Patana News Volume 25 Issue 30

Grant roBertson

Crossing the Campus

TransiTion from Primary To secondary school

Grant Robertson, Secondary Senior Teacher, Student Welfare

Aswe approach the final weeks of the academic year, our Year 6 students are preparing to make the transition to Secondary School. This is an exciting time, but for some it can also be a period of anxiety and uncertainty, both for students and parents. That’s why we take the transition process very seriously: we believe that a good transition programme between Year 6 and Year 7 is essential for ensuring a smooth and successful start to the Secondary School journey.

Although our Primary and Secondary Schools are on the same campus, we recognise that the move is still a significant one. Secondary School brings with it many new challenges, such as a wider curriculum, more contact time with a variety of teachers, and greater expectations for independent learning and study skills.

Our transition programme is designed to provide students with a range of experiences and opportunities that will help them to feel confident and comfortable in their new school environment. Many people across the whole campus are involved in this process, but particular credit goes to Sarah Dibley in Primary and Katie Chatterton and Simon Griffiths in Secondary for their outstanding collaboration to ensure that everything is ready for the upcoming transition programme.

This year, an early start was made by the English Faculty, as outlined here by Key Stage 3 Curriculum Leader for English, Rosie Marshall:

“Throughout English in Year 7, we focus on developing confident communication, empathy and active listening skills, which we put into practice as part of our Year 6 to Year 7 transition process. Recently, Year 7 students had a series of lessons on the steps to success in debating. The students did a great job in giving enthusiastic support and constructive feedback to the Year 6 debating teams on the ethical concerns and issues raised in the novel ‘Pig Heart Boy’ by Malorie Blackman.

It was really special seeing the excitement on the faces of the Year 7 students as they were welcomed back into the

Year 6 building by Mr Thornback. Our Year 7 students remember doing the same debating task last year and were able to empathise with the younger students. Miss Chatterton was really impressed with the vibrancy of the discussions and the collaboration between the year groups. In the upcoming weeks, Year 7 will be writing letters to Year 6 students passing on essential advice about all things Secondary. This personal advice is so much more valuable coming from these students who have successfully navigated the transition process (and the noodle bar!).”

Next year’s Head of Year 7, Katie Chatterton, and the Year 9 Junior Delegates will be visiting Year 6 classes for a question-and-answer session. This is ideal because the Year 9 students have the context of the whole of Key Stage 3 to share with students who are just about to start their journey.

Secondary taster sessions, focused on subjects which will be new, or significantly different, are instrumental in helping students to feel excited about their new learning and to dispel worries. Simon Griffiths has been in close liaison with relevant faculties to facilitate taster lessons in Music, Art, Drama, Science and DT (check out page 6 for a look at this experience in the Music Department). Year 6 students will come over to Secondary and, in addition to experiencing new learning with Secondary teachers, they have break and lunch in their new environment and get to familiarise themselves with the canteen and all the different areas to hang out. Senior Studies Delegates will be present throughout and act as excellent role models as they help staff and students facilitate the success of the visits.

While it will take a number of weeks in August before the students are completely confident in navigating their new grounds in the Secondary School, the taster days give an idea of the layout, atmosphere and tempo of Secondary life. In reality, the new term will involve students sometimes getting lost and sometimes being a bit late for a lesson… this is normal and we all understand; indeed, it would be very strange otherwise! Staff and older students will therefore be expecting this

and will be keen to help point students in the right direction: we hope the new Year 7 students do lots of asking!

Now the most exciting bit: as students in Secondary are allowed to buy ice-creams, the Year 6 transition visits provide this same benefit! The transition weeks are, therefore, a great way for students to get both a literal and metaphorical ‘taste’ of Secondary life.

We understand that parents and carers play a crucial role in supporting their child through the transition process. We will be sending out a comprehensive video and detailed handbook towards the end of term which should answer most, if not all questions. We will also be offering tours of the Secondary School to all current and new Year 6 parents and carers. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with the new Head of Year 7, Katie Chatterton.

In order to get the most useful feedback on the importance of the transition process, I hosted a focus group with current Year 7 students and asked them for their thoughts on their experience last year. Here is what they had to say:

HUDSON RUTHLING (7B)

“The transition from Primary to Secondary was great; they showed us around Secondary and gave us demonstrations of what classes could be like. Science was was really exciting because we got to do experiments.”

RUBEN CONROY (7T)

“The transition to Secondary was fun and interesting. My favourite lesson was Drama because we played a lot of fun games like Floor is Lava. The English letter was really cool because you can make friends with a Year 7 student.”

AKISATO KONO (7Y)

“Overall the transition was very exciting and really fun. Moving to Secondary ended up being not scary at all!”

PIMNARA (PRIM) ASAWAPIWAT (7S)

“I was scared about being overwhelmed with home learning, but in reality, you don’t get home learning at all in Term 1 (to help the transition be smoother) and after that it is only set if it matters.”

QINGHAN (HANSON) LIU (7W)

“Honestly the transition between Primary and Secondary was very special. We got to experience Secondary through a variety of taster lessons that got us to know new subjects and teachers.”

NICHOLAS (NICKY) O’MOORE (7H)

“The transition was the most fun I’ve had in my school life!”

ARIA (NIKKI) BAKER (7C)

“New uniforms, new people, new classes, new you: possibly the most refreshing of them all.”

SORANOP (TONSOL) BOONSONG (7N)

“It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me!”

Whole School Dress Up Day: Friday 2nd June

Webinar: Wednesday 24th May

seCurit Y reminDers

Services Department

1. Kindly refrain from dropping off your child in front of Soi 39 and 39/1 as it obstructs the entrance, causing traffic congestion on the main road.

2. Please avoid sharing your parking sticker with other families. Any misuse or abuse of school parking stickers will result in the cancellation of parking privileges not only for your family but also for any other families involved in the sharing.

3. If you notice any drivers disregarding parking regulations, please report the incident by capturing the car’s registration plate and the parking sticker displayed on their windshield. Submit this information to Khun Danny, our Security Manager, so that we can promptly address the issue.

WelComing Year 6 to Secondary MuSic

Laura MacRitchie, Curriculum Leader, Music

We were very excited to welcome Year 6 to Secondary Music! Students have been visiting the music department for the past two weeks and have observed all of our performing ensembles. They have had the opportunity to watch the Concert Band, Vocal, String, Guitar and Thai ensembles. The Year 6 students also had a music assembly where Miss MacRitchie outlined the process of choosing their music ensemble for Year 7. Back in their classes, Year 6 students have also watched the options video and had look through the booklet. These two resources give a wealth of information on our Key Stage 3 Ensembles Programme and the Options process.

NEXT STEPS:

The Ensemble Choice Form will be issued to parents on Monday 22nd May, deadline Thursday 25th May.

Please note that we are asking students to think about their choice of ensemble NOT instrument at this stage. Your child’s ensemble placement will be announced in August.

sCientia:

negative reinforceMent verSuS PoSitive reinforceMent

Jynna Wongswan, 9M

Negative and positive reinforcement strengthens the probability of a behaviour. Negative reinforcement does this by removing something (confiscating an item), whereas positive reinforcement involves adding something (a prize). People’s opinion on the most suitable type of reinforcement is subjective, so I aim to present the differences, effects and results for you to decide.

Read Jynna’s complete article on Scientia’s website, linked here.

YEAR 12 SPORTS EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE: moving TogeTher wiTh year 2

Cindy Adair, Cross Campus Assistant Principal, Continued Professional Learning

TheYear 12 Sports Exercise Health Science students had the opportunity to work with 2B during their PE lesson. They designed and ran a fundamental movement skills challenge, which involved both fine and gross motor skills. Under the watchful eye of the Year 12 students, our Year 2s had to write their name and fasten the buttons on a shirt (fine motor skills). Then, they demonstrated their gross motor skills by performing a cartwheel, throwing a ball and catching it, demonstrating that they can dribble and shoot a football, hop on both feet, jump rope and hula hoop.

Our Year 12 students were able to learn how to adapt their communication style and study design to younger learners and our Year 2 students were able to showcase their developing control over their bodies in a range of contexts. As the students moved around the stations they collected stickers in their Movement Passport, it was fantastic to see words of encouragement, high fives and technique tips being shared by the older students.

This was a wonderful example of one of the benefits of being a Nursery through Year 13 campus, providing opportunities for collaborative learning at all ages.

the Failings oF Fast Fashion

Ana Bolakoso, SEC Key Stage 3 Representative

Fast fashion has taken the world by storm in recent years, with shoppers demanding cheap, trendy clothes that can be bought and worn quickly. While this trend may seem harmless on the surface, there are a multitude of negative impacts that come with fast fashion. Here in Bangkok, we are no exception to these impacts and it’s important for students and parents alike to understand the consequences of this popular trend.

Firstly, the production of fast fashion is incredibly harmful to the environment. Many of the materials used to make these clothes are non-biodegradable, meaning they sit in landfills for hundreds of years. Additionally, the production of these materials is often resource-intensive, requiring large amounts of water and energy to be consumed in order to create them. The fast fashion industry also contributes heavily to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation and manufacturing processes often relying on non-renewable energy sources.

Secondly, fast fashion is often produced in developing countries where labour laws are lacking and workers are paid very low wages. This has led to a number of human rights violations, with workers being forced to work in dangerous and unhealthy conditions for little pay, often called “sweat shops”. In some cases, child labour has also been reported, with children as young as 10 being employed in factories to make clothes for major fast fashion brands.

Despite these negative impacts, there are some positive angles to the story. Many consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that fast fashion has

on the environment and on human rights and are taking steps to reduce their consumption of these products. This has led to an increase in demand for sustainable and ethical fashion, with many companies now offering alternatives to fast fashion that are made from sustainable materials and produced in fair labour conditions. For example, my trainers are made with recycled sea plastic!

There are a number of sustainable and ethical fashion brands that are working to combat the negative impacts of fast fashion. Companies like Tsunami and Conscious Steps are producing clothes and accessories made from sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled plastics, while also working to ensure fair labour conditions for their workers. Additionally, initiatives like Fashion Revolution Thailand are raising awareness about the impact of fast fashion on the environment and on human rights and are encouraging consumers to make more informed choices about the clothes they buy. Thrift accounts on Instagram continue popping up and there are lots of clothes being traded daily online.

Our very own Patana Tiger Shop accepts donations of lightly used school uniforms to be re-sold or upcycled. Don’t forget to donate your old uniforms at the end of the term!

In conclusion, while the negative impacts of fast fashion are undeniable, there are also positive steps being taken to combat these impacts. By choosing to support sustainable and ethical fashion brands, consumers can help to reduce the harm caused by fast fashion and promote a more sustainable and fair fashion industry.

Andrew Haughton, Careers and University Counsellor

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A MEDICAL DOCTOR?

This the first question we ask Bangkok Patana students that attend the Careers Team’s weekly Monday Aspiring Medicine workshops. Our budding medics usually say they love science and want to help people, but it is only after they carry out clinical work experience, work with people read, and demonstrate an understanding of what being a doctor entails, are they able to articulate the answer to this question. The medical schools’ admissions teams want to see an applicant’s motivation, exploration and suitability to study medicine and this is initially done through the UCAS Personal Statement and finally, the interview.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ‘FIT’ MEDICAL SCHOOL

There are different teaching approaches you’ll find in medical schools and it’s important that you select universities that suit your preferred style. Traditional courses are taught in the classroom for the first two pre-clinical years, then move to a clinical setting in Years 3 to 5. Integrated courses combine classroom and clinical environments from the start and you’re taught by topic rather than by discipline. In these courses, teaching is either problem-based, case-based or enquiry based, or perhaps a mix. Intercalated Courses allow you to take a year out to gain a BSc or MSc in a related subject. Depending on the course, this could be optional or compulsory.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The IB Diploma is accepted at all UK medical schools. Most require a minimum score of 36 points with a minimum 6 in Higher Level (HL) Biology and Chemistry plus one other HL subject. The Medical Schools Council offers this guide as a point of reference and easy comparison for the entry requirements across UK universities offering Medicine.

All UK universities, except UCLAN and the University of Buckingham, require applicants to sit an admissions test. A small number of institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge, use the BMAT which Bangkok Patana

applicants typically take in late October. Over thirty medical schools use the UCAT which is taken online between July and late September. Test takers know their results immediately after the test. If you don’t score so well in the Situational Judgment Section (Band 4), then consider applying to Newcastle, St George’s or Bristol since they do not use SJT in their selection to interview process.

IT’S COMPETITIVE SO BE STRATEGIC!

The number of places available to study medicine is regulated by the UK government and is capped at 7.5% for international students, making it one of the most competitive courses in the world. Of the 7,571 places available in 2023/24, 7,115 are expected to be UK local and 456 international. Some institutions, such as Aston and Edge Hill, only offer places to UK students while UCLAN and Buckingham have no cap on international students. The Office for Students produces a detailed breakdown of target intakes

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE BEEN SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW...

Shortlisted applicants are invited by the medical schools for one of two types of interviews. The Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) require you to work your way around seven or eight stations where candidates are assessed for specific attributes and only last for a short time. Panel interviews can be conducted by a mixture of clinical and faculty staff, a senior medical student, or a member of the public and are typically 20-30 minutes long.

WE ARE IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL

As you have read, applying to UK Medical Schools is a daunting process that requires considerably more preparation than a regular UCAS application. We congratulate you for taking on this challenge and are grateful for the future work you will do in safeguarding our health and enhancing our quality of life. If your child is interested in studying Medicine, ask them to contact anha@patana.ac.th or kiek@patana.ac.th

Hubert has accepted an offer to attend Purdue University, studying Data Science. At Bangkok Patana, Hubert credits his (I)GCSE Mathematics and IB Higher Level Mathematics courses for the influence they had on his decision to pursue data science. With a seven-year tenure in the Student Environmental Committee (SEC), Hubert says that his proudest achievement was “helping the future leaders of our club to expand [their] reach”. At Purdue, Hubert is looking forward to enrolling in STEM-oriented courses, such as Data Mining and Machine Learning, as well as joining the Lawson School of Computer Science.

Kirsten has accepted an offer to attend the University of Bath, studying Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science. “Data Science is a field that is rapidly advancing. The diverse and creative ways that maths can be applied to Data Science is something very appealing to me,” she expressed. At Bangkok Patana, Kirsten’s proudest achievement was receiving the Foundation Board Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement after having achieved the highest possible scores on her (I)GCSE exams.

Evelyn has accepted an offer to attend UC San Diego, studying General Biology, citing the institution’s “excellent reputation, facilities, location and, more importantly, research opportunities”. At Bangkok Patana, her IB Higher Level Chemistry and Higher Level Biology courses had a direct influence on her passion, encouraging her to see how vibrant Science can be. She also credits her Science teachers who helped her to realise her love for the subject - “they always supported me and helped me believe nothing was impossible”.

Click to read more about Evelyn’s Patana Pathway!

Click to read more about Hubert’s Patana Pathway!

Click to read more about Kirsten’s Patana Pathway!

ParticiPates!

Achievements from Our Community

Chupit Chutitum, Patana Parent

Rylan Gulkin, 10C, led his Siam Raptors Under 15 Basketball team in winning one of the toughest 3x3 basketball tournaments in Thailand: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Cup 2023 in Sriracha, Chonburi. Rylan and his Raptors won the Zone 6 Championship title in a field of 32 Under 15 Boys’ teams and will advance to the final competition for the Thailand championship on 5th June in Bangkok. With their determination and skill, Rylan’s team won six consecutive games to bring them to the finals. Congratulations!

Nia, Leah and Quinn, Year 7 Students

Nia, Leah and Quinn recently won the Thailand Middle School Debate Competition (TMDC) 2023. They are excited to share their experience and to reflect on how Bangkok Patana has played a pivotal role in making it all possible.

The name “Trinity” and the number three, symbolise unity, wisdom and understanding; as well as our three Bangkok Patana values. As Bangkok Patana students, we all appreciate the profound impact of our core values and principles - they serve as our guiding compass, empowering us to thrive in every aspect of our lives, both within and beyond the classroom. Our unwavering commitment is to unleash our full potential by embracing resilience, cultivating critical thinking skills and embodying the essence of global citizenship. These three important principles are what allowed our debate team to push through the most formidable obstacles, be more knowledgeable and seamlessly apply our in-classroom learning to a debate tournament outside of school.

we went up against a team who were in the open category (Years 9 – 10). We lost, but we were resilient and persevered through to the second and third round, where we beat both of the teams by using the comments and feedback from the first round to improve ourselves. Then came the fourth round, where we went up against a team that had experience and was in the open category. We narrowly missed our chances of winning; despite this we still made it to the finals through our hardships in each of the events. Here in front of everyone, we gave our best efforts and waited anxiously for the verdict. After two long hours, they finally announced that Trinity won TMDC. Throughout this entire competition, we were resilient and we persevered despite all the challenges we faced. Without being resilient, we would have dropped out and lost our chances of winning from the very beginning,” explained Quinn.

“Debate has enhanced our critical thinking skills. The debate tournament has allowed us to practise the use of our critical thinking skills learnt in school. Assess evidence, identify misinformation and come up with strong arguments. It challenges us to thoughtfully analyse, evaluate and give persuasive arguments within a short period of time. Overall, debate has empowered us to use the tools that we were taught in school that are tied into one of Bangkok Patana's Values: Learning,” Leah said.

“As a debater, resilience means that you keep going forward no matter what obstacles you face. In the Thailand Middle School Debating Championship (TMDC), in the very first round,

“I think that being taught about becoming global citizens really has the power to enrich your debating skills by allowing us to be enhanced about different cultures, different global perspectives and global knowledge. I feel like these are the qualities that really make us a more empathetic, knowledgeable and even powerful debater. By engraving these core principles into the different rounds we debated, we were able to come up with arguments using our prior in-classroom global citizenship knowledge and apply it to our speeches to prove our side has more valid points,” Nia added.

To conclude, this memorable experience really allowed us to believe in the power of the principles us Bangkok Patana Students are equipped with, and what matters most is not whether we won or lost. It is the process of development and learning which is the most important part. We believe that these are the values which make us such an empathetic, successful and knowledgeable community. Lastly, we want everyone to Never Stop Learning

WildliFe sPotting with Coke is the sPring Migration over?

Alexander Coke Smith IV, Secondary Environmental Sciences Leader

There is no doubt that the best times of garden birding in Bangkok, with only the effort being strolling to your nearest park, are the epic fall and spring migrations. The greater Chao Praya River Valley has long since been directly on the migratory pathways for millions of birds, many of whom stop over for a bit of R&R right here in Bangkok on their way south (fall) and north (spring).

This year’s spring was a bit unusual in that Songkran has come and gone, but so far, the rains have yet to arrive, leaving much of our region in deep oppressive heat. Now my experiences were purely anecdotal but there were many target species like Hooded Pitta, Fairy Pitta and others that in previous years stuck around for at least a couple weeks, visited this year very briefly only showing themselves for a day or two locally. Although, I would say that Hooded Pittas in particular seemed to be spotted in a more varied set of locations that I recall from previous years.

It may be a bit early for any conclusive empirical data on how this year’s migrations went. Scientists have just finished some of the important work they do in various locations in and around the region but the general consen-

sus is that this spring’s migration was quite late compared to previous years.

Sadly, Thailand seems to be one of the hardest hit regions on the planet with respect to climate change. Areas that depend on seasonal rains are being deprived more and more every year. Conversely, there are areas in the south and north that seem to be receiving more than their normal share of rain than has been traditionally accepted to be normal. And with the World Meteorological Organization predicting the next five years to be the beginning of an extreme scorching trend of the earth, I am very interested (and quite concerned) in what this will do to our annual migrations. For species that depend on climates of so many different localities, these are particularly worrisome times indeed.

For now, however, enjoy some of the images I have been lucky to have snapped during this academic year’s migrations from the greater Bangkok area. Highlights include pittas, paradise flycatchers and many more!

Desert Island Discs

With Safy Rizk, PTG Chair

Thiscolumn 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 Leader of PTG Chair, Safy Rizk, is stuck on a desert island.

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

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie

Unstoppable - SIA

Tomorrow is My Turn - Nina Simone

The Scientist - Coldplay

Click to listen to Ms Safy’s playlist

Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift

With or Without You - U2

Lost Cause - Billie Eilish

Don’t Look Back in Anger - Oasis

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 Microwave!

WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU?

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal

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.

#248: new whatsaPP chat Lock

Rolling out across the globe in WhatsApp, Chat Lock allows users to lock individual chats, effectively removing them from the inbox and placing them in their own folder. This folder has its own additional security protected by your device password or biometric data –for example fingerprint or face ID. To lock a chat, all you need to do is tap the name of a one-to-one or group chat and select the lock option. Voila! Your chat is now securely tucked away.

Another interesting aspect of this feature – once you lock a chat, the contents are automatically hidden from notifications. This means that you won’t have to worry about prying eyes catching a glimpse of your private messages from the notification bar.

To unlock and access these chats, you have to slowly pull down on your inbox and enter your phone password or biometric data. The feature, in essence, creates a secondary layer of privacy, enhancing the overall security of your personal and group chats.

WhatsApp have said: ‘We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives’.

It’s worth noting that the roll out of this feature puts Meta (they own WhatsApp) in contention with the UK government’s Online Safety Bill. Meta argues that the proposed changes in the law could undermine end-to-end encryption and hence user privacy, a claim the government disputes, stating that the bill won’t require companies to break end-to-end encryption or monitor private communications routinely.

Have a relaxing weekend.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration

Camp Dates: June 28 - July 4, 2023

Center of Learning Network for the Region, Saraburi

Culminating Concert: 7 PM, July 6, 2023

Chulalongkorn University Music Hall

Guest Conductor: Dr. T.J. Harper Director of Choral Activities, Loyola Marymount University, USA