Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.
Patana
NEWS
Friday 7th February 2020
Volume 22 Issue 20
www.patana.ac.th
PROMOTING STUDENT WELL-BEING The House System by Secondary Assistant Principal Lorna Conroy
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Also in this issue...
Right to Read/Ready Steady Patana/How to Test Smart
07/02/2020
Bangkok Patana School News
Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by CIS
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Promoting Student Well-being: The House System Lorna Conroy, Secondary Assistant Principal
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ell-Being is one of our core values at Bangkok Patana and a term that you hear used frequently around the school.
But what does ‘Well-being’ actually mean? Searching the internet will give you an extensive and diverse range of suggestions. My favourite, however, is from the World Health Organisation: “Well-being is present when a person realises their potential, is resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life, takes care of their physical well-being and has a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to the wider community.” WHO 2001: Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. The House System at Bangkok Patana supports well-being in a variety of ways. It creates ‘a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to the wider community’; it helps ensure students ‘realise their potential’; and it supports them to become ‘more resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life’. All staff and students in Secondary are in one of four houses: Chang, Lanta, Phuket or Samui. These Houses compete against each other in a spirit of healthy competition. There is a strong sense of community within each House; in the words of Maddie Dewse (12F), House Captain – Lanta “Lanta House feels like a family to me because of the support system we have in common.” A connection and sense of belonging is created right from the outset with the, always much anticipated, House Assembly early in Term 1. This year’s theme was The Avengers and it saw students from each house compete in a range of activities and games to gain valuable points for their Houses. From that moment on, students have been earning themselves house points through their individual contribution to school life, effort in lessons,
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participating in the Library quiz, the geography challenge, participation in performances and much, much more. House Points are also awarded for team events such as interhouse dodgeball, swimming galas, water polo and the maths challenge. House Athletics and the House Quiz involve all students in the Secondary School, enabling students in each House to work together to achieve. Last week saw the annual House Quiz where students from each House competed in quizzes on world and current affairs, general knowledge, art and culture or science and technology. Phuket were victorious. The House System also supports student well-being by helping students to ‘realise their potential’. The system not only provides all students with a range of events to get involved with but also a range of leadership positions including House Captain, Vice Captain and Year Reps. These students develop their skills of communication, presentation, organisation and the ability to motivate others, while enjoying themselves at the same time. Samui House Captain Chali Taylor and Phuket House Captain Misol Cheung reflect on this point: “The House Captain’s role requires responsibility. Organising House Events and presenting on stage builds character, which is good for my future.” Chali Taylor, Samui House Captain. “As House Captains, we have fun collaborating and organising events!” Misol Cheung (Phuket) Finally, House events help students to become more ‘resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life’. School can be stressful at times and house competitions can bring some light relief. House events are fun, and happy students are more resilient to the knockbacks of everyday life. When Napat (Oak) Kornsri, Year 13 (Rep Phuket) was asked what the House System meant to him he replied, “It’s a competitive and fun aspect of school that allows for students to compete and escape from the pressures of school and builds a competitive spirit in each student that participates.” Supporting student well-being is essential not only for academic success but also to ensure our students go on to lead happy, healthy and fulfilled lives. The House System is just one of many ways we try to achieve this at Bangkok Patana. Final words from the rest of the House Captains “I really enjoy being a House Captain because it’s fun to be part of organizing the big events during the year, especially this year’s Marvel Avengers themed House Assembly!” Vanessa Blake, 12M (Phuket) “The House System, along with its friendly yet competitive nature, is a fun and enthusiastic way to bring together the whole of Secondary from the eager Year 7s and the Seniors.” Divyansh Jain, 12K (Chang) “I think the House System brings so much spirit to the Secondary School, uniting us all and encouraging friendly competition. From Year 7 through to Year 13 we are all involved, whether it be sprinting to the finish line after an exhausting 800m or learning your piano part perfectly for House Music. It makes everyone feel like we are a part of something big and that’s why the House System is so important to the Patana culture.:” Clara Boucher, 12B (Chang) “The House System is one of the best parts of the school because it brings all of Secondary together.” Jack Kinsella, 12M (Phuket) “The House System makes me feel empowered due to having the ability to achieve unbelievable goals with an amazing group of people.” Amar Ritoe, 12T (Lanta)
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Right To Read: Student Reflections R
ight to Read club provides books and opportunities for disadvanted children enabling them to have a better education and broadening their future pathways.
“On this trip I have learnt about how lucky we are because we have a good education and amazing facilities! We played a lot of fun games that used English for communication. We even spoke some Thai to the children. At the assembly a small Year 1 girl sang a Thai song to all of us and the Right to Read members donated some Thai and English books as well as some learning materials. My opinion is that the Thai trip was very fun because we got to play games, teach children some English and practice our Thai with other people.” Cameron Lin Chakrabandhu, 7F “I found this Right to Read trip a great opportunity for the students in Bangkok Patana as much as the students in the Thai school! Playing games is a great opportunity for the Thai children because it helps them learn a fun way to speak English. We also had fun teaching and learnt the responsibilities of planning and teaching a class. We played fun and simple games like duck duck goose and splat. One child also had a chance to show the Right to Read members her talent by singing a lovey Thai song. At the end of the trip we had the chance to give the Thai students some English books we had collected to help them learn English. We all realised how lucky we are to be in the wonderful school of Bangkok Patana. I really enjoyed this trip and can not wait to see them next year and to help them learn English better. “ Joy Khantharos Gusse Taylder 7S “The trip to Wat Huathanon School was a great learning and fun experience for me. It taught me a lot about Thai schools in other parts of Thailand. We had the best time teaching the students games like splat that we also used to play in primary school and incorporating them with some English. It was a good feeling for all of us when the students were all full of smiles and laughter as well as when we donated the books.” Preeyanan Jirarungroj-Pam,10H
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Did you see the new Ready Steady Patana?
Click on the image to visit our You Tube channel and don’t forget to subscribe!
To find out how you can get involved email Mark raln@patana.ac.th
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@BPSSports @bps_athletics_council @bps_athletics_council @bangkok_patanatennis @bangkokpatanaclimbing @bps_tigersharks @PatanaFootball
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Student Voice: Student-led 2-Way Conferences Antonius Berghuis, Senior Teacher (Key Stage 3, Curriculum and Assessment) angkok Patana School is strongly driven by its Guiding Statements, and ensuring students have opportunities to shape their world as proactive and globally-engaged learners is part of what is at the core of learning at Patana. Last week, on Wednesday 29th January, our Year 8 students once again took advantage of a special opportunity to communicate their learning with their parents in a 2-Way Conference.
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Through 2-Way Conferences in Years 7 and 8, students have a particularly powerful opportunity to embrace accountability and responsibility for their learning - their progress and achievement - and demonstrate a growing understanding of their development as independent, reflective and engaged learners. The 2-Way Conferences build on our Year 7 and 8 students' experiences with 3-Way Conferences in Primary, and continue to develop their ability to clearly articulate their learning with their parents independently - without the mediating presence of a teacher. "I talked about my learning and my mom had many questions to ask and it was a great way to talk to my parent about my learning."
"I was able to explain to my mother about my learning and how I was doing [and] I was able to back the explanation up with some evidence."
"I got to talk with my mum about my learning in a more in-depth way because that is the most suitable time to explain about your learning.
I am happy that I got to experience the true talk with my mum about [my] learning."
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Student-led 2-Way Conferences are intended to achieve a range of positive outcomes, including: • Modelling learning conversations for students and their parents. As a school, we expect students to go home and • regularly have conversations with their parents about their learning at school; • Reinforcing to students and parents that having this kind of learning conversation is something that should not only • be routine now, but also should continue to take place as students progress through Secondary; • Enabling students to demonstrate evidence of learning; • Continuing to support students to further develop the processes of reflection and self-evaluation • Facilitating the ongoing development of students' organisational and communication skills, and to increase their • self-confidence (and leadership skills); • Encouraging students, parents, and teachers to engage in open and honest dialogue; • Encouraging students to accept personal responsibility for - and have pride in - their learning; • Increasing parental understanding of their child’s learning, particularly when these 2-Way Conference conversations are contextualised alongside reports and Parent-Teacher conference evenings. We know that many families already engage in regular learning discussions at home, and that is exactly what we hope continues to happen. For those who are not quite there, yet, perhaps last week's 2-Way Conference experience creates a springboard for initiating similar learning conversations with your child in the future. Well over 110 parents attended the 2-Way Conference last week, and I managed to speak to several parents about the value they saw in these opportunities to engage with their child’s learning at school. Of course, students were also given the opportunity to give feedback about the whole 2-Way Conference process. As usual, their feedback was a mixed bag, ranging widely. However, most of our Year 8 students seemed to appreciate the value of the chance to have dedicated time to talk with their parents about their learning at school, and that somewhere between 25-30 minutes was, on the whole, appropriate. Finally, children do appreciate their parents showing an interest in their learning, but I thought I’d share the following feedback from a student about part of their 2-Way Conference experience. Perhaps it can serve as a cautionary note for future reference, since we parents do need to be aware, at times, of how some of our natural enthusiasms can be received: “My dad came and I showed him stuff. He made a joke to my whole class and it was very cringyyy!”
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More Success on the Ice for Bangkok Patana Students
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he tropical weather of Bangkok has not deterred two of Bangkok Patana’s Secondary students from playing ice hockey. Following on their recent successes, siblings Nicholas (9T) and Angel Li Yun (8P) Lin each showed their skills on the ice in recent competitions. Angel participated in the Bangkok Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament earning herself the Best Forward in the Under 13 Division and Best Player of the Game. Nicholas travelled to Chiang Mai to take part in the Chiang Mai Northern Breakaway Ice Hockey Tournament and earned Most Valuable Player in both the Under 14 and Open Adult Divisions. Well done to Angel and Nicholas!
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Music Department Pics and Videos
Coming Soon in Secondary... Shorts!
All the latest photos from the Music Department are online here
What’s New in the Library? Early Years’ Library
Fiction Non-fiction
Primary Library
Secondary Library
Fiction
Fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction
Professional Learning
Professional Learning
Oversized Books Home Languages DVDs
DVDs
List of Magazine Subscriptions Here 07/02/2020
Bangkok Patana School News
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Inside the Teenager’s Mind - Workshops Matthew Conroy, Secondary Social and Emotional Counsellor
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here will be a series of small workshops (limited to 20 parents per session) to further explore the ideas raised within the presentation “Inside the Teenager’s Mind: A Parent’s Guide” held in the HUB. These will focus on the idea of ‘anti-fragility’ and what practical steps a parent can take to prepare their son or daughter for the wider world and independence. Please sign up for one of the following dates: • Tuesday 18th February • Tuesday 3rd March • Tuesday 17th March Sessions will be between 8.00am and 9.00am in the HUB. To sign up please e-mail: BEAP@patana.ac.th
Solution for last week
Submit your solution here
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UNI COUNSELORS’ CORNER
WORK EXPERIENCE: Audry Shelford, 12N
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or my work placement I had the opportunity to work at Power Kids Gym, a gym where they teach and help kids of a very young age develop their flexibility and basic everyday movements to help with their strength. The environment was extremely welcoming and vibrant and it was easy to adjust to as many of the staff that supervised us were very friendly. This made it easier to gain confidence in the workplace and made it more comfortable, motivating me to engage in all the classes and activities we had with the children.
as I enjoyed it so much! I realised that a great amount of patience is needed in this type of field of work as you often work with very young children who are still learning. I learned that communication is very important because not only does it help with desk work, other staff and confirming classes with parents, but also it We helped during the classes, interacting and guiding is also critical to be able to communicate with the young them during the class. A highlight was to lead an activity in kids. Overall, this experience has really helped open my the class and have the children sit and watch as I demon- mind to other possible career paths and it has helped me strated for them. Throughout the week I ended up lead- overcome challenges and gain other skills. ing in other activities and demonstrating skills for the kids
IN THE SPOTLIGHT...
Southern Methodist University, USA
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outhern Methodist University, known more popularly as SMU, is a private research university in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. The university, which has over 11,000 undergraduate and more than 5,000 graduate students, has students from more than 80 countries. The university offers degrees from eight school; Business, Humanities and Sciences, Law, Engineering, Arts, Theology, Education and Human Development and Graduate and Advanced Studies. Despite its name the university is nonsectarian in its teaching. The campus is home to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which comprises a Bush administration museum, library and public policy institute, and frequently hosts speakers. Notable alumni include former First Lady Laura Bush, Nobel prize winner James Cronin, Olympic gold medallists, astronauts, Pulitzer Prize winners, and elected government officials. In business there are the CEOs of Coca-Cola, Virgin America, British Airways, American Airlines, and the founder and CEO of Bumble and co founder of Tinder.
Upcoming University Visits UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE University of Cambridge -Fitzwilliam University of Cambridge Orange Coast College University of Toronto Carleton University Dalhousie University St. Mary’s University, Ryerson University Southern Alberta Institute of Technology University of Bath BMI University Fair 12
COUNTRY
UK UK USA Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada UK
LOCATION
Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies Second Floor Senior Studies
Bangkok Patana School News
DATE
TIME
17.02.20 21.02.20 24.02.20 02.03.20 02.03.20 02.03.20 02.03.20 02.03.20 05.03.20 09.03.20
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Test Smart Karel De Cock, Careers and Universities Counsellor
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et’s spend some time talking about how to improve our test taking approaches. Students frequently find themselves in a testing taking situation. The pressure that awaits you can sometimes make you want to scream. Well, keep calm and keep in mind that you don’t need to study “harder” but “smarter”. HERE ARE A FEW REVISION TECHNIQUES OF HOW TO STUDY SMARTER Set up a study time table and write down your goals. In order to allow our brain to absorb the most amounts of information and recall previously studied information during an exam, we need to break it up into manageable segments. Let’s plan it out reasonably so that you are studying a good amount of materials daily. Plan for achievable study goals so you don’t frustrate yourself. Write the goals down for the day and make sure you achieve your goals. Ask for advice from your teachers We should study differently depending on the subject matter. Reading through a hundred pages of your text book is the most ineffective way of studying and it is a waste of time. Your teacher knows the format of the exam and the essential content you need to know for that subject. Make sure that you follow your teachers’ advice when you study. Know your weakest links Let’s face it; we don’t know every topic in specific subjects. Perhaps you forgot a whole unit of that subject, you need to make every effort to revisit and study that part again now or set extra time in your everyday goals to specifically study that subject matter. If it’s a mathematic topic that you can’t comprehend, make sure that you sort it out with your teacher or classmates before you begin to study for it. If there is a part of history content that you don’t remember at all, the easy solution is to set extra time now to read it over and understand it through notes, books and video clips. Study with concentration We all have limited attention span and it varies with each individual. We should plan our study time that maximizes our attention span. We may need to change subject matters every 30 minutes or we need to change the approach of studying the same subject matters to sustain our attention. It’s all about practice Make learning more interesting by testing yourself in various ways through verbal practice, writing summaries and making study notes. We can’t apply learned knowledge without any practices. If answering analytical essay questions are hard for you, try to practice through writing framework and working on your topic sentences. Motivate yourself by setting limitations Create a limited and inaccessible environment that prevents any disruptions when you study. Don’t sur-round yourself with any accessible entertainment and comfort. Any privilege such as taking a break, drinking a soda, making a phone call and listening to music can be a motivator and a reward only after a long period of concentrated study time. Eat, rest and exercise Your ability to concentrate depends heavily on your physical wellbeing. Eating light and healthy is the golden rule for everyone. Research has shown that having the right nutrition, quality rest, and regular exercise can boost your brain power.
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Special visitors from the University of Cambridge Kevin Keller, Head of Faculty, Careers and Universities Counselling
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wo special visitors will be in Senior Studies the week of 17th February. Dr Alex Pryce, University of Cambridge will be visiting on Monday 17th February at 12.15pm on the second floor of Senior Studies. As well as providing a general admissions overview, Dr Pryce will talk specifically about Cambridge Colleges and their role in the admissions process. Having worked in admissions at both Cambridge and Oxford, Dr Pryce is in the unique position of being able to talk in-depth about the difference in selection process between the two universities. On Friday, February 21st at 12.15pm we will be visited by Dr Matthias Doerrzapf, Director of International Programmes and Director of Studies in Mathematics at University of Cambridge. Dr Doerrzapf will give a talk focusing on Mathematics related undergraduate courses at Cambridge. Anyone interested in studying in the UK or in a mathematics related field should plan to attend this presentation.
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Sunscreen - Our Saviour or Our Doom?
Kanlayarak (Fai) Tangkaravakoon, 12K t a very young age it has been instilled in all of us to wear sunscreen no matter where we go, whether it’s a day at the beach or a sunny stroll in the park. This is because sunscreen is like a bullet proof vest that helps protect our skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. There are two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, which contributes to skin aging, and UVB, which contributes to skin burning. Exposure to both types of UV radiation increases the chance of skin cancer which, if left untreated, could be fatal. Sunscreen has two ingredients: inorganic components like titanium dioxide which creates a physical barrier reflecting the waves and organic components such as Oxybenzone that absorbs the waves and releases the energy in the form of heat. Although it is important to wear sunscreen, some of our favourite holiday destinations are banning the use of sunscreens.
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"MOST SUNSCREENS CAN HARM CORAL REEFS" - NEW YORK TIMES 2018 Around 6000 to 14,000 tons of sunscreen wash off beachgoers, swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers each year. Furthermore, certain sunscreens contain harmful chemicals that damage coral reefs, which is home to 9 million species of marine life and is vital to our ecosystem. But the corals are dying due to rising sea temperatures and chemicals in certain sunscreens are accelerating that. Since 2019, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Key West, Bonaire, Palau and Mexican destinations have banned sunscreens that contain chemicals which are harmful to coral reefs. These ingredients are also damaging to marine animals such as sea urchins, fish, mussels, green algae and dolphins. Learn more about sunscreen and the harmful ingredients here on Scientia and a reminder: Check the back of your sunscreen bottle to make sure it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. You could also pick up some biodegradable sunscreen or water-proof sunblocks, which help reduce the risk of harming the reefs. However, don’t let this information sidetrack you from what’s most important - always wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the dangerous ultraviolet radiation!
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#145: (Collaborative Obfuscation) Tired of being tracked online? Teens figured out a way to fool Instagram
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ver heard of the term “collaborative obfuscation” ? I hadn’t either until reading this recent article from CNET. We are all, to varying degrees of understanding, aware of the tech giants collecting our data and tracking our online behaviour. Now our teens are becoming hyper-aware and forming groups to confuse the likes of Instagram (owned by Facebook). Watch the first few minutes of the video above to see how they are doing it. I’m aligned with Liz O'Sullivan, technology director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, when she says: “Teens shouldn't have to go to those lengths to socialize privately on Instagram…I love that the younger generation is thinking along these lines, but it bothers me when we have to come up with these strategies to avoid being tracked…the platform should just have an account that works and lets people feel safe about being on social media." Enjoy the half-term break. Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnFhRxFO2Io https://www.cnet.com/news/teens-have-figured-out-how-to-mess-with-instagrams-tracking-algorithm/
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Desert Island Discs With Zoe Edmunds, Primary PE Curriculum Leader
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his column follows in the style of the famed BBC podcast which features a celebrity every week – here we feature our own Bangkok Patana celebrities! What eight songs, one luxury item and one book would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island? Today Zoe Edmunds, Primary PE Curriculum Leader is is stuck on a desert island. MS EDMUNDS, IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Ooh - De La Soul It’s a Pity - Laid Blak Heartbeats - Jose Gonzales You’ve Got the Love - Florence & The Machine Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest Marinade - Dope Lemon
Listen to Ms Edmunds’ playlist on Spotify
Banquet - Bloc Party Free - Ultra Nate PICK ONE LUXURY ITEM YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU. THIS ITEM MUST BE INANIMATE AND OF NO USE IN ESCAPING THE ISLAND OR ALLOWING COMMUNICATION FROM OUTSIDE. Mosquito repellent! WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Catch the real Desert Island Discs on BBC. Have a list of your own? Let us know! Contact SHKN with your favourites.
DATES
for your
Diary...
07/02/2020
Saturday 8th February - Makha Bucha Day Monday 10th February - Half-term Holidays Begin Monday 17th February - School Re-opens Saturday 7th March - Fun Day Thursday 12th March - Patana Jazz and Blues Concert
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m the o r f t s e t The la
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PTG
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COMMUNITY
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PARIS IN THE SPRING
THURSDAY MARCH 26th AT 19:30 ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE BANGKOK TICKETS 600 BAHT / 100 BAHT FOR STUDENTS WITH ID FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CONTACT WWW.AFTHAILANDE.ORG
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For daily updates, snapshots and news on life at school you can find us here...
643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 www.patana.ac.th Email: reception@patana.ac.th 24
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