Patana News Volume 21 Issue 8

Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.

NEWS Patana

Friday 5th October 2018

Volume 21 Issue 8

www.patana.ac.th

THE RETURN OF FREEDOM FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY Also in this issue...

Socially Responsible Design / 05/10/2018

The Nation Channel

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Page 2

The Ceremony of Twelves

Bangkok Patana School News

Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School, accredited by CIS, NEASC and ONESQA

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THE RETURN OF FREEDOM FROM CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY Mick Smith, Secondary School Principal

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ach year, for at least the last decade or so we have welcomed to the Secondary School visitors from the Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) organisation in the United States. Very few outside groups get invited back to Bangkok Patana more than two or three times, so what makes FCD so special?

their cues from us. If we ‘normalise’ drinking of alcohol, for example by having it with every meal or reaching for a beer or glass of wine at the end of a hard day at work, then they are more likely to do that too. They also spoke about the importance of genetics, and how it is critical to share any family history of addiction, often alcoholism, with children. If a grandparent or

At first glance they don’t seem like the kind of group that I would be happy to have here at all. They don’t really like teachers or school leaders to see what they’re up to; they prefer working independently with the students away from our prying eyes.

The students, from Key Stage 3 through to Senior Studies are all in on the secret and clearly get a great deal from the sessions they attend. Luckily the two FCD representatives are always happy to speak with us afterwards, to share their thoughts and reflections on their experiences with our students. Even more importantly they are able to give us insight into what our students know, think they know or want to know about alcohol and illegal substances.

Every representative from FCD is in recovery from addiction to at least one, and usually more than one harmful substance.

This almost always starts with alcohol and cigarettes which unfortunately developed into marijuana then ‘harder’ drugs such as opiates. All also stress that their problems started when they were in school. They visit schools all around the world to share their stories and to do all that they can to encourage students to make good, healthy decisions. Their basic message is quite simple: because young people’s brains are less fully developed or ‘hardwired’ than adults, they are more likely to become addicted to harmful substances. Therefore, the main aim of their visits is to do what they can to persuade young people to avoid trying addictive and dangerous substances, including alcohol, until they are around twenty-one years of age. They use extensive research to explain that if a young person can avoid use of alcohol or any other substance each year between fifteen and twenty-one, then the likelihood of addiction later in life is significantly reduced.

They spend a lot of time talking about the importance of peer pressure that can act positively or negatively with regards to substance misuse. A positive and healthy peer group will look after itself and its members. A less healthy one can lead to bad decisions being taken. They do stress that not everyone becomes addicted simply by trying alcohol or tobacco or anything else.

However, there are far more addicts who first ‘dabbled’ while of school age than started to use harmful substances later in life.

The representatives also ran a session with parents yesterday.

Here they shared much of the same information but focused mostly on awareness raising. A very clear message was that children look very carefully at what their parents do and take

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great grandparent was an alcoholic then there is a greater likelihood that the child may become addicted too. One parent asked a great question which essentially was “Should I talk to my child about substance misuse and how serious it can be or let them learn from elsewhere –friends, school etc? If I do talk to them, when should I do it?” The answer was very clear – yes, you should talk to them, as soon as you think they are old enough to understand, and give them as much detail as you can.

We target Year 9 students to receive the most focus from the FCD presenters. Our view, shared by FCD, is that this is the age, around 13-14, when students are most likely to begin thinking for the first time about alcohol or other harmful substances. The later year groups have ‘top up’ sessions each year where FCD can check in, see if anything unusual is happening, ask if any individuals would like to speak with them and continue to encourage healthy decision-making. At the very end of the week, this afternoon in fact, our two exhausted FCD representatives (who have flown in directly from the US to work intensively with our students) sit down with my senior team and give us a review of the week. We can then decide if we need to adjust our procedures or our tutorial programme in any way in the months ahead.

As you know, our School Values expressed in the Guiding Statements are extremely important to us. The very first of these is that our students should be ‘Protected, safe and secure.’ This responsibility is a huge and multi-faceted one and our work with FCD forms an important aspect of it. We consider ourselves very fortunate to work with FCD and proud that each year they consistently tell us that our students, are making healthy choices.

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The visit this year was organised by Lorna Conroy, Assistant Principal for Student Welfare. She hadn’t worked with FCD before and I asked her to provide a brief summary of the week and to seek feedback from some students. She told me that this year the biggest topic of conversation and focus for questions from our students was ‘vaping’ or use of ‘e-cigarettes.’ Students assumed that this was ‘safe’. The FCD members were keen to demonstrate that it was not!

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope to see some of you at the PTG Big Night Out this evening!

Mick Smith, Secondary School Principal

“Throughout this week Rodney Poole and Ian Barney from the FCD, a Global Non-Profit Substance Abuse Prevention Organization, have been working closely with students here at Bangkok Patana. Year 9 students have taken part in a sequence of workshops and seminars aimed to dispelling the myths surrounding substance use and educating them on the effects of misuse. The specialists present the most up-to-date information available on the physiological and psychological effects of various drugs, and provide a forum for discussion. Students in Years 8, 11, 12 and 13 have also benefited from the visit and have attended a range of age appropriate presentations. The discussions have been varied and cover a whole range of substances including vaping, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, perception drugs and so called ‘study drugs’. It is our hope that armed with accurate information our students are much more likely to make good choices now and in the future.”

Lorna Conroy, Secondary Assistant Principal, Student Welfare “This week in tutorial we were given the opportunity to attend a talk to by a presenter from FCD. Unlike other substance awareness agencies, the FCD employs prior addicts to talk of the very real and severe consequences of substance abuse.

We were fortunate enough to be informed about the reality of ‘vaping’ or ‘e-cigarettes’ alongside common myths and the real gravity of the situation. It most certainly was an interesting opportunity to learn about these things, especially from someone who has experienced the consequences himself.”

James, Year 11 “The FCD workshop so far has been an extremely memo-

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rable and enjoyable experience, and I have had such a fun time with my classmates learning all about the FCD group and all about addiction and disease, as well as different chemicals (drugs) and F,A,C,T,S (family, age, cravings, tolerance, surroundings). I have found throughout this week that it is so much easier to talk to Mr Ian and Mr Poole, they made the conversations we have had as a class a comfortable but informative environment; It wasn’t like talking to a teacher or a parent, it was more like talking to a trusted friend. Additionally, it was even more effective how they have both experienced and have gone through the whole thing, from the beginning all the

way to becoming in recovery and sober. Even though it was a serious topic which is pretty uncomfortable to talk about, they made it very easy and comfortable to discuss. I am so thankful to have had these workshops because having someone who has really experienced and gone through such a hard time has made me realise what addiction and drugs can do to someone.”

Alyssa, Year 9 “Ever since Year 9, we have had an FCD talk each year. We always learn new things yet what made this year stand out was that the talk was specific to a certain topic - vaping and e-cigarettes. Personally, I find most of the talks quite interesting but especially this year’s as the man who was presenting to us, Ian, knew how to really get our age group’s attention. Furthermore, he had experienced the effects and consequences himself and really addressed us on some of the issues, as well as how and what the drugs are made of. Many could agree with me that these FCD talks open up our mind to making informed decisions.”

Camila, Year 11 “FCD visit places around the world to inform students about drugs and how they can affect your brain. Before the lesson, I felt quite nervous because I thought it would be awkward to ask questions and talk about drugs with a teacher. However, when I realised we were in a comfortable environment with no teachers around, I felt much calmer. Ian was easy-going and the comfortable environment made it easy for us to freely ask questions that we may have withheld from asking before.​ Lauren, Year 9

Bangkok Patana School News

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CIE OUTSTANDING LEARNER AWARDS

Suzanne Lindley, Secondary Assistant Principal Curriculum and Assessment

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e recently proudly published our magnificent IGCSE results for this summer where our students achieved over 83% of grades at A*-B, 62% percent of which were at A*/A. Today we celebrate the additional success of our very highest performing students in their Cambridge International Examinations.

The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards recognise exceptional learner achievement in Cambridge examinations, not only here in Thailand, but also around the world. Last year more than one million learners sat Cambridge examinations in more than 10,000 schools in over 160 countries.

Therefore, this makes it very special that the following students have been recognised as being amongst the best performing learners in the IGCSE November 2017 and June 2018 examination series across the globe.

SUBJECT English as a Second Language First Language French Foreign Language German Drama Foreign Language Spanish Geography History Information and Communication Technology Information and Communication Technology Literature (English)

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STUDENT AWARD Muangthong (Thames) Tangitvet High Achievement Blanche Boucher High Achievement Sirinary Heckhausen High Achievement Maya Lemaire Top in Thailand Blanche Boucher Top in Thailand Chawin Asavasaetakul Top in Thailand Chawin Asavasaetakul Top in Thailand Hamna Malik Top in Thailand Melanie Utharntharm Top in Thailand Palis (Fresh) Pisuttisarun Top in Thailand

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ECAS: WE ARE BALANCED AND FULFILLED

Cindy Adair, Assistant Principal Extra-curricular Activities and Sports

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ne of the aims of the ECA programme at Bangkok Patana School is to ensure our students can find their passions and in doing so become more well-rounded individuals. To facilitate this, our ECAs are categorised according to our values. There are ECAs to promote Wellbeing, Learning and Global Citizenship. Students are encouraged to strive for balance in all things, including their ECA choices.

This block we are launching a new report which all students and their parents can access via the Parent’s Gateway.

This report not only shows your ECA participation history (very handy if you are moving schools or applying to University) but it now includes two pie charts to help you see how you are doing in achieving balance in your after school activities. There is one pie chart for the current block and one showing the year to date. We encourage all students to consider getting involved in an ECA from each category to broaden your horizons – who knows, you may discover a new passion for pottery, ballet or recycling along the way!

Research shows that students in Primary in particular, benefit from exposure to a broad range of activities during their formative years before specialising a little more as they move into Secondary School. Our ECA Blocks are conveniently structured as four equal time periods of eight weeks so you can try new things from block to block.

You can access this report alongside your ECA confirmations by using the menu on the left hand side, here is what you will see.

Joanna Bloggs

05/10/2018

Bangkok Patana School News

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WORK EXPERIENCE: THE NATION CHANNEL The team of journalists, editors and media professionals at The National Channel have enthusiastically hosted students from Bangkok Patana School over recent years. This has consistently been one of our most successful placements. Our students are fully immersed into the life of a journalist during their week-long placement. It is fast-paced, ‘hands-on’ work… and they love it! We wish to wholeheartedly thank Khun Krisana and his team at The Nation Channel for welcoming our students and providing them with such engaging opportunities to learn ‘on the job’.

“During our time at The Nation Channel, I had the privilege and honour to work with a group of journalists and explore the experiences of the physically challenged and the ways we could help them. We started first by collating slides and writing detailed explanations about products that could help the disabled. This gave us an inside perspective on the world that we were about to explore. We were able to identify the key problems that the physically challenged face and the many simple, yet effective ways we could help them. After getting us to understand the problems faced by the physically challenged, The Nation gave us a chance to visit the Department of Empowerment for people with disabilities to interview Khun Nuey, a government employee where we were able to get first-hand look at the way the Thai government was helping the physically challenged and look at the way policy

tion while critically analysing the situation at hand. It was truly something to marvel at. They also showed us the writer’s room and how meetings were run giving us first-hand experience of what office life was like and how creative discussion takes place.

Finally, we were given exclusive access to the backstage of the television studio showing us how graphics are made and how the crew supports hosts and writers. I was also given the opportunity to use the camera, learning how to zoom, focus and record. This experience has truly been exciting and extremely eye opening as I was able to understand and realise how I could help the physically challenged. This is definitely a job I would consider in the future as it is fascinating, rewarding and a job which can help advocate and effect change for those in need.”

Samuel Lee, Year 12

was implemented. This, in my experience was truly what made this experience stand out as I was able to experience and write an article on the events in an objective and informative matter. I was also lucky enough to be able to collaborate with my friends in making a short video exploring Thailand’s streets and social programs designed to help the physically challenged. This project, as I discovered, required strong teamwork and leadership as we were working under a tight schedule.

“My placement with The Nation Channel taught me the importance of teamwork and communication. The Nation Channel primarily works on live TV broadcasting and pre-recorded episodes with a focus on informing viewers about current affairs in Thailand and worldwide. Throughout this work experience, we had the opportunity to observe the behind the scenes in the control room during a live news broadcast as well as the opportunity to interview Khun Theera, a news anchor, about this particular field of work and to learn about certain skills that a good news anchor might have. We also had the chance to ask questions to the cameramen of The Nation Channel and the producer of the Friendly Design show.

We were also able to interview Khun Theera, a news programme host who gave us an in-depth interview detailing the life of a TV host for a sports channel. What I found most interesting was the amount of preparation that these hosts go through to make sure their analysis was sound and engaging. They also had to learn how to skim articles for the best and most useful informa-

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We were given the task to film and document a particular place in Bangkok that is a good example of friendly or universal design

Bangkok Patana School News

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and then present it in a website page format with a video. I discovered that organising a visit to a place required a lot of documents and communication before any filming can take place.

We were fortunate enough that Khun Krisana, the presenter of the Thailand Friendly Design show, helped to organise us a meeting with Khun Nuey at the Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities. We had to navigate our way to the department as well as prepare what to film and create questions to ask Khun Nuey. I found that this process required a lot of teamwork and cooperation. We also had to keep in mind what viewers or readers would be interested in.

After the filming and interview took place, we went back to work editing and selecting the footage in addition to write for the website. This process was tiresome but seeing the end result was really rewarding. I enjoyed this work experience a lot because of how much independence and creativity we were given. One of the highlights from this experience was the aspect of going out around Bangkok to film as well as working with other companies or departments.

I found that the working hours were longer than I thought, although this feeling was particularly prominent during the first two days. For the last three days, there was so much work to be done that the long working hours proved to be enough time for us to complete our tasks each day. I think this work experience made me realise that I would not be suited for a job in an office all day but rather a job where you can go out and work with other companies. I liked the aspect of having group discussions and working in small units to complete each task. Being the only Thai speaker, this work experience has helped me to improve my leadership and communication skills as well as made me more inquisitive to ask questions to better my understanding before explaining it back to my friends.”

Manintorn (Mars) Lomtakul, Year 12 “My time at The Nation Channel taught me was how much teamwork and collaboration is involved in Networking and Media.

Previously, I understood how channels worked in teams to produce media and content on time; however, after being involved and being able to look at how the office space of The Nation Channel functions, I really understand how much every individual contributes and how much each group relies on each other when producing content. Networks and TV stations function as ecosystems, and the work of the researcher is equally is important as the job of the actors and hosts and is equally as important as the jobs of the editors and backstage supervisors. Every person involved in each show is incredibly passionate about creating an end product which everyone will feel proud to share with the audience. I

want to take such pride in my work when I look for a career, and I’d also love to work in an environment where communication is essential.

While at The Nation Channel building, I was shown the facilities and technology that go into production, and at one point, even sat in on a live news show talking about the upcoming events and important news in Thailand. I found many of the production aspects interesting, and I’d love to have production as an element in my future career. During the latter half of our first day, we met the host and production crew of a TV show called ‘Thailand Friendly Design’, and we were given the project of creating a piece of media dedicated to Disabled Friendly Architecture around Bangkok.

At the end of the week, we would present our work and upload it to the ‘Thailand Friendly Design’ website. Before we were able to start producing and making our piece, my group had to communicate a great deal to plan out our piece of media, and what it would include. We unanimously decided to create a video detailing the ways in which Bangkok could improve, with visuals, the good and bad architecture in Bangkok.

We fortunately had the connection of being able to speak with Khun Krisina, the host of the ‘Thailand Friendly Design’ Show, and he organised for us to interview with Khun Nuey, who works at the Department of Empowerment for People with Disabilities. We were to go out and interview him and include his input in our video. This was a great deal of responsibility for my team, as we had to go out on our own, find the location, complete and film the interview, and then come back and start to compile footage.

However, it felt very exciting and rewarding to have adults trust us on our internship and let us complete such a large job - they allowed us a lot of freedom creatively and literally. When we met Khun Nuey, he gave us a lengthy tour of his facilities which were very inspiring. They provoked my team to consider ways we could incorporate the facilities we saw into our daily lives and at school. Once all the footage was collected and our interview was complete, our next journey was building our video.

This proved to be the most difficult and time consuming section however, presenting and uploading our final piece felt incredibly gratifying and made my team very proud.

Elements of the work experience I really enjoyed was being able to create something, the aspect of teamwork as working with other people is more engaging and having a decent amount of creative freedom into what I create. This felt particularly liberating and exiting.”

Daisy Lamb, Year 12

Our Year 11 Work Experience Programme runs in the final week of the school year (17th – 21st June, 2019). We are always seeking to secure placements for interested students and we also strongly encourage and support those students who are able to arrange independent opportunities. We are incredibly grateful to the individuals, businesses and organisations who have supported our initiative over the years. If you are interested in discovering more about how you and your organisation could possibly place one or more Bangkok Patana students next June, please get in touch with the University and Careers Team.

05/10/2018

Bangkok Patana School News

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THE CEREMONY OF TWELVES

Purnima Ghogar, Secondary English Teacher

“As the Chief Elders of the community, we have been invited to Bangkok Patana School to watch you carefully all year to decide your assignments. We closely observed all of your childhoods making sure you get the best assignments possible in the school. Our Chief Elders in 8L have done the same. They know Patana’s values of well-being, learning and global citizenship and have carefully thought about your future in this community,” said Usha and Leti who, along with other students in 8L, took on the role of ‘Chief Elder’ from the novel, ‘The Giver’, during the ‘Ceremony of Twelves’ - one of the community’s annual ceremonies and when the eleven-year-olds get assigned their future jobs.

“We thought very carefully about our decisions which could affect other people in our community, and made sure our citizens could still express themselves while sharing the same values,” said Usha and Leti (8L).

As part of their recent ‘Speaking and Listening’ assessment, the students were given the task of writing a formal speech in the role of the ‘Chief Elder’ in the novel - an authoritative character who governs the community and assigns their citizens jobs based on the attributes they demonstrate in daily life. After discussing how the novel explores ideas of freedom, choice and individuality vs conformity, the students were well prepared to experience how they would feel being assigned a role in the Patana community by another member of the class. The catch?

They’d have no say in the job that they’d be assigned to undertake! For many, their future role was a complete surprise - these ranged from teachers, Head of Faculties, ECA facilitators, photographers, set designers for theatre productions, curriculum designers to the more unusual jobs, such as a Bangkok Patana horticulturist! There were smiles all round as the students came up to receive their ‘Assignment’ from the ‘Chief Elder’.

In English this term, Year 8 have been enjoying Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel, ‘The Giver’, thoroughly engaging in analysing the novels’ plot, themes and characters.

Throughout, the students were encouraged to make links between the community in the novel and their own lives, particularly their roles as global citizens in Patana. The students began by writing a mission statement for their own ideal society/utopia; in doing so, they re-visited Patana’s mission statement, discussing its purpose, audience and style - in particular, the values of well-being, learning and To prepare for their performance, the students began by global citizenship and how this shapes their ability to be formulating questions to ask their assigned partners about active contributors to the community and world at large.

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Bangkok Patana School News

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CLIVE LEACH

their unique qualities and strengths in an interview - after which, they had to carefully select and adapt relevant information to compose a speech that will engage their intended audience. Part of the success criteria involved basing their speech carefully on the speeches by the Chief Elders in the novel and providing detailed justifications on reasons why they would assign their partner a particular role - many students even took on the extra challenge of writing a list of instructions on how to carry out the specific job role. Rehearsing was a key part in building confidence for public speaking - the students practiced both verbal and non-verbal communication skills and provided each other with constructive feedback to help redraft their speech before their performance at the Ceremony of Twelves.

Dear Parents and Guardians of Year 8 students, Clive Leach, a coaching consultant, who facilitates positive growth and change within individuals is returning to Bangkok Patana School on Monday 29th to Wednesday 31st October. On his previous visits, Clive has worked with students, teachers and parents delivering his workshop 'Discovering and Igniting your strengths'.

During this forthcoming visit, Clive will spend time focussing on Year 8 which will then relate to their Residential experience.

“Although we didn’t really know our partners well at first, we got to know them better and understand their qualities, strengths and weaknesses during our interview. We also used the IB learner profile attributes to help us decide for role would best fit them, such as - are they communicators, thinkers, principled, balanced, and risk-takers?” said Leti (8L).

Clive will be providing sessions for all Year 8 students, tutors and parents within his two-day visit focus on discovering and developing personal strengths. I would like to invite you to join Clive's session, designed specifically for parents on Tuesday 30th from 8:00 - 9:00am in the Conference Centre. All parents of our community will be invited however this session offers most relevance to you as your child will be working directly with Clive and their tutor throughout his visit. During this session, Clive will share details of the experiences your child will gain from this programme. More importantly, he will offer useful advice and guidance on how you can offer parental support to further unlock your child's personal strengths to help them grow personally and academically to reach their full potential. If you are planning to attend please sign up through the following link https://goo.gl/96Za2U

As each student came up to receive their assignment, the class recited “thank you for your childhood” in unison - a recurring quotation in the novel that signifies the onset of adulthood and responsibility.

Kind regards, Lena Perriam Senior Teacher Key Stage 3 Student Welfare

05/10/2018

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UNI COUNSELLORS’ CORNER ALUMNI E X P E R I E N C E

Wave Vasiksiri graduated from Bangkok Patana in 2017. He is now in his second year at Pomona College in California studying for a degree in Neuroscience and Media Studies.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT...

Pomona College, United States

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ocated 30 miles from Los Angeles, Pomona College gives students the tightknit feel of a small liberal arts school while providing them with the resources of a much larger university thanks to the Claremont Consortium. With roughly 1,600 students, Pomona offers small classes (student-faculty ration of 8:1) in a wide range of majors, with an emphasis on collaborative learning and seminar based courses rather than lectures.

In addition to the academic offerings that the consortium offers to students from the five undergraduate colleges, they also provide students with a myriad of social opportunities ranging from films, art exhibits, concerts, plays, readings and lectures.

“After graduating from Bangkok Patana in 2017, I travelled to California to begin my journey as a student at Pomona College. Whilst at first the sudden change of environment and culture was a shock, I quickly adapted to life in America. I owe it to my time at Patana and my many interactions with friends from other countries and cultures that allowed me to adjust to my new life so seamlessly.

The entire student body at Pomona is less than 2,000 and although I have interacted with many people in my life, the people at Pomona are some of the greatest people I have ever met. Not only are the students here friendly, kind, and generous, they are driven and dedicated to a degree I have only ever seen in films. I’ve met students who started their own business as young as eight years old and others who engage in intensive summer research programs levelling the difficulty of PhD theses. The diverse student body includes individuals from countries all over the world from Lithuania and Paraguay to Ghana and Rwanda. Every single person I’ve met here has a unique background and story that has shaped them into the incredible people they are today. Many of them I am fortunate enough to call my friends.

According to one student: “Pomona is the best of both worlds: you get all the personal attention and small class sizes associated with a smaller school, along with the social scene and class choices of a larger univer- Being surrounded by Pomona students is one of the greatest experiences I sity”. could ever ask for and gives me an ideal to strive towards. It is a tightly knit community due to its small population and is similar to Bangkok Patana Challenge 5 in many ways. The teachers care about every student and the small class size allows us to ask questions when we need clarification as I used to do Heading to the USA? at Patana.

Please have a look if you need standardised tests. Come and speak to your link counsellor to look at a time-line suitable for you.

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As I continue to work towards my double major in Neuroscience and Media Studies, I am reminded of the fond memories I have of Patana as I create new ones at Pomona.”

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UPCOMING UNIVERSITY VISITS UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE

COUNTRY

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Success Canada Fair Dalhousie University Langara College Saint Mary's University University of Toronto Yonsei University-Underwood Engineering Expo 2018 Middlebury College University of Queensland School of the Art Institute of Chicago Yale-NUS College

Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Korea Thailand US Nial Rele Australia Jinny Yun US Ilan Gutin Singapore David Royster

LOCATION Renaissance Hotel Bangkok Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor BITEC Bangna Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor Senior Studies, second floor

DATE

TIME

07.10.18 08.10.18 08.10.18 08.10.18 08.10.18 08.10.18 11.10.18 11.10.18 29.10.18 30.10.18 30.10.18

11:00 09:15 09:15 09:15 09:15 09:15 12:15 12:15 12:15 12:15

ISB STRING FESTIVAL Alec Bien, Secondary Head of Arts

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angkok Patana string players joined the ISB String Festival last weekend for a wonderful experience with a superb conductor, Soo Han. The choice of repertoire was varied and fun to play. By concert time, the 120 students, including seven double bass players, captivated the audience with their full, warm and exciting sound.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Dear Parents, I am writing to you on behalf of my IB Higher Level Information Technology in a Global Society class. For our Paper 3 Examination, we have been given a case study involving driver-less cars. In order to answer the question more accurately, we require realistic primary data. We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete the surveys below which are within the Parents’ Gateway so you will need to log in.

Survey 1 Survey 2 We are incredibly grateful for your help - thank you!

Henry Phan Hoang Huy, Year 13

05/10/2018

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY: SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DESIGN

Richard Smith, Head of Secondary Design and Technology Department

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his academic year, our Year 13 students continue working on their IB IA “Socially Responsible Design Project” designing to meet needs of children at Nonthaphum Home for Disabled Children. The project has backing from Bangkok Patana parent Khun Krisana Lalai and “Thailand Friendly Design“ (Nation News) who promote awareness for products and services for people with disabilities and the elderly with an emphasis on Access for All in Thailand.

ture fully resolved, ready for manufacture products. The nature of CAD/CAM means that ideas can be meaningfully tested (as prototypes, scale models and mocks ups) and iterations made based on the results. Because the product is manufactured using CAD/CAM the students can produce many iterations to resolve issues of tolerance, size, manufacture and assembly as well as making a product which is fit for purpose, suited to the user and can perform consistently.

To support our students through the important stages of the design process, we have organised four trips to the home.

Last year, our students went on two visits where they identified design needs and collected data as a starting point for their design project. Students returned a second time with concept ideas and low fidelity models to test and collect further data.

In December, our students will be exhibiting their final design work at the Thailand Friendly Design Expo 2018 at IMPACT Muang Thani during 30th November - 3rd December alongside top universities and commercial designers.

There will be a Design Competition running in conjunction with the Expo that will be open to design students in Thailand. Our Year 13s will be entering their design proposals On Thursday 27th September, we returned to Baan Non- and will have the opportunity to compete against the best thaphum for our third visit, where fifteen students tested their degree students in Thailand. developed prototype ideas. Since our last visit in May the Our newly formed Design Council, an ECA run by Senior students have been working towards developing a working students that is open to students from Year 7 upwards, with prototype using the data collected on their previous visits. the aim of contributing to the local community through deAt Baan Nonthaphum our students conducted extensive sign, are meeting with “Thailand Friendly Design” representtesting, conducted interviews and collected ergonomic-user atives to plan a competition that is aimed at Key Stage 3 data while taking photos to help plan ways forwards with Bangkok Patana students. This will be launched at lunch time their designs. Iterative design is a used throughout our stu- on Monday 8th December and we are expecting Nation dent’s work: a design process that involves continual testing News TV coverage. and improvement of design ideas. Students have taken low Awards for both competitions will be announced and fidelity ideas into a working prototype by fully utilising our presented on the final day of the Expo 3rd December at (CAD/CAM) computer aided design and manufacturing IMPACT Exhibition Centre. facilities.

We feel very honoured to be part of this national design Our student’s user centred design outcomes are designed initiative and see it as a true “deep learning” experience for with commercial manufacture in mind. Through using our our students that should help them in their studies at Bangkok CAD/CAM equipment students are given knowledge and Patana and beyond. realistic constraints enabling them to design and manufac12

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#103: Screen Time in iOS 12 for iPhones and iPads

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’ve been waiting for this for a long time. During Wednesday’s PTG Tech Talk I showed parents the new feature in iOS 12 called Screen Time. With it, we have a new tool to help prevent excessive screen time for our children, partners, and of course ourselves. The tool lets us limit overall time and allow you to control the time spent on specific apps. It also does the same for websites and video games. This is a real game changer because when the controls are built into the operating system of the device itself, it makes it really difficult for anyone to find ways around the restrictions. In particular, you now have the ability to see your own data on your digital diet – this will really help scaffold conversations with those around you on what is a healthy ‘phone-use’ lifestyle. Watch this useful guide to Apple iOS 12 ‘Screen Time’ for parents. If you’re asking those around you to change their habits then you best role-model it, like they say: “you’ve gotta walk the talk!”

Have a great weekend.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Cross Campus Curriculum Technology Integration Links in this article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Q-_Fhifxg / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BacXAmS6DLQ

DATES

for your

Diary...

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Friday 5th October PTG Big Night Out Monday 15th October King Rama IX Memorial Day in Lieu Friday 9th November Patana Plugged Wednesday 21st November International Day Thursday 22nd November Loy Krathong

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STUDENTS SPEAK Arm Veins: What Do They Signify?

By Karnsiree (Ling Ling) Chen, Year 12

Background You may have noticed action movie stars, body-builders and the average pedestrian flaunting bulging arm veins but what do they signify and why do they appear? Bulging veins, also known as vascularity, have a variety of causes. Over time they have come to be associated with fitness and health as many, particularly young men, aspire to achieve aesthetically pleasing arms.

The Causes Arteries carry blood away from your heart to the tissues in your body, and veins pump blood back toward the heart. Because of this, when the venous outflow (blood going back to the heart) is slower than arterial inflow (blood going to tissues), pressure is created in the vein, causing them to pop out and become clearly visible.

The primary reason for bulging arm veins is a low body fat percentage which is why it is inaccurate to say veins always signify health and fitness. The leaner you are and the less fat you have covering your muscles, the more pronounced your veins will appear. This means a low body fat along with increased muscle mass makes your veins stay prominent even when you are at rest. A low body fat could be a result of diet, exercise or both. The person may also have a good metabolism resulting in natural skinniness. This is why at best veins can only be considered an indirect indicator of fitness as it may not always be reliable.

Other factors can also influence veins to appear, like exercising and lifting weights. Your muscles contract repeatedly when in use, and therefore swell pushing veins just beneath to the skin to the surface. You may have experienced this yourself when lifting heavy weights, evident in your arm veins being markedly more pronounced. In general, a high-rep weightlifting move like a biceps curl, triggers a pump effect in the arm.

Veins are also more likely to be apparent in seniors. As you get older your skin becomes thinner as you lose collagen, so the veins in hands may become more prominent. Additionally, some people’s veins are naturally more visible. This could be because of specific skin pigmentation, body fat distribution, or a variety of other genetic reasons. Overall, bulging veins are a common occurrence and are generally not a cause for alarm, or indicators of an illness.

Image sources: Image 1 - authors own, Image 2

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THE READING LIST

By Ann Kanchanasakdichai, Year 12

What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Cry of the Icemark

Randall Munroe

Stuart Hill

I have very fond memories of this military fantasy book which I picked up from the library a few years ago. I absolutely loved this book.

Thirrin, our protagonist, is a strong temperamental princess who has to step up to take her father’s place. As she ascends to leadership, she must make allies with their Vampires in order to fight against Bellorum. She is a modern character who challenges old traditions and chooses to do what she stands for, instead of adopting old beliefs from the past.

Although it is a military-themed, the book doesn’t overwhelm you with too many technical terms or any complex strategic game plans allowing readers who are new to this genre or those who aren’t too keen on war books, to understand what is happening. With a steady supply of distinct characters, exhilarating war scenes and humorous dialogue, this novel has a lot to bring to the table for any fantasy fans of every stripe!

This is probably the first non-fiction book I’ve read and was the reason I got into more sciencey books later on. It doesn’t drone on and on with brain-taxing scientific texts resulting in it being incredibly easy to read. In this book, Munroe answers “absurd hypothetical questions” from readers such as: • From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?

• What would happen if everyone on Earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant?

And my personal favorite, • How many Lego bricks would it take to build a bridge capable of carrying traffic from London to New York?

He did a spectacular job breaking down complex concepts into something anyone of us could understand. Who wouldn’t have imminent need to find answers after seeing questions as crazy as these?

If you’re looking to start breaking into the science books, start with this one. Oh, and don’t forget to read his footnotes, they’re absolutely hilarious!

Image sources: Cry of the Icemark, What if

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CATS CORNER

Tania Leyland, Youth Club and Community Services Coordinator

STOP BAKE SALE AND THE WALK FOR FREEDOM On Friday 21st September, our CAT club ‘Stop Trafficking of People’ (STOP) held a bake sale. We would like to thank all the students and teachers who baked and bought our cakes. We raised a fantastic 3,462 THB which will be donated to an international NGO called A21, who work to improve the lives of trafficking victims. The school’s students were extremely interested in our collaborative work with A21 and how we campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking. They even praised our delicious baked goods.

We will once again be joining A21 on 20th October to support the ‘Walk For Freedom’.

A single file silent walk through the centre of Bangkok. This event is fully supported by the Thailand Police authority and the Thailand immigration Service. It would be great if you could join us.

WHAT’S COMING UP THIS MONTH?

OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A GLOBAL CITIZEN IN OCTOBER 9th and 10th: Campaign Days - SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being 16th: World Food Day 17th: Make Poverty History Day 20th: A21 and STOP - Walk for freedom 30th and 31st: Campaign days - SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth

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WORLD HABITAT DAY

TUESDAY 2ND OCTOBER

DO YOU HAVE SPARE STATIONARY AT HOME? HOW ABOUT CLOTHES YOU HAVE GROWN OUT OF? DON’T DITCH THEM...DONATE THEM!

Donations can be left on the tables at the front of school until Friday 12th October - thank you for your support.

Habitat for Humanity aims to provide affordable housing for families in need throughout Thailand by going on annual trips to build houses. We believe that a home enables families to achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life for themselves.

For World Habitat Day this week, we actively engaged and attracted younger students in Key Stage 3 through competitive and interactive Kahoot quizzes where students were able to challenge their friends on their knowledge. The engaging multiple choice questions allowed students to critically think about the current state of the world’s housing issue and allowed students to learn more about Habitat For Humanity and how they can join our club.

KEY STAGE 3 DANCE I would like to say a huge Thank You to the Junior Delegates for their donation of 13,860 THB from the recent Key Stage 3 dance. Your 80’s themed disco must have been very funky!

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YEAR 3 AND 4 YEAR 4 7:40AM TO 9:45AM YEAR 3 10:05AM TO 12:10PM

YEAR 5 AND 6 MONDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2018 @ the 50m Pool YEAR 5 7:40AM TO 9:45AM YEAR 6 10:05am to 12:10pm

It’s time to dive into another Bangkok Patana Primary Sports event with this year’s Key Stage

KS2 SWIMMING GALAS

TUESDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2018 @ The 25m Pool

2 Swimming Galas! It’s Cool in the Pool!!

Remember to bring your swimming kit, goggles and towel to your gala and to apply plenty of sun cream!

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NEW IN AT THE LIBRARY Early Years Library

Primary Library

Secondary Library

Fiction

Fiction

Fiction

Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction

Senior Fiction

Chapter Books

Graphic Novels

DVDs

Non-Fiction Science Collection Professional Learning Parents’ Collection

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO THESE MAGAZINES?

CLICK TO SEE THE MAN BOOKER SHORTLIST FOR 2018

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURFING SCIENTIST

click here for the Canteen

Please note the menu is updated for the following week on Friday at 1pm

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