Patana News Volume 25 Issue 17

Happy 2023!

Greetings Everyone!

I hope all our school community experienced a happy and fun festive season and a warm Happy New Year to you all! It was so good to fly down and spend Christmas with my boys who are based in Melbourne. We visited lots of interesting vegan restaurants and of course spent time at the beach as its summer in Australia.

Over the holidays I read an interesting article by the highly respected Professor Mark Hutchinson who is currently the Director of the Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics at the University of Adelaide. He has done some in-depth study on how the brain works. He clearly states that knowledge was not the only key ingredient to success in the workplace, there is so much more required.

You don’t get into the top medicine schools if you are simply a book worm. You may know that the hipbone is connected to the thigh bone, (you may even be able to sing it), but what the interview and selection process for so many top jobs these days seek is evidence of resilience, self-reliance, profound emotional intelligence, interest and motivation, the capacity to go the extra mile, the care for well-being of ourselves and others. Very much the Bangkok Patana School ethos!

New Students:

We welcome 39 new Primary students and 5 new Secondary students during Term 2A which is lower than last year, as we are currently almost full in every Year group! A special warm welcome to our new students and their families and we are so glad you have joined the Bangkok Patana family.

On the Recruitment Front:

We have a lower turn-over of staff leaving us at the end of this academic year and our recruitment drive is well under way. As in previous years, there is a wide array of talented highly qualified teachers wanting to join the Bangkok Patana family.

My Personal Favourites For 2022:

As we bid farewell to 2022, I thought I would share with you some of my personal favourites!

Top Book of 2022- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan. A dystopian look at the government’s far reach into child welfare and social services.

Top Movie of 2022- All Quiet on the Western Front, Director Edward Berger A Young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.

Top

Best

Favourite

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

Thai Beach- Khao Lak, an hour and a half drive from Phuket airport, such a gorgeous coastline and no plastic on the beach at all!

New Attraction in Bangkok- The new extension to the right of Benjakitti Park. The elevated walkways overlooking the wetlands are incredible!

New Favourite Restaurant- Eat.Co. Vegan comfort food on the corner of Soi 26. Small and intimate with high quality fresh produce, not for meat lovers!

Favourite Sporting Moment- New Zealand hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup!

Favourite Music Moment- Krista Shim, Year 11 making it to the semi-final of Thailand The Voice!

Netflix Production- Extraordinary Attorney Woo. An amazing fun tale of a young Korean lawyer who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Matt Mills Head of School

a positive impact at tHe RutH centRe

Agroup of Year 13 students travelled up to the Ruth Centre Assisted Living Centre in Uthai Thani, which helps the most vulnerable in our local community. The organisation’s Assisted Living Centre project provides shelter for the homeless elderly. Leading up to the trip, students held a lucky draw and sponge-throwing-at-teachers event to fundraise money for the foundation.

On Saturday morning, we went to the Ruth Centre and toured the Living Centre, which will house around 35 elders. We also visited the plantation behind the Living Centre, consisting of the 300+ banana trees our group had helped plant on their previous trip. We made cement blocs to help stabilise the irrigation system around the plantation and cleared the trunks of cocoa trees.

“Overall, it was a rewarding experience being able to see the Living Centre come to life and engaging in some hands-on work. This trip was meaningful in the sense that we were able to give direct help to a community. It was our second time visiting the Uthai Thani province and it felt really satisfying looking at how much the banana trees we planted grew. We planted trees that merely reached the height of our knees, but had become taller than anyone on the trip. A lot of physical work was put in by everyone, and although a little tough, I think that it was a great time for us to release stress.” - Jeongmin Lee

“I found the Ruth Center trip to be very fulfilling and a great learning opportunity. I think I speak for everyone when I say it was extremely gratifying to finally be able to perform direct service in our trip up to the plantation, after so much preparation and commitment. Driven by our collective desire to help the Ruth Centre's cause, spirits remained high as we left the farm with sore muscles but delighted, our stomachs full of delicious pineapple fried rice prepared by the kind team of resident volunteers.” - Louise Humbert

The Ruth Centre trip was an eye-opening and fruitful experience; not only did we get to see the fully grown banana trees from our first trip, we also got to work alongside the staff and contribute to a good cause.

Preeyanan (Pam) Jirarungroj, 13D

sustainability in tHe snack baR

Dear all,

We are writing to tell you about being sustainable as a global citizen and things that you could do to become more sustainable. We are trying to make sure the food that the Bangkok Patana community enjoys is as sustainable as possible. Being sustainable means to do something good for the planet as a global citizen. If you wanted to make the food you eat be more sustainable, you could buy fruit instead of other snacks at the Snack Bar. This is because the fruit that is sold has no packaging, so nothing gets thrown away!

Many snacks at the Primary Snack Bar are not as sustainable as fruit due to the plastic packaging that the snacks come in. Some snacks are sustainable on their own, but people add things like plastic wrap to keep the food item clean. At our Primary Snack Bar, we have approximately 22 unsustainable snacks and around six sustainable snacks, which include bananas, apples, muffins, egg rolls, cookies and butter cakes. These snacks are sustainable because they have more sustainable packaging.

Paper is sustainable because it is biodegradable and comes from trees. We plant trees and cut them down, so as long as we keep replanting the trees, paper is sustainable. Plastic is not sustainable because plastic is made from oil and oil is not renewable. If we don't replant the trees, paper will become unsustainable.

The most unsustainable snacks at the Snack Bar are the snacks that come packaged with single-use plastic. Single-use plastic is plastic that can only be used once. That means once

a person has used something that is single-use plastic, they will have to throw it away and the single-use plastic might go to a landfill or it might have to go to the ocean, which would pollute the ocean.

We are trying to change the fact that we have plastic spoons in the Snack Bar, because they are made of single-use plastic, and we are suggesting that they are changed to wooden spoons so they are sustainable. The other thing we want to add is a sustainability rating next to the Snack Bar so that people know how sustainable the snack that they are buying is and maybe they will change what they buy. The rating will be out of 5 stars.

outstanding tHai youtH

We also have other ideas, like creating a new fruit stand that sells only fruit, which would make the line for the people who buy fruit faster and persuade them to buy more fruit than unsustainable snacks. Do you think this is a good idea?

How sustainable can you be?

Thank you for reading, Nayada (Neave) Ekaraphanich

awaRd

Congratulations to the eight students who were chosen by The Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) to receive an Outstanding Thai Youth award from the Minister of Education. Students received their award from the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister also presented a speech at the ceremony. The award ceremony is held during January to celebrate Thai National Children’s Day at the Royal Thai Government House.

Outstanding Thai Youth Award: Narida Charanachitta, 9V and Celine Ninsuvannakul, 13M

Outstanding Thai Youth Award in Arts/Music: Thanatcha Tanompongphandh, 1F; Thanakrit Tanompongphandh, 4H; Larisa Wangwittaya, 5C; Arisa Wangwittaya, 8S; and Chanya Somboonvechakarn, 7N.

Outstanding Thai Youth Award in Professional Skills: Nara Sthapitanonda, 8C (2021-22)

Nayada (Neave) Ekaraphanich, 4F

(i)gcse music

TEE JANVATANAVIT

The (I)GCSE was a breath of fresh air thanks to having a more specialized and complex curriculum. But at the same time, it posed many challenges in terms of theory, as well as music history, which developed new unfamiliar skills. The most enjoyable aspect had to be my composition, especially my Big Band piece "Ocean Waves", into which I poured my blood, sweat and tears. Furthermore, there were also solo performances that forced me to push my technique on the bass to the extreme in order to achieve a high standard. Overall, it was a good experience.

TAWIN (FINN) HABANANANDA

(I)GCSE Music is not like any other subject. It is extremely free and student-led when compared with other subjects, which I really enjoyed. I especially appreciated that this course heavily focuses on the collaborating and communicating aspects, as I feel that music has helped me to form a deeper connection with my peers. I enjoyed the performance the most as it encouraged me to practice hard and refine my guitar playing skills. This course has definitely made me a musician and a better performer. Although the coursework is very demanding and required me to work many sleepless nights, I did not regret a thing about choosing (I)GCSE music.

Solo Performance Composition

PITTAYUT (FAME) PISUTTISARUN

(I)GCSE music is an incredibly unique course like no other. It Is the only course in which I feel I get to be in charge of my learning experience - from choosing my own musical pieces to learning how to compose. I came in knowing nothing about music theory, but I knew that I absolutely loved listening and playing music. Although it was overwhelming trying to catch up with my peers and hearing terms I was unfamiliar with, I really enjoyed how it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Eventually, music theory was able to help me convey my passion and love for music. My favourite component of the course was the composition, and it was the most significant in my journey as a musician. Composing a musical piece was completely new to me and it helped me grow as musician. At first I was nervous, but loved the control and freedom I had over all the elements in my composition while still feeling supported by our teachers who guided us by always checking in and giving detailed advice. At the end of the course, I was proud of my progress. Although the (I)GCSE music course has ended and we may go down different paths in our lives, the friends and memories that were made along the way will forever stick with me and the growth I have experienced due to (I) GCSE Music will impact me permanently. From this amazing experience, I can now proudly say that I am a musician.

Solo

LUCAS PERREN

(I)GCSE Music was the source of many fond memories throughout the two-year course. As someone who is very passionate about music, I was always looking forward to walking into Mr Larking’s classroom to learn something new. The small class size made each lesson a more personal interaction between our group and we became much closer throughout the course. The subject is coursework intensive, which allowed me to show my development in music. My favorite component of the coursework was my composition – an opportunity to express myself freely and produce a piece of music that I feel extremely proud of; where I dedicated myself to explore and reproduce music from my home: Latin America. I think it is safe to say that (I)GCSE Music was the highlight of all my (I)GCSE subjects.

Laura MacRitchie, Curriculum Leader, Music; David Larking, Curriculum Leader, Instrumental Music

uncle simon’s stoRies

Murgatroyd, Head of Libraries

‘Uncle Simon’s Stories’ are tales of adventure as well as being an exploration of ingenuity, resilience and the abundance of human spirit. The book was written by Mr Owen McDevitt, who was a Secondary Head of Year and an English teacher at Bangkok Patana School between 2007 and 2017.

When asked why he wrote the story and what it is about, Mr McDevitt said that It was loosely based on an adventure that his brother, Simon, and a friend, had when they sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Cape Town in South Africa. At that time, they did not have much sailing experience and almost didn't complete the journey, but it provided both Simon and Mr McDevitt with many good stories. Sadly, his brother passed away in 2017, so the idea for the book came from his desire to create something that could be shared with his sons about their Uncle Simon to help keep his memory alive.

Reflecting on the writing process, Mr McDevitt explained that it was not a quick one at all. He started writing 'Uncle Simon's Stories' when he and his family were living in Canada in 2018. Getting his ideas down did not take that long, but deciding on a writing style and finding an illustrator took much longer. He says that he took inspiration from books he and his boys had enjoyed reading together, with those by Julia Donaldson being particular favourites. As a result, he decided to write the story in rhyming couplets, which although challenging was good fun to do. He used his Mum, a retired teacher, as his editor and would send regular drafts home to the UK for checking and possible improvements before the final version was written.

Once the story was finished it was time to find an illustrator to help bring the words to life. This proved to be easier said than done for Mr McDevitt and there were a lot of stops and starts until Sally Flint, the former Head of Libraries at Bangkok Patana School, put him in touch with Candy Jar Publishing in the UK. It was through them that the story was sent to Terry Cooper, who illustrated the book beautifully and then everything fell into place. It shows a great level of perseverance and determination to be able to see something through until the end, especially when that process takes a number of years, which does not even include writing the book in the first place!

Since it was published in 2020, copies of 'Uncle Simon's Stories' have been sent all around the world and Mr McDevitt is particularly proud that it is on a yacht in the Caribbean called 'Norsegod'. The yacht was named in memory of Simon, as it was kind of like his alter-ego, and is owned by a company called Tradewinds, for whom Simon was a captain and a director.

The book is available in the Primary Library and also through Amazon UK

Stephen

in tHe eye of a mytHical cReatuRe

Peart, Leader of Learning and Curriculum Year 3

Fingers

crossed, you should be able to ask any Year 3 student what sustainability means and how we, as humans, can be more sustainable, as it has been the focus of our recent Art project.

At the beginning of Term 1b, a mystery mythical creature took up residence in the Y3 shared area. The loud roars, discarded bones and silvery eggs suggested a dragon, but we couldn’t be sure! Students had time to explore the lair, using clues and evidence to try and work out which creature they thought it might be. Through Literacy, Science and Connected Learning, they then came up with a creature description and spent time creating a report all about it, complete with information on its habitat, diet and appearance. In Art, we then took a different approach and zoomed in on its eyes.

Inspired by the artwork of Year 9 students last year, we started by investigating other creature’s eyes and created some amazing oil pastel drawings, before thinking more carefully about our own mythical creature and what it’s eyes might look like. These ideas were then turned into designs on paper, before we set about recreating them in textiles. And that is where the sustainability element came in. With our global citizenship hats on, we reached out to the PTG, who were very generously able to supply us with second-hand school uniforms. It was rather strange creating an iris from a Primary uniform, and a pupil from a Secondary top, but we knew the importance of reusing and recycling material rather than buying something new.

The students have been able to practice their sewing skills (and hopefully picked up a new practical skill) and have worked extremely hard to create something they should be exceptionally proud of. In addition to being sustainable, utilising school uniforms also created a lasting memory of their Primary years, and hopefully their eyeball cushions will be something they can treasure for many years to come. We would love to say a huge thank you to the PTG and to Miss Cora and the Primary Arts team for all their support with the project!

Carly

Patana ParticiPates!

Achievements from Our Community

Thitida Leelapanyalert, Patana Parent Ornicha (Ava) Voravutvityarak, 7H, participated in the 1st JRC Gymnastics Championships and finished 5th runner up in the category for 11-12 year-olds on Clubs apparatus. Ava also competed in the Singapore International Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition 2022 and won various awards: Second Runner Up in Clubs Category; Third Runner Up in Hoop Category; Third Runner Up in All-Around Apparatuses; and was voted Miss Flexible. At this competition, Ava even had the opportunity to train with the Olympic Gold Medal Team!

sHoebox appeal in yeaR 2

The 2022 Year 2 Christmas Shoebox Appeal - bringing a little Christmas sparkle to our charity, Children of the Forest! Thank you to the generous Bangkok Patana School Community and the Year 2 students for their very kind donations. These Christmas gifts made a huge difference to those who would otherwise not have received a gift at Christmas time. The children at our charity school, Children of the Forest, were very grateful. Thank you!

Chris Perkins, Year 2 Teacher

scientia: the Periodic table

Ari Kim, 12W In 2019, Peter Atkins, an English chemist, claimed that “The periodic table is arguably the most important concept in chemistry” (Chemical Solutions Laboratories, 2019). But why is it? Read more to find out why! Read the complete article online here!

The Dance Academy presents the Tiger Cats Challenge and Adjudicated Showcase 2023, Bangkok Patana’s first dance competition event! While many of our dancers have already signed up, we are still inviting in sign-ups for the solo and duet categories. This event will take place on the Thursday 16th February at the Rosamund Stuetzel Theatre from 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Professional adjudicators have been invited to judge the competition and some spectacular dance performances by external dance crews are to be expected as well! You do not have to be enrolled in Dance ECAs to participate in this competition. All dance styles are welcome. If you have any questions, please write to us at dance@patana.ac.th

TheDance Academy is now inviting sign ups for our annual dance showcase – The Dance Extravaganza 2023. This event will be held on Monday 12th June at the Rosemund Stuetzel Theatre. Previous dance experience isn’t required and all students are welcome to join. In order to participate, please use the Parents’ Gateway to sign up for the Dance Extravaganza ECA. Preparations begin in Block C and continue until the end of Block D. You can watch videos from last year’s showcase here: Dance Extravaganza 2022. This year, we will be exploring the concept of ‘Freedom’ through dance, movement, music and emotional expression.

sec in tHe solaR village

Before the holiday break, members of the SEC volunteered to attend the Roots and Shoots trip, to help install solar panels in the Wiang Haeng Village. This life changing experience was led by Mr Coke Smith and Miss Sin Hee Kim. The group consisted of students from Year 8 to Year 13 and whilst we didn’t know each other particularly well, we came together as a group and really enjoyed our time focusing on our shared passion for sustainability and helping others. The trip was an opportunity to explore Chiang Mai, learn independence and feel the humbling emotions of helping those in need.

The trip was less about 5-star hotels, curated tourist activities and fancy vehicles. Instead, we were travelling on the back of pick-ups, staying in local accommodation and eating traditional Jok for breakfast and Khao Soi for lunch. Experiencing Northern Thailand in a more authentic way!

We travelled North of Chiang Mai for five hours to reach the village. Meeting the villagers was such fun, they greeted us like old friends (which Mr Smith is) and were excited to watch us install the life-changing solar panel kits. The kits are both waterproof and durable. Having light in your home is something we all take for granted, now these families will have the opportunity to read a book in the evening, safely supervise their children, or prepare food after dark. Despite some delivery delays we made the most of our extra time by socialising with the children in the village - teaching them the essential skills of bottle flipping. We also got to interact with farm animals, making new friends with pigs, goats, chooks and even a few fresh new puppies - so cute!

Before the trip we held a winter clothing drive and were able to take up over 12 bags of hoodies, jackets and beanies. The villagers were really excited to update their wardrobes ready for the cooler winter period. Thank you to everyone who donated.

Once we had finished the important work of installing the solar panels and donating the clothing and toys, we were lucky enough to have some time to explore the amazing natural landscapes of Northern Thailand. Waterfalls, caves and stunning mountain vistas were all on our itinerary. Luckily the annual haze associated with the burning season had not yet begun. It was unique to feel both cold and slightly sunburnt at the same time!

If you get the opportunity to attend this trip and or another like it which combines your passions with service to others - I highly recommend it!

Ana Bolakoso, Key Stage 3 SEC Representative

Desert Island Discs

With Rattana Chanruam, Secondary Thai Curriculum

Leader

This 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 Secondary Thai Curriculum Leader, Rattana Chanruam, is stuck on a desert island.

MS RATTANA , IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU?

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

High - Lighthouse Family You and Me - Lifehouse

Until You - Shayne Ward

I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden

Addicted - Stevie Hoang

Take Me To Your HeartMichael Learns to Rock Click to listen to Ms Rattana’s playlist

The Way You Look At Me - Christian Bautista

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 flute, to make some noise!

WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU?

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Catch the real Desert Island Discs on BBC. What are you listening to? Have a list of your own? Let us know! Contact STML with your favourites.

#235: What Parents need to KnoW about tiKtoK

TikTok is a free social media platform that lets users create, share and watch short videos ranging anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in duration. The app gained notoriety for its viral dances, trends and celebrity cameos and can be a creative, fun platform for teens to enjoy. Now available in 75 languages, it has more than a billion active users worldwide (as of spring 2022) and is most popular with the under-16 age bracket. In fact, a 2022 Ofcom report found TikTok to be the most-used social media platform for posting content, particularly among young people aged 12 to 17.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as age-inappropriate content, dangerous challenges and contact with strangers.

Have a great weekend.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration

For

daily

643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND