Patana News Volume 26, 1st December 2023

PATANA NEWS

Friday 1st December 2023 Volume 26 Issue 14

Inclusive Education IB career-related programme

By Andrew Roff

Also in this issue...

Tennis Facility Upgrade Science Pioneers ECA Patana Page Turners Taylor’s Technology Tips World Languages An Array of Music World Scholar’s Cup

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www.patana.ac.th

01/12/2023

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

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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION - IBCP Andrew Roff, IB Coordinator, Secondary School ‘A supportive culture of learning leading to success for all.’

SUCCESS MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE ust over six weeks ago in Chicago, Kelvin Kiptun smashed the men’s world marathon record with a time of 2 hours and 35 seconds. It will not be many more years until the two-hour barrier is broken for the distance1and that will be recorded in history in the same way as breaking the four-minute mile was 70 years ago. Interestingly in those 70 years only 1500 people have repeated the feat.

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As a keen amateur runner, I look at these achievements with wonder. Kiptun’s pace for the whole marathon was faster than most of us can sprint (indeed it is faster than the maximum speed on our school gym running machines!)

I will be interested to know how many of our sprinters in the next week’s Secondary House Athletics event can top Kiptun’s pace. We might see a number of sub 17 second 100m and a few sub 34 second 200m, but if anyone beats 2 mins 16seconds in the 800m then they will be a new school record holder! Kiptun did it for two hours over 42.2km!

This sort of achievement is available to very few. Success, however, is something that is and must be available to everyone. It is about achieving a goal, one that is appropriate, individualised and challenging. It should take account of the starting place, consider the journey to get there, the traveller and the training plan that is required.

These are the steps for the world record breaking athlete and their coaching team, as they are for the successful student and their teaching team.

lenging, achievable goals and having ownership for their training plans so that they can fully celebrate their many and varied successes. Also, and importantly, so that they can more effectively learn when things don’t quite go according to the training plan, and that they see it as an ongoing and lifelong process. I loved Stuart Lawrence’s take on the word “fail” in his presentation to our Year 6 to 12 students last week: First Attempt In Learning. It captures the need to see failure as an important step on the pathway to success, to take appropriate risks and be resilient, learning all the way.

It is our job then to equip our students with the tools they need to set these goals and create their own training programmes. To illustrate this I shall draw on some recent, pertinent examples from our Senior Studies Programme.

Year 13 Completion Week As most of the Secondary School headed off to far flung corners of Thailand for their annual Residentials, our Year 13 cohort settled down to some serious study! Every student has a different programme, composed of different subjects, activities and preferences. What unites our Year 13 students is that the first term of their final year is tough.

Coursework, Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, CAS reflections, and examination revision are all competing for attention. Students were able to compile their own “to-do lists” and work with staff supervisors over the week to get them done. The measure of success at the end of the week was visible in the number of ticked off tasks in my master spreadsheet, as well as the palpable air of celebration on Friday afternoon.

INCLUSIVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL In recognition that every learner is on a different journey and therefore needs a different training plan, differentiation is a key principle in each and every lesson that we teach. Every student’s needs are planned for to ensure accessibility, challenge and ultimately success.

As students grow it is important that they learn to take greater agency in setting themselves appropriately chalsome may claim it already has by Euclid Kipchoge, although that was not under race conditions

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Year 12 CAS Programme A core requirement of our Senior Studies Programme at Bangkok Patana is Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).

In many cases this recognises and rewards students for the wonderful contributions that they make to our community (both local and global) beyond the classroom. It provides a structure that ensures students maintain a balanced approach to their extra-curricular undertakings, and ensures that at the same time they are developing our core values. Provided students maintain engagement in each of the strands of CAS during their Senior Studies Programme, autonomy for their experiences is devolved to each student (and tracked by a supervising member of staff).

programme that provides them multiple options which their teachers think they can be successful with and will provide them with excellent pathways for the future. Not only will every student be offered a variety of IB Diploma courses as has been the case since we started to offer this programme in 1994, but in 2024 we are proud to add to our offering the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP).

The IBCP is an opportunity for students to focus on a particular area of interest in a way that the breadth of the IBDP does not. Students following the IBCP will simultaneously study for an International BTEC in Art and Design (more BTECs are intended to be offered in future years in response to community demand) as well as two IB DiGiven such an open-ended brief, creating a meaningful ploma Courses and the CP core of Service Learning, Lan“training plan” must be an individualised process for each guage Development, Reflective Project and Personal and student, but it is one that we help them with by providing a Professional Skills. The IBCP is true to the IB’s mission of model which stresses the importance of learning through “developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young deliberate, iterative and regular reflection. people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect” and thus aligns with the school’s mission and values. For more information on the IBCP, please see here.

To sum up and return to the theme of this article, as school, through our inclusion policy we aim to ensure that: • our culture is one of students striving for excellence, while also developing resilience and independence; • we use of a wide range of learning and teaching strategies to provide supportive, challenging, creative, and stimulating learning for all students in a variety of contexts; Adapted from: Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Year 11 Option Pathways We will launch the Year 11 Options process next week, asking students to think about and choose their Senior Studies Programme of study. This is an excellent demonstration of inclusion as well as supported student agency. Every student will be offered a Senior Studies 01/12/2023

• we always recognise and support the social and emotional well-being of students; • we provide a supportive working environment responsive to each individual student’s academic and pastoral needs.

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Tennis Facility Upgrade E

xciting News!

We’re thrilled to share some exciting developments regarding our Tennis facilities. We will begin work on upgrading our Tennis courts at the Sports Complex on 10th December and we expect the new facility to be ready for use in the new academic year, August 2024.

COURTS FOR FUTURE CHAMPIONS The new facility will feature eight covered courts. The covering allows for natural light but the fabric reflects away most of the heat and UV rays. The courts will be constructed to create the best environment for championship play. This includes attention to the evenness of the courts (planarity), slope, lighting and ventilation. The plan includes the use of Laykold for the court surface, which is also used for the US Open courts.

The first phase begins on 10th December and involves preparing the area between the Tennis Courts and the Shell station. As the concrete slab must be broken, there will be noise from the demolition, which we expect will take about one month. Note that the current parking areas and movement of vehicles in and out of the Sports Complex will not be affected. The rugby and football pitches will also not be affected, though some of the area closest to the tennis courts will be used for the construction hoarding.

pm to 6.00 pm, we’ll offer flexible session timings. Each session will host a maximum of 16 students with 3 dedicated coaches.

TRANSPORT OPTIONS For convenience, the school will provide transportation from school to both venues. Additionally, there will be a BTS bus available at Avana following the session, whilst students based at Udomsuk can directly access the BTS with the entrance just one minute away from the venue.

Please note that no additional fees will be added to the usual Tennis Tigers and Junior Tigers charges.

We understand that preferences may vary, and some logistical challenges may arise. Parents of students in our Tennis Academy programme will have already received information from Head Tennis Coach, Dan Ahl. If you are a Tennis Academy parent and have not received this information, please contact Coach Dan at daah@patana. ac.th.

Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this exciting journey together. We look forward to seeing our tennis players continue to progress and compete in these fantastic training environments!

INTERIM ARRANGEMENTS While our Tennis facility is being renovated, the Tennis Academy programmes will continue to operate, providing an uninterrupted and enriching experience for our young athletes. We have secured two fantastic venues to ensure our students have the best training environment: 1.

A brand new 4-court facility located behind the Avana Hotel, accessible from both Soi 12 on Bangna Trad and Soi Lasalle 29. With three courts available from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm, this venue will accommodate 15 students and three coaches each afternoon.

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Beat Discovery, an indoor venue next to Udomsuk BTS, featuring six courts along with pickleball and mini tennis courts. With four courts available from 3.00 TENNIS CENTRE VIEW ON EXISTING SITE

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COURT VIEW

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Unveiling ‘Science Pioneers’: A Senior-Led ECA for Young Minds Trinity Jantarach, 12H - Founder of Biochemistry Club and Science Pioneers ECA

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his week marks the launch of ‘Science Pioneers’, an exciting STEM ECA led by four of Bangkok Patana’s Biochemistry Club members and supervised by Mr. Maruniak. With the purpose of igniting scientific curiosity among younger secondary students, this dynamic pro-

Each week, the Biochemistry Club coordinates closely with the science department to organise laboratory practicals in order to introduce crucial scientific topics in an engaging and memorable manner. Exciting activities in store for Science Pioneers range from learning the process of DNA extraction from strawberries, fermentation from kombucha, ion identification from flame tests, enzyme catalyses and more!

gramme features new hands-on experiments every week especially chosen by the Biochemistry Club to explore the wonders of science!

I came up with the idea for this ECA because I believe in giving younger secondary students the opportunity to explore their passion for science, extending their learning beyond their classroom curricula. With the help of my friends in the Biochemistry Club, I am thrilled to have been able to make this vision into a reality and can’t wait to see how it can foster the next generation of scientists within our school community.

Under the guidance of the Senior members, younger students who are just starting off their journey in Secondary are able to gain essential laboratory skills and experiences beyond their regular classroom curriculum. They not only learn the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of their scientific investigations but develop the ability to articulate and present their findings effectively.

Science Pioneers was created to be a dynamic space for exploration and learning with a commitment to igniting scientific passion amongst students by bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world experimentation.

Starting the Science Pioneers programme with a blast, If you are interested in finding out more and potentialour first class featured none other than the classic Elely joining the journey of discovery fill out the form below: phant’s Toothpaste experiment in which a fountain of foam shoots up into the air upon mixing two chemical https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lGj14mtVWm_LEQYZhBreagents. The students experimented on how varying 8M69OA_rYM0pC7jKZIBl9zevo/viewform?edit_requested=true concentrations of hydrogen peroxide had an effect on its speed and force.

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Bangkok Patana School News

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Services Updates

Bangkok Patana School Receives ‘Bus Safety Excellance’ Award TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT

We are proud to announce that Bangkok Patana School has received the ‘BUS SAFETY EXCELLENCE’ award from the Department of Land Transport, Bangkok Area 3. This recognition underscores our commitment to ensuring top-notch safety for students during bus transportation.

Our buses are equipped with essential safety features, including seat belts, fire extinguishers, breaker glass hammers, and car seats. With regular inspections and adherence to prescribed standards, our buses are not only in good condition but also safe for providing services to our students.

This recognition reflects our school’s dedicated efforts in upholding the highest safety standards during student transportation.

traffic safety- security Dear parents, We want to bring your attention to some crucial traffic safety matters to ensure the well-being of our school community.

No Crossing at the Main Entrance Gate: Crossing the road at the main entrance gate, especially opposite the spirit house, poses a significant safety risk.

We request that you walk a bit further and use the designated crossroad for crossing. The slope at the entrance gate may obstruct the visibility of oncoming traffic, and sudden breaks could lead to accidents.

No Dropping and Parking in Front of Soi 39 & 39/1 (Todsamon): We ask all parents to refrain from dropping off your child(ren) in front of Soi 39 or 39/1, as this obstructs the flow of traffic in and out of the soi.

No Double Parking on Lasalle Road: To ensure the smooth flow of traffic and the safety of all, we request that you refrain from double parking on Lasalle Road while waiting for your child(ren) to finish school. Double parking causes traffic congestion and obstructs public use of the road. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The School Shop and Post Office will be closed from18th December 2023 until 7th January 2024 and will reopen on 8th January 2024

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Patana Page-Turners

Your monthly round up of reading recommendations. This month’s theme… Bravery INTERVIEW: K DUANG, SENIOR LIBRARIAN 1. What is one of your fondest or most favourite reading memories?

My favourite reading memory was when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I wondered why my elder siblings could not stop reading. So, I started reading this series. It’s a fantasy/ adventure series called ‘Petch Pra Uma’ by Panom Tian which was very famous among Thai readers. Once I had started, I could not stop! Even at bedtime, I tucked myself under the blanket with a torch to read the book because I was afraid that my parents would catch me reading at night and take away the books!

The story of Petch Pra Uma (the Goddess Uma’s Diamonds) begins when a he-man jungle explorer, skilled in hunting and hiking, Rapin Praiwan, is contracted to help discover the Emerald City in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Along the way, a young hill tribesman asks to be his expedition’s servant, only to discover that this young servant is in fact, the rightful outcast prince of the City of Emeralds. When seeking the Emerald City, Rapin Praiwan encounters forest spirits, ghosts, and intelligent, red-eyed glowing ape creatures wielding swords.

2. Which fictional character would you most like / least like to meet in real life and why?

The fictional character I most like is ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’. He is a friendly, thoughtful, and sometimes, insightful character who is always willing to help his friends and try his best.

3. What does bravery mean to you? Do you have any book suggestions for this theme?

For me ‘Bravery’ means that you must stand up for the right thing and keep on doing it, no matter how hard. To be brave is to accept that we sometimes make mistakes, but we won’t give up and instead, we learn from those failures. I have just finished reading ‘ Silence is not an option: Find your voice and be your best self’ by Stuart Lawrence. In this book, Stuart Lawrence talks about what he had learned from life - the tools that have helped him live positively and kept him moving forwards when times have been tough. From role models to self-control, failure to imagination, Stuart uses his own experience to help young people - to help all people - harness the good in themselves and in the world around them, using that fire of positivity to create change in their lives.

FS AND KEY STAGE 1 RECCOMENDATIONS: FS & KS1: Ms Sophie, Mr Michael, Ms Nadia, Ms Rachel A Dark Dark Tale Children will be swept away by this dark and fascinating adventure of a black cat who travels through all of the shadowy corners of the nearby woods and house. Many children enjoy the feeling of suspense and bravery that comes with finding out the mystery of what lies at the end of the dark, dark house.

Be Brave Like Batman A story that celebrates bravery through the iconic superhero. As Batman faces challenges head-on, readers discover the idea of courage and finding strength in the face of fear.

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This comic book is great for readers to learn about inner bravery and shows us all that courage doesn’t mean being without fear but having strength to face it!

The Lion Inside We often talk about how it takes fear in order to show courage, and this book captures the essence of this perfectly; an insecure mouse figures out what he needs to do in order to roar like a lion – only to see that bigger animals have fears to overcome too! This story is great if you have read ‘The Lion and the Mouse’ before, and not only shows how bravery comes in all shapes and sizes, but also that we can support friends in facing and overcoming fears.

KEY STAGE 2 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Molly, 4H Chapter Two is Missing by Josh Lieb A young detective is determined to find out where the missing chapter (chapter two) of a book (the book you are reading) has gone.

The little boy calls on lots of people to help him, but the very next day the book’s pages are all mixed up and the letter T is gone. Will he ever make the book perfect again? I like this book because it’s a mystery and really funny to read. It kept me guessing until the very end! There are lots of other reviews about this book, so I know that other people think it is great too.

Yomi, 4D The Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #6: The Season of the Sandstorm by Mary Pope Osborne Jack and Annie were sent back in time to help protect an important and strange book and to help the ruler of Baghdad spread wisdom throughout the world.

I like this book because of its journey through history and because it is set in such an exciting and interesting place. I love that it has magic too. Every book in the Merlin Mission series is unique and exciting and new characters appear in each story. I recommend this book to all children 7+ who like fantasy and adventure.

Catherine, 4D Dancing the Charleston by Jacqueline Wilson Mona is an orphan who lives with her aunt in the 1920s. Mona doesn’t really like her aunt because she is bossy, and Mona never gets to do the things she wants to. When somebody new comes to live nearby, her life changes for the better. She even learns to dance the Charleston! I like this book because it’s a historical story full of adventure that has made me feel both sad and happy!

I recommend this book to anyone that likes adventure and history. This book is for children who are 8+.

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Curious if we have any of these books available in our libraries? Come and Visit us KEY STAGE 3 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Marcus Helleman, 9U I am Number Four by Jobie Hughes and James Frey Many different books and book series have inspired me to try and be brave and strong but one series had a particularly strong impact. This is the series ‘I Am Number Four, by James Frey and Jobie Hughes.’ The book tells the story of a group of teenagers fighting to survive on Earth. The series not only showcases physical courage in the face of danger but also explores the amazing amount of bravery required to navigate the hardships of identity, friendship, and love. In the books, bravery takes many forms, for example the main character of the book John Smith, has to adventure through the world on his own for the first time due to the death of his one and only guardian.

Many young children and teenagers go through the same types of problems and seeing how to embrace and fix these problems with the help of bravery is something that I really think this book does. Through the character’s resilience and determination, we are encouraged to embrace our own courage in the pursuit of personal growth and standing up against formidable challenges. I believe that “I Am Number Four” is a beacon of inspiration for all, urging us as an audience to find strength within themselves and confront our fears with unwavering bravery.

Kataleeya Collier, 9U Heroes by Stephen Fry Heroes is a fun and lively retelling of the stories of popular heroes from Greek mythology written by Stephen Fry. Follow Jason and his argonauts on the search for the golden fleece, read about how Heracles braved his twelve labours, join Orpheus on his journey to the underworld to retrieve his lost love Eurydice, and witness Bellerophon’s rise and fall from fame along with Pegasus, as well as many more. Heroes is an engaging adaptation that is easy to enjoy and follow even with no prior knowledge of Greek mythology. This book is the second of three books about Greek mythology by Stephen Fry with the first and third being Mythos and Troy. However each book can be read in any order or individually as they are only very loosely connected. I believe that Heroes can be enjoyed by both year 9 readers and up as well as teachers and is a fantastic introduction to Greek mythology.

KEY STAGE 4 AND 5 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Regitze (Mary) Uhre, Y10: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird is based on the author’s memories of her and her brother’s childhood in 1930’s Alabama. The book, though from the children’s perspective, focuses on the lawyer Atticus, who chooses to defend Tom Robbinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Thereby the central theme of the book is the moral bravery that Atticus shows by choosing to defend someone who could cost him

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Bangkok Patana School News

disoblige and his reputation. I recommend this book because it shows how much courage moral bravery takes since it’s a choice that can have far-reaching consequences and that’s often bad for the one who goes against the flow but can make significant change for the society in the long term. It might be a bit difficult to read but it’s definitely worth the effort.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Quite a lot of you have probably seen the movie about the hobbit who goes on a quest to help some strangers re-conquer their lost kingdom. However in the book there’s so many more layers that build up his character by giving us an insight of Bilbo’s mindset and the doubts and frustrations that follow by choosing a dangerous path even though he’s not a wizard or a fearless warrior.

I recommend this book because of the goosebumps I got when I read the book and also because it’s a fantastic fairytale about a small person who achieves big things while discovering a hidden courage he thought he didn’t have.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This story is about a girl who finds herself living in isolation from the rest of the world, where she fears the surrounding society but feels safe in her home by the swamp. Despite not having any money, status or education, she finds the bravery to be happy, stand up for herself and share with the world only the things she wants to show them and not caring about what other people think of her. I recommend this book because of the beautiful language used and also because it conveys the importance of finding your own inner balance and voice and following it.

Claire Herslov, Y12: Shadow and Bone: Alina Starkov is a Sun Summoner, a Grisha with the rare ability to summon light. This power makes her the target of political intrigue and manipulation by various higher powers. Alina has to navigate the complex and dangerous world of being a Grisha, come to terms with her new identity and face the challenges of her newfound power.

The Hunger Games: The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her younger sister as a tribute from District 12.

Katniss and her fellow District 12 tribute are thrust into the opulent and deadly world of the Capitol. They have to navigate the challenges of the Hunger Games and Katniss must use her survival skills and intelligence to outwit other tributes.

Interview with the Vampire: The narrative explores Louis’s struggles with immortality, his complex relationship with his maker, the charismatic and enigmatic vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. The story is presented as an interview conducted by a young journalist, Daniel Molloy. Louis recounts his life story, from his transformation into a vampire in 18th century New Orleans to the present day.

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#261: New Voice Reporting in Fortnite N

ow, in addition to being able to block, mute, and reporting is on and a participant submits a voice report. report other players, you will be able to submit audio evidence when reporting suspected violations of Audio clips submitted to Epic for review will be auto-deletFortnite’s Community Rules. ed after fourteen days or the duration of a sanction, whichever is longer. In the event of an appeal, retention may be HOW VOICE REPORTING WORKS extended for up to fourteen days so the sanction decision When voice reporting is on, the last five minutes of voice can be reviewed. If Epic needs to retain an audio clip to chat audio are captured on a rolling basis. This means only comply with legal obligations, it will be retained for as long the immediate last five minutes of audio is reportable. As as legally required. Voice reporting is always on for voice new audio is captured, any previous audio that’s more than chats that include players under 18. five minutes old is automatically deleted. Voice chat audio is securely captured on your device — for example your If you’re a parent, you can manage your child’s voice chat permissions by logging into the Epic Account Portal and gaming console or PC — not the Epic Games servers. using Epic’s existing Parental Controls.

If you report a conversation, the voice chat audio captured from the last five minutes will be uploaded with the report Have a great weekend! and sent to Epic moderators for review. You can see if voice Brian Taylor reporting is currently on or off in the Sidebar. Note: Epic has no way of accessing any voice chat audio unless voice Assistant Principal, Technology for Learning

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Bangkok Patana School News

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World Languages at Bangkok Patana Mariela Bianciotti, Leader of Learning, Primary World Languages

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or many of our families with Primary-aged children, selecting a foreign language at the end of Year 2 and a new World Language choice at the end of Year 6 are important decisions. The weight of such a decision is evidenced by the high turnout of parent and guardian attendees at the World Languages presentation. Seeking to guide their children from all Year groups (Nursery through Year 6), over 90 parents joined the workshop to learn more about the available options.

The presentation outlined each of the three main pathways that Primary students can take. These are: the Thai Pathway, the EAL (English as an Additional Language) Pathway and the MFL (Modern Foreign Language) Pathway. Such Pathways provide structure to language learning, development and acquisition as students move through each academic year, as well as how languages in the Primary School connect to the Secondary curriculum programmes. This workshop was also a great opportunity for parents and guardians to meet the World Language Leaders and Head of Faculty in person, providing time to ask questions and to have conversations about individual circumstances. This was a very welcome event after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic!

If you were unable to attend, the presentation will be available on the Parents’ Gateway. Parents and guardians are welcome to access the presentation at any time throughout the decision-making process of selecting a language choice for their children.

ADDITIONAL (I)GCSE ENTRY MFL AND HOME LANGUAGES If your child(ren) (currently in Year 9, 10 or 11) study a language outside of school, either a Home Language or a Foreign Language, and would like to consider taking an (I) GCSE exam in that language this academic year, do contact Celine Courenq, Head of Faculty World Languages (ceco@patana.ac.th) before the 15th December.

In your email, can you please include: • the full name of your child(ren) • the tutor group • the language you wish your child(ren) to be entered for • the syllabus code of the exam (for example ‘Cambridge IGCSE Chinese -Second Language (0523)’).

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Tax Committee: Thai Tax on Foreign-Sourced Income By popular request, AMCHAM is hosting a webinar on tax levy on foreign-sourced income, as well as the clarification issued by the Thai government on 20th November.

Attendees will have the opportunity to be able to ask their questions during the webinar.

Bangkok Patana parents have the privilege to access the webinar for FREE, as the school is a chamber member!

Email publish@patana.ac.th for the code by Wednesday 13th December. First come first serve.

Webinar Date: Friday, 15th December 2023, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

FS & KS1 LIBRARY

KS2 LIBRARY

SECONDARY LIBRARY

Christmas Book Collection

Comic Books

Christmas Book Collection

Fiction

Fiction

Fiction

Non-fiction

Non-fiction

Senior fiction

Professional Learning

Life Collection Graphic Novels Non-fiction

Please click here to see the list of magazines which the libraries have subscribed to.

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Bangkok Patana School News

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An Array of Music at Bangkok Patana Lisa Mallet, Music Teacher, Primary Arts

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ne of the highlights of playing in a musical ensemble is having the opportunity to perform to others. Our Primary Music ECA programme endeavours to make this a reality as much as possible for our young musicians who join our various groups and this academic year has been no exception.

In October, our String Ensemble had the wonderful opportunity to perform as part of the Oundle School visit, whilst earlier

this month, our new Rock Band made their debut in the main theatre, performing two songs for the Year 5 and 6 assembly with great success. The Thai Ensemble were next to take centre stage this week, performing a traditional piece on instruments such as Khim and Ranard, linking in with our celebrations of Loy Kratong, in the KS2 assembly.

As we near the end of term, our Choirs are busy rehearsing for a hat trick of performances that start with a special Christmas Sing along, featuring our Year 1/2 choir on 7th December. With our main Christmas Celebration concert the following week, the Y3 - 6 choirs are preparing for their debut alongside musicians from Secondary. Finally, our Primary Band will join the choirs on the last day of term for the much- anticipated Christmas Assembly. We are also looking forward to hearing the Ukulele group perform in early January too.

Our music ECAS provide a fantastic route to learn and play music together that is also enjoyable, sociable and meaningful. We run ensembles every day of the week and welcome anyone to sign up with an interest in singing or playing an instrument. If you would like to find out more, please contact Lisa Mallett (lima@patana.ac.th)

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World Scholar’s Cup Patharasiri (Seiya) Tiraratanakul, 12B and Kulchad (Sheen) Thianthai, 11T

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hat is the World Scholar’s Cup?

The World Scholar’s Cup is a prestigious international academic competition held annually for scholars across the globe to compete in four academic team events. These events include Team Debate, Collaborative Writing, Scholar’s Challenge and the Scholar’s Bowl. This year, the theme was ‘Reconstructing the Past’ with study topics ranging from the casting of Hamilton, to archaeological sites, to a Chinese opera about Donald Trump. And, of course, as always we picked up a lot of alpacas - the official WSC mascot - along the way. Below, our scholars provide a snapshot of the two glorious weeks that were the Global Round and the prestigious Tournament of Champions.

GLOBAL ROUND: Early this September, over 3500 scholars from 40 countries arrived here in Bangkok, for the Global Round of the World S c ho l a r ’s Cup. Among them were 17 Junior Scholars and 18 Senior Scholars proudly representing Bangkok Patana School. Similar to the Regional round, which was hosted here at Bangkok Patana in March, scholars engaged in the four main academic events in addition to going on a Scavenger Hunt at Siam Amazing Park and partying in a hotel ballroom for the Scholar’s Bowl. Amidst all the academic challenges, scholars were also given countless opportunities to forge new friendships with like-minded souls from every corner of the world.

Given the short interval between the return from summer break, our scholars performed remarkably, with Juniors receiving around 45 gold and silver medals in total. Noteworthy among them is Chanya (Bayla) Somboonvechakarn, 8H, placing 6th place in the Cria Scholar (younger-aged juniors: a ‘cria’ is the name

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for a baby alpaca) category, receiving a well earned trophy for her achievements. In addition to the Juniors’ impressive collection, the Senior scholars garnered an impressive haul of over 100 gold and silver medals collectively, along with four deserved trophies. Patharasiri (Seiya) Tiraratanakul, 12B, Utkarsh Bagaria, 12S and Veer Golechha, 10V were awarded two team trophies, securing 2nd place in the Scholars Bowl and being the 16th overall highest scoring team.

Moreover, Wilasini (Lisa) Wongwian, 11M received a trophy for placing 5th for Individual Writing and a trophy for 8th place Team Writing alongside Kulchad (Sheen) Thianthai, 11T and Ashvika Bansal, 11M. All teams from the Bangkok Patana School delegation successfully qualified for the Tournament of Champions held at Yale University.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (TOC) The Tournament of the Champions is, as the name suggests, the most challenging round of the World Scholar’s Cup. The pinnacle round, the TOC features the top scholars from all of the Global Rounds from the season.

Held at the Yale University, from November 1–11, the TOC involved enthralling events every single day, from the latest round of Team Debates to the epic Scholars’ Ball. There is more to the Tournament of Champions than it being just another Global Roun; however, as you will have the opportunity to engage with Yale students gaining first-hand knowledge from them and immersing yourself in the college campus. Moreover, we had the chance to visit the neighbouring cities of Boston and New York during the days off, where we got to take in the sights and do a LOT of eating and shopping!

The Closing Ceremony was a bittersweet event for us as it marked the end of our amazing trip. Commencing with flag-bearing representatives from the nations in attendance were two

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students from our school, Kulchad (Sheen) Thianthai, who represented Thailand, and Arevik Khanyan,11S, who represented her home country, Armenia. A special mention also to Zhewen (Kimi) Cao, 10C and Valerie Luedi, 10S who flew the flags of China and Switzerland respectively at the Global Round. Once again, our team did brilliantly, each picking up a number of medals in recognition of their achievements. Another special mention here to Arevik Khanyan who was the 7th highest placed debater overall, taking home a trophy in the process and to Valerie Luedi (13 medals) and Utkarsh Bagaria (12 medals) for their delegation leading haul.

a remarkable journey!”

-Shiksha Srivastava, 12S We’d like to make a special thank you to Mr Nason for making all of this possible and coaching us from the very start of this journey. Thank you to Mrs Marcovici for taking care of us during TOC and to all the business staff- Khun Rin and Khun Mon, in particular- who helped to plan the trip. We’d also like to thank the following teachers who helped Globals to run so smoothly: Mr O’ Shea, Ms De Borja, Mr Taylor, Mrs Tyrell, Mr Sutcliffe, Ms Fiona and Ms Yan.

“Not only was I attending my first TOC trip, it was also my first time in America.

Although the academic activities were challenging HOW CAN YOU JOIN THE (especially the well-named WORLD SCHOLAR’S CUP? Challenge), I believe that if you really work for it, the reIf all of that wasn’t enough to sults will be so worth it. I read persuade you, perhaps I can. the entire curriculum and did Having been involved with individual research of my own, WSC for seven years, I’ve seen meaning I did so much better the huge impact it can have on than at Globals. Of course, I young people. Yes, there’s some was provided with the opporcosts involved. Yes, there’s a lot tunity to bond with new peoof study and work. Yes, some ple and make some life-long of the ‘entertainment’ WSC friendships. A highlight was provides is questionable. But performing in the Scholar’s what WSC does best is build a Show in front of around a thousand people with Seiya community. Our Scholars have formed lifelong friendships who sang whilst I danced. Overall, I believe it was a and memories and I cannot count the number of times once in a lifetime experience, and the memories will they laughed themselves to tears along the way. They will linger and never truly leave me.” look back on these events as some of the highlights of their school lives and I am so grateful to be a small part of - Valerie Luedi 10S that.

“Back in January I joined WSC and it was the best If you would like to join our community, we would love decision I’ve ever made! From Regionals to TOC, I have to have you. Join one of the ECAs running from now until loved each and every step of this journey. Not only the end of the school year and you will gain opportunities did I develop many academic skills like writing, debate to test your skills and be coached by staff and students on and learnt so much from the curriculum, but I have also your way to success. If you are unable to join the ECA, built so many connections and friendships from all over you can still register for the Regional Round in March by the globe that I’ll always cherish. I have created an inemailing me (Mr Nason) to let me know of your interest. I numerable number of momentous and unforgettable will be in touch closer to the time. Your alpaca awaits! memories that I’ll forever reminisce about. It has been

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FOBISIA Teaching Community Conference Cindy Adair, Cross Campus Assistant Principal, CPL

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ast week six Bangkok Patana staff attended the FOBISIA Teaching Community Conference here in Bangkok. Attending professional conferences helps Teachers connect with other professionals, listen to expert educators, and keep abreast with current trends in teaching and learning.

Let’s hear from some of the staff who attended their highlights:

RICK KIRTLAND My favourite speaker was Marcelo Storicoff, author of The Joy of Learning. Although the other speakers were interesting, I felt I learned something new and fresh from his talks on integrating philosophy with children. My takeaway is really that we have an amazing opportunity in Primary, especially in younger years, to step away from the academic curriculum, per se, and focus on how to help children learn HOW to think rather than WHAT to think. The skills of critical thinking/ reflection and reasoning have a lifelong ‘afterburn’, one which will children as they not only progress through the education system but through life, too.

DIANA JONES I was very impressed with the two online presenters Mr P. and Peps Mccrea, both presentations were thought provoking in terms of meta cognition, cognitive load and the impact technology can have on education. The importance of well-being and communication being at the heart of all that we do. My key takeaway from Peps was to think about how interruptions can affect learning and thinking about how to minimise these disruptions for our

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students and from Mr P was the importance of speaking and listening to our students and some fab time-saving tips for teachers so they can do what they do best - teach!

SAM STUART We were lucky enough to attend some really engaging and thoughtful presentations during the FOBISIA Conference at Shrewsbury. I particularly enjoyed Stuart Lawrence’s presentation on how to help students develop resilience and coping strategies to navigate challenging situations.

Lisa Low also gave an excellent presentation on how teachers can benefit from embracing a wide range of different perspectives, when considering students with different educational needs. Her insights on how sharing ‘lived experiences’ can lead to greater inclusivity, were challenging and inspiring and also resulted in some practical strategies I look forward to using in my own classroom.

CAROL BATTRAM I was interested in what Lisa Low had to say about neurodiversity within education, and how these students need advocates within their school settings. There are many different opinions on what should be included within this ever expanding category but none of that matters to the students in our care. They still need our care and support, whether or not they have a diagnosis attached or not. For some families, a diagnosis is a relief. For others, it remains a badge of shame. Diagnosis is often a path for those privileged enough to access it – and this is not a path open to many. All behaviour is communication and old mindsets about inherently naughty or ‘bad’ students have no place in our schools.

Some of these students have challenging needs, and we need to step back, remove the word ‘tricky student’ from our vocabulary, and focus on meeting those needs.

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COMMUNITY

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