Term 2 Magazine April 2015

The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School Bangkok Patana Magazine

Bangkok Patana

Magazine

Issue 45 Term 2, April 2015

RESIDENTIAL VISIT ISSUE

Year 3 to Year 13

Secondary

Primary

Cross Campus

The International Award: An Award Leader’s Perspective

When Children Learn a Language

Season 2 Sports Round Up

TERM 2/2015

Bangkok Patana School is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

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SECONDARY

CONTENTS

Issue 45, Term 2, April 2015

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Tuesdays

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PRIMARY

6 When Children Learn a Language 10 Year 3: First Residential Visit Memories 12 Year 4: On the Trail for Clues in Kanchanaburi 14 An A to Z of Year 5 in Khao Yai 16 Considering Human Impact on the Year 6 Residential

12:15 Little-Kicks 12:15 Kiddy-Kicks 15:30 Kiddy-Kicks

Saturdays

15:00 Baby-Kicks 15:00 Little-Kicks

2-3 Yrs old 3-4 Yrs old 3-4 Yrs old 1-2 Yrs old 2-3 Yrs old

Tuesdays

14:15 Juniors 4-5 Yrs old 16:00 GalaxyU7-U9 5-9 Yrs old

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Mondays

15:00 Galaxy FC U7 6-7 Yrs old

Tuesdays

15:00 Galaxy U7-U9 6-9 Yrs old

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SECONDARY 18 Year 7: Rugged, Revitalising Rayong 22 Year 8: Learning History in Kanchanaburi 24 Year 9: Outdoor Adventures in Chiang Mai 26 Year 10: Residential Gone Tribal 28 Year 12: Theory of Knowledge Camp 30 International Award: An Award Leader’s Perspective

Book Online :

www.kiddy-kicks.com

Book Online :

www.bkkgalaxy.com 20

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CROSS CAMPUS 20 Fun Day 32 Alumni Profile: Peter, Penny and Tom Latham 34 Bangkok Alumni Reunion 36 Season 2 Sports Round Up 38 Environmental Education at Bangkok Patana School Front Cover Artwork by Julia Merszei,13M

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Contact us : 090-790-1432 (Thai) 082-645-6406 (Eng.)

Bangkok Patana Magazine

DISCOVERING YOU “How was Residential?” A question asked hundreds of times by eager parents, at crowded airport terminals or bustling train stations. But for every one of us, there were hundreds of answers we wanted to give; answers that ranged from camping underneath the stars to mountain biking for the very first time, each one a new experience, each one a new surprise. Answers that led to amazement from parents when they heard that we had achieved things we never thought we were capable of. Residentials are more than just a week’s vacation from schoolwork, parents and uniforms. The trips are full of adventure, interacting with people around us, teamwork and responsibility.

Daunting? Yes. But I was always up for the challenge.

They are more than just a time when we can stay up late, take loads of photographs and stock up on bags of candy.

They are places where you discover a side of you that you never thought existed, where you suddenly divulge qualities and skills you never knew you possessed. In the midst of it all, you find yourself by losing yourself.

You leave for the Residential Visit as one person and return another. An alterego, a new personality. A quiet, hard working introvert found himself to be an outgoing, wild and carefree adventurer. A posh, first class traveller found herself loving a night on a cramped bunk bed.

Every trip is a new treasure of memories – a new journey of discovery; of diverse

places and people, of bonding and exploration, of confidence and courage. Every year we add a new dimension to our personality, a new facet to our character. Without realising it, right from early Primary until now, Residential Visits taught us what no textbook ever could. They prepare us for what lies ahead.

Year 9 has been my favourite year at Bangkok Patana School so far, with the amazing trip to Chiang Mai, the Inter-House sporting events, fascinating new topics and more. However, my time in Key Stage 3 is slowly drawing to a close, with Year 10 ready and waiting, along with the prospect of

choosing our (I)GCSE subjects for next year.

Business, Economics, Computer Science, Photography – a whole new range of lessons we’ve never tackled before. So many opportunities waiting to be seized, so many memories waiting to be made.

Just like on the Residential Visit, who knows, maybe next year I’ll find myself to be a whole new person, a whole new me.

I’ve heard Year 10 can be a tough year, yet rewarding.

Daunting? Yes, but I’m up for the challenge.

643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna, Bangkok 10260, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 Email: reception@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th

Editor: Cheryl Rego Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Email: chre@patana.ac.th Advertisement: Finn Balslev Tel: +66 (0) 2943 7166-8 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

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– By Tia Srivastava, 9P

Bangkok Patana Magazine is the termly publication of Bangkok Patana School published three times per year and distributed to 2,500 members of the School community. Reproduction of articles, artwork and illustrations by written permission only.

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SR P E ICMOANR D YARY

WHEN CHILDREN LEARN A LANGUAGE Colette Lacrossse

Key Stage 2 MFL Coordinator

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he benefits of learning a language are numerous. They can range from the number of languages spoken in the world to health benefits or the importance of making mistakes... to name just a few! It is fascinating to read facts about world languages. Some websites provide extensive lists of fun and interesting facts about languages: •

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http://www.glovico.org/blog/10-interesting-facts-aboutlanguage-learning/ http://www.edudemic.com/language-quiz/ http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/fun-facts-aboutlanguage-learning/

As you will read in one of the above-mentioned websites, learning a language mainly takes place in the left side of the brain, which is also home to logic and mathematics. This means that, during their Modern Foreign Language (MFL) lessons, students will keep developing their reasoning skills as well as the four 6

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language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). When playing language games in a Primary MFL lesson, children exercise their brain constantly as they juggle with words they translate into or from the target language. Switching back and forth will challenge them and keep them alert, allowing them to gradually immerse themselves in the language. Through various activities and games, children will become more and more at ease in the language they study and will slowly become bilingual in some ways as they eventually develop some level of fluency.

While looking for facts about bilingualism, one of them really caught my attention: “bilingualism encourages people to think globally” (http://bilingualparenting.com/2014/04/ ten-amazing-facts-about-bilingualism/). Again and again, the process of language learning pushes the boundaries and forces the students to think in a different way. Introducing the children to authentic resources such as magazines, audio files, and videos will broaden their world. They will want to know more about this different world. They will want to know what is

PRIMARY

Reading the caption, they were able to figure out that those children were in fact in a refugee camp because they had been forced to run away from their home country. Using as many words as they could in the language, the students started comparing their own life with the life of those children.

The way they learn will also impact younger learners. When learning a language, children will feel respected as a person as they can learn through: • images and words if they are visual learners; • listening to songs or dialogues and recording their own voice if they are auditory learners; • physical response and activities if they are kinesthetic learners.

Regardless of the type of learners they are or what their main interest might be, children will always have a chance to respond and perform better in the language they study if they enjoy the activities and if they feel a strong support from home and school. Children usually want to please. They are often ready to try their very best to fulfill a challenge and they can work wonders when their effort and hard work is acknowledged and praised.

different, why it is different and they will start investigating.

It is quite common to see Primary students become passionate about Spanish celebrities, Chinese festivals, Japanese calligraphy, German painters or musicians and French history.

Learning a language is a journey beyond the words. Learning a language makes the children embrace a new culture and forces them to think from a different point of view. Why do we say things this way in English and in a different way in another language? Why are there so many words from French origin in English? Especially when talking about specific topics such as “cuisine”! Why do most French words related to sports come from English? Children are curious and true inquirers. Once they are guided to the process of comparing and exploring, they are quick to spot differences and similarities. They will then make various connections to their home language or to another language they study.

Children reading age-appropriate magazines in the target language will usually first focus on a few pictures and will build up their own story. Then they will look for words that might confirm what they thought it was. The next step is to compare with their own experience. I remember some Year 6 students looking at a picture of children looking sad in front of big tents.

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PRIMARY

YEAR 3: FIRST RESIDENTIAL VISIT MEMORIES Sally Clay

Assistant Head of Year 3

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his year saw Year 3 return to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club at Jomtien Beach. The students’ first Bangkok Patana Residential Visit always generates a huge mix of excitement, wonder and trepidation.

What will the rooms be like? How long will it take to get there? What will we eat? How will I cope away from my family?

To mark this important milestone, the children decided to make diaries to record their experiences. ‘I’m going to treasure these memories forever!’ was a response from one student when she read through her completed (hand-sewn!) journal.

Here are some more diary extracts which capture their favourite memories.

DAY 1 Dear Diary, Today I went to the Royal Varuna Yacht club for my Residential. I went on the bus with my class and our suitcases went in the back. When 3O and 3H were leaving, we waved goodbye to our mums and dads and then we set off. It took us two and a half hours to get there!

On the bus my friends and I, Holly, Luisa and Shruti, played Top Trumps. It was fun but I was glad when we arrived at the club. Once we got off the bus we ate some cookies….yum! – Carlota, 3O Dear Diary, At school I felt so excited because I was going on my first Residential! Finally after a little play at the playground, it was time to get onto the bus. When we got to the yacht club, we had chocolate chip cookies. I loved them!! After that we had a little tour around and saw lots of different places.

2:00pm At the pool the water was freezing!!! It was sooooo much fun but soon we had to go. Luckily, after all the swimming it was time for dinner… hooray! – Emily, 3F The Treasure Hunt was AWESOME! We had to hold on to a rope and get to each destination without letting go! One challenge was to make a bridge that could hold 10 pebbles. Luckily we succeeded. The next destination was Anagram Alley. We had to unscramble the words and we got all of them correct!

But a few hours later I started to feel homesick! I was so grumpy. My head hit the pillow and I said “I’m homesi…..zzzzzzzzzz!” I fell asleep and slept really well! – Ken, 3B 7:00pm I couldn’t wait to eat dinner because my tummy was feeling hungry.

We were eating spaghetti. “HOORAY!!!” we all shouted. It was delectable.

7:15pm Team Games Then we went upstairs and we were ready for action!!! We played lots of different activities. My favourite was the crab walking. It was hilarious because two people had to put a whiteboard rubber between their head and walk sideways! – Matti, 3C

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

DAY 2 In the morning there was a rooster cooing loudly! Then it was time for laughter claps, which were very fun. They went a bit like this, “Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha!”– Best, 3C It was time for the Sandcastle Competition! We were all very excited, especially because it meant we were going to be on the beach! Using buckets, spades and rakes, we had to design our sandcastle and come up with a story for it. That was the most challenging part, as well as collecting water from the sea. It was freezing! I forget now who won first and second place, but our team came third. We were called the Tiger Paws! – Jade, 3H

I woke up then I went to the beach. I caught a grasshopper! – Oden, 3B Dear Diary, I was so excited when I woke up today as it was the day of the talent show! Millie and I had been practising at home. I had brought my tap dancing leotard and a sparkly hat and Millie wore a sparkly hat too. We did a tap-dance routine to the ’Pink Panther’ music.

We came in third place, I was very proud! – Francesca, 3K Dear Diary, We ate a big breakfast (well, I did!). We were so excited for the room inspection. We

were all so busy, bossing each other around that we actually forgot to open the curtains!

It was great fun and our room was super tidy by the end. – Thea, 3R

DAY 3 Dear Diary, On our final day, when I was really looking forward to seeing my family, we were given activity books to complete before we got on the bus. We had our final room inspection, said thank you to all the staff that helped and drove back to school. I had a wonderful time on our Residential.

– Eva, 3S

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PRIMARY

YEAR 4: ON THE TRAIL FOR CLUES IN KANCHANABURI Gary Hancock

Assistant Head of Year 4

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ear 4 had an amazing Residential Visit in Kanchanaburi; they had a lot of fun and overcame many challenges along the way. The Year 4 Residential Visit consisted of a day in school followed by three days spent alongside the backdrop of the River Kwai before travelling back home to the welcoming arms of family and friends.

On Day 1, we challenged ourselves with a tricky treasure trail of clues around the school grounds to spell out a secret word, splashed around in the 25m Pool and mixed classes to build a shelter from only string, bamboo poles and green sheeting! It really was an exhausting day but set the tone for the rest of the week which was about challenging ourselves, taking risks, working as a

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team and making new friendships!

On Tuesday morning, the Year 4 area was a sea of yellow as we were all in our Residential Visit t-shirts, carrying our backpacks and ready to tackle everything Kanchanaburi had to offer. As we waved goodbye to our parents and friends, we prepared ourselves for the journey ahead. Most of us did this by opening our snacks and having a slightly earlier mid-morning break than usual!

Before we knew it, we had arrived at our new home for the week and had our first splendid lunch together amongst our new family. Following this, we checked into our rooms, took a tour of the hotel grounds and made sure our bags were unpacked, our

snacks stored away and our rooms ready for any possible inspections. For the rest of the afternoon, we had a variety of activities that let us release all of our energy after spending over three hours on a coach. We played dodgeball, tee ball and also had time for a dip in the hotel pool; all of the activities were tiring but great fun and helped us consolidate old friendships and start building new ones. After dinner, we headed off to the Year 4 annual Kanchanaburi Quiz Night which was a lovely way to end such a long and tiring day. The quiz, with its visual clues, funny faces and ‘teachers as babies’ rounds, together with judges disagreeing with answers, brought much laughter and a very relaxed atmosphere that made taking part

Bangkok Patana Magazine

much more valuable than who actually won.

The next two days saw different groups taking it in turns to partake in the range of activities that the Residential Visit and Kanchanaburi had to offer. We took in beautiful historical sites such as Prasat Muang Sing, an ancient Khmer settlement built in the 13th century, where you felt you were amongst a monumental part of history.

We even managed to stumble across an excavation site where two skeletons, and the artefacts they were buried with, were poking out from the ground below us.

After lunch at the National Park, we made our way to Sai Yok Waterfall where we paddled in the water, pursued some of the interesting pond life that was swimming around our feet and made friends with clouds of tadpoles. Instead of making our way back to the resort on the coaches, we hopped onto the Death Railway for a more scenic route back towards home and made sure we were back in time for dinner.

Whilst we were taking in those beautiful sites, the other groups were busy at Wat Tham Caves where they saw Buddha shrines, hundreds and hundreds of bats and both stalagmites and stalactites were in plentiful supply. As they were making their way out of the cave, a student spotted an old looking diary that appeared to have been left behind. The students got together as a group and read all about Dr Breadbatch’s adventures and wondered what had happened to him and where he was now...also did he have the gems?!

After the caves, the children had a refreshing ice cream and headed to the local market to buy trinkets and souvenirs for friends and family back home, all overlooking remarkable views of the River Kwai.

Once back at the resort, the afternoon consisted of team-building activities, sketching the famous bridge and a tricky bridge-building competition.

You might have imagined that all of

these activities would have meant very early nights for all involved but surprisingly we still had enough energy for some incredible night-time activities in the open air alongside the river. The talent show was the perfect opportunity for Year 4 children to showcase their wide-ranging talents and for the judges to hone their impressionist skills!

We had dancers, singers, comedians, magicians and many more entertainers. Our trip came to a conclusion on Thursday evening with a very interactive and colourful disco where the children had dance offs, hip shaking competitions and let the little energy they had left out on the dance floor.

It was an incredible week which strengthened existing ties, allowed new friendships to blossom, challenged our comfort zones and taught us so much about another community within Thailand. Well done Year 4 on an amazing week; you should most certainly be proud of yourselves because we are very proud of you!

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PRIMARY

AN A TO Z OF YEAR 5 IN KHAO YAI Laura Rodgers

Assistant Head of Year 5 A Answer…MASTER and amazing artwork!

Week 1 saw the appearance of the ever popular, beat-boxing genius that was the Answer…Master! The amazing light-reactive artwork at the river dazzled us all and showed us how we could create a simple yet magical collage from natural materials alone.

B Bats!

Over a million bats descended from their cave as dusk fell and we were lucky enough to witness it – a magical sight!

C Cycling, campfires and conservation

For many of the children, cycling was a big highlight, especially for those who took incredible risks and went cycling for the first time ever! Conservation was the name of the game on our PATT (Plant a Tree Today) visit, helping us make a difference to the ever-diminishing rainforest. Sitting around the campfire on the last night was one of my personal highlights as we reflected on our wonderful week.

sights, sounds and smells kept us amazed as we stepped over roots and gazed up at the tallest trees.

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Dinner guests and the disco!

Games night!

Teacher dinner guests became increasingly popular throughout the week – what a lovely way to spend a meal! The disco was a definite highlight for all, with some wacky dance moves lighting up the dance floor!

Games night had us all in stitches as children took part in hilarious games such as the Crab Relay, the Limbo and Freak or Unique! A brilliant evening full of craziness and laughter!

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Elephant dung

Happy faces and having fun!

We may not have seen any elephants but we sure did see a lot of dung – a great way to track the elephants’ journeys through the forest.

The absolute best thing about the whole trip was seeing all those happy smiles of all the Year 5s as they had the time of their lives!

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Forest trekking

Ice cream!

Forest trekking through Khao Yai National Park is an incredible way to spend a day - the

Was anyone brave enough to try the Asian Pigeon Wing flavour?

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J Jumping into the pool

Having the pool at the resort was brilliant and some of our favourite times were jumping into the pool (or trying to push our teachers in!)

K Khao Yai and Klongsai

What a magical place Khao Yai is! Full of wonderful wildlife and exciting adventures, we are filled with special memories from our time at Klongsai Resort and in the National Park.

L Lights out!

When all the fun was had, lights out meant we could finally sleep. Or talk for hours. Or eat our snacks by torchlight. Or giggle uncontrollably because we were nowhere near tired yet!

Bangkok Patana Magazine

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Mr Nasty!

River study and room inspections

The talent show saw the return of Mr Nasty!

His comments were cutting, his sarcasm slick, but we ignored him and had a blast!

Booooooooo!

The river day was excellent fun! Activities included studying the river depth and speed, pond dipping, our special art and visiting the waterfall. Room inspections were full of unthinkable horrors as teachers dared to venture into unchartered territories!

N Night Safari

Waiting expectantly in the darkness, searching the forest for wildlife, we loved the night safari! Week 2 were even lucky enough to see porcupines!

O Observation tower

During the forest trek, we hiked up to the park’s Observation Tower, where we had an amazing view of the salt lick and reservoir and a place to rest our weary legs.

V Vines

The strangler vines creeping through the forest were quite something – what a wonderful piece of nature to behold.

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Waterfall and water skaters

Souvenirs, stealing sticky rice!

Visiting the famous Haew Suwat waterfall, we were amazed at its beauty. The same day, we also got to watch water skaters glide flittingly across the surface of the river.

Our pocket money at the ready, we loved choosing the souvenirs for ourselves and our families. One of the funniest sights of the week was the sneaky baboon who came and stole the sticky rice right out from under our noses!

T Teacher servers and talent show

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time happily for many during bus rides and free time.

X Xcellent fun!

What a trip! A truly excellent time was had by all and we would happily do it all over again tomorrow!

One of the most popular activities of all was the pond dipping - an excellent way to investigate which species lived in or around the river.

Teachers groaned at the cry of “Teacher server!” as our reward winners chose their victim gleefully. Our talent shows were the height of entertainment - well done to all who took a risk and entered!

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Quiz time

Ukulele and Uno

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Tuesday night was Quiz Night! Well done to our winning teams on their extensive general knowledge!

Week 1’s talent show certainly had some unexpected talent and we were all amazed

by Evan’s ukulele skills! Uno passed the

Zzzzzzzz bedtime!

Pond dipping

Y Yellow snake plants

Hopefully we will be seeing some Yellow Snake trees in Khao Yai in the next few years after potting the seeds ourselves!

And after all that, it was definitely time for bed! Goodnight! Zzzzzz.

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PRIMARY

CONSIDERING HUMAN IMPACT ON THE YEAR 6 RESIDENTIAL Duncan Ferguson

Assistant Head of Year 6 “That’s a rubbish timeline!” exclaimed the teacher. The students beamed proudly at what they had created. Surely, they had no reason to be proud? Yes, they did – they had just collected rubbish from the beach at the Metro Sand and Sea Resort and learnt about how long each item took to decompose, arranging them in order. Did you know that polystyrene will never decompose? Or that plastic takes 450 years? This was one of the many meaningful learning activities that took place on the Year 6 Residential Visit at Chanthaburi. The theme was Human Impact.

The trip ran over two weeks, with four classes attending each week. On the Monday morning of each week, there was an excited buzz amongst the students as they deposited their luggage at the front 16

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of school and prepared to board the three coaches that would make the four-hour journey. Kayaking, camping, jungle cooking, swimming in a waterfall and shark feeding awaited the eager group.

Metro Sand and Sea Resort sits on a palm-fringed section of beach, one of several resorts sharing the same stretch of coast.

We wanted to find out how humans have impacted the area. Tourism, the fishing industry, pollution, mangrove conservation and the adaptation of plants and animals were among the issues we explored.

In order to learn about local industry, each class visited a local fishing village and asked the locals about their daily lives. After finding out about the use of dredging nets, the quantity of the catch and seeing how many different species (including two baby

sharks) were caught, many lively discussions followed. Is this industry sustainable? When an industry has been the same for so many years and provides income for the locals, how easy is it to change? “What will they do when there are no fish left?” asked Tommy Rainsford, 6R. A visit to a shark conservation site enabled students to see how endangered species can be protected and bred. They fed groupers, leopard sharks and turtles. “Feeding the sharks was a blast!” said Andrew Bertolli, 6F. One group was lucky enough to be visiting when a rather important ceremony was taking place. They were asked to help with reintroducing 500,000 king prawns to the sea. Each student tipped a bag of water containing baby prawns into a large vat, which was decorated with ribbon. The tiny

Bangkok Patana Magazine

creatures had been bred at a local nursery; a group of 20 staff stood proudly watching.

Once all had been introduced to the vat, a tap was opened and they were released through a pipe into the sea. Everyone hoped that there wasn’t a grouper fish waiting at the bottom of the pipe with open mouth!

During the week, each group spent half a day walking on the boardwalks through the mangroves. We learnt about the importance of this habitat and were amazed to learn about the adaptations of the plants themselves. With complex root networks above ground, they looked as though they may get up and walk off at any point!

Listening to the sounds of strange popping, animal calls and trundling was interesting.

Trundling? Yes – one student brought his wheelie suitcase with him as a day bag!

The night spent in the jungle was particularly special. Students cooked their own dinner on open fires, camped in tents and hiked through the jungle to swim in a waterfall the next day. What an experience! “I particularly liked the jungle cooking because I learnt a lot about how people survive eating in the jungle,” Annabel Paxton, 6F. A number of fun games demonstrated to students the problems faced by animals

as a result of human activity. Turtle Hurdle was a running game that showed how difficult it is for turtles wanting to return to their place of birth to lay eggs, due to the impact of tourism. Kiwi Ball introduced students to the problems of habitat destruction – Kiwis vs Woogies! What happens to a food chain when one species diminishes in number? The Catfish Game showed students the challenges faced by these creatures in getting to their breeding ground.

As well as learning about impact on the environment, students also developed their team-building skills. The holey pipe game required students to work together to get a ping pong ball to the top of a pipe which was full of holes. A team sandcastle building competition enabled students to show off their creativity.

Throughout the week, students were always busy and approached the activities with a growth mind-set. “Residential is about learning and trying new things. The best way to succeed is to take a risk!” said Hannah Gray, 6C. Many students found the kayaking challenging; one teacher, who was reliant upon two students to steer and propel the kayak, found herself heading towards the bank and soon entangled in the

mangroves. Unable to extricate themselves, they found the whole situation hilarious and were rescued by the instructors. The students were risk-takers, good communicators and remained open-minded throughout!

The last night saw everyone gather around a camp fire and show off a vast array of skills in the talent show – singing, dancing, comedy and gymnastics. As the embers died, the delightful aroma of toasted marshmallows wafted through the air and students reflected on a wonderful week of fun and learning.

“Residential is a chance to face your fears, try something new and, most importantly, learn and have FUN!” said Gia Narayan, 6C. It had been an amazing experience requiring risk-taking, communication and a caring approach, both to peers and to the environment and the locals. It was, in many ways, a different group of students who arrived back at Bangkok Patana School on the Friday lunchtime. While visiting the fishing village, Mark Chan, 6W, thoughtfully noted, “Everybody here in the village is the same.

There are no maids and no bosses. The fishermen, who are like the business men, treat the shop owner as an equal. I like that.” The impact on the students of our Human Impact themed Residential was truly life-changing.

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SECONDARY

YEAR 7: RUGGED, REVITALISING RAYONG Owen McDevitt Head of Year 7

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’ve always believed that the Residential Visits are one of the highlights of the academic year at Bangkok Patana School. As a former Senior Studies tutor, I’ve eavesdropped many times on older students’ early morning conversations as they reminisce fondly about trips to Rayong, Kanchanaburi, Khao Yai and Chiang Mai. For students and for teachers, the Residential Visits are an opportunity to get away from the constraints of the classroom and develop relationships in an environment that provides both challenges

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and opportunities. The activities provided encourage leadership skills and build confidence. The benefits of an engaging, challenging and fulfilling Residential Visit or school trip can leave an impression for many years.

It was with all of this in mind that we set of on our sojourn to Rayong for the Year 7 Residential Visit. Whilst rugged, revitalising Rayong had been the location of the Year 7 Residential Visit for quite a while, we found ourselves occupying a new, rich corner of this foreign field this year, in the

shape of Rayong Chalet Resort. The resort is on the beach and the first impressions on arrival at the hotel all seemed to be positive.

So it was without further ado, apart from a short break for lunch, that we kicked off the activities with a round robin of various tasks designed to engage and entertain the students. Mr Chidell’s ‘Sleeping Lions’ activity deserves recognition here for many reasons, not least that he managed to convince 30 students at a time that they could do with some quiet-time a mere few hours after their Residential Visit began.

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Each morning, after a hearty breakfast of champions, the six student groups would head off to their activities for the day, which comprised snorkelling, a nature trek (with a focus on Year 7 Geography), kayaking, a visit to a turtle reservation and, an addition to this year’s trip, a Thai cooking lesson.

The Thai cooking was very popular and often appeared to be an experiment in gender stereotypes. The boys tended to spend a large amount of their time shouting and animatedly blaming one another for dropping food in the dirt then trying to clean it, whilst the girls generally seemed to be able to quietly complete the tasks as a socially cohesive, functional, well-organised group.

The evening activities trod a well-worn Patana path and consisted of a quiz, a Trash to Fashion show, a talent show and the hotticket of the week, the disco. Whilst ‘The Smiths’ made a very early, much appreciated, cultural-highlight-of-the-evening appearance at the disco, the DJs knew their audience well and served up a sickly-sweet dollop of ‘teentastic’ tunes to the merriment of almost everyone. For those who couldn’t get their kicks via the wheels of steel, Rayong Chalet Resort had kindly supplied complimentary fizzy drinks for the evening for those who preferred their rush to be sugar-based.

From my perspective, as the Head of Year 7, the Residential Visit was a great success. Both staff and students appeared to enjoy themselves enormously, even if a few of us were rather homesick at times. There were challenges throughout the week; however, overall, those challenges were met with gusto, good-humour and determination.

The week wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the wonderful Year 7 tutors, the fantastic teachers, the busy nurses, Mr Key Stage 3 himself - Tim Coates and our energetic, boisterous, engaging, good humoured, talented, thoughtful, tireless Year 7 students.

THE STUDENT VOICE… “The Year 7 2014 Residential was a great learning experience. I got to know my teachers better as well as making my relationships with friends a lot stronger. We learnt to be more independent and improve our team work skills.” – Sophie Darke, 7K “I think Residential was incredibly fun with all the activities we did; however, the best part of Residential was getting to know your friends better and meeting new people.” – Clara Brown, 7F

know some people better than before.” – Fasai (Prin) Pulkes, 7C “The Year 7 Residential was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had because I got to meet new people and become closer to others. I was also able to become more independent as well as trying new things such as kayaking and Thai cooking.

Residential was a great opportunity for us to spend time with each other and the teachers and to enjoy new experiences together!”– Henry Brosnahan, 7W

“A one-in-a life chance that has blown me away to the edge of the world. This year’s Residential was amazing in almost every way; however, one way to make it better would to give more free time to us.” – Jade Gavin, 7W

“My experience on the Residential in Rayong was really surprising, for the reason that I now know how to make a green curry for my family and also since I can capsize a kayak. I also found the night activities to be the best parts because it made me very interested to know about other peoples’ personalities and ideas for the different games. Overall, I found the Residential trip surprising, interesting and fun!” – Maddie Dewse, 7F

“An exciting and interesting trip that I learnt many things from and made me get to

“It was a once-in-a-life-time, unforgettable experience!” – Henry Chandler, 7J

“Residential was an amazing experience and it was such a good time for us to go because it helped with loads of things and I enjoyed it so much.” – Grace Boyce, 7J

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YEAR 8: LEARNING HISTORY IN KANCHANABURI Matt Jones

Head of Year 8

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he Year 8 Residential Visit has developed its reputation as ‘the History one’ because it complements the World War II syllabus coverage in school.

This is, of course, an integral, essential aspect of visiting Kanchanaburi and a great opportunity to develop empathy and a fuller comprehension of the horrors of war. Not only that, but our students have a chance to really see where these events took place.

“I thought going through the Hellfire Pass was really interesting.” – Sophie Preston, 8S “I feel that I now know the pain and the endurance of prisoners of war and what they had to go through.” – Rin Osathanugrah, 8M

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Obviously, it’s vital that students have a full and varied experience during their week away, though. Many of the students’ comments speak volumes here: “I really enjoyed the balance between fun and serious activities. I think that it was very balanced, which was very enjoyable.

You can have fun but you can also respect historical events.” – Isa Abrahams, 8T

There is clear evidence amongst the students how much they feel they gain from this learning experience. They also go on to have their own preferences for the different activities on offer:

“In my opinion, Erawan Falls was the highlight of the Year 8 Residential.

The beautiful surroundings, spectacular waterfalls and the sound of laughter are memories that will be etched in my mind forever. When we first arrived, you could feel excitement and anticipation buzzing around us. We were already in our swimsuits and had our cameras in our hands to capture every moment. The first waterfall was absolutely astonishing. Many were scared of the fish, but we got used to it.

Soon after, people were all joining in on the ‘fish foot spa’. Many were drawing pictures of the beautiful scene. The second waterfall was just as wonderful. The natural rock slides definitely took home the prize for most enjoyed. Not only were people having fun with their friends, but people were making new ones. Erawan Falls was a place we could connect with each other, and that was my favourite part.” – Lucy Thompson, 8G

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This popular and beautiful national park is a hit every year and also serves as a reminder of just what a huge province Kanchanaburi is. As a result, Year 8 students do spend quite a lot of time travelling between activities, but to many this is quality social time too: “My favourite part was the bus ride. It was fun!” – Ayden Rizvi, 8G

Thanks to the accompanying staff from our Thai Department, our display board at the hotel highlighted some of the distances travelled on this map of the province. Not all of the countryside was seen from the confines of an air-conditioned bus, though. A very successful cycling route allowed students to

pass through rice fields and appreciate the natural environment. Furthermore, many of the individual strengths they had been working on in tutorials at school became very apparent here, from ‘Persistence’ to ‘Appreciation of Beauty’.

“I really liked the mountain biking.” – Manintorn (Mars) Lomtakul , 8T “I have never done cycling before, but I completed the whole track with the support of the teachers.” – Simran Ahuja, 8S

This journey involved stopping at a local school. It was very heart-warming to see our students engaging so well with the young children and leading a range of activities from football to skipping to excitedly

chasing each other around the field. Allin-all, a fundamental aspect of these trips is again confirmed: a welcome chance to get to know one another (staff and students) outside of the usual school environment.

“I think I gained a lot of new friendships and strengthened old ones, too!” – Rusyda Zakhrufa, 8I “The most valuable thing to me was I got to know people better.” – Duncan Kerr, 8M “I have more friends and this residential gave me more opportunity to talk and have fun.” – Alisa Ungpakorn, 8T “I learned that if I push myself, I can really enjoy new activities fully and have a lot of fun doing challenging things.” – Vibhuti Vijay, 8L

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YEAR 9: OUTDOOR ADVENTURES IN CHIANG MAI Claire Dale

Head of Year 9

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ur alarm clocks were ringing super early on Monday 17th November, as Year 9 set out on their journey to Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai. The excitement on board the aeroplane was sky high as Year 9 prepared for their great outdoor adventure and what was about to be ‘the best Residential ever!’

Throughout our action-packed trip, we enjoyed time together as smaller groups; in songthaews, as room mates and in our coloured activity groups. It was exciting to share experiences when we came together as a collective at the end of each day and finally at the end of our trip. For many students it was difficult to choose a single favourite moment, as there were so many highlights!

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On the water, adrenaline pumped through our veins as we raced down the rapids, working as a team to chant and paddle in complete unison. On the lake everything felt so peaceful and serene, until we capsized and had to force ourselves to stop laughing in order to climb back into our kayaks to get to dry land. We enjoyed the spectacular scenery on our cycling expedition, taking in the stunning views of mountains and lakes and enjoying the freedom of traffic free roads. Meanwhile, back at the resort, The Hunger Games came to life with various archery challenges and we tested our GPS navigational skills to trek through the Mae Taeng countryside.

A first experience for many students was

camping in tents. Facilities were basic and so students made their own fun with various games and a very entertaining talent show which saw every single student perform. It was uplifting to see our students being so carefree, far away from technology and the daily routine of school work; instead, they were occupied with the simple things in life we can often forget to make time for: enjoying good company with plenty of laughter.

Thank you to the staff who supported this Residential and helped to make it such a positive success. Huge credit goes to our students who really made the most of the whole experience and as a result of this, achieved more than they thought possible.

It really was the best Residential Visit ever!

Bangkok Patana Magazine

WHAT THE STUDENTS SAID:

“I loved being on the Songthaews as we travelled to the different activities.” – Ela Rlyichova, 9G

distance but so rewarding. It was a chance to experience true nature.”

– Gigi Karnasuta 9C

“Year 9 Residential has been one of the best occasions for me to properly socialise and integrate with everyone in Year 9. It was not only one of the funniest times I’ve had at Bangkok Patana, but it was memorable because it boosted my confidence in ways that are not possible inside a classroom.” – Joseph Wood, 9V

“This was my first Patana Residential Visit and it was the first time I’d ever travelled on an aeroplane without my family.

Not only did I adore all of the activities which were completely brand new to me; everyone (teachers, supervisors, students) helped me realize how much fun something is when you really put your heart into it.” – Nathaniel Antonio Avila, 9M

“Every single day was packed with activities where we were always active, contrasting our daily city lives and routine of school. We were mostly physically involved in the activities, so it was nice giving our brains a little break.” – Beatrice Wongsanguan 9S

“The best part of Residential for me was having the opportunity to socialise with everybody. My favourite activity was white water rafting.” – Philip Bergman, 9W

“The part I enjoyed most at Residential was the Kayaking activity. It consisted of team work and perseverance to paddle out into the river which was a long

“This has definitely been the best Residential I’ve ever had. With such adventurous activities like rafting and biking, it made it one of the best weeks yet.

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YEAR 10 RESIDENTIAL GONE TRIBAL Tracey Barton

Head of Year 10

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ur theme for this year was “Year 10 Resi Gone Tribal”. Tutorial sessions enabled students to cook on trangias, assemble tents and orienteer themselves around the school. It gave the Year 10 students a head start, ready for the life in the great outdoors. Meanwhile, the staff had undergone training in team meetings with shelter designing and building huge balloon catapults. Students and staff were definitely ready for action.

On Monday morning, team leaders greeted their groups with a coloured bandana. The faithful bandana would be the student’s most prized piece of kit! Each of the eight groups were assigned a coloured bandana.

Armed with bandanas and rucksacks, we set off to Khao Yai for a week of trekking, cycling, water slides and archery in Pak Chong. We arrived at the hotel in time for a buffet lunch, but no sooner had we eaten and unpacked then it was time to plan trek routes. This was led by The Outdoor Ed team who ensured that every group had a well-planned detailed trek.

With route maps ready and bags packed, the yellow and purple groups were taken to cook on trangias and sleep under the stars under the watchful eye of the Outdoor Ed team. Before the groups departed, the rules

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of the bandana were relayed to one and all: To wear the bandana at all times.

To be worn using a range of styles To accept the camp’s challenge if a bandana were to go missing!

Meal times at the hotel were a sea of colour and bandana inventions! We had bandana moustaches, beards, slings and headbands. Bandanas could be seen on bikes, bags and tents!

The day’s activities ranged from archery, cycling, swimming, and the new survival games activities. Students built shelters from sticks and tarpaulin and then had shelters checked by robust testing. This consisted of pouring buckets of water over the students and the shelters!

Another favourite was building the giant catapults. Teaching students to lash and frap were essential skills in making the perfect giant catapult. The launching of water balloons tested the effectiveness of the catapults and inevitably some students did get a little wet!

Applause could be heard every morning and afternoon as we greeted the trekkers after their successful navigation. Not all students managed to keep to the map and a few visited a local farm for lunch!

To ensure all the students were safe and within the teachers’ sights, a team of

cyclists were on hand to cycle the routes and check on the students. Some students were shocked to see Secondary Principal Mick Smith on a bike and had to take a double look!

At the end of a fun-packed day, the evening awards ceremony was an integral part of camp life. Summing up the day’s activities and awarding students for being caring, helping others, being brave or just being positive and getting involved, helped prepare us for the evening activities ahead.

Highlights included the annual Trash Fash fashion show, in which our male students really did shine. A very enthusiastic Dr Lindley led the “What am I?” quiz and gained the title as Patana’s favourite quiz host! Laughter and funny faces could further be seen and heard with Mr Tom’s game nights.

Blowing ping pong balls into cups, eating marshmallows, cup stacking and wearing tights whilst imitating an elephant were a few of the many games the staff and students enjoyed. After a fun-packed evening of games the students then danced away their last night to Theis Tunes and DJ Nick. The disco was a great way to end what had been a very busy yet challenging Residential Visit. Thank you to the students and staff who made it truly tribal.

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YEAR 12: THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE CAMP

By Chaninda (Holly) Dejsupa, 12B and Joshua Mo, 12B

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o Know or not To Know? That was the question that we, the Year 12s, spent a week pondering upon in Nakhon Nayok, on our week-long escapade from school. After a two hour commute to the resort, we disembarked, filled with a sense of excitement tinged with apprehension. We did not know what to expect, really - a week of TOK? How was that going to be played out?

Obviously quite well, as it would be proven. The resort was accommodating and spacious, with a wide range of facilities for us to use. “Be active or be social”, as Ms Brown constantly emphasised. We had several fields at our disposal for a range of sports such as football, cricket and even volleyball, as well as a box full of board games and playing cards. And the meals ah, well, the very thought of breakfast was enough to get most of us to bed on time.

Over the course of the week, we were subjected to entertaining yet informative lectures, ranging from a didactic presentation on ethics to activities based on logical systems and deductive reasoning. The Group 4 project (based on our chosen science) provided us with interesting and valuable experience in our subjects. For example, one of our various tasks was to determine what was inside eight cardboard boxes without opening the boxes themselves, using an amalgamation of instruments such as stethoscopes (because we would definitely hear cotton wool in there, as we later found out), balances and rulers. Although no solid conclusions were reached, the experience yielded invaluable insight and caused us to re-examine the scientific method that had been drilled into us in previous years and caused us to think outside the box - literally.

Taking a break from the mentallystimulating classes, we enjoyed afternoon activities such as the “Old-Skool” Sports Day, with teachers bringing back traditional events such as the unforgettable 28

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three-legged race, the wheelbarrow challenge, and the eventful egg-and-spoon race. Of course, we mustn’t forget the classic tug o’ war. Moments like those, where we come together as a Year group, are ones to be cherished.

The daytime events were lively and incredibly active in itself, but we haven’t even got to the evenings yet. There was a quiz night, where Year 12 were subjected to tests in general knowledge, Disney music knowledge, movie knowledge – in essence, the various “areas of knowledge”. Movie night proved fantastic, as there was not one person who trudged back to their room without a baffled, glazed expression after watching Christopher Nolan’s award-winning movie “Memento”. There was also the unforgettable “Hungry Games”, a parody of the popular trilogy-made-film-series,

organised by Ms Dewse - we truly learnt about the importance of teamwork and food that night. Last but not least, the favourite of the majority was the glamorous “Patana’s Next TOK Model”, where classes competed to form the best male and female outfits out of everyday junk - with TOK references gaining bonus points. We discovered some top notch designers and models that night.

On the whole, the TOK week was informative and fun, and the ultimate, unforgettable last Residential in our Secondary School stints. The entire Year 12 would like to thank the efforts of all the wonderful teachers and parents in coordinating this week long escapade for the entire year group – it was an excellent last Residential.

That is the absolute, positive truth.

But, can we correctly define truth...?

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Photos:Bronze and Silver expeditions, Term 2, 2015

INTERNATIONAL AWARD: AN AWARD LEADER’S PERSPECTIVE Krina Mehta

Volunteer Award Leader and Alumni (Class of 2009)

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tarting The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (IA) in 2005 I was scared and nervous. Will I like it? Can I even complete it? By completing the Award at Bangkok Patana School, through all its levels, I realised the full potential of the quote ‘It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey.’ I may not be able to do all the levels again, but I knew I still wanted to be part of this journey; that is why I still continue to be involved with the Award programme.

While studying for my BSc Physics at the University of Manchester, I took upon the role of President for the University of Manchester’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Society 30

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for two years. After completing my degree, I came back to Bangkok to start my MSc Physics and started volunteering for the International Award at Bangkok Patana.

I have been involved in the Outdoor Education department at Bangkok Patana for two years. I have to say, that every day I come to help is a different one. Preparing for the unexpected is the job description. I have helped with the organisation of trips, been part of the trips, upgraded the record book system, designed the magazine for the Award ceremonies, checked equipment – this is all just the tip of the iceberg.

I’ve loved every second of it. By helping in the Outdoor Education department, I

have been very aware of how much effort and care needs to go into the finer details of running the International Award programme and I would like to take the opportunity to thank Sally Madden for allowing me to be part of this.

All the effort is made worthwhile when the students experience the Award on their own. Changes in personality, trust, friendships and confidence within the students drive me to be part of their journey and to help them discover more outside the classroom. My best experience has definitely been leading my first Silver kayaking group at Bangkok Patana. Teaching them what I knew from when I did the

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Award as well as accepting the new ideas they had and seeing a difference in them in just three or four days is worth having no bathroom facilities at the campsites for the weekend! In the present day, hearing sentences such as: ‘Oh, living without the internet for five days wasn’t that bad’ or ‘I can’t believe we became such good friends, if it wasn’t for the IA we would never have hung out together’ prove to me that the International Award is a vital part of the high school experience and that putting students in an initially uncomfortable setting shapes them and their values for the future.

As I mentioned, preparing for the

unexpected is the job description. But this is not only true for the staff, but the students too. Through the Award, the students learn the importance of skills such as camping, cooking, navigation (on land and water) and first aid. These are priceless skills to have; here is to hoping you never have to use them, but in case you do, you will be very appreciative of the IA. Volunteering for the IA at Bangkok Patana has been an enlightening experience. I have been part of a very dedicated and motivated team of staff. It has been wonderful being accepted into this team and helping them help the students grow.

When I first started volunteering, I had

no idea that I would be putting in all this time and effort, but I wouldn’t change it at all. I have genuinely enjoyed all the time I have spent and I hope that over time more students (and adults) realise the benefits of this programme. It is easy to label this as just another ECA (Extra-curricular Activity), it is only after you hear others not as fortunate to have the opportunity to start or finish their Award that you realise just how valuable the whole experience is.

I could explain to you all the emotions you would feel on an expedition – but nothing compares to you being there and experiencing it for yourself! So get involved and give it a go!

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

PETER, PENNY AND TOM LATHAM

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n 1992, Bangkok Patana School celebrated its 35th anniversary with the decision to go ahead with the development of the Secondary School. Peter Latham was recruited as the very first Head of the Secondary School and joined the team of people who were leading the development of the Secondary School. He served as Secondary Head until 1996.

The Secondary School buildings were officially opened in 1993, but Peter still had a lot of work to do. In May and June of 1995, we had the first (I)GCSE examinations at Bangkok Patana School and a few months later, the school got official approval to teach the International Baccalaureate (IB). The decision to adopt the IB was very much a vision pushed by Peter Latham.

When Peter began working at Bangkok Patana, he was joined by his wife, Penny who taught in Primary School (or First School as it was known then) and later took on a curriculum development role for Mathematics. They were accompanied by their young son Thomas (Tom) who joined the school as a Year 1 student.

With this history in mind, it was a pleasure to welcome the Lathams back to Bangkok Patana School early in Term 2, accompanied by Tom’s girlfriend, Mia. “As I was leaving Patana in Summer 1996, I wrote my last article for the termly Patana Magazine and spoke of my first and final encounters in Thailand.

I said something like the return would feel ‘like living in someone else’s dream’ and that feeling came back to me this time,” said Peter.

Favourite Memories Peter and Penny said their favourite memories of the school are mostly of people – the Thai staff, Khun Bee, Khun Tossaporn, the teachers and parents – some of whom are still here. “My most powerful memories are of the uncleared site which became the High School within a year and of pretending to understand all the designs, including the ones presented to me on my first morning in Bangkok, jet lagged and culturally shocked, by Laura Stamp and other members of the Board; of the second year when we were able to employ the first group of really high quality specialist staff who raised everybody’s expectations of what was possible; of the high school drama productions which I also worked on as a labour of love - from Hiawatha to Macbeth,” said Peter. Tom said his favourite memories were of the friendly culture of the school and the many friends he made.

Life after Bangkok Patana In 1996, the Latham family returned to the UK. Penny returned to teaching, publishing and lecturing on Mathematics education. She has spent much of her time in the past 10 years teaching teachers by directly modelling practice in their classrooms and developing planning with them. She works in the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Lewisham, which are all ethnically diverse and often socially challenging areas. Peter worked as a senior inspector/school improvement officer in London boroughs, Croydon and then for 12 years in 32

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Kingston-upon-Thames. He retired in 2010, but continues to work with a small number of schools, at Kingston’s request. He also sits as the Chair of Governors of the local secondary school, The Beacon. Tom, now 27, graduated with a degree in History and Journalism and then went on to gain a Masters in American Studies from University of London. He works currently in the centre of London for Mediacom as a Broadcast Planner and Buyer.

“In our leisure time, we like to travel, to Europe mainly. We also go to lots of theatre in London and further afield. We read a lot, (no longer having to rely on Asia Books as we did in the early days in Bangkok),” said Peter. Tom is an avid football and tennis player and fan.

What advice would you give the Class of 2015?

Advice to the graduating class is a bit tricky since I don’t know them – although I have vivid memories of the first graduating group whom I left in ‘96 the year before they finished at Bangkok Patana.

In general, my advice would be to value relationships as well as academic success and creative opportunities,” said Peter. Tom added, “Be flexible in your early career choices to build your experience.”

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CROSS CAMPUS

BANGKOK ALUMNI REUNION 18TH DECEMBER 2014

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

Calling All Members of the Class of 2005

Plans are being made for an exhibition and reunion for the Class of 2005 to be held in August 2015 in Bangkok.

For the exhibition, we are looking for items from your years at Bangkok Patana.

The items will be returned to you after the exhibition.

If you would like to be involved in the planning, please contact Purnima Ruanglebutr or Cheryl Rego at alumni@patana.ac.th.

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SEASON 2 SPORTS ROUND UP Mike Balo

Assistant Principal Extra Curricular Activities and Sports

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eason 2 brought us SEASAC Champions in Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis and an amazing second place finish for our Boys’ Basketball team in their SEASAC tournament. Out of 26 teams taking part in Season 2 tournaments, 19 teams returned with medals. This was a fantastic season for Bangkok Patana School. Furthermore, we sent the first ever team, made of 10 tennis players, to represent Thailand in the ISF World Schools Championships in Doha, Qatar in early March. This is absolutely fabulous for sport at Bangkok Patana School.

Season 2 is our busiest season with 34 teams (up from 16 three years ago) and over 350 student athletes taking part in friendly matches, invitational tournaments, SEASAC and BISAC competitions.

We had a participation rate of 63% of all Secondary students, which is fantastic. This is a testament to our dedicated coaches and student athletes. Try outs were extremely popular with over 400 students taking part.

On top of all that we had our swimmers, gymnasts and Tennis teams taking part in many competitions.

Bangkok Patana was proud to host the first Tennis tournament of Season 2.

On 11th and 12th January, we hosted the Boys’ and Girls’ Open Tennis singles. Our boys and girls performed well in both tournaments and we brought home plenty of hardware.

The following weekend was the Under 19 BISAC tournaments. Bangkok Patana hosted the Varsity Boys’ Tennis, Boys’ Rugby and Girls’ Touch. All the students who participated in Varsity teams performed well as we used the tournaments to prepare for SEASAC. Our Under 19 Girls’ Tennis were BISAC champions once again.

The Varsity Girls’ Touch were crowned champions beating ISB in an exciting final. The Boys’ Varsity Rugby won their event beating ISB in an amazing final. Our Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams finished a strong fifth place respectively in very

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teams traveled around the region for the SEASAC competitions. We performed tremendously in the SEASAC tournaments.

Congratulations must go to our Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis teams who followed up their good performances in BISAC with a SEASAC gold medal. Congratulations to coaches Dan, Danai and Jan and the students for all their hard work, this was a super achievement. Next up, our Varsity Boys’ Basketball finished second to NIST in a spectacular final at NIST in their SEASAC event. The boys made tremendous gains over the season under the leadership of Coach Carlos and Coach Simon Tyers. Our Varsity Boys’ Rugby and Varsity Girls’ Touch teams played superbly in Singapore. The boys finished a respectable strong tournaments. All our Varsity teams performed well and had very respectable results.

The last weekend in January saw all of our teams in action. In Bangkok, it was the BISAC weekend whilst our Varsity

SEASAC Results Boys’ Boys’ Boys’ Girls’ Girls’

and Girls’ Tennis Champions Basketball 2nd place Rugby 4th place Basketball 6th place Touch 6th place

BISAC Results Champions Under 19 Boys’ Under 19 Girls’ Under 19 Girls’ Under 15 Boys’ Under 15 Girls’ Under 13 Girls’ Under 11 Boys’ Under 11 Girls’

Rugby Touch Tennis Football Football Football Football Football

Silver Medal Winners Under 19 Boys’ Tennis Under 17 Girls’ Touch

Under 15 Girls’ Badminton Under 13 Boys’ Badminton Under 13 Girls’ Badminton Bronze Medal Winners Under 17 Boys’ Rugby Under 13 Boys’ Football Under 15 Boys’ Badminton Other Results Under 19 Boys’ Basketball Under 19 Girls’ Basketball Under 17 Boys’ Basketball Under 17 Girls’ Basketball

5th 5th 6th 4th

place place place place

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fourth overall to very strong teams and our Girls’ Touch finished sixth. Again an amazing achievement, well done!!

Highlights of Season 2 BISAC age group tournaments were that our Under 11 Boys’ and Girls’ Football, Under 13 Girls’ Football, Under 15 Boys’ and Girls’ Football all won their BISAC tournaments and were crowned BISAC Champions.

This was a truly remarkable achievement and credit to all the players, coaches and parents for all their support. Our Under 17 Girls’ Touch, Under 15 Girls’ Badminton, Under 13 Boys’ and Girls’ Badminton all finished second in their BISAC events. Our Under 17 Boys’ Rugby, Under 15 Boys’ Badminton and Under 13 Boys’ Football all finished a respectable third place in their tournaments. All of our teams performed well, made improvements and represented Bangkok Patana admirably.

Our Swimming team has been busy and took the overall title at the FOBISIA Swimming Championships. It was an amazing result for the TigerSharks and it exemplified our dominance in the pool. In BISAC league meets throughout Bangkok we were, once again, dominant and managed to achieve some wonderful personal bests. The TigerSharks won the ISB home swim meet and the Feeding Frenzy here at Bangkok Patana. SEASAC is a major focus for our swim team this term with their event happening in early March. Thanks to Coach Cindy, Coach Chris and all the coaches and swimmers for a truly marvelous effort.

In the Gymnastics Hall, we have been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming SEASAC Gymnastics Championships, which will take place in late March at NIST. We had a great start with lots of medals at the FOBISIA Gymnastics Championships here at Bangkok Patana in October and further success at the ISB Black and Gold meet in February.

Our Tennis team has been another highlight of Season 2. We attended the FOBISIA Tennis in late November at BIS Jakarta where 36 of our students participated. BPS Tennis won three of the six categories. Leo Vithoontien, Savannah Olds and Balloon Ruamrac were crowned FOBISIA champions. Additionally, our Girls’ Varsity team won their BISAC and SEASAC events once again. Our Boys’ Tennis team won their SEASAC event and finished second place in BISAC. The Girls’ have won BISAC and SEASAC multiple times under the leadership of Coach Dan Ahl. To top this off, we are expecting some great results and great experiences in the ISF World Schools Tennis competition in Doha.

Overall, this was a great season, with respectable SEASAC and BISAC results.

The students have demonstrated terrific enthusiasm and dedication. All of our coaches have worked incredibly hard and should be congratulated for some great results. I would like to personally thank all the coaches, students and parents for their continued support to the competitive sport programme.

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ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT BANGKOK PATANA SCHOOL James Penstone

Cross Campus Principal

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any members of our community are passionate about environmental issues and would, we are sure, agree with the Student Environmental Council’s Mission (pictured).

Every Monday afternoon throughout Term 2, some of our youngest enthusiasts have met as part of the ‘Green Tigers’ ECA (Extra-curricular Activity). Helped

by Mr Sean O’Connor, they have been blending their interests in reducing our impact on the environment with some scientific enquiry of their own. In the words of the students: “The Green Tigers decided we would learn about solar power so we set up an experiment to see if we could heat water using the sun. We filled four measuring jugs and put different coloured paper around them and left them where the sun would shine on the paper. We took the temperature every once in a while.

Black was the most effective, so we decided that this was the best colour to use when heating up water using solar energy.”

Meanwhile in the Secondary School, every Tuesday lunch and every Friday afternoon, students have met to lead projects promoting more sustainable choices here at school. These projects have combined a range of skills such as collaborative planning, media production, and effective communication with staff and outside companies. Here is Kristie Chow (13R), former President of the Student Environment Council (SEC) summarising their current project with reusable water bottles: “Together, the world consumes over 50 billion disposable water bottles every year. Of this enormous number, over 50% of the bottles are used just once and consequently fill landfills and mar the natural environment.

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• Bangkok Patana School

Every second, over 6000m³ of forest is lost to deforestation. Bangkok Patana’s easily-reducible consumption of singleuse paper cups inevitably contributes to this unsustainable destruction of a vital part of natural ecosystems – our forests.

The SEC recognises these issues as problems that garner more and more importance with each passing day. For this

reason, the SEC continues to provide subsidised, reusable and BPA free plastic drinking bottles from Nalgene in order to ensure the Bangkok Patana community has an environmentally conscious alternative to PET plastic and disposable paper cups. These bottles have been generously subsidised by the PTG. Stop by the School Shop any day of the week to take your own small, affordable step towards sustainability for 200 baht per bottle.”

Other progress made by the Student Environmental Committee in Term 2 (at the time of writing) includes: exploring the possibility of using more recycled paper as a resource in our curriculum, starting to plan better recycling at our school, connecting on a regular basis with our PTG representative (Mrs Esther Lek) on Fun Day planning (for example), growing our Green Patana website and inviting Year 5 and 6 members to join the committee so that it is now a genuinely Cross Campus, student-led entity.