Patana News Volume 19 Issue 5 by Bangkok Patana School

Patana

NEWS

Head of Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monthly Blog Page 2

CATs Corner / Super Kart Super Star / Amnesty Patana Needs Your Help Bangkok Patana is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

Greetings everyone, It is hard to believe we have completed a full month of school already. The new teachers have really settled in well as have the 200 plus new students. I have managed to get into some classrooms and have observed highly motivated students that are focused and prepared. I recently came across this excellent article in the Guardian that I thought I would share with you as it really has some superb tips for parents supporting their learners through school. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/06/10-tips-better-parent-headteacher

We have now received all of the Year 11 (I)GCSE grades and we are delighted with the results. • One third of the students achieved an average grade of A or higher • More than half of the grades achieved were an A or A* • Over a third of the students achieved 8 or more A*s or A's • Over two-thirds of the students achieved an average grade of B or higher We are also thrilled with our latest set of IB results with an average points score of 35 out of a possible 45, these results are the best set to date of all our graduating classes. This is an outstanding achievement, set against a world average of 30 points and something that as a non-selective school, makes us very proud. Two other statistics of particular note are that we enjoyed a 99% pass rate, compared to a world average of 80%, and 18% of our students scored above 40 points, compared to a world average of five percent. Congratulations to all of our hard-working and talented students and a special thank you to all of our talented and skilled teaching staff.

As a school we take Health and Safety very seriously as we want to protect our students at all times. Last week we conducted our first announced Fire Drill which went very smoothly as 2,200 students and over 600 adults exited our school buildings in just over four minutes. We will conduct Fire and Lock Down drills regularly during the year as we want to be prepared just in case a real emergency does take place at the school. We have had our first case of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) in the school this term and I wanted to remind parents about HFMD particularly for new parents who may not have comes across this viral illness before. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than five years old. However, it can sometimes occur in adults. Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include fever, mouth sores, and a skin rash. Our wonderful Head Nurse Patama has become almost an expert on this common disease as she has been tracking HFMD numbers at our school over many years now and regularly liaises with the BMA, (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration), whenever we have any cases whether they are isolated or a wave impacting many students. The BMA protocol is if we have three or more cases in a class or in a Foundation Stage learning zone, we must close down the class/zone for a minimum of five consecutive days so that the virus cannot spread. Children who have the virus must stay at home for seven consecutive days. Here is an example of our HFMD letter that gets sent home to parents when the first case is discovered.

HFMD mainly effects children five years and younger but it spreads so quickly that if a slightly older sibling is in close proximity there is a high chance that they will catch it too. The school takes a very serious view on HFMD as it impacts learning. We keep the school very clean, disinfecting toys and equipment on a regular basis. Unfortunately, whatever we do at school doesn’t stop the virus from entering school at any given time. One parent asked me why Bangkok Patana seems to get more HFMD cases than other schools. The simple answer is we have the largest age three to five student population in any international school in Thailand, so of course we are going to get larger numbers. The key instruction to parents is to regularly check their children for any fever and keep their children at home if they do. Seeking medical advice is always a good strategy when your child has any form of fever. Informing the school that your child has a fever is important as our nurses can also track the virus and conduct regular inspections in affected year groups. The school also in turn communicates to all parents in the specific area of the school that we have HFMD absences so all parents can start regularly checking for fevers or possible mouth sores. Making sure students regularly wash their hands with soap and warm water is always a good HFMD preventer as well. Good prevention does mean that a child that has been sent home from school for a certain period cannot then attend a birthday party over the weekend as the virus will still spread especially in large student gatherings. Some children recuperate very quickly from HFMD but they must stay at home for a certain time so they don’t spread the virus, this is very important to adhere to. We are continuing to regularly liaise with local health authorities and the BMA but one thing is for certain, HFMD is not going to suddenly vanish and we need to work together to minimize the impact to your student’s health and learning. Can I take this opportunity to thank Khun Patama and all of our wonderful nursing staff who do such a good job looking after the health of our students.

I really enjoyed hosting a pizza lunch for our new Senior student delegates; Mimi, Sarah, Labeeb, Flo and Madison. They are an incredibly talented bunch of senior leaders and they are taking their responsibilities very seriously indeed. They all lead a variety of committees and are so committed to the school in everything they do. We talked a great deal about their roles in the school and how they can support all of the students. As the senior leaders in the school, they are important role models. Other topics of discussion included IB commitments, bringing down barriers between Year 12 and 13 students as they share the new Senior Studies area and about teachers that really go that extra mile to support students in their time of need, meeting at lunch times and after school. As Head of School it is so important that I connect with students of all ages and give them a voice as we grow as a dynamic learning community. Do enjoy our first long weekend of this term. Matt Mills, Head of School

A REMINDER: Tomorrow (Friday 16th September) is a school holiday

Tania Leyland, Youth & Community Coordinator

Patana Marine Conservation Group Reef and Beach Clean Up

n Saturday 10th September, in honour of International Coastal Clean-up Day, around 50 staff members and students arrived to school at 5:00am to go to Pattaya. We dived and snorkeled to find and pick up trash from the ocean and the beaches in an effort to conserve sea life. It was a very rewarding experience; I enjoyed it very much and we managed to collect over 400kg of trash from the beach alone! The divers managed to find several interesting items on the sea bedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even finding a deck of cards, a radio, sunglasses and graphic t-shirts! While also fun, this trip taught all of us that plastic waste is a very serious issue that harms the environment as well as the delicate ocean ecosystem. I was shocked by the amount of rubbish that washed up around a tiny island in Thailand, and came to the sad realisation that I could have helped to place many of the products there. From this trip, I (and many other participants) began to fully understand the need to recycle and reduce plastic usage. I would like to thank the Mermaid Dive staff and Ms Brown especially for making this possible, and I strongly encourage all students and staff to join the trip next year. Sakooltipaya (Koko) Lotharukpong, 11G

SMILE visit to Nong Khai

n September 4th, we were given the opportunity to take part in the Operation Smile mission in Nong Khai province just north of Bangkok. Our job was to create a warm and welcoming environment for the young patients undergoing the surgeries, as the hospital environment can be a new and intimidating place especially for families who have travelled miles to have the surgery. Our job didn't begin on the ward or even with the children, it began in a hotel where we packed SMILE bags containing basic necessities (such as toothbrushes, combs and shampoo). This really helped us to realise that there are more ways than one to help someone that needs help. During our time at the Nong Khai Hospital, we played with the children, decorated the ward and were even given the opportunity to observe some of the surgeries the children were undertaking. We were able to take part in something that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t often possible; we had the opportunity to learn and help people within the Thai country, a country that has given me so much over the 13 years I have lived here. I can say with pride, the best part of this trip was being able to see the children smile. It was an unforgettable experience, and one that I especially look forward to next year. Marina Kusumoto , 12B he Patana Marine Conservation Group created a stall in the school lounge during their days of campaigning to recruit new members and raise awareness for marine protection. As an eco-friendly club, PMCG reused previous decorations for their stall. The committee also created a photo booth for students to take photos and share their experience on social media. A highlight of the stall was the display of rubbish collected around school. This was depicted in a trash sculpture that was fixed over chalk drawings of a large dinner plate and cutlery. The words â&#x20AC;&#x153;what goes in the ocean goes in youâ&#x20AC;? accompanied the display to effectively reaffirm the significance of environmental responsibility. Yong Loh, 13K

Patana Marine Conservation Group campaign days

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Bhirombhakdi for providing the information for this article

andhavud (Jem) Bhirombhakdi (5M) competed in the Thailand Super Kart Series in August, qualifying in 1st position. Jem kept his place through the three races winning the Mini Rok class (the fastest class for go-kart) in the last race. Jemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing success, a hobby that he engages in outside of school, hasn't been an easy ride however. Following a fabulous winning start in two competitions, he broke his arm as a result of a crash during a race. After wearing a cast for a number of months, he had to start back at the beginning with training and race preparation. Jem was incredibly determined to overcome the setback of his broken arm and practiced for six months. Initially he was in Cadet A class and then advanced into Mini Rok class where Jem was racing against boys up to 12 years old with a lot more experience and the benefit of increased physical strength. However, his unwavering determination gave him the edge he needed to take the Thai Super Kart Series Mini Rok title. Jem never gave up despite a few more crashes and a twisted arm, he kept pushing in practice and in his races until finally he took the championship again. His dedication and hard work also earnt him his first official sponsor from a company that specialise in car coating for super cars. We would like to say a huge well done and congratulations to Jem; his positive mind-set and determined attitude is exemplary and proves what can be achieved against the odds. We look forward to hearing about your future success on the track!

ear 2 Assistant Leader of Learning Michelle Brinn has had her work published in an academic book! Michelle’s chapter in Dialogic Pedagogy by David Skidmore and Kyoko Murakami is based on an essay she wrote as part of her Doctorate at the prestigious Bath University. The chapter is a review of literature Michelle read whilst studying for her doctorate on philosophical conceptions of dialogue. It outlines two different views on dialogue and relates them to different educational strategies. Both authors and the ideas discussed in the chapter became the philosophical basis for Michelle’s research which focused on developing successful home school partnerships in the Nursery. The Year 2 teacher's university tutor was so impressed with her work, it was included in the book. Congratulations Michelle! If you would like to know more or read the book for yourself please ask in the Secondary Library.

JV Girls’ Football By Zahra Poonevala, 11F

sylum seekers and refugees face so many hardships when moving to Thailand; already having to give up their belongings and pay large sums of money in order to move from their homes, they lack basic amenities that we often take for granted. As such Patana Amnesty hopes that the school community will kindly donate used items like notebooks, stationery, backpacks, shoes, socks, nappies, milk powder, colour pencils, crayons and books into the collection boxes provided at the front of school. These items will then be passed on to Asylum Access and the Jesuit Refugee Service, who will distribute them to those in need. Thank you for thinking of others.

Donations gratefully received into the wooden collection boxes near the Transport office at the front of school until the end of September. Venue: Bangkok Patana School (home) Date: 7th September Score: 11-1 Team: RIS

s it was the first match of the season, everyone was nervous but excited to play. For a few it was their first time representing the Secondary school and so they were excited to play their first match. The match started off quickly with Bangkok Patana attacking heavily, making lots of plays and swift passes. In the first few minutes there were many chances to score but we narrowly missed each time. After six minutes we scored our first goal from a one-two passing formation and then many more goals followed, leaving us in the lead 7-0 after the first half. In the second half, RIS started becoming more aggressive and attacking but our defence held strong only conceding one goal. The match ended 11-1, which was a very pleasing result. It was a good first match, with many more to hopefully follow!

Calling all South African families who wish to participate in International Day on 9th November. Please contact Michelle Deas michelleldeas@gmail.com

Calling All Japanese Families

e would like to introduce the Bangkok Patana School Japanese Group. There are 50 Japanese families who are members of this group, and we support International Day and many other school activities. If you are a Japanese speaker or married to a Japanese speaker, then we would like to invite you to join our group. Please send an email with your details to add to the group list for future correspondence to Mrs Kyoko Nishida, email salut.kyoko@hotmail.co.jp

【ジャパニーズグループに参加しませんか】バンコクパタナスクールのジャパニーズグループは、日本人の父親あるいは母親を持つ生徒の保護者により運営されているグループです。現在５０家族が加入しており、毎年行われる学校行事、インターナショナルデイなど、様々な学校活動に協力しています。また、情報交換の場として親睦会を年に数回行っています。参加ご希望の方は、西田までご連絡ください。 salut.kyoko@hotmail.co.jp

Japanese ECA 【日本語ECAのご案内】日本人または日本語を母国語とする親を持つ生徒のための日本語ECAが、新学期も引き続き開講されます。外部からの国語教師が授業を担当します。これを機会に子供たちの日本語力を高めませんか？詳細はECA登録画面で確認願います。

Japanese language ECA will be offered for students who are fluent Japanese speakers or those whose parents are Japanese speakers. Japanese teachers (not Bangkok Patana staff) will lead the ECA and help your child to improve their Japanese. This Japanese ECA is for new students and parents of Japanese speakers. If you are interested please check the contents of Japanese ECA and sign up on the ECA site once Block 2 registration opens on 26th September. Image Reference: http://feelgrafix.com/data/japan/Japan-1.jpg

International Day will be held on

Wednesday 9th November 2016 This year the event, including the Parade of Nations and the International Food Tasting, will be held on one day. To find out how your country can participate in this event email ptgintlday@gmail.com

Calling All Australian Families Just a reminder to get your forms filled out and returned to the Cashierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office in an envelope marked "Aussie International Dayâ&#x20AC;?. If any family is ordering shirts, please return your forms ASAP so we can get the orders into our supplier. We are looking forward to the 2016 Bangkok Patana International Day! Any queries please contact bjnetballacademy@gmail.com

University / College

Country Representative

Location

Date

Time

Upcoming US Universities Fair in Bangkok

Anantara Siam Hotel Bangkok, 18.09.16 Rajadamri Rd.