Patana News Volume 26 Issue 23

PATANA

By Carol Battram

EvEryonE is WElcomE and EvEryonE BElongs

Carol Battram, Assistant Principal, Learning and Welfare

AtBangkok Patana, we are transparent about our values. When choosing to come to Patana, whether as a member of staff or as a family, we all agree to a set of values which celebrate diversity, respect and inclusion. We try to teach by example, not just with the words we choose to use but also through a readiness to challenge bias and negative stereotypes.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how hard it can be to consistently model our school values. Each of us bring our lived experiences to Bangkok Patana and I still find hard to acknowledge that some of my thoughts, however subconscious or even involuntary, actively discriminate against others. It might be human nature to consider our own country, history culture and language exceptional, but that doesn’t make it right.

ACKNOWLEDGING SUBCONSCIOUS DISCRIMINATION

Our community works hard to make our school inclusive

– and to build a shared understanding of what this word means in practice. Inclusion means that all members of our community feel welcome when they join Patana and that, over time, this develops into a sense of belonging.

To get there, we want everyone who joins our school to know that prejudice and deliberately hurtful comments have no place here and that such comments are the opposite of kindness, compassion and respect. The goal of course is to make everyone feel safe in school, but incidents of discrimination can and do occur. How we respond is a test of our school culture, and we look for solutions that take into account both impact and context.

EDUCATING AND ADDRESSING BEHAVIOUR

Carelessly hurtful comments can spring from ignorance, immaturity or even curiosity as well as from malicious intent. A direct observation made by a five-year-old to their friend about their physical differences, including skin colour, is different to an intentionally racist slur. However, no matter what the intent, we always need to think first

and foremost about the impact on individuals and their families.

Intolerance of others can present itself in many ways and can sometimes be disguised as a joke or even comradely banter. My granny would often say, ‘If you’ve got nothing nice to say, don’t say it,” but controlling the impulse to hurt someone with your words, or going one step further and refusing to join in with normalised behavior and language –- takes courage and maturity.

We teach and encourage our students to share problems and worries with their trusted adults and this includes children overhearing, or being the target of, discriminatory language. Such comments will always be addressed, but each case deserves careful consideration rather than a knee-jerk response. In the majority of cases there will be opportunities to apologise, to restore trust and to make amends. A student or group may need to learn why their words have caused hurt, and sometimes this teaching will take place alongside appropriate sanctions.

Children and young people need to learn about the hurt and ripples of damage that are caused by pejorative language, but they also need the chance to explain why they used those words and time to consider the impact of their words on others. Restorative and reflective learning doesn’t happen if a student only feels shamed, defensive and unheard.

PARENT AND TEACHER ENGAGEMENT

To make our school feel safe for everyone, we will always need everyone’s engagement and support. Parents and teachers need to pay attention to how language is being used, and what our students are accessing, including the casual bigotry found in various forms of music and via social media. It can be very confusing for a child or young person when they hear a word being freely used in one setting and are then told that it is wrong for them to use the same word with their friends. If your child doesn’t understand why a word or phrase should not be used, have that conversation. Have many conversations.

Every student, whatever their age, learns better in a safe environment free of slurs and taunts. This means no teasing or name calling related to ability, appearance, culture, biological sex, home language, race, accent, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or religion.

SCHOOL VISION AND COMMUNITY

For many of our students, Bangkok Patana is the place where they are most likely to interact with friends, teach-

ers and classmates from different cultures, backgrounds and races. Our school vision is to develop global citizens who will go out into the world fortified by tolerance, kindness, cultural awareness and an open mind. Everyone is welcome, and everyone belongs.

sEasac sEnior sWimming championships

SEASAC

Senior Swimming Championships 2024 saw the Bangkok Patana TigerSharks head to CDNIS in Hong Kong. This year once again saw 10 girls and 10 boys aged 14/over represent Bangkok Patana School in the varsity conference championships. An impressive weekend of racing had the TigerSharks claim 3rd place in the Girls’ team for the third year in a row. And the Boys continued their winning streak as for the third year in a row claimed the boys team title!

The weekend began with racing on Thursday evening, where the points tally began to rack up and the medal count. Girls captain Erin Richards began adding to the medal count by getting 1st place in the 200m Backstroke, with Leo Alfaro beginning the medal count for the Boys’ team getting 3rd place in the same event. To round off

Thursday, the Girls’ team (Panna Ngamtrakulpanit, Jasmine Madden, Misha Parker and Erin Richards) in the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay secured 3rd place.

Friday began with the opening parade organised by the host school CDNIS. This saw all the schools make their way to the front entrance, on the 9th floor! With the campus built into a hill, the school begins on the 9th floor and works down a large staircase all the way to the bottom. All participating swimmers walked through a guard of honour by CDNIS staff and students over six floors, whilst they were waving participating team banners and country flags. A truly unique and fantastic occasion for the students to be part of, which helped kick off the first full day of racing with energy and excitement.

Friday began with Boys’ co-captain Nicolas Zimmerman winning the 200m Butterfly, his first SEASAC individual title! The morning was rounded off with 3rd place in the Mixed 4x 50m Freestyle Relay (Leo Alfaro, Shubhankar Patki, Panna Ngamtrakulpanit, Erin Richards). The afternoon session saw the first finals session of the championships, where Erin Richards (3rd) and Shubhankar Patki (2nd) claimed medals in the 100m Backstroke. Shubhankar Patki continued adding to his medal collection with 1st place in the 50m Butterfly, Leo Alfaro added to the medal count with 3rd place in the 100m Freestyle. The Friday afternoon session finished with the 4 x 100m Medley Relay which saw the Girls claim 3rd place (Panna Ngamtrakulpanit, Claire Charanachitta, Erin Richards, Jasmine Madden) and the Boys claiming 2nd place (Shubhankar Patki, Michael Bell, Nicolas Zimmerman, Leo Alfaro).

Saturday was the second full day of the championships. In the morning session, the TigerSharks claimed 2nd place in the 4 x 50m Mixed Medley Relay (Shubhankar Patki,

Joe Denton, Asisstant Head Swim Coach

Michael Bell, Erin Richards, Panna Ngamtrakulpanit). The afternoon began with Erin Richards claiming 2nd place in the 200m Freestyle and a school record! This began a strong session for the TigerSharks as Panna Ngamtrakulpanit grabbed 3rd place in the 50m Backstroke, followed by Shubhankar Patki in 2nd place in the Boys’ event. Shubhankar Patki claimed another individual SEASAC title with 1st place in the 100m Butterfly. The Girls rounded off the Saturday afternoon session with 2nd place in the 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay (Panna Ngamtrakulpanit, Jasmine Madden, Ada Chanyarakskul, Erin Richards).

Sunday saw the final session of the championships, where it began with a big points hall and some medals along the way in the 400m Individual Medley. All eight TigerSharks (three girls and five boys) scored points in this event; with Boys’ Co-Captain Jack Zimmerman taking 3rd place and the Girls Captain Erin Richards for the third consecutive year taking 1st place. In the Boys 50m Freestyle, ranked 5th going into the final, Leo Alfaro claimed 2nd place from the outside lane. Sunday morning concluded with the Boys claiming 2nd place in the 4 x 50m Medley Relay (Shubhankar Patki, Michael Bell, Nicolas Zimmer -

man, Leo Alfaro). Following the conclusion of the racing, the TigerSharks all joined together to congratulate one another on their weekend, which saw them dancing around poolside to Taylor Swift ‘Love Story’, an amazing memory for all involved!

The TigerSharks MVP for the Girls was captain Erin Richards, with an impressive 42 points in her highest individual points count in her 5th and final SEASAC senior. Congratulations to Shubhankar who was the TigerSharks MVP for the Boys with 44 points, this saw him finish in joint 2nd place in the overall individual points standings. A fun task was set upon the TigerSharks to perform a ‘hat swap’ with every participating team at the championships. Just like they done in the pool, the TigerSharks delivered with all 14 other schools caps claimed!

Congratulations once again to all the TigerSharks on another successful weekend at SEASAC Senior.

FoBisia JUnior TEnnis 2024

Dan Ahl, Head Tennis Coach

Nineteen Bangkok Patana students travelled down to Hua Hin last weekend for the U10 and U11 FOBISIA Tennis championships. The event was hosted at Arena Hua Hin which recently hosted a high level WTA tour event so courts and facilities were excellent.

This was for all our students the first travel trip opportunity to a tennis event and excitement was a plenty.

Friday saw the start of the round robin groups with all players playing their first two matches. Matches were competitive and all the Patana players were really working hard against their opponents trying to use tactical skills they had been working hard on in practise.

After Day 1, many more matches had been won than lost but as their coach, I was very happy with how all had approached the challenge and really impressed with their commitment on court and their team support off the court.

Saturday saw the completion of the group stages followed by the start of the knockout rounds for group winners and some best placed runners up. Patana had eleven qualify for the knockout stages which was excellent in itself. Competition though naturally became fiercer and the level go up a notch but five of our players won through to

the semi final rounds.

Sunday was a day of semi finals and finals for some and for others an opportunity to play some friendly matches if they had lost during the round robin.

As expected the semi finals were all tough encounters as were the finals and bronze medal playoff games but I was proud of all of our students who gave their best efforts for a third day running.

Final results saw Rei win the U11 Boys title with Rui finishing 3rd - both top performances as Rei is Year 5 and Rui Year 4 so both were eligible for the U10 event but opted to test their skills out in the older age group. Ella in the U11 Girls, Luka U10 boys and Nicha U10 Girls all finished fourth but tried their best all day and were all desperately close to finishing higher but it was not to be.

A final word to the Patana parents who supported all weekend and enhanced the team spirit between players coaches and parents and I know also really enjoyed their first team trip away.

inspirE inclUsion: inTErnaTional WomEn’s day 2024

Experience the power of spoken word in shaping our world positively with my latest poem, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ crafted in dedication to International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 and the campaign theme of #InspireInclusion. At the heart of #IWD2024 lies a powerful message that encourages individuals, organisations, and communities to actively engage in creating a more inclusive world where women and girls have equal opportunities and representation in all fields of endeavour. This poem poses the poignant question - are you inspiring inclusion?

Using the extended metaphor of the vast ocean, I celebrate the unwavering strength and resilience of women while igniting a fervent call to action. The poem urges us all to challenge discrimination, confront bias, and strive for a future defined by equality, genuine inclusion, and a sense of belonging for every individual in all environments and facets of society. Can we envision a world where all voices are heard and valued by standing united, inspiring empowerment, and challenging leaders to dismantle barriers and celebrate diversity?

As a Secondary english teacher, I passionately utilise poetry and art to inspire positive change, believing in the transformative power of words to harmonise, uplift, and empower voices. Fostering appreciation for poetry among students is important as it serves as a potent tool for cultural appreciation, raising awareness of global issues, and nurturing our values as global citizens. The poem is also featured on the IWD organisation website, where you can learn more about the campaign theme: #InspireInclusion.

Spoken Word Poem in tribute to International Women’s Day 2024

Purnima Ghogar, Secondary English Teacher

EmBracing ThE impacT oF phonics

Patrick O’Connor. Leader of Learning and Welfare, Year 1

In the realm of education, certain fundamentals stand as pillars, supporting the development of literacy and communication. Among them, phonics occupies a central position, offering a structured approach to decoding words – a crucial skillset for young learners and a cornerstone for early literacy. This academic year marks a significant milestone for our school as we have adopted the Jolly Phonics program, recognised for its effectiveness in developing reading and writing proficiency.

JOLLY PHONICS embodies a dynamic and childcentred approach to literacy education, rooted in the principles of synthetic phonics. Through a repertoire of actions corresponding to each of the 42 letter sounds, this multi-sensory method captivates and motivates young learners, fostering an engaging learning environment. Organised into seven distinct groups, as depicted in the Letter Sound Order chart, Jolly Phonics employs a systematic approach to teaching the five essential skills for reading and writing proficiency. By prioritizing the acquisition of letter sounds over alphabetic order, Jolly Phonics empowers children to construct words from an early stage, facilitating a seamless transition into reading and writing. The program’s structured approach covers the teaching of letter formations through varied multisensory techniques, blending sounds to decode words, identifying sounds within words for effective spelling, and mastering tricky words with irregular spellings – a holistic framework that nurtures literacy skills and fosters a love for learning.

Yet, the impact of phonics extends beyond the realm of reading and writing. Within the collaborative learning environments we create in every year group, phonics serves as a catalyst for effective communication. Equipped with a shared understanding of phonetic principles, students engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and construct meaning collaboratively – a testament to the development of the Characteristics of Effective Learning that our school has been focussing on for the past few years.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR HOME SUPPORT

Parents serve as crucial partners in their child’s phonics journey, offering support through simple, everyday activities. Reading together, engaging in conversations, and playing word games enrich language experiences at home. Practical applications like labelling items or composing lists reinforce phonics skills in real-life contexts. Using digital resources and educational apps, such as ‘Jolly Classroom’ and ‘Teach Your Monster to Read,’ can

also provide interactive practice. By fostering a supportive home environment, parents empower their children to develop confidence and curiosity in phonics, laying a strong foundation for literacy and lifelong learning. Class teachers are always happy to work with parents, so please ask your child’s teacher if you would like further support with phonics activities for home.

The benefits of Phonics permeate every facet of our students’ academic journey. From the cultivation of creativity to the honing of critical thinking skills, phonics serves as a cornerstone upon which our educational foundation is built. Looking ahead, we remain committed to fostering a culture of lifelong learning and effective communication. Armed with the tools provided by Jolly Phonics, our students embark upon a journey of discovery – a journey marked by clarity of expression, fluency of thought, and a deep appreciation for the power of language.

changing TidEs in UnivErsiTy admission

Kevin Keller, Head of Faculty, Careers and University Counselling

University admission has been in the news in several countries over the last few months. In our most recent university coffee morning, we examined some of the trends and topics which could be causing concern or confusion in several of Bangkok Patana’s most popular university destinations. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be covering these changes and providing updates to the wider parent community since our most recent presentation.

CANADA

The Canadian Federal Government recently introduced a policy to limit “study permits” (student visas) by cutting the number issued by 35% to 250,000 students. Study permits will be issued to each provincial government, who will then determine a method of allocation to individual universities. At first glance, this might seem like a huge decrease which could cause problems for students without Canadian passports hoping to study in Canada. In fact, after meeting last week with representatives from University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, we are confident that the reduction will not effect the public universities which attract Bangkok Patana students. The reductions will mostly impact private colleges which offer short programs, vocational certificates and generally other courses which our students are no longer interested in.

The only major change which will impact our students due to this policy, is the requirement for students to have a letter of invitation issued by the province where their intended university is located. This will be a process arranged by the university and should be completed with ease once the student is offered admission.

Additionally, the government of the French-speaking province of Quebec has decided to add a level-5 French-language requirement to the three English-speaking universities, McGill University, Concordia University and Bishop’s University. This means that all students will now need to graduate from these universities with an intermediate understanding of the French Language. This will be useful in a province where over 70% of citizens speak French as their first language. The Quebec government also decided to require that the universities raise the tuition fees for international students and Canadian students from outside of Quebec by about 30%, bringing the cost of McGill University to about CAD12,000 for Canadian students from other provinces and French passport holders. The international student cost will increase by a similar amount.

Canadian universities continue to be excited about welcoming international students and especially for Bangkok Patana students. Each of the representatives that our university counsellors spoke to were sure to reiterate the desire to attract the best students to study at these high-quality institutions. Canada will most likely continue to be our third most popular study destination (following the United States and the United Kingdom) and students won’t notice much difference in the admission rate. The headlines can be scary, but in this case, it won’t prove to be a major hurdle.

Next week, I’ll be discussing the Netherlands and the significant changes to what was once a booming destination for English-language study in Europe.

TEachErs mainTain Winning sTrEak!

Ana Bolakoso,9Y Head of Student Voice, Tiger Sport Council

Last week lunchtime was action packed with the teachers and students going head to head in an intensive Football match. Both teams excelled in showing skill, quick thinking and sportsmanship. In the end the teachers took the win with the score standing at a nail biting 4 - 3. Another win to the teachers! Congratulations and thank you to all staff and students that played.

#269: 3 in 3 paTana pTg TEch Talk

If you have any areas of technology you would like me to talk about in these 3 in 3 videos then please add a comment in the video or contact me directly on brta@patana.ac.th.

Timestamps

0:00 #1 Did you know you can long press the back button in your browser to see your history?

1:01 #2 Long press the space bar to start a hidden trackpad and easily edit text on your iPhone

1:25 #3 How to subscribe to the school calendar on your iPhone

I’ll explain how to subscribe to the school calendar for Android users next week :)

Have a fantastic weekend.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Technology for

Learning

Thank yoU To oUr FUn day sponsors

Thank yoU To oUr FUn day sponsors

Growing Up with Quality

Wellness is the lifestyle promoted by Technogym aimed at improving quality of life by championing the benefits of regular physical activity, correct nutrition and a positive mental attitude. The ensuing benefits help people achieve a physical and mental balance in their work and social life. Therefore, it’s important for everyone especially children to reach and maintain quality of these three wellness pillars as an essential foundation of growing up with quality

Quick guide: get more fruit and vegetables into your children

Getting your children to eat fruit and vegetables can be a real chore! Here is a quick guide for parents to

Get more fruit into your children

Making fruit ready-to-eat for them, for example, making smoothies, fruit muffins, fruit pies, flans, pancakes and homemade fruit sorbets.

Get more vegetables into your children

1. Getting children involved in meal preparation is a good way to get young children to see vegetables in a different light.

2. Involving children in cooking can help to make eating vegetables fun.

3. Offer a variety of vegetables. Everyone has their own individual preferences and children are no different.

The importance of movement in children

Scientific studies show that physical activity has a positive effect on children’s bones, heart and even weight, and that they are able to sleep and eat better by releasing their energy.

The World Health Organization defines different age groups and effective time spent a day for each age group on physical activity as follows:

1. Infants : 30 minutes for interactive play on mats

2. Children aged 1 to 4 : 180 minutes for interactive play on mats

3. Children aged 5 to 11 : 60 minutes for gymnastics, combined with musculoskeletal strengthening exercises three times a week.

The benefits of teaching children yoga and meditation

Yoga and Meditation helps children how to manage complex inner situation, reach inner tranquility, and finally achieve the widespread wellbeing. And the benefits of yoga and meditation for children also go far beyond this.

1. Experience calm

The first feeling experienced by those who approach the practices of self-awareness is a perception of a strong and generalized feeling of calm and tranquility.

2. Improve a child’s concentration

Meditation techniques help children to increase concentration and memory levels. The child’s organisational and planning skills are also being developed, with the best results at school and in sports performance.

Thank yoU To oUr FUn day sponsors

Thank yoU To oUr FUn day sponsors

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