Graham Lewis Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Varsity Rugby Your Favourite Sports to Play: Rugby Union, Rugby League, Football and Athletics Proudest Moment as a Coach: Watching how the students develop from session to session and year to year.

What is the Secret to Success? Commitment, hard work, and the ability to take criticism.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” - Vince Lombardi Three Most Admired Sports People: Michael Johnson, Carlos Spencer and Graeme Souness What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? The same as now. The ability to know how to get the most from each individual.

Laura Bebbington Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Boys’ Volleyball and Girls’ Basketball Your Favourite Sports to Play: Volleyball, Netball and Table Tennis Proudest Moment as a Coach: Certainly most memorable – taking RIS to five sets in a SEASAC relegation game in 2016. The whole sports hall was cheering, nobody wanted to lose, to make a mistake or take a risk. We ended up finishing the fifth set (which should terminate at 15) victorious 23-21. It was such an emotional tournament and I was very proud of the team for their commitment and dedication.

What is the Secret to Success? Success can be judged in many ways and means different things to different people. As long as kids are playing and enjoying sports, success can be found anywhere. Ultimately, there is no secret!

Favourite Motivational Quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretszky Three Most Admired Sports People: Steffi Graf, Steve Redgrave and Misty May-Treanor What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? Students giving back for the positive experiences they have received.

28

• Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Saint-Yves Iroung (Carlos) Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Varsity Boys’ Basketball Your Favourite Sports to Play: Basketball Proudest Moment as a Coach: Last Year 2015/16 SEASAC Championship What is the Secret to Success? Keep learning and stay focused to your goal and you will succeed Favourite Motivational Quote: It’s from Bruce Lee, “Be like water“. Water is powerful and can take any form or colour according to the environment. It’s the ability to adjust yourself to all situations but remain who you are.

Three Most Admired Sports People: Lebron James, Samuel Eto’o and Roger Federer What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? It look bright as there is more need especially at the very basic level and I am glad that schools like Bangkok Patana are already offering the programme for the younger children in Years 1 and 2.

Paul Wadsworth Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Golf team Your Favourite Sports to Play: Golf, Football, Squash Proudest Moment as a Coach: The boys’ team winning their first team medal at FOBISIA in Phuket in 2015.

What is the Secret to Success? A desire to succeed and a willingness to work hard to do it, and to learn from mistakes.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No Matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett Three Most Admired Sports People: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Alan Shearer What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? Robots and swing mats!

Simon Tyers Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Boys’ Varsity Basketball Your Favourite Sports to Play: Basketball, Table Tennis and competitive eating Proudest Moment as a Coach: Witnessing both our boys’ and girls’ teams celebrate together in victory and support each other when we lose.

What is the Secret to Success?

Understanding that there are no secrets or short cuts to success.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “You can stop the waves but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat Zinn Three Most Admired Sports People: Dikembe Mutombo, Rodney Mullen and Haile Gebrselassie What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? Hopefully more and more of our students develop an interest in coaching. I’ve seen how effective our older basketball players can be when they help coach and give back to our younger players and the local community.

Richard Thorp Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Swimming Your Favourite Sports to Play: Swimming, Squash and Golf Proudest Moment as a Coach: Leading the English Schools Swim Team at World Schools 2002 What is the Secret to Success? Planning, committed athletes and a little luck!

Favourite Motivational Quote: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” – Joseph P. Kennedy Three Most Admired Sports People: Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and the Brownlee brothers – sorry that is technically four!

What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? A continued mix of psychology, physiology, gene pool and improved athlete individualisation.

TERM 2/2017

•

29

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

Richard Watson Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Girls’ Varsity Volleyball and Boys’ Varsity Softball Your Favourite Sports to Play: Winter – Rugby Union, Spring – Field Hockey, Summer – Tennis Proudest Moment as a Coach: There is no definitive moment to speak of, as each team and victory is unique. However, there is always a perfect moment in coaching when a student, who after refusing to believe in themselves finally accepts, sees and achieves what I always believed they could.

What is the Secret to Success? To truly love the sport that you are coaching. If the students do not feel that you are passionate about the sport, then neither will they. To mould the team around the strengths of the players as opposed to pursuing an ideal based upon the perfect model. To get the players to focus on the factors that they can control and let the results speak for themselves and in the short term, pursue performance rather than outcome goals. Learn from other coaches and players. Successful coaches and players are the greatest source of knowledge, so never stop learning from them. The day you stop learning is the day you should quit.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “The only time that you ever look down at a teammate is when you bend down to pick them up.” – Anon.

Three Most Admired Sports People: Andy Murray, Daley Thompson and Bruce Lee What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? My underlying coaching philosophy has not changed since I started all those light years ago and until told otherwise, it will not change. My breadth and depth of understanding across the sports has grown immensely and this will continue to grow, as long as I stay hungry for subject knowledge. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of performance, either in real time or after, can never be underestimated and it would be great to have more access to this. However, when you are coaching school sport, where both human resources and access to technology is limited, it is just not feasible. One can never ever have enough data.

Billy Osborne Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: Boys’ Football and Girls’ Touch Your Favourite Sports to Play: Football, Crossfit and Tennis Proudest Moment as a Coach: Whenever one of my teams beat NIST! What is the Secret to Success? Train as you would play, work hard for the team and give your best.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “We’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over.” – Conor McGregor Three Most Admired Sports People: Frank Lampard, Conor McGregor and Zinedine Zidane What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? We have some good young sportsmen and women coming through the school so hopefully they can dedicate themselves to their chosen sport, improve their skills, work well as a member of a team and have some positive experiences representing Bangkok Patana.

Karen McGuire Varsity/SEASAC Teams You Coach in 2016/17: SEASAC Cross Country Team Your Favourite Sports to Play: Hockey, Surfing, Football and Crossfit Proudest Moment as a Coach: Winning BISAC Under 13 Girls’ Basketball and Football Gold Medal 2014 and 2015.

What is the Secret to Success? Create an environment where all players are valued members of the team and encourage good sportsmanship whether you win, draw or lose and you must be disciplined.

Favourite Motivational Quote: “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them…a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhammad Ali Three Most Admired Sports People: Layne Beachley, Jamie Dwyer and Tia-Clair Toomey What Does the Future of Coaching Look Like? When you have passionate people willing to coach, the future looks good. We have to encourage as many people to volunteer their time and experience and remind them it’s all about the students.

30

• Bangkok Patana School

Annual Sales From 18th April 2017 20-60% off

*Closed for Songkran 11th-17th April

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

ALUMNI REUNIONS BANGKOK 15th December 2016

32

• Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana Magazine

LONDON 21st January 2017

CLASS OF 2006

12th November 2016, Bangkok

TERM 2/2017

•

33

S ER C C OO SN S DCAARMY P U S

ALUMNI PROFILE:

NANTARIGA (JANE) PUKASEMVARANGKOON, CLASS OF 2006 Nationality: Thai Years at Bangkok Patana School: Joined in Year 5 and graduated Class of 2006 Favourite Memories of school: Top three favourite and most missed: 1. Competing in SEASAC/FOBISIA/ BISAC and all that jazz that comes with the awesome Tiger spirit. Back then, I was part of the Basketball, Volleyball and Badminton teams. I can still hear Mr Shand saying “box out!” when I walk past the Hard Court.

2. Residential Visits! Always a fun week to look forward to each year. My favourite one was Year 10 in Chiang Dao with the crazy white water rafting and obstacle courses (and yes, I still have the Residential T-shirts, plural).

3. Noodle bar – let’s be honest, who doesn’t miss it?

What have you been doing since leaving school?

It’s really hard to believe Bangkok Patana was 10 years ago. I’ve completed my Undergraduate and Master degrees from the UK as hoped and I’m onto my second job now. I’ve pursued a career in banking

and am currently in Global Markets at HSBC, I aspire to be a banker that doesn’t cause another financial crisis ‘fingers crossed’. I‘m pleased to report I still have my good ol’ Patana friends whom I too frequently see and plan to do so until I’m old and grey.

The Class of 2006 recently celebrated their 10 year reunion, do you have any advice to Senior students currently trying to decide which university/career is right for them?

Is there anything that you learnt/experienced whilst at Bangkok Patana that you still utilise today?

What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

To be honest everything you learnt at school is a good foundation. There have been incidents where I’ve come to appreciate ‘general knowledge’, the facts and bits you learnt and saw in school and are now glad you did. Of course, at the time when I was memorising the periodic table I would disagree, but who knows, you might turn out to be the next Einstein.

34

• Bangkok Patana School

Choose what makes you happy. Be brave!

Perhaps I can try to convince Suvrat (Sachdev) to help co-host the 20-year reunion for the Class of 2006 again. By then I’m expecting lots of RSVPs with plus ones and little ones running around the dinner table!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

Travelling and seeing the world.