Patana
NEWS
Bangkok Patana is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
The Secondary Principal’s Letter ear Parents, We are fast closing in on the end of the academic year and sure signs of that in the Secondary School are major opportunities to celebrate student achievement. We heard the reflections of our outgoing Year 13s on Friday as they returned to Senior Studies to bid farewell to their tutors and teachers. There was lots of laughter interspersed with a few tears as each Tutor group recounted their shared Bangkok Patana experience, which for some goes right back to Nursery. On Saturday of course, they then get their day of crowning glory, the biggest Secondary event of the year, the Graduation of the Class of 2015. I know that they will have a fantastic day and wish each of them the very best of luck in their future lives beyond Soi Lasalle. I’d like to focus on another very special achievement; our largest ever cohort of students completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award for Young People at its most advanced, Gold Level. This is an extremely demanding programme completed throughout Year 11 and 12 and the fact that around 35% of our Year 13 cohort managed to complete it alongside the not insignificant challenge of negotiating their IB courses is testimony to what a special group they are. This year as well as the increasingly popular and challenging Everest Base Camp students took to the waters of Thailand either kayaking or sailing to complete their adventurous journey. I actually felt as though I was part of the Everest expedition sitting at ‘Mission Control’ back in Bangkok as I recall a number of telephone conversations with Sally Madden and Ben Friend, and with a family, as we needed to evacuate a student who felt unwell at an early part of the expedition. I also appreciated first-hand how anxious parents feel about their students being away on such as trip as on this particular occasion I had lots and lots of emails requesting updates from the mountain.
I remember challenging these students at an earlier Bronze and Silver Award event to take up the gauntlet and press on to complete the final stage of the International Award. Seeing them receive their Gold Awards showed me that they relished the opportunity to push themselves even further than before. Listening to their reflections they clearly recognised how worthwhile and rewarding it had been, but they also shared moments when they questioned their own resolve, organisation and even physical strength. In my programme notes I stated that I thought some of the key things they will have learned as they’ve passed through Bronze and Silver to Gold are: perseverance, to keep coming back for more when things get tough (usually involving a storm at sea or up a mountain somewhere); teamwork, helping each other through knowing that sometimes they will be the helper and sometimes the one needing support; leadership, taking opportunities small or large to step up, make decisions and take responsibility for them, often in demanding circumstances; finally the importance of humility and service, that they are in a fortunate position and that it is rewarding but also their responsibility to contribute to the communities and environment around them. These realisations are central to the International Award experience but not unique to it. They are also a part of the wider, holistic approach to education here at Bangkok Patana and key among the attributes which we hope our graduates take with them into the big world after the summer. Mick Smith Secondary Principal
By Raj Ladva, Head of Curriculum Foundation Stage and Jane Monks, Foundation Stage Teacher he children in Foundation Stage have been busy preparing for their upcoming Science Expo. They have created imaginary 'mumbo jumbo' creatures and have been exploring light and colour, the human body, changes, structures, textures and much, much more. With their teachers, they have observed shadows and bubbles and asked questions like, 'Why are bubbles round?' and 'Why are shadows black?' The children have lots of questions and come up with the most amazing theories and ideas. The process of careful observation, asking questions and testing theories allows children to develop the skills which they will need in their science learning. You can help them develop these skills at home by asking 'I wonder why' questions with your children. It's great to swap ideas and maybe even look up a few answers on the Internet together. Children need to know that we don't necessarily know the answers either and we can learn together. Parents, family and friends of Foundation Stage children are invited to this first-ever Science Expo, which takes place on Wednesday 10th June from 8.00am to 9.30am. The event will start with a storytelling focus in the ‘Green Area’ at 8.00am where the children will retell a report describing the ‘Mumbo Jumbo’. This will be followed by children sharing their learning with their parents across the Learning Zones. We are looking forward to seeing you on our Open Morning to share in the excitement of learning.
Congratulations to the 131 students of the Class of 2015 who will be receiving their diplomas at the graduation ceremony tomorrow!
Click here to follow the event online.
By Genevieve Ahl, Services Manager
If you have a child in Nursery, FS1 or FS2 you can receive a Foundation Stage Parking Pass, which gives you entrance to the car park close to the Foundation Stage entrance. The passes for 2015/16 can be collected from Reception at the front of school during the week beginning Monday 22nd June. Your existing yellow pass will no longer be valid and the new pass
must be displayed to enter this car park from 19th August onwards. If you have any queries about this parking pass please email reception@patana.ac.th.
Parents with students in Year 1 and above for the school year 2015/16 will be required to park in the main parking area located at the Sports
Complex. If you have an existing navy blue rectangle BPS parking pass, this will remain valid. If you require a new navy blue BPS parking pass, please email reception@patana.ac.th and a pass will be issued and available for collection at the main Reception desk before the end of this term. If you have any questions about parking passes, please contact Reception staff at the front of school or email reception@patana.ac.th.
By Genevieve Ahl, Services Manager lease see below for details about arrangements regarding the Patana Card as we end the school year. You can find out further information about the Patana Card at www.patana.ac.th/ patanacard.asp Students Leaving at the End of Term 3, 2014/15: Student and parent Patana Cards can be kept by the leaving student/parent if they wish. The card will be deactivated in regard to accessing school via the turnstiles at the end of this academic year. Please use up all e-purse and ecoupons by Friday 26th June. Ecoupons cannot be refunded. E-purse can be refunded but we need to keep the card in order to process the refund. The card can-
not be returned to you. For Continuing Students: Please put your Patana Card in a safe place over the summer holidays. All students will use the same card for the next academic year, new ones will not be issued. Students and/or parents who lose their card and require a new one for 2015/16 will be required to pay 350 THB to order a new one. E-purse balance can be carried forward into 2015/16 school year if necessary but we recommend that you only put enough e-purse on your card for the remainder of the term. Students in Year 2, moving to Year 3 All current students in Year 2 will be receiving a Patana Card when
they are in Year 3. The card will be distributed by their new class teacher in the first couple of weeks of Term 1.
Guardian Cards If you have bought cards for a nanny/helper/driver that are no longer employed by you, please contact Reception to ensure that the card is cancelled and your records are up to date. If you have any questions you can contact staff at Reception or email Reception@patana.ac.th
By Genevieve Ahl, Services Manager
re you coming to school to watch the Primary Inter-class Football next week or any other school related event/activity? If so, please don’t forget that parents are very welcome to use the school transport service in the morning or afternoon, but please remember to book ahead to avoid disappointment. You can email transport@patana.ac.th. All students attending the Year 79, Key Stage 3 Patana United concert have had their transport cancelled on Wednesday 10th June. Students who have informed Ms MacRitchie they will not be attending will be on normal transport home. Please remember to check with Transport if you are unsure and remember to cancel buses for any siblings or friends who will stay to watch the concert. All students currently enrolled in the school transport service will
automatically continue to receive the service from the start of the new school year in August 2015. You do not need to re-enroll. If you will be moving house over the holiday period, please contact Transport to inform them of your move by the end of term.
If you would like to enroll in the school transport service for the next academic school year, please do so by Friday 17th July. You can sign up via the Parents' Gateway or via email at: transport@patana.ac.th.
Parents – would you be interested in helping to inspect some buses? Every year the school buses that are over six years old undergo an additional inspection by the school. This is a very important but
simple job that helps ensure the safety of the children using the school buses. This year the checks are taking place next week on Monday 15th, Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th June from 8.00 – 9.30am. We would like to ask parents of children who use the service to kindly help to complete this task. If you are able to help can you please contact Khun Pa, Services Dept, phca@patana.ac.th with the date/s you are available. A check list is provided to help with the task and you will be supported by our Transport Staff. We value your time and hope that you can give up an hour or two to participate in this important task.
All lost property items from Primary and Secondary that have been collected this academic year will be on display in front of the PTG Room near the 25m Pool from Tuesday 9th – Friday 12th June 2015
Please come along and see if anything belongs to you or your child. You never know what you might find! All remaining unclaimed lost property will be donated to a deserving charity. *Kindly collect valuable items from Reception at the front of school.
By Vani Sharma, International Day Coordinator nternational Day will be held on 10th and 11th November 2015. It is one of our biggest annual events and is a two-day celebration of Bangkok Patana School’s diverse student body. It is an opportunity for students and the school community as a whole to celebrate their own and other cultures. The event is organised by the Parent Teacher Group (PTG) and is supported by parents, teachers, students and the school. The first meeting to prepare for International Day will be held on 12th June 2015 at 9.30am in SPH201. The PTG is calling on parents from all nationalities to join us at this meeting.
All parents who are interested in being Country Representatives or helping out over the course of the event are warmly welcomed to attend. If you cannot attend this meeting but you are still interested in becoming your Country Representative or can volunteer some of your time to help, please contact the International Day committee via email at ptgintlday@gmail.com.
By Andrea Chaplin, PTG Tiger Shop Manager he PTG Tiger Shop has lots of great items for sale! Whether you are looking to sport a bit of the orange and black or you want to give a gift, visit the Tiger Shop for some ideas. On sale are hats, shirts and assorted items such as bleacher cushions, ID tags, wristbands, coffee mugs, rulers and stickers. You can also order online by filling out the order form available here.
Opening Hours During the Summer Holidays The school shop will close on Friday 10th July. It will re-open on Monday 3rd August.
Opening hours during the school holidays are 8.00am – 3.00pm. The Post office in the School Shop will close on Friday 26th June and will reopen on 1st September.
A reminder that Lunch ECoupons must be used up by the end of Term 3. Any unused E-coupons cannot be refunded and will not be valid for the new school year. If you have any questions, please visit the Reception desk at the front of school or contact them via email at reception@patana.ac.th.
By Sineenat Khongyoo, School Nutritionist alads consist of small pieces of raw or cooked food often mixed with a sauce and almost always served cold. Salads can be based around a wide variety of foods including vegetables, fruit, cooked meat, eggs and grains. Benefits of eating a salad: Salads usually have a variety of fruits and vegetables which have a lot of good vitamins and minerals. Eating a lot of fibre from fruit and vegetables may help you to lower your blood sugar levels, reduce your cholesterol and reduce the chance of constipation. Eating salads as a main meal will often cut calories and may increase satisfaction, which can help you to lose weight. Some salads contain good fats. Salads are a healthy summer meal and can be made easily. When eating salads, be aware that: Some salad dressings may contain a lot of calories and fat. So you should be careful when choosing a dressing and only use a small amount of dressing. Creamy salad dressings are often high in fat. Because salads are made from fresh vegetables, you need to be careful about the cleanliness of the ingredients. If the vegetables are not fresh and clean you may receive pathogenic bacteria which may make you ill. Always ensure you wash all vegetables carefully before eating them. Be careful about which meat you choose to add in your salad. Always choose lean meat instead of high fat meat like bacon. How to make a healthier salad: Greens – look for dark, leafy greens. Proteins – add low fat protein, eg. skinless poultry, fish, beans and nuts. Fruits – choose several colours of fruit. Add extra vegetables – raw vegetables like carrots, cucumber, broccoli and cauliflower. Grains – try whole wheat grains. Dressing – choose lemon, balsamic, vinegar, good fat (olive oil, avocado, sesame oil) and spices. For more information, visit these websites: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/4-healthy-reasons-eat-saladtoday?page=2 https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/ HealthyCooking/How-to-Make-a-Hearty-HealthySalad_UCM_445183_Article.jsp
Click here for the Canteen Menu
ANAPANA MEDITATION COURSE FOR CHILDREN Anapana (Mindfulness of breathing) teaches children improved concentration skills and enhances calmness of the mind. This technique helps to relieve anxiety and is very useful at exam time to calm those nerves, but also for everyday life.
The next Anapana Meditation course will be given on Sunday 14 June 2015 for children aged between 816 years. To enrol, please contact Eva at 081-8456153 for further information.
You might find this site useful: www.children.dhamma.org/en/children/aboutmeditation.shtml
FUNSHOP
The weekly canteen menu is available here. Please check the calendar on the Parents’ Gateway, Student pages and Staff Centre for up-to-date information on school events. Visit www.patana.ac.th and click on the relevant icon to log in