Term 3 Magazine June 2022 by Bangkok Patana School

The Termly Magazine of Bangkok Patana School

Bangkok Patana

Magazine

Issue 67 Term 3, June 2022

WELL-BEING

Growing a Beginner Band

LEARNING World Book Day

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP The Tigers Are Back!

Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by CIS

LEARNING

CONTENTS

Issue 67, Term 3, June 2022

BIDH

DENTAL HOSPITAL

Thailand’s Specialized Dental Hospital

Pediatric Dentists

WELL-BEING

LEARNING

8 Growing a Beginner Band 10 Long Service Awards 22 Just Look Up

12 World Book Day 14 Outdoor and Adventurous Activities in Secondary PE 16 The Challenge of the Masked Teacher 18 Young Entrepreneurs in Primary Art

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

20 Unplugged Robotics by Nond 23 Patana Alumni: An Ally in Social Innovation 24 The Tigers Are Back! 26 Class of 2011, 13W: Where Are They Now

- Oral checkup for babies & children - Children & teen dental braces

Sedative Dentistry - IV sedation, nitrous oxide, sleep dentistry for dental anxiety - Hospital-based safety & international sterilization standards

Dental Cosmetic Experts

Award-winning Aesthetics Dentists

- Digital smile transformations - New implant teeth replacements - Invisible braces for adults

Bangkok International Dental Hospital (BIDH)

24 Front Cover: Elsa Gautron, 8S

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Sukhumvit Soi 2, Khlong Toei, Ploenchit area, Bangkok 10110

Scan for Patana Staff & Family Specials

www.DentalHospitalThailand.com

Advertorial

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facilities, and instruction. Thanyapura Phuket works with our top-rated fitness instructors and sports facilities to establish programs that will make your kids better promote a deeper love of their sports and have fun. Serious Fun. This is an opportunity to allow young children to step outside of what is ordinary and familiar to grow. Our mission of impacting lives by gaining more vitality and better overall health through mentorship and adventure emphasizes our desire to meet young sports enthusiasts where they are and show them what it looks like to follow an ideal active lifestyle through the highs of life’s journey. Thanyapura Lifestyle Clinic is situated right at the center of Thanyapuar Phuket, 360 Health check up, our signature health and wellbeing tool that has been professionally designed by our talented team of physicians, nutritionists, and coaches

tow evaluate, plan and create an optimized lifestyle for each individual. Thanyapura Phuket also provides the world’s best scientifically-driven cognitive training called Brain Gym, both in-person and online. As part of Brain Gym, the Arrowsmith Program can help students strengthen brain function by unlocking and increasing their potential. The program aimed to help both students with and without learning difficulties strengthen their core aspects of learning such as attention, comprehension, memory, concentration, communication, reasoning, social-emotional intelligence, and overall wellbeing. Thanyapura Phuket has completed sports and health facilities for each individual from young to senior. We aim to bring sustainable health to visitors and like minded people. Visit Thanyapura Phuket this summer and witness the transformation to optimize your life!

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FOREWORD

L ELAORBNAI LN C G GI T I Z E N S H I P

everal years ago, my husband George and I decided to make the move from the UK to teach internationally. We promised family it would only be a short-term plan. Ten years later, 12 countries, 15 islands, 200 hotels, 25 golf courses, 60 ECAs, and lifelong friendships made, we are still not quite ready to say goodbye. At the time, we hoped to teach somewhere in Southeast Asia in a non-profit school, but did not have any aspirations beyond this. Little did we know that we were coming to, as Mr Mills describes, ‘THE best school in the world’. Now everything will be measured through our Bangkok Patana lens, including friendships shared during island jaunts, golf trips (BPGS) and cycling adventures (WFCC).

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

Bangkok Patana has provided many, many professional opportunities for George and myself – I started as a Year 3 Primary Teacher and am leaving as an Assistant Principal, about to embark on my first Headship. I would never have got to this point if it was not for the belief, encouragement and support of my colleagues, as well as the professional learning opportunities Bangkok Patana has afforded me over the years. For that I will be forever grateful. George and I could not have wished for a more amazing school for our two boys – Finlay, who was 3 years old when we arrived, is now a teenager in Year 8, and Lucas, who had just turned one, is now in Year 6 about to finish Primary School. They have thrived and flourished being part of our wonderful

Editor: Stasha Malcolm Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2411 Email: STML@patana.ac.th Advertisement: Finn Balslev Tel: 081-866-2577 Email: finn@scandmedia.com

Bangkok Patana family, supported by caring teachers who have nurtured, inspired and instilled a love of learning in them both. Bangkok Patana has shaped them to be kind, caring and resilient, to stay curious and to embrace new opportunities. We left the UK expecting to be away from friends and family for just two years – little did we know at that time that we would make Bangkok, and Thailand, our home for the next ten! As we head toward our next adventure in Switzerland, this is not ‘goodbye’ to the Bangkok Patana family for us, just a ‘see you later’. – Katherine Hume, Cross Campus Assistant Principal, Continued Professional Learning

Design & Production: Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. Tel: +66 (0) 2943 7166-8 www.scandmedia.com

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. 6 6

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WELL-BEING

GROWING A BEGINNER BAND By Charles McLean, Lead Teacher: Music – Integrated Performance

ne of the key aims of the Primary Music Department is to provide students with as many different opportunities to explore the subject as possible, experiencing a wide range of styles, cultures and instruments. It is wonderful that at Bangkok Patana we have a high percentage of students learning a musical instrument. The most popular instrument, by some distance, is piano. This was also my first instrument growing up and makes for a fabulous entry into the world of music. However, in the same way that certain children show a greater natural flair for tee-ball over football, some children may have a more natural connection with the trombone over the piano, or indeed the clarinet over the violin. Our aim is to help 8

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provide a range of opportunities so that all students have the chance to find their musical passion, whatever that may be. “Clarinet is my favourite instrument to practise at home, as it’s a more unique skill and the sound is really beautiful.” – Torres Chou, 6T The Beginnings of the Band It was with this in mind that in January 2020 we began brand new ECAs offering beginner-group tuition on trumpet and clarinet for students who had never experienced these instruments before. Each group began with ten students, and by August of the same year, we expanded to

include beginner flutes. In January 2021, we began to merge these beginner groups together to form our band. A key aspect of the band approach is the motivating factor of collaborating with peers. Students really enjoy the social aspect of playing together, making new friends in a different context and developing a team spirit. Once students have secured the fundamentals of a technique and are able to play a few notes, it is amazing how quickly these beginners can come together to form a band. This has been a hugely rewarding experience. “Playing music with other people makes me feel more comfortable than playing alone.” – Irin Leena, 6T

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A Bridge to Secondary Music Another important feature of our beginner band programme is the way in which it leads into the Secondary Music Curriculum. The instruments involved in the Primary band can all be continued in the Key Stage 3 music curriculum. Dave Larking, Head of Instrumental Music and Director of the Secondary Concert Band, has seen the impact this can have: “When Primary students transition into Secondary and join Year 7 music, previous playing experience on an instrument has proven to be one of the most powerful motivators. It drives confidence, leadership and artistic expression in the music room. Although prior experience is not necessary to join most Year 7 ensembles, it does provide a very strong foundation to build upon. Students that start their instrumental journey in Primary tend to really shine in the Secondary groups, acting as student leaders and helping to inspire other students to reach their potential.” The COVID Effect and Looking Forward

“I like how the band are all playing the same piece of music in different ways and the parts overlap and connect.” – Tatsha Kuansongtham, 6C

As with so many aspects of school life in the past two and a half years, the pandemic has had quite an impact on our plans! We’ve been unable to run these ECAs for a number of months, unable to recruit new beginner players and performances have been cancelled. However, despite these challenges, since we’ve been able to ‘reform’ the band from January 2021, it has been incredible to see the progress the students have made and the joy they get from making music together.

See the band in action on our blog by scanning the QR code below:

With the pandemic preventing us from starting new beginner groups, the end of this academic year will see all but two of our members move on to Secondary School at Bangkok Patana. It will be great to see how they can take their experience forward into the next stage of their education. This situation also provides us with something of a ‘clean slate’ in Primary, a perfect opportunity for us to reflect on the programme and consider how to make it even more impactful for our students. At the start of the next academic year, we will be commencing brand new beginner groups for Years 4-6 with an expanded range of instruments and greater collaboration with our highly skilled instrumental teachers. We’re really looking forward to starting the process again and inspiring more children on an even wider range of instruments. “When I play, I feel like I’m achieving something every time I learn a new song.” – Ben Scott, 6D If you are interested in finding out more about the Beginner Band or signing your child up to participate, please contact chmc@patana.ac.th TERM 3 – 2022

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LEARNING

WELL-BEING

LONG SERVICE AWARDS Bangkok Patana School is honoured to celebrate the dedication of the employees listed below, who have served twenty years and more at the school. To put this into perspective: Our thirty-five year employee started around the same time as the Foundation and the establishment of the PTG; our thirty-year employees began when the campus moved to Soi LaSalle and the Secondary School was established; our twenty-five year employees started around the same time that our first class graduated from Secondary School; our twenty-year employees the same year that the TigerSharks were formed and the Tennis programme began. Congratulations to all our long service staff! When you see them, be sure to ask them to recount some of their most interesting and fondest memories of the school.

35 YEARS

30 YEARS

Benyapan Apisontasombut

Somchai Mayman

Ian McDonald

Duangporn Turongratanachai

Rosarin Vattanaput

Pranee Waisara

Patama Chutima

Elizabeth Cody-Sehmar

25 YEARS

Phuntipha Cha-empong 10

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Permsak Changthongtee

Phanthip Dangna

Bangkok Patana Magazine

Nantana Khunsri

Chan-hom Kotekantha

Charuwan Leanglam

Kanyapassorn Nimpatcharawut

Saeri Panyawai

Kambao Pholsombat

Pongsri Rungruengcharoenkul

Richard Smith

Chinana Somrongphan

Supis Tharaporn

Walaiporn Bungkerdpo

John Burrell

Srirat Chaophanon

Paiboon Jampaphoo

Patnalakamon Nansontia

Sudarat Panthong

Oracha Pitakchaithum

Suphannee Puangchan

Nuanjan Taveechedchaisub

Brian Taylor

20 YEARS

Panwarot Mueanmanat

Somchet Prachakrij

TERM 3 – 2022

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LEARNING

WORLD BOOK DAY Why World Book Day, the Day of the Spanish Language and the Day of the English Language are all celebrated on 23rd April By Mariela Bianciotti Sennecke, Leader of Learning World Languages, Key Stage 2 Spanish Teacher

he date of 23rd April holds significance in the world of literature. The connection between this date and literature was originally made in Spain in 1926 to honour the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who died on that day in 1616. To pay tribute to books and prominent authors, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared in 1995 that 23rd April would be observed as World Book and Copyright Day*. Since 2010,

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23rd April has been considered the Day of the Spanish Language because it commemorates the death of the great genius of Spanish letters, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is also considered the Day of the English Language because it coincides with the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, the most celebrated playwright and poet of English literature. While it is a historical coincidence that Shakespeare and Cervantes seemingly died on the same date — 23rd April

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1616 — this was not actually the same day. At that time, Spain used the Gregorian Calendar and England used the Julian Calendar, therefore, Cervantes died ten days before Shakespeare. Every 23rd April, The Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española), based in Madrid, organises many events, including people dressing up as famous characters, book conferences, lectures, book signings and workshops. The Academy also opens its doors to visitors, as it is here where the original copy of Don Quixote is kept. The “Ingenious Gentleman”, “Don Quixote de La Mancha”, or just Don Quixote, was written in two parts by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605 and 1615. Since then, it has been considered one of the most famous books of all time. It is often labelled the first modern novel and it has been translated into 140 languages. In honour of Sant Jordi, some regions of Spain additionally celebrate 23rd April as the “Day of the Rose and the Book”, or the Day of Love and Culture. Sant Jordi was a Roman soldier who was executed on 23rd April at the beginning of the 4th century. He became a martyr and fantastic legends were based on him. In the 15th century, Sant Jordi (San Jorge in Spanish) became the Patron Saint of Catalonia. People in England know Sant Jordi as St. George. He is, therefore, a Patron Saint of both Catalonia and England. Thus, every 23rd April, World Book Day becomes a romantic festivity in Catalonia: the Spanish version of Saint Valentine’s Day. The streets of Barcelona are filled with roses and book stands, and it has become a tradition in this part of Spain that on this day, men should give red roses to women and women should give books to men. Primary Modern Foreign Language students from Year 3 to Year 6 who are learning Spanish joined this celebration by learning about the Day of the Spanish Language and how Spanish people celebrate this important day in different regions. They also learnt about the greatest writer in the Spanish language: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and his masterpiece “Don Quixote”. To foster a love of reading, they also prepared bookmarks with phrases in Spanish such as “Reading is Fun”, “A Good Book is a Treasure”, “Reading is Discovering New Worlds”, and “A Book is the Best Gift”. Please join us in our celebrations by visiting our School Library and borrowing the book, Don Quixote. You will surely love reading about the adventures of this noble from La Mancha, who read so many books about knights that he lost his mind and decided to become a knight-errant to serve his nation with the help of his squire, Sancho Panza. *Although UNESCO created this international event as a worldwide celebration of the power of books and the joy of reading, and it is marked in over 100 countries around the globe, interestingly, some countries, like England and Ireland, celebrate World Book Day on a different day: the first Thursday in March. TERM 3 – 2022

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L ELAORBNAI LN C G GI T I Z E N S H I P

LEARNING

D N A R O O D T OU S U O R U T N E ADV N I S E I T I V I T C A E P Y R A D N O C SE er ndary PE Teach co e S , n lle A By Katie

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his year, Secondary PE has introduced a new learning unit in Key Stage 3: Outdoor and Adventurous Activities, consisting of cycling activities and team building. We identified a need for this unit during our annual Residential trips, which require students to be proficient in cycling. This unit provides the opportunity for students to learn a variety of skills, techniques and maintenance tasks on a mountain bike. It helps students gain a better understanding of how to look after their bicycle and develop their control, balance and confidence whilst riding a bike in a safe environment. Incorporating team building activities and games strengthens the bonds between students and encourages them to work together during lessons to solve both physical and mental challenges. These activities will also help to promote communication, build trust, and teach students about conflict resolution. When students are faced with each challenge, they will learn how to collaboratively re-evaluate the situation, build on what works and problem solve through what doesn’t. When encountering setbacks, they will learn how to manage their emotions and not allow frustration to result in team breakdown. Furthermore, students will learn how to develop a growth mindset and recognise that failure provides the best opportunities for growth. This is an excellent way to build strong social and emotional skills. During this learning unit, students are asked to download the app “GooseChase”, which is an online platform that runs real-world scavenger hunts, creating an fun and engaging experience. Teachers are also asked to take part in a mission and are ready to show us their best sporting moves! Let’s get creative. TERM 3 – 2022

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LEARNING

THE CHALLENGE OF THE MASKED TEACHER By Virginie Lombrail-Turner, Curriculum Leader, Home Languages

he student-teacher relationship relies heavily on a complex system of communication. We build rapport daily by using language, but also through gestures, facial expressions and tone. Over the last two years, this longestablished system has been turned upside down by the COVID-pandemic. Aural communication is important in all subjects, but it is paramount in learning modern languages. Teachers must introduce new phonemes and encourage students to combine letters to produce sounds that do not exist in their own languages. How can this be achieved when such sounds are muffled by wearing a mask and when faces are obscured?

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Online Learning To begin with, we must remember that we spent an extensive part of the last two years online, where students and teachers were not wearing masks. We could, therefore, continue to demonstrate how to shape our mouth and lips to produce a specific sound. During this period, as proficiency improved, a range of software was explored and used to facilitate students’ individual performance. This software included Flipgrid, which allows students to record a short speech and for the teacher to provide timely feedback, and Class Notebook, which provided an audio application allowing

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for more peer-teacher assessment. Additionally, pre-recorded videos of teachers speaking could be embedded in the Class Notebook for students to see how to produce sounds. Adaptation and Resourcefulness Once we returned to onsite learning with masks, language teachers had to develop strategies to encourage students to speak. After a lengthy period spent at home, many students felt exposed when back in the classroom and found it challenging to express themselves loudly enough for teachers to hear them. We are very fortunate to have fairly small class

sizes in World Languages, which means we can spend some time with pairs or small groups of students in an effort to listen to students more attentively. Over the past three years, we have developed a new approach to teaching languages in Key Stage 3, called Extensive Processing Instruction. This teaching sequence starts with modelling and sensitising students to phonology. As students focus on sounds rather than meaning, they feel quite liberated, experimenting with phonemes without the stress of getting the meaning right, which can come later. We do not yet know what the long-term effects of this pandemic will have on our youngest students, but it is important to acknowledge that students have shown immense resilience and teachers have adapted to creatively encourage their students to continue exploring new languages. As we continue wearing masks, it is important students investigate other ways to manipulate words and sounds. There are a range of websites that we are currently using that can support our students’ listening skills, such as Language Gym and Quizlet, in addition to films and animations on YouTube. In fact, Netflix now has a ‘Learn Languages with Netflix’ option, allowing viewers to watch films and cartoons with subtitles adapted to various level of proficiency. Language acquisition does not just happen in the classroom – it happens everywhere! TERM 3 – 2022

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LEARNING

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN PRIMARY ART By Cora Batley-Moss, Primary Art Teacher

n Term 3, Year 4 is learning all about the ins and outs of business in their ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ unit of learning. Throughout the unit, students will be designing and creating their own products to sell. This includes Specialist Art lessons with Ms Cora and Ms Nina, creating artwork as part of their products. Year 4 students will first learn about the expressionist artist Jean Michel Basquiat, analysing his unique style. Then, they will have an opportunity to get creative and make their own Basquiat-inspired illustrations, portraits and paintings on paper, card, canvas, and fabric. These pieces will be kept as their original designs, but will also be used to make multiple prints, cards, postcards, stickers and badges here in Bangkok. The painted fabric will be sent to the Chiang Mai-based community project BEAM. BEAM empowers marginalised communities in northern Thailand through sewing skill development and other educational initiatives. It is a wonderful organisation that we are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with. BEAM will then create tote bags using the Basquiat-inspired fabric designs as an additional product for the students to sell. All proceeds from these sales will be donated to BEAM to help fund their community development projects. Look out for Year 4’s amazing expressionist art pieces on sale at the end of the Term! 18

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TERM 3 – 2022

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

UNPLUGGED ROBOTICS BY NOND By Nond Phokasub, 12L

Unplugged Robotics by Nond is a CAS service project that aims to improve the effectiveness of teaching Robotics and Computing Science in rural Thai schools, especially in younger audiences.

obotics has become increasingly more important in our day-to-day lives and will inevitably play a larger role in the future. Therefore, Robotics knowledge will definitely be important for our generation and those to come. Indeed, Robotics itself is a compulsory subject in Thai education for Primary Schools. However, a few issues, which mainly include limited budgets and lack of student interest, have challenged the teaching of Robotics in younger year groups at Thai schools, especially those in rural areas. In an effort to overcome these issues, I have initiated the Unplugged Robotics project to create fun-filled and affordable teaching equipment that can support the learning of Robotics, Computing Science and basic coding. My project involves the process of developing an abstract idea into a manufactured product. Essentially, the concept of this project brings the worlds of Design and Technology and Computer Science together through design thinking and coding, representing the beauty of interdisciplinary approaches. During this academic year, I have developed a range of activities with various difficulties to help support teaching students in the age range of 8-10 years. Similar to a Design and Technology project, I did research on the Thai curriculum and had several meetings with my main clients – teachers 20

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Bangkok Patana Magazine

in Thai schools. Their valuable inputs were prioritised as specifications for this design project. Once the prototypes were complete, their feedback led to the improvement of each activity. All of my activities can be made ‘DIY’ from the resources outlined on my website (www.bynond.com), allowing teachers to gain access from anywhere. The activities that I have designed include Match the Symbol, Flowchart Jigsaw, Flowchart Board Game and Magnet Maze, all of which aim to develop flowchart skills, logical thinking and coding processes that form the basis of Robotics. They have been designed in such a way that they can be created from unused materials in schools (such as an A4 carboard box), making them both affordable and environmentally sustainable. At the beginning of this year, I was fortunate to be well supported by Bangkok Patana School (with my activities added to Firefly for students) and Lasalle College, where I was able to test my activities in a real classroom setting, allowing for feedback and suggestions from both teachers and students. Findings showed that the activities played a role in creating

group discussions and teamwork whilst providing a “learning by playing” experience. Following a few test runs, these activities are to be implemented in the school curriculum starting next academic year. To make this project more impactful, I have developed two of my activities (Flowchart Board Game and Flowchart Jigsaw) into manufactured products for either home or school use. Furthermore, these manufactured versions will act

as activity samples in schools so that teachers and students can follow my DIY instructions to produce more of their own activity sets more easily. Currently, they have been distributed to a branch of schools in Bangkok, Nakornsawan, Kanchanaburi and Chantaburi. The manufactured versions of the Flowchart Board Game and Flowchart Jigsaw are currently available for sale through my Line Official Account (@bynond) for those who prefer ready-made activities. All proceeds from sales will be used to further manufacture similar products for rural Thai schools in need. As a student who has had access to quality education, professional robotics kits and Computer Science materials, I believe that it is important to give back to the community, not only by supporting Robotics education among young students in schools, but also helping to further reduce educational inequalities in rural areas. If you are interested to support this CAS service project, please visit my website (www.bynond.com) for more detailed information. I aim to extend this project further by expanding to more schools and hope that my footsteps will lead to improvements in Robotics education. TERM 3 – 2022

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WELL-BEING

JUST LOOK UP!

By Patricia Burgaud ep Calmels D’artensac, Lead Teacher: World Languages – Instructional Strategies

o-designing the classroom environment gives students ownership of and engagement in their learning. This article focuses on using the ceiling in the classroom as a ‘cloud storage’ and how it can be used as an efficient tool to revisit pupils’ learning. Our Year 4 and Year 5 students have collaboratively created clouds at the end of each of their units of learning, once they feel their learning is secure and ready to be sent up for storage. This could be related to a grammar point, such as the spelling of adjectives, or a particular communicative function, such as the description of people’s hair and eyes. The cloud may show the key language structures, specific vocabulary, or strategies to remember the correct pronunciation of words and sentences. The clouds are also a visual and distant reminder of their learning progress. In parallel to this method of learning storage, students additionally created challenges connected with their learning. For these challenges, students wrote questions and hid them inside helium balloons. Each balloon was labelled with the names of the designers of the challenge, the topic and the instructions. Following the creation of the clouds and challenges, we will have a special lesson to revise our prior learning and ‘refresh’ it collaboratively. The appropriate time could be 22

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when we are referring to our prior knowledge in order to transfer it into a new context, or when we are checking that this learning has been successfully assimilated. For students, this is always an exciting moment. For teachers, this provides an opportunity for an ongoing and specific formative assessment that allows us to readjust our planning to match students’ needs. Rather than distracting the students in the classroom, the cloud storage and balloon challenges are hanging above them, maintaining their excitement whilst building anticipation for our next ‘Look Up’ session. Here it comes! Look up! Choose the balloon challenge, pop the balloon and complete the challenge by using the clouds for support. Most of all, collaborate, have fun and learn!

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP ALUMNI STORIES

LIFE AFTER PATANA

AN ALLY IN SOCIAL INNOVATION By Kavita (Net) Supatravanij, Grad ‘12

avita (Net) Supatravanij attended Bangkok Patana School for ten years before graduating in 2012. Following her graduation, she pursued her BSc in Media, Culture & Communication at New York University (NYU), and eventually master’s degree at London School of Economics (LSE) in Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which she completed in 2019. Net’s favourite memories of Bangkok Patana are English classes with Mr Robertson and Residentials. “My favourites were always doing the overnight trips on the train, hanging out with my friends at lunch and then getting a smoothie afterwards (it was only 20 THB back then!).” Net said her time at Bangkok Patana School helped to develop her confidence to interact with diverse groups

of people from all over the world. “I’ve never once felt like I was ‘less’ than someone else, even when I went to university where I went from being in the majority to being part of a minority group.” “After NYU, I went down the corporate route, got an advertising job at a multi-national company in Singapore (Ogilvy), but soon realised that I needed my day to day to have more social impact. Gender was something I had always been interested in, but up until then it was more of something I did on the side through volunteer work, for example. After starting the CSR initiative at my company, I realised I wanted to pursue Social Innovation as a career. I knew I needed to switch gears and decided to enrol for a master’s degree

in this field at LSE, which is where I met my co-founder (on the very first day!).” Her organisation, ila, is a UN Women award-winning social startup that uses human-cantered design to build inclusive societies. The name is derived from an Indian name that means “the power of speech” and is also a common name in various other countries. Registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in the UK, ila’s initiative in response to increasing domestic abuse rates throughout the COVID pandemic was to create a platform through which to empower others to help victims of abuse, which was initially launched in the UK. “We’ve recently launched ALLY, a mobile application that turns local places into safe spaces for victims of abuse. Because of the global increase in domestic abuse rates combined with the never-ending problem of street harassment, we realised we needed to tap into public spaces and turn bystanders into allies. We do this by training retail staff to recognize signs of abuse and redirect victims towards help.” With social innovation at her core, Net shares what helps her to remain optimistic and motivated: “I love reading (I bring my Kindle almost everywhere), my dog (who inadvertently made me more of a nature person) and donuts (I need to try one in every city I visit!).” What will Net be doing in ten-years’ time? “This question is funny because I recently looked at my Bangkok Patana Grad ’12 Yearbook. They asked us this exact question at that time, to which I replied, ‘Getting married’. That obviously did not happen, so I don’t want to jinx myself with any future predictions! Whatever I’m doing in ten years, I just hope I’m surrounded by good people. That’s all you really need.” Net visited Bangkok Patana before the Christmas break in 2021 and was full of nostalgia as she walked down memory lane, catching up Mr Robertson and reminiscing about her time on campus. To learn more about ila, and their mobile application ALLY, visit their website: https://www.ilageneration.com/ TERM 3 – 2022

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LEARNING

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

THE TIGERS ARE BACK! By Richard Molloy, Cross Campus Head of Sports

“In this time of hardship, despite our many urgent priorities, sport and physical activity remain essential for our well-being.” – IOC, 2020

have always loved sport – wherever they come from around the globe, there is something magical about what they offer and the feelings they create. During the COVID-lockdown period, there was plenty of time to reflect upon the great opportunities sport has offered me as a player and, more recently, as a coach. Furthermore, this time offered the opportunity to delve deeper into the values and pathways available for sport within the wider contexts of both school and the industry itself. Without doubt, the attendance in online sport classes, the individual motivation of students to get up and go, as well as the absolute elation upon returning to the sport fields back in October, show that sport is a necessity. For many, sport provides a release from the stress of online learning and lockdowns, finding the pleasure in getting up and keeping positive during difficult times. As COVID has ultimately freed up more of our time, sport has become a more obvious choice for increased participation, especially as doctors have emphasised its importance for our psychological and physical wellbeing, as well as its benefits in boosting our immune systems. We must now ensure that this upsurge in sport engagement lasts beyond COVID. As a school, we are lucky to return to offering a range of ECA and sport options. Outside, however, businesses and public authorities are being implored to embrace the new 24

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flexible working arrangements and inspire staff to maintain the healthy habits that many have created during this time. Throughout the lockdowns, Physical Education teachers and coaches have demonstrated their ingenuity in keeping students active, with virtual fitness sessions and the use of mobile fitness apps becoming the new norm. Online competitions and challenges offered an insight into the links between social media and sport, something we expect to see more of in the coming years. Another thriving area of interest that has evolved due to COVID-related restrictions has been E-Sports. Schools across Asia have taken the opportunity to expand their horizons and connect with the fastest growing ‘sport’ in the world. Our students were at the forefront of this opportunity and their engagement has been exceptional in its pilot year. Since our return to onsite learning, we have embraced our students’ positivity and their willingness to take a leap back in to sport, with increased squad sizes and ‘double’ age-group squads where possible, to ensure as many students as possible can engage with our sports offerings. COVID has impacted sport in a host of both measurable and immeasurable ways. As we look to the future, rather than speaking about sport in schools, I believe we should instead speak about time spent per day on the practice of sport. Time spent practicing, touches of the ball, tumble turns, back flips, serves aced – all of the daily opportunities to be active. An hour and a half of sport each day should be the bare minimum for school aged persons (aged three to 18 years old), and beyond of course! Opportunities to play, be a part of the Tigers programme and foster healthy, lifelong learners – these are what we aim for! TERM 3 – 2022

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L ELAORBNAI LN C G GI T I Z E N S H I P

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP CLASS of 2011

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

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I’ve been in Hong Kong for about three years now, I came to work for WWF and now I’m working as a researcher in marine ecology at the University of Hong Kong and waiting to start my PhD in September! – Pia Ricca

I graduated at University of Reading (MSC Real Estate) but have been selling cars and banana fritters instead of properties since graduation. – Puwit Tejavibulya Wow – ten years! I can’t believe how time has flown. Some highlights from my last ten years include: getting my law degree from Cambridge in 2014; working in Tokyo for six months in 2017 (the best six months of food and travelling!); travelling around Colombia, Bhutan and Namibia and weekend getaways to different places in Europe; finally learning to cook some of my Mum’s Indian food recipes during the COVID lockdowns; and seeing my Bangkok Patana friends in London almost every weekend for the last seven years. – Manini Kant I went back to study and just completed my master’s degree in Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University and Research in The Netherlands! – Su Yen Tam After studying and working in San Francisco, I decided to go back to school and moved to London for my master’s at UAL (Graphic Branding and Identity). I’m still in the creative field. I graduated in the midst of the pandemic and now I’m back in Bangkok, working as a freelance brand designer and running a mini breakfast project called Yolk + Butter (@yolkandbutterbkk). Hoping to launch new (very mini) projects soon! – Monique Youngyuen Worked in Chiang Mai for four years running experiential education programs, completed an MSc back in the UK, currently working in an emissions testing organisation but also completing certifications in personal training. Also planning a wedding, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it’s mine or not! – Daniel Worthington Did a seven-year stint at NatWest group (formerly RBS). Worked primarily in digital banking building new propositions, products and features for UK consumers. Just joined Starling as a product manager and now trying to make it in this hyper competitive London FinTech space! – May Narbonne I started my flying career in Canada and now back in Thailand looking to fly in Asia. – Drew Harrison I’ve been in England for the past ten years now! After graduating from Manchester, I started working at PwC and went down the accountancy/audit route. It brought me to London, and it’s been the best move ever! Accounting was not for me so believe it or not, I now work in Cyber Security (still at PwC) and it has definitely added some excitement to my life! Other than that, I’ve loved travelling the past few years, enjoying the amazing food across the globe yet still somehow missing the Bangkok Patana noodles! – Ankita Modani Still organising beach cleans and doing a PhD in renewable energy geographies at sea. – Inne Withouck Graduated from the University of Bern with a degree in Linguistics, specialised in Semantic Priming. I live in Switzerland with my two dogs and my snake. Working for Roche Diagnostics as a Marketing Operations Manager, fighting the pandemic all the way through. – Surya Skaria Just got my PhD in Statistics! I am now working as a postdoctoral researcher/scientist. My narrower research focus is on developing statistical tools to model environmental extremes, so you might be happy to know that I ended up pursuing something geography-related in my life after all. – Jonathan Koh I’ve been working at Airbus as an illustrator! I draw 3D graphic illustrations for all commercial flight operation manuals. I also do branding and communications for them. In my free time I have my online store where I turn my drawings into stickers, keychains. You can find me on Instagram “Krittiyachok”. – Krittiya Chok I’m working in a restaurant. – Yu Kwun Cheng

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