Patana News Volume 24 Issue 25

www.patana.ac.th

PATANA NEWS

Friday 18th March 2022

Words Lead the Way

By Stephen Murgatroyd

ear

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Also in this issue...

M Cross-Curricular Poetry Project Upcoming University Visits Year 10 Balloon Debate Consent and Relationships Golf Programme Milestone IB Visual Arts Exhibition

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Pages 4-7 Page 8 Page 10 Page 12 Page 14 Page 17

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

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Words Lead the Way Stephen Murgatroyd, Cross Campus Head of Libraries

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ords, in my view, are the most powerful things on the planet – this may well seem to be a very provocative claim to make, but bear with me. They can heal, they can harm, they can both create and destroy, they can cause deep happiness or great sadness, and they can share thoughts and ideas to amaze and inspire us. Without them, all of the great discoveries that the world has ever known would probably not have taken place. How else would people have collaborated, recorded thoughts, shared ideas, evaluated successes and failures or instructed others without language of some kind or another? Getting our children and students to be active ‘word digesters’ is one of the greatest things we can encourage them to be, as this will allow them to have control over the key to all of their future passions and interests - words are the wings on which they will fly and become the people we all hope they have the potential to be.

The Libraries at Bangkok Patana are the home for thousands, possibly millions, of these powerful words – words for learning, excitement, discovery, empathy, adventure, wonder, healing and humour among many others. To some, seeing the phrase ’pleasure reading’ in our Bangkok Patana Library Statement might seem a little out of place within our educational setting, but not to us. We are firm believers in the power that reading for pleasure can have on the development of our whole ‘self’ as well as the benefit it gives towards the academic success of the children and students we have the pleasure of being here for. Words can power our imagination and transport us to places, settings and events that we could only otherwise dream of – and all from the safety of a comfy chair, a swinging hammock, a rattling train, a speeding aeroplane … the list goes on.

From the late 1970’s onwards, Jim Trelease was a great proponent of reading out loud to children in order to encourage and develop their language and comprehension – this is something that continues to hold true today as much as it did back then.

Younger children love to have stories read to them and this is something that we do in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 Library all the time – as do teachers throughout the Primary School. It engages children in a wide variety of stories that they might otherwise not have come across and exposes them to new vocabulary, situations and circumstances that can help them grow emotionally and empathetically. In 1995, there was a study by Hart and Risley, called Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children, which claimed that there was a 30 million word gap between the lowest socio-economic group and the highest, and that this gap led to massive differences in their educational achievements later on in their school lives. This study has subsequently been challenged for many reasons – for examples as to why, have a look

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at this article, this one, or this one; there are many others, but these give a good flavour of the more recent research – but the idea that children who have a greater exposure to words, whether that be through reading or speaking and listening, is not in much dispute anywhere.

Over the years, Bangkok Patana has been very fortunate to host many wonderful authors, illustrators and poets, who have really engaged with the children and students and inspired a love of reading, writing or research about the wider world – encouraging ‘word digestion’ in their own unique ways. I still remember Benjamin Zephaniah visiting the school back in the early 2000s while I was a class teacher in Year 3. He was someone who left a huge mark on the children in Primary about the way that words can be used to express feelings and ideas. Another, more recently, who did the same in Secondary, was Harry Baker. He is a ‘Slam Poet’ who seemed to be able to make words sing and dance for him at will. The effect he had on the students was incredible and the writing that came from his visit was very moving – there was one poem that made me feel raw with emotion, as the student opened up about the internal struggles they were going through with their identity and how they were coping with things and moving forwards. It was simply stunning.

Recently, with COVID restricting in-person visits, authors and schools have had to work out ways in which they can continue with the huge benefits of these events without them being here at school with us. The ‘virtual visit’ was born!

Although it has been accepted that nothing will ever replace the impact of having someone here with us in person, the opportunity of having bespoke visits from authors specifically chosen to support the children’s and students’ learning (in whichever Year group they were in) has been very much appreciated. When you witness the impact that these authors’ words have had on the classes they have visited, it is just wonderful to see. I was talking to one of the teachers in Primary recently about the poet that had presented to their class a few weeks ago and they were in awe of the quality of language that the children were now using and the desire they had to make sure that the words they chose to use had the greatest impact.

Within all three of our Libraries, we celebrate reading in so many ways throughout the school year. For example, we challenge the children in Year 5 to read and digest books in the annual Readers’ Cup, the children in Year 3 and Year 4 love to bring picture books to life in the Readers’ Theatre, we share award books from all over the world through the Siam Book Awards, the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards and the Booker Prize books and the students in Key Stage 3 get to compete in the annual Kids’ Lit Quiz, where questions can literally be asked about any book ever written – really challenging them to read as widely as they can. There are also many special days in the annual literary calendar where books are widely celebrated; World Book Day, World Read Aloud Day, World Storytelling Day, International Children’s Book Day, World Poetry Day, to mention just a few, but at Bangkok Patana we like to celebrate books and the words they contain (along with other media where words are used) every day, because ultimately, this is the best way to make an impact on the future lives of the children and students who pass through our doors.

HAPPY READING AND CONTINUE TO ENJOY OUR WONDERFUL BANGKOK PATANA LIBRARIES!

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‘THE LOST WORDS’ CROSS-CURRICULAR POETRY PROJECT

By Katie Sloane, Alexander (Coke) Smith, Pimchanok (Ploy)Nopprapun, Stephanie Smith and Year 7 Students “As the Environmental Science Leader, I am always looking for new and innovative uses of our spectacular Outdoor Classroom. When Ms Katie Sloane contacted me searching for ideas, we came up with this idea!

Watching our Secondary Poetry students use the wonderful nature of the ODC to inspire brilliant poems was wonderful!”

Alexander (Coke) Smith, Curriculum Leader Environmental Systems and Societies

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Katie Sloane, Head of Faculty, Secondary English

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hat feelings, memories or experiences does the natural world conjure for you? How easily can you put these feelings and flashes of memory into words? As the twenty first century marches on and handheld technologies becomes more ubiquitous, how much is our knowledge and understanding of those magical outdoor spaces we explored as children – and the language we used to describe them – fading from memory? Care and understanding of the natural world is perhaps more important now than ever: how far are today’s young ‘techsperts’ readily equipped with the necessary tools –awareness, knowledge, language – to invest in our planet?

they spent a lesson (re)discovering the natural wonders the tropics have to offer: creeping through a tangle of hanging vines, inspecting flowers and leaves, gasping fascinated – and slightly horrified – at the shock of catfishes’ barbels wiggling through the algae-covered pond’s surface: “what is that!?!”

This learning experience ignited a desire to know more. Back in the classroom students researched the creatures and plants they had discovered outside: their habitats, diets, behaviours…some decided to investigate creatures from their home countries, keen to unearth diverse biological forms from home. From their detailed research notes they thought carefully about how they Back in 2017, following the discovery that “everyday might describe and present these traits using the poetic nature words” were being removed “from a widely used skills they had learned while studying Macfarlane’s pochildren’s dictionary, because those words were not be- ems, playing with form and figurative language. Some ing used enough by children to merit inclusion”, Robert were inspired by Morris’s beautiful illustrations to create MacFarlane, the Cambridge-educated mountaineer their own drawings. and new nature writer began “a protest at the loss of This was an experimental cross-curricular project, the natural world around us” in the form of a collection of acrostic poems, beautifully illustrated by Jackie Mor- blending experiential learning with research skills, Engris. ‘The Lost Words’, a “celebration of the creatures and lish with Art, Drama and Biology; one which has enplants with which we share our lives, in all their won- abled Year 7 students to learn new things about their derful, characterful glory” is what many Year 7 English planet, to connect with nature and experiment with the teachers have been using in their English lessons this term ways in which their passions can be recorded, presentto inspire a renewed awareness, fascination and love of ed and celebrated; and to find a language in which to do so. the natural world.

In their English lessons this term, Year 7 students have Starting with a colourful bird, ‘Kingfisher’, students discovered the traditional artform of English poetry in the been encouraged to think creatively about the world, form of kennings: a technique that blends nouns with experiment and take risks – which is what the curriculum verbs or adjectives to create a vivid compound image at Key Stage 3 is all about! that forces us to look at the world in new ways: “KingThanks to the Science faculty for helping us with some fisher: the colour-giver, fire-bringer, flame-flicker, river’s more technical aspects of Thailand’s plants and animals. quiver.”

They discovered the apparently malevolent ‘Bramble’ that seeks to overrun a town only to leave a gift of blackberries in the empty spaces of every house. They explored misunderstood snakes and newts, the twirling dervishes of weasels, the lofty song of the lark, and creaking power of the heron through aural imagery, rhythm, rhyme, rich metaphor and personification. Students created dramatic readings of the poems, giving voice and action to these magical plants and creatures.

You can find a copy of ‘The Lost Words’ in the Secondary library.

Having explored some of Macfarlane’s UK centric poems, Year 7s visited the Outdoor Classroom to explore some of Thailand’s natural flora and fauna. Equipped with binoculars, magnifying glasses and sometimes nets,

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Pimchanok (Ploy) Nopprapun, Outdoor Learning Space Technician

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his was my first time meeting the teachers and students from Year 7 English Classes. After I heard that they would go to the Outdoor Classroom to explore and observe nature as inspiration for writing poetry, I was so excited and thought that this lesson would be very interesting. I was in direct contact with the teachers and helped them to walk over to the Outdoor Classroom because some of them have not been there before. This was a first-time experience for them as well! Then, I prepared the equipment and was happy to help with in-class support. I explained how to use the equipment, suggested learning areas in the Outdoor Classroom and answered many questions from curious students. I hope this lesson was a valuable and memorable learning experience for them.

Please come have fun and enjoy the Outdoor Classroom together with us again!

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Stephanie Smith, English as an Additional Language (EAL) Teacher

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utor Group 7D visited the Outdoor Classroom during Mrs Tyrell’s English lesson to explore nature as part of writing our own nature poems in the style of poet Robert Macfarlane. We had previously studied his poems “Adder” and “The Kingfisher”, part of “The Lost Words” poetry collection, which he wrote to highlight how various nature words are being lost from the English language as children’s lives becomes increasingly urbanised. The Outdoor Classroom provided an ideal place to look for inspiration for our nature poems.

On a cloudy but humid morning, 7D met Khun Ploy and we walked across to the Outdoor Classroom. Once there, the students were provided with nets, collecting pots and trays and encouraged to explore in pairs or small groups. Many students were immediately attracted to the water, investigating the pond weed and attempting to catch the catfish, whose tentacles could be seen just above the surface, making us think of the Kraken myth. Other students discovered a termite mound, found biting ants and patterns in the bark of trees. Leo and Max discovered golden resin clinging onto a tree trunk while Livia and Sofia-Grace got messy with some pondweed.

Cluster Mushrooms

Climbing like a lizard up the trunk Leaving family behind and making new one Using unusual and unique patterns I camoufage and stand out at the same time Snug to the tree like duct tape to a wall Trees are our home but also like a prison Enchanting I am but not match antation given Round and flat, brown and slim I am Mindful and quiet like the soothing wind Unique in my one way I life Struggling is a part of it Healing is a part of it Reproducing is a part of it Odd it is Mean it is Sad it is

Once back in the classroom and feeling inspired, students wrote about the amazing array of nature that they had experienced using literary techniques such as metaphors, similes and alliteration. They wrote acrostic poems about catfish, resin, moss, mushrooms, ants, leaves, pondweed and trees. Overall, we had a great time exploring nature and the students wrote some fantastic poems that really showed an appreciation for the Outdoor Classroom.

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Careers and University Counseling Office:

Upcoming University Visits

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WFP TSHIRTS All proceeds will go to World Food Programme, who are currently providing emergency food assistance to children and families affected by the conflict in Ukraine and neighbouring countries DATES: 22ND

MARCH

AND

21ST

23RD

TIMES:

LUNCHTIME

(12:20

TO

13:00)

AVAILABLE ALSO AT THE TIGERSHOP NEXT TO THE 25M POOL ORANGE PTG CART IN FRONT OF THE SECONDARY DT BUILDING IF YOU WANT TO MAKE EXTRA DONATIONS IN SUPPORT, PLACE IT IN THE DONATION BOX AT THE PTG CART.

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420 BAHT

COMES IN BLACK AND

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WHITE!

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Year 10 Balloon Debate

Holly Myers, 10L

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ast Friday, all of Year 10 gathered in the Theatre for the grand finale of the Balloon Debate. In the debate, the audience has to imagine that the speakers on stage each represent someone in a falling hot air balloon. If any of them are to survive, they must lose some passengers; therefore, each speaker has to tell the judges why they deserve to live, along with all of their inventions or ideas. The process began in January when every student in Year 10 had to choose somebody they considered to have a great impact on many lives and persuade their tutor group that they should remain in the balloon. One winner was chosen from each tutor group, which created a team of eight passengers in the final debate.

The judging panel was made up of Mr Mills, Ms Conroy, Mr Robertson, Ms Thew and Ms Sloane.

I spoke about Sir John Harrington, the inventor of the flushing toilet. Not only did this allow for some good puns in my speech, but I was able to talk about some shocking facts regarding poor sanitation in some parts of the world showing the importance of this rather funny and little discussed invention. Competition on the stage was fierce. Trying to convince an audience that Tim Cook should be thrown overboard whilst I stay put was no easy task! Also in the balloon were: Ryan Reynolds, Hippocrates, Alan Turing, Anika Chebrolu, Stalin and Willis Carrier.

In the end Sir Harrington survived, so you will all be pleased to know your flushing toilets remain to make your life just that little bit nicer and cleaner!

Techathon 2022

Prithvi (Pritu) Acharya, 12P; Shrish Mahesh, 12M; John Greenbank, 12D; and Itthipat (Jedi) Lertviwatkul, 12A

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n the 5th and 6th March, a student-led microfinance initiative called Patana Development Bank (PDB) hosted its third inter-school programming conference: The Techathon. The event’s aim was to raise funds to provide microfinance loans to underprivileged communities across the world; these not only empower families by supporting their businesses, but also create a self-sustaining ecosystem where the money is returned within an 18 month time period, ready to be loaned out again. Furthermore, we primarily seek to lend to socially and environmentally conscious projects to enhance the value of our loans.

The Techathon included three categories: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

The beginner difficulty involved teams who attempted to solve problems through the medium of Scratch.

The challenges varied in difficulty, from creating simple animations to more complex games. The intermediate difficulty level revolved around a similar concept, however programmers were tasked to solve the challenges through languages such as Java, Python, and C#. In the advanced difficulty, the objective was to develop an app based on issues that participants face in real life and pro10

duce a sales pitch for their app. The pitches were judged on a variety of criteria including, realism, aesthetic, and functionality. We were hugely impressed by the extent of creativity of the solutions proposed and hoped that the Techathon helped inspire great interest in Computer Science and project development as participants had the opportunity to develop an array of new skills.

The advanced level winners were Patrick and Si Chao (Bangkok Patana School). The intermediate level winners were Arnav and Temin (Bangkok Patana School). The beginner level winners were Vaibhav, Natcha, Wannagon and Diana (Regents International School Pattaya).

You can see the winning submission from the advanced level here.

Through the entry ticket fee and the money raised by our generous sponsors (Move Ahead Media, SUPERNAP (Thailand), and Odd-E), we were able to raise 55,000 THB for our cause. We are extremely appreciative of everyone involved in making this happen. We look forward to making this event a bigger success next year and hopefully involving more participants and raising more money for our charitable cause.

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Patana Participates!

Achievements from Our Community:

Have a story to share? Send your information & photos to stml@patana.ac.th Rodney Fountain, Bangkok Patana Parent and History Teacher

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ight on cue, the temperatures across the Kingdom ramped up just as the racers for Round 3 of the Thai National BMX series took to the start ramp. The storm that caused a delay to the start of Round 2 would have been welcomed this time around as riders fought for shade between races as obsessively as they fought for places on the track.

a portable start gate just before the race and will invest hours perfecting their starts before the next round at the end of April in order to fine-tune this vital skill.

After a day of racing on Saturday the team came away happy, but hot! Nico, Frank and Fred continue to chip away at the gap between them and 7th place and its testament to their commitment to progress that they line L&D Racing were out in full force again over the week- up at each race knowing that a podium is still a way end with Bangkok Patana History teacher, Rod Fountain, off… but is getting closer. Rod was happy with his results, Nico Lovegrove (Year 7), Frank Myers (Year 7) and but more so with the fact he didn’t have to get patched Freddy Minchin (Year 8) racing on Saturday, as well as up by the medics this week after getting it all wrong last Edward Smith (Year 11) representing the team on Sun- time out. day.

Ed Smith was, as usual, racing on Sunday in the big A month had passed since the last race and in that time wheel class. With double the number of competitors over the team has been working to perfect some of the key his last race, it was always going to feel a little more skills needed to unlock winning ways. One of the key el- crowded for him out there on the dirt. He was drawn in ements to perfect in BMX racing is the start. Getting to the the dreaded ‘Gate 8’ which put him at a disadvantage first turn ahead of the seven other racers means a better because it meant he would be on the outside of the first choice of line into, and out of, the turn. The start of a BMX turn unless he could cut across all the other riders down race is a tense affair. All eight riders jam their front wheel the first straight. Sadly for Ed he didn’t quite manage it, against a 50cm high gate and then stand-up, balanced but he put on one heck of a show trying to make up for on the pedals. The whole bike is pointing down a 20m it in the rest of the race as he battled for a podium spot, hill at a 15-degree angle towards a jump that’s got the which he just missed out on. capacity to launch them skywards if they get it wrong.

It’s the mid-season break now, which gives the team six Nervously, riders wait for an automated voice to begin its sequence: ‘OK riders, random start. Riders ready, weeks to work on their starts, plus any number of other eswatch the gate.’ When the words stop there’s a delay of sential skills, before Round 4. There’s also some exciting anything from 0.4 to 2.5 seconds (a lifetime!) before four news about a new track just 40 minutes from Bangkok beeps sound in rapid succession and the gate is forced Patana, but more on that when it’s confirmed. Until then, if down by a hydraulic ram, that sounds like a gun firing you’d like to follow Rod, Nico, Frank, Freddy and Ed on their and which happens faster than the eye can see. As the adventure, then go to facebook.com/pedalsreadygo/ gate drops, riders pile on the power and sprint down the Or, if you’d like to know more about BMX or where to hill towards the first jump. L&D Racing took delivery of ride, get in touch with Rod at: rofo@patana.ac.th

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Talking with Your Child

about consent, relationships and body changes

Carol Battram, Primary Assistant Principal

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alking with your child about relationships, their body, and how to keep themselves safe, works best as an ongoing conversation. Within the Primary school, RSE (relationships and sex education) is often woven in with our day-to-day learning and Bangkok Patana values. Your child may have questions at any time, so it’s helpful to consider your own views and values before responding.

•Games often include relationship role-play •They are anxious about body changes •They keep asking how babies are made •They want to learn more about gender identity •They would be very embarrassed to be seen naked •They would be more than embarrassed to see you naked •They want to spend less time with you and more time with Most children are curious about relationships and sex peer group and would like to know more. They quickly realise that •Hugs have now been replaced with grunts Below is a very rough guide to the ages at which some questions are more welcome than others, and that natural curiosity about sex and sexuality is not always children show interest in their body, develop a sense of privacy and experience physical changes as they move rewarded with good answers. through Primary and into Secondary.

Your child needs accurate information about their body, how to keep themselves safe, and how to build healthy NAMING BODY PARTS and positive relationships at many different points in their Your child needs to know the right words for all parts of life. This requires ongoing conversations at home and at the body, including genitalia, and we teach these words school, interspersed with many questions and answers. at school. As a family, you may also have other names Children need to learn how bodies change over time for these body parts and that’s fine. By naming all visible and how to manage changing feelings. Consent can body parts, children develop the sense of ownership that and should be part of these conversations, so that our comes with knowledge. If parts of the body are left unyoungest students understand the importance of asking named, it sends a very strange message to a child. How for and giving permission for physical touch. can they ask a question about a body part if it’s been left An on-going conversation will support your child as unnamed? they grow and change, and it’s worth thinking about INFANCY: UP TO TWO YEARS what you want to share as a family. What’s important to Toddlers are learning names for all visible parts of the your family, your culture, your beliefs? What values do body including their genitalia. They may start to identify you wish to share with your child? obvious differences between genders.

Asking and answering questions helps children develop understanding. If you aren’t sure how much they TWO TO FIVE YEARS OLD already know, or think they know, feel free to ask them Children are taught that their body belongs to them. some questions back. If they ask a question in the wrong They can start to learn about and understand consent. place, delay answering but promise to talk about it at They have a right to say no when they don’t want to be home. touched, hugged and kissed. They can decide to stop when a game gets too physical, and they don’t like it If you avoid answering questions, your child will quickanymore. They have a right to privacy when going to ly learn to look elsewhere for answers.

AGES AND STAGES Interests and requirements change with age - and you may recognise some of these behaviours.

•Your child only wants to play with friends of the same gender.

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the toilet. They are taught that we do not share the parts of our body covered by underwear or swimsuits, and that nobody has the right to touch their private parts. They need to know what to do and who to tell if they ever feel unsafe or unsure about a touch.

some excellent resources in our libraries. These two funny books by Peter Mayle, Where did I come from? and What’s happening to me? have been used in thousands of schools and homes.

Mummy Laid an Egg!, and Hair in Funny Places, will appeal to many children – and their parents. Many of FIVE TO EIGHT YEARS OLD Children recognise that we all change and grow in our children will be familiar with Babette Cole’s picture different ways. They develop their understanding of con- books. sent, privacy and respect for others. They are interested Making a Baby, by Rachel Greener and Clare Owen in the different ways in which babies are made and born. reflects a more inclusive view of how every family begins They are interested to learn that some families look like and is highly recommended. It is never too early to start theirs and some look different. talking with your child about issues of consent and Miles is the Boss of his Body helps frame conversations around NINE TO 12 YEARS OLD personal body boundaries.

Some children will begin puberty before age 10, and all children need to know about puberty before these changes occur. A child who knows what to expect is less likely to be anxious. Everyone experiences change during puberty and it should not be a mystery.

Inform girls about boys’ changes, and boys about girls’ changes. Children continue to develop their understanding of what makes a relationship healthy and positive, including consent, safety and respect. They may start to challenge the status quo in their relationships with adults.

They might experience significant and complex upsets within their friendship group. They should be helped to find trusted information about sex and sexuality.

HELPFUL BOOKS Not every child wants to talk about puberty, sex and relationships, and books are still a great way to share information and answer questions. There is a huge choice online if you search for Children’s Sexuality, and we have

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GOLF PROGRAMME REACHES NEW MILESTONE Cindy Adair, Cross Campus Assistant Principal

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he Bangkok Patana Golf programme has been goThis Sunday marks another important milestone in the ing from strength to strength in recent years, now development of our programme, Bangkok Patana is boasting: proud to be hosting its very own Golf Invitational. This event is part of the Thailand International School Golf •A Varsity team of 27 golfers who train year round Tour and will take place at Thana City on Sunday. The •A dedicated Development team of young up and com- event has attracted lots of interest and will be a full field ing golfers who are improving their game and handicap with our own Varsity team, expected to compete strongly striving to one day representing the school against other local international school golfers. The event •A recreational Golf ECA for students who enjoy their golf has been 24 months in the making after last year’s event and enjoy a trip to the driving range or course weekly was cancelled due to COVID, so the excitement and an•A SNAG golf ECA for our very youngest learners to ticipation from the team is high. Let’s hear from our Golflearn the basic fundamentals, including how to hold a club ing Tigers Team Captain, Tina (Y13), what it means to be and approach a shot hosting our own Invitational…

Our teams are supported by a passionate group of “We are extremely proud and grateful staff who work alongside the Singha Elite Golf Perforto be able to represent Bangkok Patana mance Centre staff, headed up by our Pro – Andrew and compete at our home course. This Knott. Andrew has coached at the highest levels includis a huge step forward for the team and ing stints guiding the careers of Thai golfing stars like the Bangkok Patana golf programme.

Poom Saksansin and Thammanon Siroj among others.

We can’t wait!”

In keeping with our mission and vision, the programme We look forward to sharing the results and highlights of aims to help every child achieve their potential, whether our tournament with you next week! that be to take up a scholarship to play golf at college, or to master the game for lifelong enjoyment and fitness.

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FOBISIA Invitational Tennis Tournament Dan Ahl, Cross Campus Head Tennis Coach

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angkok Patana hosted the FOBISIA Invitational Tennis Tournament last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Twelve different schools took part with 158 competitors. The event started on Friday with a qualifying event, where the top eight players in each age group progressed through to the main draw on Saturday and Sunday. They then joined eight other players who had received a direct acceptance based on their ranking.

Bangkok Patana was well represented in all the age groups (Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16) with a total of 58 players entered. Although days were long with play starting at 8am each day and finishing at 8pm, the play was of a high standard with some National team players taking part and a massive 275 matches were played! Bangkok Patana had seven players finishing in the Top 3, with Pin Manavutiveth winning the Under 16 Girls’ title to add to her BMAC Under 19 win, whilst Anton Limvatanayingyong was victorious in the Under 12 Boys’ event. Rainer Schestak, Raichah De Sousa Huynen, Mila Chakrabandu and Philip Anderson were runners up in the Boys’ Under 16, Girls’ Under 14, Girls’ Under 12 and Boys’ Under 12, respectively, and Pam Phanratanamongkol was 3rd in the Girls’ Under 16.

A big thanks must go to our tennis coaches, Gift, Ball, Pie, Rung, John and Don, whose help to the younger players on court throughout the event was invaluable and whose enthusiasm and expertise made everything go very smoothly.

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TERM 2 LOST PROPERTY ONLINE DISPLAY Last chance to claim your items before they are donated to charity!

21-25 MARCH 16

claim your items by emailing: lostproperty@patana.ac.th

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#213: Supporting Children to Deal with Upsetting Content F

ollowing on from Carol Battram’s excellent lead article in last week’s Patana news, raising children in the digital age seems to be getting tougher, with the world currently experiencing so many uncertainties.

From the continuing impact of COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine, right now children across the globe can scarcely go online without being exposed to unsettling stories, images and ideas. Reassuring a concerned child can be difficult, especially when bad news feels omnipresent.

This week’s guide contains advice for parents and care givers on discussing upsetting events with young ones.

Enjoy the weekend when it arrives.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration

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Desert Island Discs With Merielle Joy Crisan, Head Receptionist

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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 Head Receptionist, Merielle Joy Crisan, is stuck on a desert island.

MS MERIELLE, IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Meet Me at Our Spot - The Anxiety

The Next Episode - Dr Dre

Dark Blue - Jack’s Mannequin

All Night - Chance the Rapper

Holy Ground - Taylor Swift

1950 - King Princess

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine Click to listen to Ms Merielle Joy Crisan’s playlist

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. A luxury bed, sheets and pillows!

WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee 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 STML with your favourites.

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COMMUNITY

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Bangkok Patana School News

18/03/2022

COMMUNITY CY-2022-005

Opera Gala Concert

Scenes from Well-known Operas & Operetta Performed by Heavenly Voice Singers

Alisara Arial, Pichamon Mookmaneekun, Krittiya Srisuwan, Yanika Yamyuean, Chanakan Amarangkun, Aditep Khanyoo, Jatupol Pinthip, Jorn Yasavudhi, Wongsathorn Narumit, and Jatupol Nuanjan

Project Director & Vocal Coach: Nancy Tsui-Ping Wei Stage Director: Tarin Prinyaknit Répétiteurs: Rasikamon Maprang, Siri Sranoi

18/03/2022

Bangkok Patana School News

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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 22

Bangkok Patana School News

18/03/2022