Term 2 Magazine April 2022

The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana

Magazine

Issue 66 Term 2, April 2022

WELL-BEING Little Paws Gym

LEARNING

Teaching Using the Ancient Art of Storytelling

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP The Courage to Try New Ideas

Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by CIS

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LEARNING

CONTENTS

Issue 66, Term 2, April 2022

WELL-BEING 8

Well-Being and “Little Paws” 10 What’s All the Hype About ‘Gratitude’ and How Does It Really Affect Our Brain?

12 The Prodigal Son

LEARNING 14 Swim Teachers Upskill with ASCTA Swim Australia 15 Jeff Ellis Associates Water Safety Training 16 The Importance of Role-Modelling 18 Teaching Using the Ancient Art of Storytelling 20 Atomic Theory

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP 22 Red Cross Patana: Promoting a Cross-Campus Approach to Service 24 Optimising Aerodynamics for the Win 26 The Courage to Try New Ideas Front Cover: Primary School Students, Years 1-6

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L ELAORBNAI LN C G GI T I Z E N S H I P

FOREWORD

F

rom celebrating our diverse cultures on International Day to baking batches of brownies for our various Community Action Team (CAT) fundraisers, Bangkok Patana never ceases to provide us with experiences that shape us into who we are today.

On top of the enriching academic opportunities, my time here would be incomplete without the memories, friendships and learning experiences that happened outside of the traditional classroom setting.

It was in Year 7 when I first toured the annual CAT Fair: rows of decorated stalls where groups of older students enthusiastically advocated for various causes like reducing education inequality, organising beach cleanups and more. Feeling inspired, I was eager to discover where my passion lies. A few years later, it was with both excitement and dread that I became one of those students, standing next to my friend and welcoming the very first members of our newly established breast cancer awareness club, CanCure.

Looking back, I fondly remember how the stress of frantic last-minute planning, as well as the feeling of pride after a successful bake sale, culminated in a special journey of learning and growth.

Whether it was challenging ourselves

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

to speak confidently at assemblies or making important decisions during weekly club meetings, taking part in community service encourages us to be active, responsible and open-minded members of our community. No matter if it is donating a book or teaching our home languages to others, giving back to the local community broadens our perspectives and shapes our identities in ways that achieving academic

Editor: Stasha Malcolm Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2411 Email: STML@patana.ac.th Advertisement: Finn Balslev Tel: 081-866-2577 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

perfection never could.

Most importantly, CAT clubs provide us with opportunities to foster special and long-lasting friendships across the school and to create memories that we will cherish forever. It is the warmth of the Bangkok Patana community that I will miss the most next year.

– Yizhen (Tina) Kong,13T

Design & Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. Tel: +66 (0) 2943 7166-8 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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WELL-BEING

WELL-BEING

WELL-BEING AND “LITTLE PAWS”

By Gemma Price, Foundation Stage Physical Development Specialist

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t Bangkok Patana School, WellBeing is a value that we uphold with the utmost importance. What does this look like for our youngest learners in the Foundation Stage?

In Foundation Stage, the children are so lucky to have access to an abundance of amazing resources in our Little Paws Gym. Being physically active is more important than ever. Our children have spent lots of time at home during the CSL period, and it’s possible that they have not spent as much time being physically active as they normally would have.

There are so many wonderful benefits that come from the active opportunities in our Little Paws Gym. Some of these important benefits include growth in our children’s self-confidence and self-esteem, the development of important social skills, learning new skills in an engaging environment 8

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and developing stronger bones, muscles and joints. These early positive experiences overwhelmingly contribute positively to their overall health and wellbeing.

Within our Little Paws Gym, the children have access to a vast range of activities that allow them to take risks and to challenge themselves. Some of the most popular activities are exploring in and engaging with the gymnastics bars and rings. The children are taught how to perform many different types of movements on these apparatuses, yet they are also given the chance to explore them freely.

Having a choice and being able to explore allows our children to build up the confidence to tackle other more difficult challenges.

Together, we create giant obstacle courses that allow the children to test different movement ideas, and to learn from

their experiences through this type of play.

We move like ninjas, princesses and superheroes, bouncing, jumping, leaping, crawling and rolling from object to object. The children have to look out for hot lava, sharks and crocodiles as they make their way through the course. Bringing in imaginative play allows our children to develop important social skills, whilst sharing their interests and developing key gross motor skills.

This year, I have added a dance area in the Little Paws Gym for the children to explore. This area has become very popular. The children engage with a range of dance materials which include ribbon sticks, dancing scarves, and beautiful costumes. They love to explore different types of music, which corresponds to different types of movement. There are obvious physical benefits that a child will gain

Bangkok Patana Magazine

explore topics like washing our hands, self-independence, brushing our teeth, what healthy eating is and looks like, the role of our body and how we feel after exercise. With a health education background, this is one of my most favourite parts of our lessons. Children need to know this important information that will help contribute to their overall health and well-being.

Within the Birth to Five Matters Guidance, we have Characteristics of

There are, however, many other health benefits which include the children developing greater self-esteem and self-confidence, self-motivation and mental dexterity. from partaking in dance. There are, however, many other health benefits which include the children developing greater self-esteem and self-confidence, self-motivation and mental dexterity.

Safety is a top priority across the Foundation Stage with an extra focus applied in our Physical Development classes. The reason we prioritise safety in all our lessons is because our children are engaging in play with new equipment, and they are increasingly taking lots of risks. We love when our children become risk takers and we do encourage this; however, the children also need to know how and why it is important to be safe, and they also need to show good safety practices in our lessons.

At the end of our Physical Development lessons, the children have story time. Carefully chosen books that focus on physical activity, health and self-care teach our youngest learners about this prime learning area. We

Effective Learning, which are behaviours children use in order to learn. Some of the characteristics that we talk about, and acknowledge and praise when children demonstrate these in our lessons, include ‘taking risks’, ‘seeking challenges’, ‘showing a can do attitude’, ‘showing high levels of energy’, and ‘persisting with an activity when a challenge occurs’. These types of behaviours are really influential in helping our children develop their selfconfidence and their resilience.

Well-being is at the forefront of our learning in Foundation Stage. It is so important that our children feel safe and secure in their learning environment, yet also feel confident enough to challenge themselves and take risks. Having weekly Physical Development sessions with me allows for children’s well-being to be developed and to be nurtured. These are important skills that will enable our children to move through their Primary Years as happy and healthy learners.

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LEARNING

WELL-BEING

WHAT’S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT ‘GRATITUDE’ AND HOW DOES IT REALLY AFFECT OUR BRAIN?

By Stephanie Lethlean, Primary Counsellor

W

ith all that has been going on in the world causing us ongoing stress and anxiety, there is a lot of talk about well-being and how to take care of our mental health. Gratitude and practicing gratitude have become well-being buzz words these days. But what does that actually mean? How does it affect our brains? And what are some easy and fun ways to cultivate gratitude, especially for kids?

The definition of gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness.

Another way of viewing gratitude is as a method by which to tune into the positive aspects of our lives. In any given situation, there are always both positive and negative parts.

Sometimes you have to look really hard to find the positives, sometimes the positives never really present themselves to us and sometimes we can’t see the positives until well after the event has occurred. Our brain is most often geared to see the negatives or the challenges of any given situation.

As a result, we can often feel anxious, overwhelmed, sad or angry. However, when we start to practice gratitude, i.e. look at the positives things in our life, this begins to balance out the brain. Our brain is always trying to seek balance or equilibrium, so one way of looking at practicing gratitude is that you are not necessarily trying to only focus on the positives or the negatives, but you are attempting to see the whole situation.

The reason gratitude begins to balance out the brain is because when we practice or express gratitude, our brain releases the ‘feel good’ hormones, dopamine and serotonin.

These are our inbuilt anti-anxiety medication. Therefore, practicing gratitude brings us positive energy and begins to balance and neutralise any negative energy you might be experiencing.

As the act of gratitude is changing the chemical balance of our brains, it is also changing our neural pathways. As such, it has huge amounts of benefit to our overall well-being, physical and mental health, as well as our relationships and capacity to learn and engage in every aspect of our lives.

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There are a lot of fun ways to cultivate this positive energy.

If you search for gratitude exercises, there are lists and lists available – you may have even tried some. Here are a couple of very simple and fun ways to begin to integrate gratitude with our children.

Do something or create something for someone else Kids inherently love to do things for others, they have an inherent sense of knowing that it ‘feels good’. As a parent or caregiver, you can help to foster this love. It could be something as small as making their own Christmas and Birthday cards instead of buying them, baking something to give to somebody, drawing a picture to send to grandparents abroad, supporting them to engage in charity. This list is

Bangkok Patana Magazine

endless and if you ask your children, they will likely have a long list of wonderful ideas.

Mindfully spend time doing your child’s favourite activity: Tell your child that they get to choose the activity you do with them today, whether for half an hour or for the full day.

Give them as much choice and control over this activity as you can. Children learn best from modelling and through this activity, you are modelling to them the generosity in giving time and attention.

Model truly saying ‘Thank you’: Kids are constantly absorbing everything they see you do and hear you say. It is the fastest way they learn. Begin to tune into mindfully saying ‘thank you’ to them and to others around you. Become aware of the moments in which you are feeling grateful for something they or others have done.

So often we say ‘thank you’ on auto pilot and are not really aware of the fact that we are feeling grateful. Take the time to say ‘thank you’ to your children in a mindful and heartfelt way.

Spend time reflecting on challenges to find gratitude: We often spend time thinking about the negatives, the downsides and the hard parts of the challenges we face. It’s not so easy to find the benefits, or to focus our attention on these. The pandemic has been particularly challenging for us all; surely, we can all very quickly name ways this time has impacted us in negative and challenging ways. However, see if you and your children can look back on the last year or so and list some of the benefits from this time. Discuss how the challenges you have faced are actually paired with some hidden benefits. This exercise particularly allows the brain to find balance and equilibrium around events that may have initially seemed only negative.

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LEARNING

WELL-BEING

THE PRODIGAL SON Short story by Amanda Ljungberg, 11W

I

hadn’t spoken to Jack for some time - his last letter to me would mark sixteen years ago, come Monday. A feeling I once recognised as unease had decayed into something crueler – dread – sitting heavy in the back of my throat. Sat alone in the booth, my thoughts were left simmering for some ten minutes more before the restaurant door ground open and a figure entered.

Jack shook my hand and bade me remain seated. His shoes appeared dull and soiled beneath the tablecloth.

“It’s great to see you again,” Jack started. “I’m sorry I didn’t write. You were probably worried.”

No truth on my part seemed fit, so I lied: yes, I was worried, but didn’t wish to intrude.

I recognised nothing in this new version of Jack. Though his sullen eyes betrayed the child I once knew, the wilted man before me bore no emblem of his adolescence.

I first met Jack when he was fifteen. At the time I had garnered minor renown due to a screenplay I’d written, and was given the means to turn said screenplay into a feature, whereas Jack had just freshly abandoned his education. In that sense, our collision had a near-perfect design. I had worked with Jack for no more than a year, and after the film’s success, he made off with the money and lived couch-to-couch around the bay. He was propelled by my goodwill and general acclaim, which rang true

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

enough to trivialize the fact that he belonged to the impetuous type, the weight of which quickly began to manifest on his being.

I received letters from him regularly: paragraphs of admiration and gratitude, as well as the occasional plea for new work. Time wore thin my affections for Jack, and as my career continued along its ascent, he began to appear to me more as an anonymous presence than a man, an exhibit of baseless existence whom I found I had less and less time to indulge. I would sometimes catch his increasingly gaunt picture on the television, or read of his scandals in the news, but otherwise Jack took up very little space in my mind. I trusted he was old enough to care for himself, and I had no familial obligation to parent him.

Slowly, his questions became shameless begging, and I neglected his letters entirely. My rationale became that employing him again in his state would not only hurt my work, but my relationships with my new stars who’d steered clear of the cautionary tale his life had become. When I stopped hearing from him altogether, I thought it best to leave that twisted version of Jack behind and carry on with my life, unburdened.

Across the table, my companion’s hands began to scamper restlessly. At last, they settled around the drink menu.

“I’m moving back home,” he said.

“I’m proud of you,” I found myself saying.

We paid for our meal and walked out onto the pier. The sun beat down on the ocean in the distance.

Again and again I tried to summon the courage to tell Jack that I wished I’d taken more responsibility for the spotlight I thrust him under, and how guilty I felt for his condition. My mouth felt dry in my skull.

We walked in silence until it grew dark. The dusk dripped off Jack’s face, glimmered in his eyes. Finally we stopped. Somewhere in the distance, a boat made its way onshore.

Jack leaned over the dock and shook his head.

“I don’t know what this is for anymore,” he said.

I wanted nothing more than to hold him and say something – anything – but found myself lost in time.

At this hour there came no difference between the sky and the sea – the separation bore lights in the form of distant boats, glimmering between two equal blacks as though suspended quietly in space. Jack shook my hand, and then slipped away, and never returned to me again.

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LEARNING

LEARNING

SWIM TEACHERS UPSKILL WITH ASCTA SWIM AUSTRALIA I n our first term of the 2021/22 academic year, Bangkok Patana School worked in collaboration with NIST in running the first of three ASCTA swim qualifications. This first course was the much respected Swim Australia Teacher’s qualification, applicable to our teams who run Primary and Secondary curriculum swimming, as well as our development squad coaches in the Swim Academy.

Twenty staff members from Bangkok Patana School attended sessions that consisted of a combination of online learning and practical assessment. Two days of practical sessions meant our committed staff members made the journey to the NIST campus.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the course was for staff to learn from the course presenter, Cindy Adair, who has previously been heavily involved in the written development of many ASCTA run courses. Skills that were covered on the course included breathing techniques for beginners, correct focus of

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body position and fundamental stroke development drills.

In addition to looking at skill-specific exercises, classroom management was also a heavily covered topic. This was a nice contrast to see in both practical sessions, giving the course leaders insight into those who needed extra help on developing their skill-specific knowledge and those who needed new ideas for engaging their students in pool environments.

As one course draws to a close, another course is fast approaching. This time it will be Bangkok Patana staff’s turn to run lessons for Foundation Stage students. Both schools will be linking up once more to open the ASCTA Babies and Toddlers course, which will look at methods for introducing early year students to the pool environment. As restrictions ease and opportunities for students to swim increase, it is exciting to see new methods and practices implemented into our already fantastic swim programme!

Bangkok Patana Magazine

JEFF ELLIS ASSOCIATES WATER SAFETY TRAINING I n the last 12 months, Bangkok Patana has made the transition from the Royal Life Saving Society to the Jeff Ellis Associates. This initiative has enabled the Swim Academy and Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) department to internally train and assess all staff members who undertake water safety training throughout the academic year.

This journey started when two members of the full time Swim Academy, Tim Tripp and Joe Denton, attended a lifesaving instructors’ course in Phuket. This was a five-day course that upskilled them to deliver the most up-to-date water safety practices used worldwide.

As soon as they returned to Bangkok, the Primary PE department were the first to undertake the revamped water safety course that ran over the course of two days. Through this course, the team was able to upskill through both theory and practical work. A highlight of the Jeff Ellis training was how they tailored it to our unique international school context and

provided fantastic training to suit our facilities.

As our Primary curriculum swim programme is nearly back to a fully functioning routine, the Secondary PE team will now take their turn to start the swimming block for Years 7-9.

In addition to the PE teams, the school offers water safety training for all residential staff members. An annual Level One course sees a team of five instructors running sessions for just over 120 staff members. A further 40 members of staff then attend the same Level Two course that our PE teams complete each year.

The early stages of this journey with Jeff Ellis have offered a new lease on life for the lifesaving platform. The ability to manage and run courses internally, as well as learning about the updated practices used in various environments – schools, community sports centres, water parks – have made this a welcome change. All of this to ensure that we run activities in a safe working environment.

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L ELAORBNAI LN C G GI T I Z E N S H I P

LEARNING

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE-MODELLING

By Andrew Roff, Senior Teacher Curriculum and Assessment

A

s he introduced himself to Secondary staff at the beginning of the academic year, our new Secondary Principal, Matt Seddon, challenged us to consider what our core values are as a route to clearly identifying our own moral compass. This led me to reflect and identify that positive role-modelling is one of mine. Consequently, I was delighted, when the school’s Guiding Statements were revised, to see the inclusion of “we are conscientious role models” to our values for global citizenship. I think we have all become even more aware, during the global pandemic, that school is a site of central importance for social, as well as

academic, learning. Strong role-modelling is essential for both (Bandura & Walters, 1977).

Positive role-modelling for me, as with most people, starts with my own childhood. My parents of course, and memorably, my Scout Leader, Fred Turner, who is now in his nineties and remains an influential figure in my life. Notable others would include some stand-out teachers. I am sure we all remember the names of our most influential teachers, who guided and shaped our induction into their subject disciplines, a process Bernstein (1999) has called the pedagogic device.

This, for me, is an essential driver in our continued work as

Then and now: with one of my role models, my old Scout Leader, Fred Turner. (This photo and top photo next page) 16

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

school, continues to be something we actively promote. As a K-12 school we have the great advantage of students from Secondary School being able to actively engage with students in Primary. As part of their Creativity, Activity and Service programme for the IB Diploma or Service element of the International Award for Young People, students often take on active role-modelling, ranging from listening to reading and encouraging creative writing to supporting home language development. It is also common to see older students supporting younger ones beyond the curriculum too, helping with our ECA programme as sports coaches, creative directors, or leading Community Action Teams.

So too do we see the impact of our value for role modelling

teachers: knowing that the impact we have has the potential to shape lives and be remembered decades later. But as noted above, role-modelling goes way beyond the classroom and is in no way limited to the interaction of student and teacher. It forms the essential structure upon which any community develops, and the Bangkok Patana family is no exception. Indeed, some of the most powerful role-modelling is not provided to students by their teachers, but by their peers (Backett-Milburn & Wilson, 2000). This illustrates the importance of our values not only as a set of guidelines by which we plan, deliver, and reflect upon our learning and teaching, but as a pillar which supports all of our community interactions.

Seeking further opportunities for peer role-modelling within

continue to work as our students leave Bangkok Patana and spread their wings. Our active alumni network is testament to this. Many alumni come back to visit us over the years, engaging with our current students and impressing upon them the imperative to not only give full attention to their curricular and extra-curricular undertakings, but also the manner of that attention. In order to fully benefit from these experiences, our attention should be focused with a strong appreciation for, and alignment with, our values. A powerful message when delivered by a role model.

As Fred Turner said to me “whatever you get out, make sure you put back in”. A mantra that resonates with me, not just for its alignment with the conservation laws of physics, but for its sense and clarity for any healthy community. I am proud that this value is central to us, performing its positive social and academic function at Bangkok Patana School.

Bibliography Backett-Milburn, K. & Wilson, S., 2000. Understanding peer education: insights from a process evaluation. Health Education Research, Theory & Practice, 15(1), pp. 85-96.

Bandura, A. & Walters, R., 1977. Social learning theory (Vol. 1).

Englewood cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Bernstein, B., 1999. Vertical and Horizontal Discourse: an essay.

British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20(2), pp. 157-173.

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LEARNING

TEACHING USING THE ANCIENT ART OF STORYTELLING

By Alexander (Coke) Smith, Curriculum Leader Environmental Systems and Societies

S

torytelling has been part of the human experience since our species first started to communicate hundreds of thousands of years ago. We have been imparting knowledge from one generation to the next through storytelling longer than we have had schools and books. Storytelling is part of who we are and part of what makes Homo sapiens special and unique.

My upbringing in North America was filled with storytelling. Much of my youth was filled with Native American stories of nature and humanity and our place in the greater scheme of things. My father shared stories with us throughout my youth, and at an early age, I became aware of how powerful this strategy can be to pass knowledge and experience on to others. I committed early on to become a master storyteller.

As time went on and I passed through the levels of Western education, it became clear to me that storytelling was becoming a dead art. Very few, if any, of my teachers utilised this powerful tool to teach. Now, I am not saying they were bad

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teachers because of this – not at all. Simply, this was a strategy that was not employed by my teachers. As I perfected my own craft as a teacher, I decided very early on that I was going to teach differently.

“Mr Smith, when do we get the “Gorilla Story”?

Any student who has ever had me knows I have an extreme passion for wildlife and nature. And I relate this passion through my stories on a regular basis to all my classes.

“When do we get the Gorilla Story?” is a question I hear many times every year from every class I teach. Long ago, I led an expedition to Rwanda on an epic journey to see the Mountain Gorillas of Central Africa. The story involves so many facets of human life that students find captivating. From the genocide we witnessed while there to the fascinating human-gorilla interactions that I experienced while spending countless hours with these amazing Great Apes. This story has become famous through the ages and now thousands of

Bangkok Patana Magazine

students have heard it. But it is far from the only one I use in my teaching.

The trick of using such an experience as a story in an academic setting is knowing how to relate aspects of the story to what we are learning in the classroom, as well as teaching students about the greater aspects of life that go far beyond the syllabus. There is an art to that. Of course, the intricacies of this art go beyond the scope of this brief article, suffice to say that good storytelling involves bringing real-life relevance to the curriculum while at the same time sharing fascinating aspects of our human experiences. Students love this. I love this.

I have found over the years that my students cherish the storytelling in our class. They know it is not a diversion from the topic or a waste of academic time. They see it as what it is – enhanced academic time where their teacher is sharing with them real-life experiences with relevancies that transcend

and compliment the syllabus. I hear from my past students constantly, and our conversations nearly always start with how impactful the storytelling part of my classes was for them.

Of course, in this high academic-stakes world that our students exist in, it is always important to make sure that our students are well prepared for what lies ahead. However it is my philosophy of education that any course well taught will guarantee that the students are ready for these future academic challenges yet will also allow time for true life-inspiring teaching as well. And I know the storytelling component of my courses help achieve both. To me, this is what education is all about.

Coke Smith is our Environmental Science Leader and is an avid wildlife photographer. All of the images in this article are a small sample of what illicit educational storytelling in his classroom.

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LEARNING

LEARNING

ATOMIC THEORY

By Carly Peart, Leader of Learning and Curriculum Year 3

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esearch into education systems across the world show that atomic theory, both now and historically, is not taught in Primary Schools, and in fact in may cases, is not introduced until Year 9. Earlier studies done in the 1970s and 1980s showed that younger students were not capable of learning abstract concepts and were also in danger of developing some irreparable misconceptions (Brooks, Briggs & Driver, 1984; Novick & Nussbaum, 1978; 1981). However, a lot has changed in the interim years and children now have significantly greater access to information and knowledge. TV shows such as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ have brought the periodic table and atomic theory to the mainstream and it is no longer unusual to hear children competing to sing the periodic table song.

Nowadays, there are a small but growing number of Primary Schools around the world who are starting to defy this earlier assumption and are teaching atomic theory to younger students (Haeusler & Donovan, 2020; Malvezzi & Quadri, 2021). In 2018, with the support and guidance of the specialist science duo of Ian Stuart (founder of Atomic School) and Ruben Meerman (physicist and science educator), Bangkok Patana School joined this growing throng, with students as young as 4 years of age learning about the properties of atoms and molecules. After three years of implementation, I took on a study to explore how effective this curriculum had been. The study intended to uncover what level of understanding the students were able to demonstrate with regards to atomic theory and what level 20

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

Figure 2: Teaching staff attitudes towards the teaching of atomic theory I am able to assess students’ understanding of what they have learned about atomic theory.

I am able to support those students who struggle to grasp concepts related to atomic theory.

I have enough knowledge and understanding of atomic theory to be able to challenge my students.

There are enough resources to teach atomic theory.

I am impressed by my students’ understanding of atomic theory.

I am impressed by my students’ prior knowledge of atomic theory.

I am eager to improve my own understanding of atomic theory.

I am enthusiastic about teaching atomic theory.

The students enjoy learning about atomic theory.

The students enjoy learning about science.

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or depth of knowledge and understanding the teachers who were responsible for the teaching intervention had with respect to atomic theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a number of Year 6 students and an online questionnaire was provided to all the teaching staff involved.

For me, the whole data collection process was fascinating, and it was a privilege to be able to sit down and spend time with Year 6 students and listen to their understanding of atomic theory. Whilst not every student has a thoroughly developed understanding of atomic theory (bearing in mind, students aged 10 are not normally expected to have any knowledge about atoms, let alone their specific properties), most students were able to draw and discuss the internal workings of an atom.

Some student responses included: • Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. Atom combinations can make anything.

• A charged atom is called an

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ion. A positively charged atom would have more protons than electrons, whereas a negatively charged ion atom would have more electrons.

Interestingly, what did transpire was that although the students generally had a very developed understanding of atoms, atomic structure and their relation to the periodic table, their understanding of molecules was much less developed.

There also appeared to be a significant difference in boys’ and girls’ understanding, with girls seemingly being at a disadvantage. The cause of this is unknown.

When it came to the teaching staff, their responses showed a general enjoyment of teaching science and atomic theory, but an overall lack of confidence in their own teaching and understanding of it. The infographic above outlines many of the attitudes teachers have towards teaching atomic theory.

When asked how teachers could be better supported, the vast majority of responses highlighted a greater need for

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training. There is a need to develop: • staff subject knowledge • understanding of skills progression • how it links to the rest of the curriculum With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the return of Ruben and Ian and any further specialist training to take place, it has highlighted a greater need to develop an in-house training program.

Teachers currently rely on previous plans and lack the confidence to further challenge or support student understanding.

Ultimately, the atomic theory curriculum has been a success and students revel in the knowledge that very few of their peers globally have the same level of understanding about the make-up of our world. However, if we are to continue with this programme and remain pioneers in this area, there is a need to develop the level of training and frequency on offer to teaching staff to ensure they are able to adequately support and challenge all primary-aged students.

TERM 2 – 2022

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

RED CROSS PATANA: PROMOTING A CROSS-CAMPUS APPROACH TO SERVICE

By Kylie Kim, 12B and Hugo Cheng, 12B Who are We? Hello, allow us to introduce ourselves!

We are an assembly of Secondary students passionate about promoting and applying the Red Cross goals within the Bangkok Patana community. We believe this will not only help us give back to the community but will also encourage others to do the same. As a relatively new club, we hope this article will give you some insight into who we are and what we want to bring forth to the Bangkok Patana community.

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What is the Red Cross?

The Red Cross is an international organisation that was founded in 1863 that holds a strong focus on four main mission statements: Medical Healthcare and Services, Disaster Preparedness and Response, Blood Transfusion Services, and Quality of Life Promotion. By adhering to these aims, the Red Cross continuously strives to tackle issues around the world regarding physical and mental well-being, especially in the face of unexpected crises.

Our Goals as Red Cross Patana Although we will certainly follow the Red Cross missions, we would also like to bring forth a unique and more farreaching perspective by implementing a more cross-campus mindset. As such, we intend to work with various groups within the Bangkok Patana community.

Although the majority of our club consists of Secondary students, we do not want to remain limited to this particular group.

We believe that there is no set age to learn about helping others – it should

Bangkok Patana Magazine

be taught through continuous exposure and experience. As a team, we want to amplify this aspect of education by providing other groups – especially those from the younger years – with opportunities to be engaged with such concepts.

Our Projects and Plans We understand that the Red Cross missions we aim to uphold are also largely integrated into the goals of other CAT clubs. Consequently, we can use this variability to work more collaboratively in an effort to bring about more diverse initiatives at Bangkok Patana.

Working with Primary School We are currently working closely with the Year 6 student and staff bodies. Throughout Term 1, we were introduced to passionate Year 6 students.

We watched as they began to raise awareness on crises around the world and educate their peers on disaster preparedness for various as a result of our presentations. This proved to be a foreign, yet nonetheless thrilling experience for us board members, as we directly observed the impact we could make on

our community. The remainder of this academic year will be spent planning, and hopefully facilitating, various projects and events that interlink the Primary and Secondary schools.

Collaborating with LETS: Using the Power of Words LETS (Let’s Erase The Stigma) is Bangkok Patana’s mental health advocacy club. In a collaborative effort to brighten people’s days, even by the slightest degree, we are planning a social campaign in which uplifting messages will be left in unexpected places around the school in hopes to make people smile. Although this will be centred in the Secondary School, Year 6 has also expressed their desire to host this project with us. As we sometimes find ourselves overlooking how impactful simple words can be, why don’t we use them to try to make someone’s day instead?

The COVID pandemic has been proven to be deteriorating our mental health and enhancing stress levels, regardless of age group. Hence, our two clubs understand the urgency of this issue and want to help relieve these phenomena as much as we can. We all believe this

campaign will help to elevate the positive atmosphere that Bangkok Patana always strives to provide for the students and staff.

Collaborating with Spectrum: Decreasing the Stigma Surrounding Blood Donations by Members of the LGBTQ+ Community In the upcoming year, the Red Cross has planned a collaboration with Spectrum to reduce the stigma around blood donations from members of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ persons have long been discriminated against when it comes to blood transfusions.

Given the Red Cross’ goals, it is important that we encourage inclusivity when it comes to blood transfusions. In order to create a meaningful and interesting campaign, we plan to include participatory activities that help to ensure that our message of activism is understood.

Blood Drives As a long-term goal, we hope to introduce an option to donate blood at our school. Although blood is a vital resource, hospitals are often in short supply and the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted this issue. Through this activity, our Bangkok Patana community hopes to alleviate some of that pressure.

Although the pandemic itself has presented many obstacles to this goal, we will still strive to achieve this as blood transfusions are a large part of The Red Cross.

Conclusion That is all from Red Cross Patana at the moment, but please be sure to look out for our work throughout the year and within the different groups of the Bangkok Patana community! If you are interested to work with us, or have any further questions, please feel free to email our president, Kylie Kim (kyki23@ patana.ac.th).

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LEARNING

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

OPTIMISING AERODYNAMICS FOR THE WIN

ALUMNI STORIES

LIFE AFTER PATANA

Kyle Harrison, Grad ’13 “My love for Formula 1 has always been there, I grew up watching and going to the races with my dad, and as I understood more of the engineering side, my passion for the sport grew as well. I discovered Aerodynamics

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in my first year in the Formula student team at UBC. I originally applied to be a part of the engine sub-team, but was placed into the aerodynamics sub-team instead,” explained Kyle Harrison.

After Bangkok Patana School, Kyle

went on to study Integrated Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). It was there that he got involved with the UBC Formula racing team and found his calling. He detoured through Bangkok where he and fellow alumni opened the popular Korean restaurant Sul shortly after graduating from university, but returned to the path of racing after a year, moving to the UK to earn his Master’s in Aerospace Dynamics and Aerodynamics.

“I decided to go back and pursue my engineering career because I didn’t feel fulfilled in the technical aspects of my education and interests. It has always been a goal of mine to be an engineer in Formula 1; this is the top of motorsport engineering, and it combines my passion for sports and engineering.”

“My friends/business partners were very supportive of my decision to further my studies. I transitioned into a more passive role within Sul, the return to school was actually effortless. I had full confidence I could rely on my friends to continue running the business. I thought my engineering would be very rusty since I had not used it for over a year.

However, the MSc Aerospace Dynamics course at Cranfield [University] had some crossover with work I had done as an aerodynamicist at UBC’s Formula student team, so I felt ready.”

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Patana gave me a good foundation on how I approach learning. I benefited the most from the various activities that translated to ‘real world’ skills. Model United Nations (MUN) allowed me to become a better speaker, the sports I participated in made me a better leader and team player. Jazz band gave me my love for the saxophone, so much so that I still play to this day. The ability to partake in all these activities moulded me into a well-rounded individual.”

“My IB experience was very difficult as I had to take the dreaded higher Maths, Chemistry and Physics.

However, these subjects helped with my transition into university Engineering subjects. Looking back, I believe that I am where I am today because of my Extended Essay project, I designed and built an open-circuit, closed test section wind tunnel (but knowing what I know about wind tunnels now, I can safely say my results back then were horrible!).

This project is why UBC’s Formula student team placed me in the aerodynamics sub-team which led me to my passion, aerodynamics.”

“I would encourage everyone to immerse themselves in various activities outside their studies. What gave me a great university life was a balance between engineering, social, and

“As a wind tunnel engineer, I have a very hands-on approach to aerodynamics and aerodynamic testing. My workday is very dynamic and changes every day. The job is split into two parts, the first is the running of the wind tunnel itself, including the responsibility to make sure all the sensors on the model are operating as they should, testing different sensors as part changes occur and troubleshooting the sensors if they come up with an error. The second side to the job, which is even more exciting to me, is the research and development aspect

“It has always been a goal of mine to be an engineer in Formula 1; this is the top of motorsport engineering, and it combines my passion for sports and engineering.” where we test new technologies that have the potential for better data collection. Finally, on a more Formula 1 fan side of things, what’s really awesome about working at Williams is that we will have the Thai driver Alex Albon, and I had the opportunity to see him in the wind tunnel on my second day at work!”

“The interactions I had with the various teachers and coaches at Bangkok

sport clubs. I know very well how focused everyone is with their IB scores as I was in that very place before. It is not where you start on your journey to your dream career, it’s the incremental points you gain over time that matter (just like F1!). The experiences I gained throughout my academic career added up and landed me in the position I am in today.”

TERM 2 – 2022

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

THE COURAGE TO TRY NEW IDEAS Piers Illing, Grad ’15 Piers Illing started at Bangkok Patana in Year 3, but it was in Secondary that he found the inspiration that took him into a career in Theatre.

“Some of my fondest memories at Bangkok Patana happened within the Drama Department. From my first role as Toto in the Wizard of Oz in Year 7, to being involved in the very first show in the then brand new Arts Centre. It was in Drama that I learned one of the greatest skills, having the courage to experiment and learn new things. I will always remember being in the Theatre with my teachers, Kate Friend and Nita Dewse, having had a long day of programming the lighting for shows. They encouraged me to try out ideas, even if the end result wasn’t what we desired.

I think it’s a really valuable skill to be able to try and prototype things out and then have the creative ability to solve the problem.”

“I earned a First BA Hons in Theatre Production from the Guildford School of Acting at the University of Surrey in 2018. I was always interested in backstage theatre and had a yearning to learn more about how it all works. I think my main draw was getting to learn and experience how all the lighting equipment works and how to use them effectively in a real-life application. I’ve always been a tinkerer, which is a trait perfectly suited to working in backstage theatre as you need to be able to solve problems and repair things on the fly, even if you have never used them before.

“During my training at university I took an interest in both scenic construction and lighting. This led me onto a work 26

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ALUMNI STORIES

LIFE AFTER PATANA

placement with a set electrics company installing the Matilda UK tour. From this, I ended up working full time as a set electrician for the same company on countless large shows, installs and corporate jobs, installing set electrics. After a year, I made the decision to go freelance as I wanted to have more varied work. In addition to set lighting and electrics, I worked on large scale firework displays such as the Rod Stewart UK tour. This then took me to my current job, working on ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ at the Adelphi Theatre in London.”

“As the Lighting and Video Number 2, I’m responsible for running the show from a lighting and video perspective within both the lighting and video departments. I’m also responsible for maintaining and repairing the lighting rig and helping to oversee the set electrics, which is my specialism. The show has a vast amount of set electrics including 1.6 kilometres of LED tape and, of course, a fully illuminated DeLorean car.”

“One of the things I really love about my job is the satisfaction of seeing the final polished product, whether it be a completed performance or a finished corporate lighting install, and knowing that others will be able to enjoy what I have helped create. One of those was an installation project for the movie premiere of “IT Chapter Two”. I helped turn the subterranean tunnel system under London’s Waterloo Train Station into a horror experience based on the film. It was wonderful to be able to create an unforgettable experience for the visitors. It has been experiences like this that inspire me; in ten years I hope to be a lead production electrician, working both in the UK and internationally.”