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Patana
NEWS
Friday 7th May 2021
Volume 23 Issue 29
www.patana.ac.th
FOLLOWING THE FIVE WAYS TO WELL-BEING By Secondary Assistant Principal Suzanne Lindley
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Also in this issue...
Mudflats and Salt Pans with Coke Smith/The Pre-IB Programme /The Green Map of Bangkok 7/05/2021
Bangkok Patana School News
Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by CIS
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Following the Five Ways to Well-Being Suzanne Lindley, Secondary Assistant Principal Curriculum and Assessment CULTURE OF KINDNESS ach time we face adverse circumstances, we must adjust our thinking and routines, including our self-care, to try to maintain a high level of mental and physical well-being.
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Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year the theme is ‘Nature’ celebrating the positive impact that the great outdoors can have on our well-being – which is somewhat of a challenge in our present climate! We continue to face a range of challenges, in a variety of aspects of our lives, and often there are very few easy and simple solutions in this complex world. As school and community leaders, we must keep asking ourselves; are we doing all we can to understand and remove unhelpful stressors? Are we having open conversations about well-being with our community and when we are making decisions? Are we always considering the impact on health and well-being and what can we do to minimise any negative effects? These are important questions we need to ask all year round, particularly as factors that impact on education continue to shift and change. WE ARE ALL LEARNING As educators, we need to create the culture and climate where kindness and care are at the core of what we do. Included as part of this is to ensure that we educate ourselves in the latest research about young people’s day-today mental health challenges and reflect on how we can support our community to maintain their mental fitness. This week, a group of leaders were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to further develop our understanding when Natasha Devon MBE joined us to lead a session focusing on: • Pupil and staff mental health (coping techniques for stress and anxiety) • Facilitating conversations around well-being • Team well-being and self-care There were many points for us to reflect on and share more widely. We hope to see Natasha back very soon!
Resources: Natasha Devon Headspace Meditation App
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SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELVES: What is your go-to stress reduction activity? Are you ring-fencing time (30 minutes, not necessarily in one go) to empty your ‘stress bucket’ every day? Do you actively listen, without judgement? Do you know where to sign post people for help?
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GIVE AND CONNECT Last time we were in CSL, I invited students to nominate a teacher to say 'Thank You" to, and we had hundreds of responses. Staff also shared their appreciation for each other. These steps had a positive impact on teacher well-being. Making the time to spread kindness is a great way to show care for others and support mental health. Whilst working from home, it can be all too easy to feel disconnected and so I took a positive step to reach out to the wider community to help maintain connections between school and home at this challenging time. Parents from a range of Year groups were invited to nominate a teacher to express their thanks, spreading a culture of care. Staying connected and being kind has been identified in helping to maintain well-being for both the giver and the recipient. This gives you an idea of what it means to our amazing community of teachers:
“Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful messages of appreciation from parents – they are so uplifting, motivational and an absolute delight to receive!” “I am going to print this off and frame it!!!!” So, as we navigate through this especially difficult period, create opportunities to reconnect, heal, feel safe and supported. Make sure you regularly assess your own well-being and cultivate those all-important self-care strategies. Here is a ‘My Whole Self MOT’ to help you regularly check in on your own and others’ mental health and well-being.
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The Pre-IB Programme Prepares Year 11 Students Kate Flynn, Head of Year 11
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rad’23 students returned to learning last Thursday after a short break following the cancellation of their CIE IGCSE exams. Students started the online PIP (Pre-IB Programme) with a Thursday morning Tutorial lesson – a welcome chance to catch up with classmates, tutors and their Head of Year Ms Flynn. The PIP Programme involves a range of specially designed activities to support students make the transition from IGCSE to IB. As well as independent study materials there are weekly online live sessions for every subject with subject-specialist teachers.
six chosen for IB” “I really enjoy that my classes have all been structured similarly to real IB classes- I’m also beginning to see how all my subjects link more closely with ToK ideas and it’s nice to get an introduction to this. It definitely eases the overwhelming feeling of starting IB next year.” Welcome back Grad’23! PIP IN ENGLISH
The programme ran with great success for the Grad’22 students last year and the impact on student confidence and readiness was clear for this Year group at the start of Senior Studies. It is an inclusive programme and students who are not staying at Bangkok Patana next year are still choosing to participate, joining subjects relevant to their studies next year or to personal interests. So far students seem to be relishing the chance to use their brains and prepare for next year!
In preparation for their IB English A courses, Year 11 English students have started engaging with a range of literary YEAR 11 FEEDBACK and non-literary texts to give them a flavour of Year 12. “I’m enjoying getting to learn about my chosen IB Each week, they will be given some flipped home learnsubjects and what the course will entail. I also like how ing to complete in preparation for live online sessions. In this will give me a little bit of a 'head start' before start- these, they will collaborate, undertake independent reing IB.” search and share ideas to build upon their IGCSE skills in preparation for IB. “The classes have been designed very well as they are very useful as it helps provide a head start for IB One class has started by exploring dystopian fiction, subjects next year as well as helping me to decide building on the study of their IGCSE prose text, George which subjects I may want to switch to if needed.” Orwell’s 1984, to explore the features of the dystopian genre and to start creating their own dystopian openings. “The resources provided on Google Drive or Firefly Others are exploring a range of Gothic short stories, disare very useful and easy to access. By utilising them, I covering how the genre has grown and developed from can have an insight into what we learn during the lesson, and we can prepare ourselves for understanding of the context.” “PIP is helping me gain a grasp on the basic concepts that will be taught in my subjects and how IB works making me more comfortable and less stressed for IB next year.” “It is great to be able to try out subjects other than the
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Jane Eyre and A Monster Calls to explore uses of mise-en-scene, sound and stage craft to prepare students for the analyses required and the eclectic range of texts available at IB. Then, there are those encouraging students to become more globally aware citizens by using current affairs as the basis of their lessons, encouraging students to explore global issues in some depth on a range of news platforms and to become a much more discerning reader; picking the fact apart from the opinion: all essential skills needed for all IB English A courses, Theory of Knowledge and life!
the eighteenth century right up until the twenty-first with the Whatever they are studying, Year 11 are being exposed genre’s influence on Graphic Novels and film. Some are focusing on visual texts using the National Theatre’s pro- to a diverse range of texts, time periods and styles in their ductions of Frankenstein (starring Benedict Cumberbatch), PIP English lessons this term.
Even though we are learning online, holidays still apply. Check the calendar here 2020/21 CALENDAR 7/05/2021
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A Day for Continuous Professional Learning (CPL)
Katherine Hume, Cross Campus Assistant Principal, Continued Professional Learning
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onday 3rd May was our academic staff professional learning day. These CPL days dedicated to teacher professional learning provide us with the opportunity to focus on growing and developing teachers' expertise and practice. This time is so important to student learning, as it enables us as educators to deepen the knowledge and skills we need to address students’ learning challenges and ensure high-quality learning and teaching. For the second year running, due to the global pandemic, we ran the day virtually, using Firefly and Microsoft Teams to support us. Our excellent Primary ICT Team of Max Hopwood and Glenn Malcolm delivered some relevant and timely CPL to Primary staff which expanded their knowledge and understanding of both the Seesaw and Google Classroom platforms. Staff then came together virtually in smaller groups with colleagues from all areas of the Primary School, to share their learning journeys so far of Seesaw and Google Classroom. This enriched discussion gave teachers the opportunity to reflect on the current provision, what is working well, what could be even better, and how could this continue to evolve so we are best meeting the students’ needs.
Secondary staff focused on developing and embedding the learning from our October CPL days with Tom Sherrington. Their day was structured around Retrieval Practice with several colleagues leading workshops aimed at best practice retrieval practice strategies. These sessions included: Retrieval for Revision: teaching students how to revise more effectively • How to: Microsoft forms • Common Retrieval Practice Mistakes • I got that question wrong again. What should I do now? • The Retrieval Swap • Retrieval Practice: getting student buy-in • Making time for retrieval practice at IB • How to get the most from Socrative Staff were then provided with dedicated time to reflect on the workshops, and research and plan opportunities 6
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to implement new retrieval practice strategies in their lessons throughout Term 3. They then shared what their next planned actions were through a Padlet. The Cross Campus Academy Teams started their day participating in a Marketing workshop. Cheryl Rego led the session and shared key analytics regarding the optimum day/time to post to social media. Which kinds of posts get the most hits and how to drive traffic back to their websites. The team also had the opportunity to examine how to market to the internal client ahead of key events. This was followed by a Webinar with Ian Deeth, who is the current Primary Athletic Director at UWC East, Singapore and hosts a podcast called “Unlocking Athletic Potential”. We are now looking forward to our next CPL days in October where we will be shining the spotlight on our Well-being values and how we can ensure that they continue to flourish across our community.
SCAN TO LEARN HOW TO ACCESS THE LIBRARY’S SELECTION OF E-BOOKS IN SORA
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ARTS COUNCIL Ocean Waves Tee Janvatanavit, 10L
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t has always been a dream of mine to be able to share which the drums and percussion and guitar lay a steady what the wonderful education from Bangkok Patana’s beat while the bass and piano play a counter rhythm that music department has given me. pushes the pace then pulls it back like a wave would, along with changing the harmony too. This is built upon My name is Tee and I’m a performer, composer and in the section where the pulse is now in full swing with the general music enthusiast. I currently play in the school bass line and the piano locking with the drums/percusBig Band, Jazz Ensemble, All Star Band and other small sion and the synthesisers make their entrance all climaxing groups in which we play contemporary jazz, rock etc. at the solo section (though it has yet to be written out). The Throughout the years of performing countless songs, I be- third section is a classic ballad which contrasts with the came quite interested in composing and took it up around rest of the song using the synthesisers much more harmona year before the start of my (I)GCSEs. ically. All of this builds back up the blazing chorus and This gave me plenty of time to slowly be able to convey ends the songs how it started. Listen to my composition my ideas onto the page and led to my (I)GCSE compo- below: sition, Ocean Waves. It is the culmination of many years of listening to Latin, big band and contemporary jazz music along with the programmatic (telling a story) qualities of classical music. The composition is split into three sections along with a repeating “chorus” in which I highlighted the pace between melody and rhythm which highlight the entire band. The first section focuses on the grand entrance of the wave in
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Flight to the Finals Reyce De La Cruz, 9D
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s soon as we started our half-term break on 2nd April, I headed straight to the airport to meet my teammates in the FIBA 3X3 Tournament and catch my flight to Chiang Mai.
regulation time. We were ahead until the opposing team rallied with three consecutive 2-point I teamed up with two other teammates from our ball shots made behind club, and competed in a FIBA 3X3 Tournament for the the arc. weekend. A total of 32 teams participated in the Under 15 group. It was a joy following the flight of Day 1 featured three games, which we comfortably the ball for our go won. Day 2 was playoffs and knock out rounds so the first ahead basket and game was a must win to qualify for the quarterfinals. Our the final score at the intensity, both in our offensive and defensive sets, stepped buzzer was 13-11. up as we won the games. We won our first game comfortably and were headed to the quarterfinals. We remained It was a weekend undefeated as we played in the final four winning the sem- of fun and we thank ifinals 14-7. our parents for the opportunity given The Finals game versus a Chiang Mai-based team, one to us, the friendships of whom is a national team player,was a thrilling one. gained and the exposure to high-level 3X3 basketball Game was tied at 11 in the last minute of the 10-minute competition. Indeed a memorable Flight to the Finals.
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Continuing Student Learning Through Dance Vallary Lokre, Head Dance Coach
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switch to online platforms may have interrupted the preparations for Dance Extravaganza, but that hasn’t stopped dancers at the Dance Academy from engaging in dance activities after school during CSL. The Dance Academy has been offering a variety of different activities every day via Microsoft Teams (Dance CSL) to cater to the needs and interests of dancers of different age groups. At the start of CSL 3.0, the Academy used poll results to find out what kind of activities in particular have the students been enjoying as a way of offering them more often. Easy Dance Tutorials and Tik-Tok tutorials turned out to be top favourites. Students have since been engaging in “24 hours dance challenges” every day with coaches offering a new dance tutorial every day and students then learn and submit their videos within 24 hours! The results are then shared on the Dance Academy blog and Instagram (bps_danceacademy). Collaborative learning was seen recently when the academy rolled out a dance competition among two different development groups who then set up their own group meeting on MS Teams to learn the phrase together and help each other out! In addition to these popular activities, students recently engaged in a master class by none other than Misty Copeland, the first African American female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Other than the technical aspects of ballet artistry, Misty shared her wisdom on a plethora of other topics related to dance that could be very valuable for dancers of all levels – the value of 7/05/2021
mentorship, diversity and inclusion in ballet (and by extension in the field of dancing in general), how to own your power et cetera. Dancers also engaged in a virtual contemporary dance class by amazing Asian American teacher Karen Chuang. The best thing about this class was that many dancers who participated in this class had never taken contemporary dance training ever before. Sometimes the comfort of dancing from home allows us to care less about how it looks to others and simply focus on how it feels for us. Incidentally, the lyrics of the song used in this class had an important reminder worthy of sharing – “I don't care what anyone says Everyone is disconnected these days 'Cause everyone is looking at their phone Tryna feel like they are less alone (So wrong) And I'm here to tell them that they're wrong (So wrong)’’ In addition, dancers are also being encouraged to engage in reading dance related blogs and articles and load up on knowledge of dance and the emotional intelligence required for dance mastery! Several dancers successfully completely the 7 day Meditation and Mindfulness challenge offered by the Academy recently!
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UNI COUNSELORS’ CORNER Choosing a Destination
Kevin Keller, Head of Careers and Universities Counsellors
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or many Bangkok Patana students, choosing a university destination can be the most overwhelming part of the process. Many are privileged enough to choose between countries in Europe, North America, Asia and more. Whether family connections, financial obligations or academic courses are driving the decision, it’s helpful to choose one or two country destinations early in the process to narrow specific university choices and direct your preparation. Focusing on a narrower list of universities can prevent feeling overwhelmed and allow adequate time to prepare a strong application and the following information can help families understand the differences between each country: EUROPE While “Europe” itself still has a broad range of universities and country destinations, it’s important to know that many countries, especially the Netherlands, have a high number of English courses available to study without any prior knowledge of the local language. Often, European universities offer courses at a significantly lower cost for international students (1,000-10,000EUR/year)- some of them, as in Germany and Norway might even be free. Swiss universities are, among other things, known for their hospitality and leisure programmes in five-star settings. European universities are great for students who want to live independently and who don’t feel like they will need the support of a university community but would rather immerse themselves into academic courses and the city around them. UNITED KINGDOM Universities in the United Kingdom offer the perfect place for students who are certain in what course they want to pursue. Admission tutors look for students who have engaged in their subject of interest over many months and years at the time of application. While undergraduate medicine is offered, it has been increasingly difficult to gain admission due to changing government policies surrounding admitting international students to medicine. Students who are looking for larger universities and a very focused approach to their education would be very happy in the United Kingdom. UNITED STATES Community and self-exploration are paramount to the 12
university experience in the US. While choosing a subject is important, the liberal arts approach to education allows students to explore majors and change their chosen major based on their findings. University admission is based on “fit” to the wider school community, personally and academically. Because of this, not only is the academic record considered but also a student’s community engagement. In most cases, each student’s experience is focused on their own university campus and activities. Many universities can be as small as 2,000 students and sometimes, they even require students to live in on campus housing for all four years. While many scholarships exist for international students, the cost is usually very high compared to other destinations at ($40,000-70,000 USD/year). ASIA Like Europe, having one category for an entire continent is difficult, but many of our students apply to top universities in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. Students interested in a cultural experience and lower cost ($7,000-15,000 USD/year for international students), Japanese and Korean universities encourage students who are studying in English to learn the local language and immerse themselves in their new community. Singapore and Hong Kong both offer global top 25 universities (National University Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and The University of Hong Kong) and a proximity to Thailand that can help with making a smooth transition to university. Finally, Thai universities offer fantastic undergraduate medicine and other English-language international programmes for students who choose to stay home. AUSTRALIA A seven month “gap” year, straightforward admission, unconditional offers and fabulous international student support are just some of many reasons Patana students choose to study in Australia. There are pathways for students who don’t have a full IB diploma which will allow them to move to top universities like the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of New South Wales. Australian universities offer tightly knit communities and a large number of international students that will no doubt help our students feel at home and be successful.
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University Offers
Da Hyun (Hannah) Kang London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London, King’s College London, University of Warwick, University of Bath and the University of Toronto
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Economics and Political Science
ongratulations to Da Hyun (Hannah) Kang on her offers from London Schools of Economics and Political Science, University College London, King’s College London, University of Warwick, University of Bath and the University of Toronto. Hannah plans to attend the London School of Economics (LSE) to study Politics and Economics. “I plan to attend LSE and study Politics and Economics. LSE is one of the best institutions for Humanities, and I am keen to be part of all the projects and research that LSE conducts. I am especially interested in Macroeconomicsand how government policies can be implemented. Considering that LSE is a world-leading research institution, I believe the school can offer me plenty of learning opportunities. It was always my dream to study and live in London, which made me decide to apply to universities located in central London.” “During my time at Bankgok Patana I have been a part of the World Food Programme CAT club for almost four years and in Year 12 I participated in the Model United Nations (MUN).”
In the Spotlight... Georgia Institute of Technology, USA T
he Georgia Institute of Technology is a top ranked technological and research institution located in Atlanta, Georgia and is ranked 38th in the world in the Times Higher Education global university rankings. Georgia Tech has a wide ranging offering of degrees in Business, Computing, Design, Engineering, Liberal Arts and the Sciences. The school is highly ranked in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Materials Science, Computer Science and Engineering. Georgia Tech is wellknown for the strength of its graduates, producing more women engineers than any other institution in the US. The school has state of the art resources including the Invention Studio, a 3,000 square-foot, student-run space, open 24 hours a day, to allow students to generate ideas and develop prototypes in a collaborative environment. Twenty-seven percent of the more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students are international.
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##183: Green Map
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he interactive website Green Map – The Urban Green Scene allows you to zoom in to the geographical area of interest. For example, if you want to buy organic groceries in the Sukhumvit area, zoom in and find the closest green grocery store to you. You also filter by category and locate recycling points, repair shops, zero waste shops, restaurants, grocers and more. Use this map to discover Green Thailand!
Have a ‘green’ weekend. Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration
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Desert Island Discs With Laura MacRitchie, Curriculum Leader Music
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his column follows in the style of the famed BBC podcast which features a celebrity every week – here we feature our own Bangkok Patana celebrities! What eight songs, one luxury item and one book would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island? Today Laura MacRitchie, Curriculum Leader of Music, is stuck on a desert island. MS MACRITCHIE, IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - Tchaikovsky I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons The Magical Jazz Cafe - Mitsuaki Kishi –The Magical Jazz Cafe True Colors - performed by Bangkok Patana Chamber Choir Bach Cello Suite no 1 performed by Yo Yo Ma Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
Listen to Ms MacRitchie’s playlist here
Horses of Instruction - Steve Martland Band PICK ONE LUXURY ITEM YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU. THIS ITEM MUST BE INANIMATE AND OF NO USE IN ESCAPING THE ISLAND OR ALLOWING COMMUNICATION FROM OUTSIDE. My piano WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Official Secrets by Andrew Raymond Catch the real Desert Island Discs on BBC. Now that you are stuck at home, what are you listening to? Have a list of your own? Let us know! Contact SHKN with your favourites.
Community Offers FIND SPECIAL OFFERS FOR THE BANGKOK PATANA COMMUNITY HERE
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Wildlife Spotting with Coke Mudflats and Salt Pans!
NATURE ESCAPES FROM LOCKDOWN Alexander Coke Smith, Environmental Sciences and Systems Leader
I know I am not the only one who goes a bit stir crazy when too much time has been spent indoors and more often than not, behind a computer screen. During these trying times, an escape outdoors and in to nature, even for just a little bit, is good for the soul. I come back feeling more fulfilled and energised to share my experiences with my students, who truly seem to enjoy learning more about the local nature around them. In more than one instance, my students have duplicated these local trips and returned so proud of their images and stories and parents are often grateful for a unique nature-oriented family activity. This last week, I decided to take a jaunt with my family to two very local locations, both less than an hour from Bangkok city centre.
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THE RICE RESEARCH CENTRE My first recommendation for an outstanding wildlife experience in the greater Bangkok metropolitan area is The Rice Research Centre in Pathum Thani (14.006368, 100.723765). The area at the Rice Research Centre is a vast mosaic of rice fields covering at least a couple thousand rai of land. Each of the fields is in differing stages of production from empty fallow fields to fully mature rice crops of various strains. These fields attract many birds and are good for different species of often difficult to see rarities like Greater Painted Snipes and Watercocks. The Centre is open to the public and it is common to see other bird watchers and wildlife photographers there as well as
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joggers, bicyclists and people just enjoying a lovely late of other species in the coastal mudflats searching for a afternoon in the spectacular rice fields. meal. This is a very hot location with little shade, so it is best to come prepared with lots of water, a hat and sunscreen. CHACHEONGSAO This location is rarely visited and is a gem that can be easMy next one-day (or half-day) destination this week was ily accessed on a trip to Pattaya – it is right off the tollway! the salt pans of southern Chachoengsao (13.480685, As of current news, there are no restrictions for interpro100.942215). While ideally this is a mid-winter destivincial travel. I prefer these sorts of activities as there is nation with tens of thousands of migratory waders and shorebirds, this time of year is excellent for seeing a few virtually no risk of contact with infected areas. Social-disstragglers in their spectacular breeding plumage. Here tancing is easy to achieve in the middle of a rice field or you can spot birds like Lesser Sand Plovers and Common mud flat! Feel free to contact me for any additional inforRedshanks in the salt pans courting each other and loads mation or advice (cosm@patana.ac.th)
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om the The latest fr
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The PTG Presents
Understanding Teens THE PTG IS OFFERING A SPECIAL ONLINE WORKSHOP WITH SPEAKER ILYA SMIRNOFF OF CHILDLINE THAILAND FOUNDATION FOR PARENTS OF TEENS AND INTERESTED PARENTS.
Tuesday11th May 10.00am - 11.30am Mr. Smirnoff is the Managing Director of the Childline Thailand Foundation. He specialises in helping teenagers in collaboration with their families all across Asia with his 20 years of experience.
Access via Zoom: Zoom: 762 708 7900 Password: 334455 Learn more about Childline Thailand Foundation on their website here or on their Facebook page here.
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Life After Patana
COMMUNITY NOTICES
FIND OUT MORE ON THE WEBSITE HERE OR FACEBOOK PAGE HERE.
Website here
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For daily updates, snapshots and news on life at school you can find us here...
643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 www.patana.ac.th Email: reception@patana.ac.th 20
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