Promoting Student Well-being: The House Sys em

Lorna Conroy, Secondary Assistant Principal

Well-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,

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)