The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School Bangkok Patana Magazine
Bangkok Patana
Magazine
Issue 49 Term 3, June 2016
Graduation CLASS OF 2016
Primary
Secondary
Cross Campus
How Does Your Garden Grow? The Importance of Community
Developing Inquisitiveness in Studying Science
Season 3 Sports Round Up
TERM 3/2016
Bangkok Patana School is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
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SECONDARY
CONTENTS
Issue 49, Term 3, June 2016
PRIMARY 6 Capturing the Learning 10 How Does Your Garden Grow? The Importance of Community 12 Sport for All, Striving for Excellence! 13 “I’m Fine”
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14 SECONDARY 14 Graduation – Class of 2016 16 Developing Inquisitiveness in Studying Science
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24 Cover by Ekaterina Rasskazova (12H)
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8 CROSS CAMPUS 18 Student Safeguarding at Bangkok Patana School 22 Season 3 Sports Round Up 24 Alumni Profile: Jasmine Chia, Class of 2014 25 Alumni Profile: Chris Chang 26 Alumni Profile: Virginie Lacrosse, Class of 2005
Bangkok Patana Magazine
FOREWORD
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hen I first arrived at Bangkok Patana School in Foundation Stage 1, I felt like I was Frodo Baggins from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ – every step outside of the cosy world of the Shire (or Foundation Stage!) would be like a huge adventure, with vast distances to cover, obstacles to overcome, and big people everywhere! I often wondered what it would feel like to be one of the Year 6 child-like giants! However, eight years later, not only do I feel like I have become one of the firmly entrenched members of the Bangkok Patana family, but I also feel like I am about to enter a new stage of life as the move to Secondary approaches. I believe it’s fair to say that most of the other Year 6 students can relate to this feeling – a feeling like you are about to enter a “Whole New World”, and also a chance to reflect on the amazing learning journey we have already been on. In K1 (FS1), we learnt simple elements of an educational curriculum. However, friendship, teamwork and learning to share and adapt, were all part of the most important lessons that Bangkok Patana School has taught us. With gentle encouragement from wonderful teachers, that part of the learning journey was so much easier. As we ventured through the Primary years, we have developed a ‘growth mind-set’; we have become independent learners, independent thinkers, and have further improved our ability to work on team-based tasks. This particular skill set will become highly useful for our future at Bangkok Patana School, as well as
into adulthood and the working world. During this important transition between Primary and Secondary school, I am sure that Secondary School will open up many wonderful possibilities for me to enrich my education and my life. I feel a whole lot better moving into the Secondary School with my best friends – friends that
I can trust. Our generation’s future is looking bright; congratulations to the Class of 2016 on graduating from Bangkok Patana School. From all of us in the Class of 2023, we wish you the very best as you embark on your next adventure. – Pe (Peter) Pakdeejit, 6W
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: Rebecca Meadows Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Email: reme@patana.ac.th Advertisement: Finn Balslev Mobile: 081 866 25 77 Email: finn@scandmedia.com
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Bangkok Patana Magazine is the termly publication of Bangkok Patana School published three times per year and distributed to 2,000 members of the School community. Reproduction of articles, artwork and illustrations by written permission only. TERM 3/2016
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SR P E ICMOANR D YARY
CAPTURING THE LEARNING Jason Cooper
Assistant Principal, Learning and Curriculum, Primary School
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t Bangkok Patana we use ongoing teacher assessment to inform the next steps in our students’ learning, as well as to make informed judgements about our teaching and also to provide information relating to each student’s current attainment. To make judgements about a student’s current attainment, our teachers use a set of criteria that clearly outline what each student should know and be able to do at different points in their learning journey. Teachers keep careful and up-to-date records of which criteria particular students have demonstrated through their learning, and record this information on individual APP (Assessing Pupil Progress) grids. The information on these grids is regularly moderated, which means that student learning is shared amongst the teachers who then discuss which criteria have been securely demonstrated and evidenced in the learning. This ensures that 6
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the attainment levels reported to parents and students are accurate and consistent, and that they are not determined by
teacher subjectivity. Our school report is an opportunity to share the current attainment of our
PRIMARY
of the journey, while attainment is a check point at certain times during the journey. Over the past two months I have been sharing with staff and parents what the changes will look like, and have focused part of these presentations on demonstrating how the new format will be more informative and will facilitate deeper conversations between parents, students, and teachers. One of the questions we have discussed is, given the following information what conversation would you have with your child? Starting Level
Term 1
Term 3
T
T
T
Some of the discussions have pointed out that this is potentially a difficult conversation because this information does not show whether or not the student has made any progress – in actual fact it looks like the student has not made any progress at all for the whole year. We then shared the same information in a different format and discussed how seeing the information presented in this new format would facilitate different discussions (see graph ‘Attainment against Expectation’). The discussion now focused on the progress that the student has made and that even though the current attainment students. The Term 1 report shared stu- To appreciate why we value student is still below the expectation for the Year dent attainment in the form of a T, M, progress so much it is important to under- group, there is lots that can be celebrated or E, where T means currently working stand the difference between attainment with the student. The new format for reporting attaintowards the Year group expectation, M and progress? means currently meeting the Year group Attainment is a summation of a stu- ment and progress in Reading, Writing and Mathematics provides parents and expectation, and E means currently ex- dent’s learning at a specific point in time. students with a much clearer understandProgress shows the journey that a child’s ceeding the Year group expectation. But what about progress? For the Term 3 re- learning has taken between a previous ing of where they are in their learning port we have made some changes to en- summation of learning and the current journey. Seeing the current attainment and the progress being made in relation sure that we highlight progress as well as summation of learning. We then shared the same information in a different format and discussed how seeing the to the Jason Year group expectation will11:48 enable We could say that progress is evidence attainment. Co…, 5/12/16 H平成平成 AM parentsComment and students toe kdiscuss the effort [1]: Let m now what format will work for this raph. student and provide being applied bygthe A9ainment against Expecta=on encouragement for continuing the current effort, or in some cases maybe refocusing Expected ATainment and putting more effort into their academic development. 15 We are looking forward to sharing the new Primary Report with parents and stu10 dents on June 3rd, and are anticipating 5 some rich and deep discussions focused on progress and effort, conversations that will 0 foster a growth mind-set and further deStarRng Level Term 1 Term 3 velop the love of learning in our students. information in this new format would facilitate different discussions: 8 • B apnresented gkok Patana School
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PRIMARY
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY Raj Ladva
Leader of Learning and Development, Foundation Stage
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sense of belonging. A place that you feel comfortable within. A place that is both secure and reassuring as well as ever-watchful and all-knowing. Everyone has a place that they consider to be ‘their’ community, be it geographical, ethnic or simply a hobby club. Bangkok Patana School states very clearly that, “Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.” A multitude of initiatives from CAS volunteers to Mercy Centre visits 10
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and events such as Fun Day, the Christmas Concert and Smile Day encourage each and every student at Bangkok Patana School to participate in their community with enthusiasm and commitment. Parents, teachers, coaches, maids and drivers all make up the vast picture that is Bangkok Patana’s vibrant, exciting and considerate community. As an Early Year’s practitioner, a favourite quote I turn to is, “If the conditions are right, then the flower will grow”. When you consider that quote in the context of Bangkok Patana’s community, it is no
wonder that our proverbial garden is a constant source of rich colour and rare blooms. But all gardens have conditions, and the conditions must be tended to by loving gardeners. In this, the Bangkok Patana community is incredibly ‘green-fingered’ as the environment in which these flowers bloom are continually and lovingly tended. In the Foundation Stage, creating a sense of community is integral to the wellbeing of every child who walks in through the white trellis gates in the mornings. Our Foundation Stage practitioners create familiar routines, put up treasured pictures
Bangkok Patana Magazine
from home and celebrate the diversity of each individual to lay the fundamentals of respect, acceptance and appreciation that form the basis of any successful community. Consider the traditions and routines you long for when away for an extended
length of time, which ones make you feel ‘home’? In January of this year, the PTG approved a grant to support a Foundation Stage community art project. Inspired by the artists ‘No Added Sugar’ and supported
expertly by the PTG’s Foundation Stage representative, Khun Vicharee, we embarked together on a project to brighten up the outdoor space. First we reached out to our Secondary School community, where the Art department scheduled classes of Key Stage 3 students to come and help our youngest learners think of their favourite designs. The Foundation Stage children were delighted at having ‘bigger kids’ to help them research pictures, mix colours and paint backgrounds. Once this process was completed, we then invited our parent community to join their children in painting their designs onto large wooden circles. Throughout the mornings over a month, the wonderful sight of a parent and their child collaborating on a creation of beauty could be seen all across Foundation Stage. Today, these community art pieces are displayed proundly in Foundation Stage, supporting the development of a sense of community and belonging. With these values, our youngest learners will continue to thrive and bloom in their very own garden.
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PRIMARY
SPORT FOR ALL, STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE! Liam Tyrrell
Primary PE Teacher
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n this Olympic year, we in the Primary PE department have been thinking how best to use the spirit of the games to help inspire our children. During our lessons we continually drive to make our students the best they can be. Recently we have been talking about the Olympic values and how they could be used in dayto-day activities. The Olympic/Paralympic values are made up of the following; determination, inspiration, courage, equality, friendship, respect and excellence. The Olympic values underpin the Games as a set of universal principles, but they can be applied to education and our lives, as well as to sport itself. With over 185 participating nations set to take part in this year’s Olympics it’s a very special time for any international school, as at Bangkok Patana just like the
Olympics, we have many students from many different countries and many different backgrounds, who can all come together to watch their favourite athlete or take time to watch a new sport. In the Primary PE department we endeavour to deliver a curriculum that gives children the opportunity to experience a
wide range of activities in an atmosphere of enjoyment and personal development. Through a mixture of competitive and noncompetitive activities the students learn about co-operation and evaluating performance. They also learn about making choices and about balanced and healthy lifestyles. Each year as a department we strive to do as well as we can in all of the competitive events we enter. This year we have done extremely well in all BISAC events finishing 1st for the Boys’ Football, 2nd in the Boys’ Basketball and 2nd for the Boys’ Athletics. The girls had a tremendous year wining the Football, Basketball and Athletics. As a department we are extremely proud of all our children who take part in our events, and always emphasise the importance on trying your best. Where will you be on August 5th?
Bangkok International Rugby Sevens Bangkok Patana School Sports Complex November 12/13 2016 8 International Men’s Teams 16 Women’s Teams 8 Local Teams 8 Under 18 Teams 12
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Fast, Fit & Furious Action Teams from around the world FREE ENTRY
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Bangkok Patana Magazine
“I’M FINE” By Tara-Bee Stephenson, 7K, Winner of the Bangkok Slam Poetry Competition
Hey, how are you doing? To be honest I’m fine, Actually, scratch that. I don’t know. What does “fine” really mean?
I’m not saying that some people aren’t thoughtful I’m just saying more people should be. Because while you’re happy, fine and problem-free There can be others bottling up their feelings Waiting for someone to see behind their smile, To see the heartbroken in their eyes. To not fall for the “I’m fine”. To not just ask how they’re doing But know they’re not okay Because one day The people who seem the most happy And are glad to help you They might just break.
Hey, how are you doing? Finally someone asked! No, I’m not doing great, I’m not doing fine. And I’m tired of it. Hey, how are you doing? Let’s think about this, Do you want to tell them the truth? Do you want to tell them you’re breaking? What if they don’t care? You know they don’t care. Hey, how are you doing? “I’m fine.” That’s what we say with a smile Am I fine? I guess Not really… I’ll cover up the truth Just because it’s easier. Everyone feels bad, Everyone has problems. But remember when you’re venting to someone, Ask them if they are okay. Only so much can hide behind a smile! When you’re feeling down And someone’s there to cheer you up. Make sure they’re happy too, Because they’re helping you. Don’t just ask how they’re doing. And then ignore the rest. They can just say “I’m fine.” We all say I’m fine. But the truth is, we’re not. “I’m fine,” No! They could be falling apart,
Or just tired of waiting. They could be broken inside. Just make sure not just you’re happy, But the others around you too Because it would just be easier. If everyone was nicer, Or kinder, Or just more thoughtful.
Hey, how are you doing? I’m not fine, My mind is full of monstrous thoughts Scratching away at me before I fall apart. And I want to talk to you And I want to talk to someone I really do, I really need to But no… It’s easier not to. I’d rather hear what you have to say, I’d rather help you Not me. I really don’t know why But it’s easier If I ignore my problems While the thoughts slowly take over my mind Until I finally break. Hey, how are you doing?? “I’m fine.” That’s a lie. “I’m fine.” That’s a mask to cover up the problems. “I’m fine” Make sure they are Not everyone is. TERM 3/2016
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Bangkok Patana Magazine
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SECONDARY
DEVELOPING INQUISITIVENESS IN STUDYING SCIENCE Matt Baker
Head of Secondary Science Faculty
Inquisitiveness: If I could choose just
one word to encapsulate what I believe to be the essence of good science education, that’s the word I would choose. Why? Because the pursuit of science is all about trying to find out about the world that we live in, it’s the quest to unlock some of the secrets of the universe. The way that science moves forward is by continuously questioning what we think we know: “Science does not purvey absolute truth, science is a mechanism. It’s a way of trying to improve your knowledge of nature, it’s a system for testing your thoughts against the universe and seeing whether they match,” (Isaac Asimov). So, if we want students to deeply engage with science, then we should not solely focus on teaching students the fruits that the scientific method has yielded – we should not start their learning journey with the knowledge that previous generations of scientists have uncovered. Rather, we should aim to promote students’ natural inquisitiveness and start each sequence of lessons with a question that we would like
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to answer. After all, “The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s one who asks the right questions,” (Claude Lévi-Strauss, anthropologist). One framework for sequencing science education to promote students’ inquisitiveness is the 5Es instructional model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend and Evaluate. Engage: The purpose of this stage is to stimulate the students’ interest and get them personally involved with the lesson. This might be by showing them an exciting demonstration or an engaging video clip to pique their curiosity. Explore: Hopefully the students are already trying to apply their scientific knowledge to make sense of what they’ve just seen. What possible explanations are there? How can we decide which of these explanations is best? Can we conduct further investigations to help us decide? During this stage students can get directly involved with the scientific phenomena and work together in teams to test their hypotheses. It’s by falsifying hypotheses that students
move their understanding forwards – if their inquiries demonstrate that a hypothesis is not correct then that hypothesis gets set aside; they progressively start to home in on the hypothesis that best fits their observations. And that’s the best we can ever say; we can never say that a hypothesis is “true” or “correct” in science, just that, to date, it’s stood up to the test of comparison against the universe and hasn’t yet been proven false. This is how Richard Feynman, a Nobel laureate in Physics, describes the process: “In general, we look for a new law by the following process. First, we guess it. Then we compute the consequences of the guess… …and then we compare the computation results to nature, compare it directly with observations to see if it works. If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesn’t make any difference how beautiful your guess is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are who made the guess, or what his name is. If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong. That’s all there is to it.” It’s testament to the power of the scientific method that there really are no sacred cows in science: even Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity, a cornerstone of modern Physics for over a century, looked to be in question in 2011 when the OPERA experiment at CERN (mistakenly) reported observing neutrinos travelling faster than the speed of light. Explain: How does what the students have discovered in the Explore phase relate to their prior knowledge and understanding? Can they explain it by using concepts and ideas that they’ve learnt previously, or does this new knowledge require changes to their model of how the universe works? Extend: Can what they’ve just learnt be used to make predictions about more general situations? What applications does
this knowledge have in our technological world? Evaluate: It’s placed last in the 5Es list but, of course, during good teaching this is actually taking place during all of the other phases of the lesson too. The focus here is on whether the students have “got it” or not – have they understood the key scientific ideas that they were investigating? In reality teachers are checking this all the way
through the lesson to make sure students’ learning is kept on track. Recently I was lucky enough to be involved in the project to build our new Science Centre. The centre opened at the start of this academic year and houses sixteen bespoke science laboratories on three floors. It’s a very impressive building, but one of the greatest things about being involved in its design was the opportunity to
promote student inquisitiveness through the design of the teaching labs – the labs were designed to support the instructional model of the 5Es. For example, each lab has all of the basic lab equipment systematically stored in trays along the side of the lab. Imagine how that changes the learning experience for the students: “OK, so now we’ve got our hypothesis and we’re going to test it by conducting an experiment. But what equipment are we going to need to use? Take a look in the trays at the side of the room and see if you can work it out for yourselves.” By giving the students the freedom to ask big questions and work things out for themselves we encourage them to become more resilient and independent learners and these are life skills that will be of far greater importance to them in their lives then remembering the chemical formula for glucose, or any other nugget of isolated scientific knowledge. As said by the famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Knowing how to think empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.” Originally published in In Touch, ANZWG magazine, June/July 2016 issue www.anzwg.org
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STUDENT SAFEGUARDING AT BANGKOK PATANA SCHOOL Mick Smith
Secondary School Principal
Carol Battram
Assistant Principal Learning and Welfare, Primary School
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ere at Bangkok Patana, we have a clear and well established Mission statement which is central to the life of the school. “To ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British International Community.”
More recently, following discussion with a groups of students, staff and parents, we have reaffirmed our Vision for the school, and this has now been added to Bangkok Patana’s overall Guiding Statements. “We develop global citizens who shape their world through independence, empathy, creativity and critical thinking.”
We are very proud of these statements which clearly illustrate our values and help enable the staff and students to ‘Fulfill Potential’. We aim to realise these goals through every facet of school life. This includes continuously strengthening our creative and challenging curriculum, bringing professional rigour to our assessment methodologies and employing outstanding teachers who share our values and who aim to create a wonderful learning environment with world-class facilities. Our various departments, including transport, medical, buildings and grounds, catering, admissions and general administration all work in partnership with the academic staff to ensure that, once on site, the many and various needs of our 2,300 students are catered for. Central to all of this, and always our first priority, is the need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each student from the very youngest in Foundation Stage 18
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through to our eldest students in Year 13. We have an enormous responsibility to provide a safe and caring environment within which our students can flourish and develop into responsible global citizens. The UK government defines student safeguarding as: “Protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.” (https://www. gov.uk/.../system/.../Archived-Keeping_ children_safe_in_education.pdf) (pg. 6)
This document clearly outlines the responsibilities and procedures that should be in
place in all schools with specific regard to safeguarding. It makes clear the vital role teachers and schools play in protecting, supporting and identifying students who may be suffering from abuse in some form. Every school, including Bangkok Patana, aims to provide a healthy and safe student community but this requires a shared definition of abuse, and agreed procedures which will help to keep our students safe. The government guidelines state the following: “Staff members working with children are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned.” (pg. 7)
As a school we have adopted the definitions and types of abuse used in this document:
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Abuse: a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.
• Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. • Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. • Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. • Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
Earlier this year, we invited Mr Tim Gerrish OBE, a UK based expert, to carry out a full audit of all school procedures which relate to student safeguarding. This ranged from risk assessments for educational visits through to the identification passes that every one of us wear in school each day. He found that some excellent procedures were already in place, but his report also noted where we could seek to strengthen our practice. Since then, Carol Battram, Assistant Principal, Learning and Welfare, Primary School and I have taken on the
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roles of Designated Lead Focal Points for Student Safeguarding and have worked with colleagues across the campus to analyse his in depth report, identify priorities and move ahead to further strengthen our procedures and practices. These priorities have included:
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• The creation of a comprehensive Student Safeguarding Policy that demonstrates our clear commitment to safeguarding each of our students. This will be linked to national and international laws. This policy will underpin our procedures. Key aspects include how we respond to student disclosures, and the identification and training of designated staff with specific responsibilities within our school. • Clear codes of conduct for staff, students, parents, visitors, contractors and other community members.
Everyone who enters our school must agree to abide by the relevant code of conduct. The review and evaluation of all staff recruitment procedures The review of all Risk Assessments for Residential and Day Visits including clarification of expectations of partner organisations such as hotels, other schools, or outside agencies A review of the process and lines of responsibility following a student disclosure Visibility: Raising the profile of Bangkok Patana as a Student Safeguarding School Communication: How we can share our policies and procedures with our wider community, including Thai language and student friendly versions of key documents The review and further regulation of our image database which considers access and protocol for posting An local audit to include Thai law, the role of local agencies and professional networks The standardisation of reporting procedure and centralisation of record keeping Buildings and signage across the whole campus e.g. toilets and security of facilities
We have completed initial drafts of each of the codes of conduct and we are currently holding consultation meetings with key groups of staff. We aim to share the revised Student Safeguarding Policy, which encompasses the codes of conduct, by the end of the 2015/16 academic year. The implementation of the new policy will be a significant part of the Whole School Development Plan for 2016/17 and will be shared with the wider community early next academic year. We believe that Bangkok Patana School is a wonderful, safe learning environment for our students. The focus on reviewing and updating all of our procedures with regard to student safeguarding will ensure that we are even more alert to potential threats to the security and wellbeing of all of our students, whether they are a Tiny Tiger or a Senior Student close to graduation.
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SEASON 3 SPORTS ROUND UP Andrew Tatam
Acting Assistant Principal Extra-curricular Activities and Sports
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t has been another action packed term of sport here at Bangkok Patana. A special mention should go to the Under 15 Boys’ Softball team who after a delay of 10 days finally won their BISAC final beating Shrewsbury 12-4. Well done to the Under 13 Girls’ Volleyball team who finished 2nd at BISAC taking the silver medal and the Junior Varsity Boys’ Badminton team who also finished 2nd at BISAC. Congratulations to all the Under 9 footballers who played in the BPS invitational Football Tournament which saw the Girls’ teams finish 1st, 3rd and 5th in their events with the Boys’ A team finishing runners up and the Boys’ Year 3 team winners of their group. Thank you to all the sportsmen and women across the school who have participated enthusiastically and performed to the best of their abilities. As the sporting year came to a close, we were very excited to host the Primary FOBISIA games at the end of May. Tennis Season 3’s highlight on the tennis courts was undoubtedly both Boys’ and Girls’ Under 15 teams winning their
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BISAC championships. Balloon added to her already successful year by winning the Under 15 Girls’ singles to add to her Under 13 and Under 19 titles whilst Jonah reached the final of the Boys’ singles. We had a successful trip to Phuket to play in the Phuket 4’s event with Balloon
winning the Under 15 Girls’ event beating Moniqa in the final and Jonah and Clara reaching the final of the Under 15 Boys’ and Under 13 Girls’ respectively. The Under 11 students have also been in action competing in their BISAC singles with Brett and Arin finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Boys’ and Gem 3rd in the Girls’.
Bangkok Patana Magazine
Gymnastics Individuals
Thomas Horton only started gymnastics in January and won individual all-around Gold at ISB comp (his first competition ever) and BISAC where he won seven individual Golds, every possible Gold he could! Miles Tang and Max Thompson consistently outstanding medal winners for Level 3 Boys’ team. Jennifer Greenbank won individual all-around Gold at ISB comp and BISAC. Kaitlyn Dibbayawan won Silver on Uneven Bars at SEASAC Level 5 and Gold at BISAC. Rebecca Russo took 4th AA at ISB (first competition in 18 months), 3rd at SEASAC, 2nd at Moose Games and 2nd at BISAC. Amy Teigen took 2nd in AA at ISB, Gold at SEASAC on vault and Gold at BISAC for individual all-around.
Teams
Level 3 Boys’ team – outstanding all season
ISB Black & Gold
Season 3
Largest team of any school at the competition – Bangkok Patana won a team trophy at every level and age group, and every boys’ team won Gold. In addition, the Bangkok Patana team took home an extensive list of individual all-around and apparatus medals and ribbons.
SEASAC Senior, Singapore
Season 3
Level 3 Boys’ Junior team Gold, Miles Tang 1st all-around, Max Thompson 2nd all-around and Tund Theerawit 3rd all-around in Level 3 Senior. Girls’ Amy Gold VT. Rebecca Russo 3nd in the all-around.
Moose Games
Season 3
Thirty-five girls at level 2 and 3, giving many of our Development Squad girls the opportunity to compete for the first time. The games were lots of fun. Rebecca Russo 2nd AA. Bangkok Patana School were Over All team champions for whole competition!
BISAC
Term 3
Seven boys podium finishes in individual all-around competition and Level 3 took team Gold with more than 10 points more than Silver, and individually boys’ placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th in the all-around competition! Girls’ Level 2 Junior and Senior took Team Gold and 1st and 2nd in AA competitions with Emily Cannon and Elsie Griffiths in Junior and Tayla Gahagan and Angel Li Yun Lin in Senior, Level 3 Junior team Gold with Jenny Greenbank in 1st and Saira Sachdev in 3rd in individual all-around.
SEASAC Junior, Hong Kong
Term 3
Not happened at time of going to print – fingers crossed!
NIST Invitational
Term 3
Not happened but largest team ever taken to competition with Girls’ Levels 1-8 and Boys’ Levels 1-4. Eighty-four team gymnasts participating.
Y1/2 Grading Day
Term 3
Not happened at time of going to print but set to be highest participation numbers yet, currently we have 133 gymnasts enrolled in Year 1/2 gymnastics, with over 180 across the year and currently an additional 68 FS2 in Term 3 alone.
Swimming Season three highlights were ‘Overall BISAC Champions’ and winning both Senior and Junior titles – taking the Junior title for the first time since 2009! All bar two age groups won at BISAC. At Thai Nationals over 20 swimmers from the TigerSharks competed. The Girls aged 12-13 years 4 x 200 Free relay team won a silver medal with Ton Kiangsri taking silver in the 18 years 50m Breaststroke. Coach Bank also won a bronze in the Open Women’s 50m Breaststroke. A small team swam at UWCEAST over Songkran and came 5th. Chloe Burkill and Daniel Fuchs both won their age groups and nearly all the team won a medal over the weekend. At the Breaststroke ASA Gala both Klang and Ton broke their school records on the 200m Breaststroke. Nearly 50 school records have been broken since the start of Season 1. TERM 3/2016
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ALUMNI PROFILE: JASMINE CHIA, CLASS OF 2014 Nationality: Thai/Singaporean Current Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Years at Bangkok Patana: 14 years, ever since K1 (2000 to 2014) Favourite Memories of school Considering I’ve spent most of my life at this school, it’s difficult to narrow it down. Bangkok Patana has taken me to the heights of Everest as I hiked my way to DOE Gold, and to the depths of the 4am night as I tried to write a draft Extended Essay in a week – both unforgettable moments. It was in the school gymnasium where I broke through self-imposed limitations, but also broke my arm. It was on the painted makeshift track of the back field where I learned I could run long distance but also that there was no distance I could run to get away from the dreaded Primary biathlons. It is the smallest moments I miss the most: sleepy mornings in tutorial, or those five minutes before lunch time, back when the trials of the day were contained within a coloured timetable. What have you been doing since leaving school? I am now a rising junior at university, studying Government and Religion, with a secondary in Economics. I am fascinated by the way power is constructed and perpetuated, and in my experience it is rarely through legitimate government. I am doing my thesis research on the way Buddhism legitimates or creates an alternative to political order in Myanmar and Thailand. Is there anything that you learnt/experienced whilst at Bangkok Patana that has helped you at university? Being in a multicultural society and exposed to literature, history and people from all over the world was very important to me. I only wish I had engaged with it more – to think of reading Chinese Cinderella or Szymborska not as individual stories but as 24
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global narratives that are in some way still relevant today. Do you have any advice for students who are trying to decide which university/course is right for them? It seems tempting to start with what university you would like to go to first and decide everything else from there. It is so
important to remember that your university is just a stepping stone to who you want to become, and that there is no brand name that is more important than choosing to do what you like, that will make you into a person that you are proud to be. If you start from the point of passion, it is easy to succeed. Spend time finding out what you like, reading books in subjects you think might
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be of interest, do internships in sectors you might want to work in or volunteer your time for causes you might care about. Also, know your limits before you push them following your dreams is a privilege we do not always have, and growing up is recognising that making compromises is a part of life.
I choose to see Harvard, which has made me love it as a deeply flawed but evolving institution.
What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time? I one day aspire to be an academic living in the Shan hills with a greater grasp of how religion works both as political philosophy and as Marxist folk religion. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not studying? Outside of academics, I sometimes pretend that my opinions on things in the world matters, and I write for international journals such as The Diplomat, Asian Correspondent and Harvard publications such as the Kennedy School Review, the
Harvard Political Review and the Harvard International Review. On Harvard’s campus, I am intensely involved in cultural organisations, and chaired the Student Advisory Committee for the Harvard Foundation for Race and Intercultural Relations – it is through the lens of racial, cultural, class and gender minorities that
You recently came in to talk to current students about life after Bangkok Patana School, what advice would you give the Class of 2016? Realise your privilege, and act on it. When you leave Bangkok Patana, you will find yourself in a world of remarkable diversity, the type which you might have never encountered before in the insulated Bangkok Patana bubble. To be a force of change in this chaotic space means to be critically aware of yourself, the privilege you may have - if nothing else, then the privilege of an incredible education - that others may not. Care about the world beyond this bubble, even if - especially if it is full of people who are not like you, and care enough to make the ideals you’ve encountered at school possible beyond Bangkok Patana School.
ALUMNI PROFILE: CHRIS CHANG When did you leave or graduate from Bangkok Patana: 1999 What is your nationality? New Zealander What are your favourite memories of Bangkok Patana School? Residential trips! What was it like coming back to visit the school? It’s always fantastic to come back and see how much the school has transformed. The facilities are unbelievable, absolutely world class. What is your current career? TVNZ Reporter. What was your path to that career (your journey since leaving school)? I came back to New Zealand in 1999 and studied at Wellington College, before completing my degrees in Law and English at Victoria University. I did a one-year post-graduate diploma in journalism, before starting work at Television New Zealand.
What do you enjoy doing outside of your working life? I’m a keen football and tennis player. Is there anything that you experienced/ learned at Bangkok Patana School that
has helped you in your university, personal life or career? Experiencing different cultures and meeting people from all over the world. I still keep in touch with old Bangkok Patana friends, who are scattered across the globe. TERM 3/2016
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ALUMNI PROFILE: VIRGINIE LACROSSE, CLASS OF 2005 What is your nationality? Belgian
playing a lot of touch rugby (although not quite as much as I was back at school!) and have since picked up tennis.
What are your favourite memories of Bangkok Patana School? Having everything on site and being able to do sports, music and art all in one day. What was it like coming back to visit the school? It made me appreciate how lucky I was to study here, but at the same time, it felt like an old pair of comfy shoes that don’t quite fit anymore. A lot has changed in 11 years!
What is your current career? Natural Hazard Engineer
What was your path to that career? I went over to the UK and studied Mechanical Engineering. I got about two years of work under my belt before I moved over to New Zealand. I found it very hard to find mechanical engineering work and did a lot of random jobs during my first 26
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year there from tutoring to selling sushi! After the Christchurch earthquakes hit in 2010 and 2011, I used this opportunity to switch career paths and become a Natural Hazard Engineer. This involved a fair bit of reading and attending conferences to upskill. I have been working in this field for the last five years. What do you enjoy doing outside of your working life? Lots and lots of sports! This is partly why I moved to New Zealand. I am still
Is there anything that you experienced/learned at Bangkok Patana that has helped you in your university, personal life or career? IB has definitely helped me be able to juggle things more efficiently. It made university more manageable, it has enabled me to be a more successful project manager at work and it helps me maintain a very busy yet balanced lifestyle. And finally, do you have any advice to the Class of 2016? Take a moment to sit back and realise how lucky you are to have studied at Bangkok Patana and in an international environment. Not many people can stay they had classmates from 20 other nationalities! You may not stay in touch with most of the people in this room, but when you bump into them later in life, you will always have something to talk about – more so than you realise!