By Alice curwood
A SuStAinAble Future: Our FirSt StepS
This term, PE, Sport and Academies are at the forefront of our journey towards a more sustainable future at Bangkok Patana School. In our commitment to reducing environmental impact, inspired by our students, we have made significant steps forward with sportswear and event hosting. We are eager to involve our entire community as we make further progress and hope to share our efforts with the wider community to adopt similar practices, particularly across SEASAC and FOBISIA schools.
THE PATH TO A UNIFIED, SUSTAINABLE PE AND SPORT KIT
Our new PE and sport kit across Primary and Secondary launched this term, designed with sustainability and practicality in mind. Our goal is to create a streamlined system where a single kit can serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for frequent purchases and extending the lifespan of the items. For example, our Under 12 and Under 14 seasonal sport teams will now have the option to wear the same kit across various sports, reducing the need to buy separate uniforms for each activity or for a season that can be as short as eight weeks.
Key to this initiative is the flexibility and inclusivity of our kit options. Students can choose from a variety of sport bottoms, including unisex shorts, tennis shorts with pockets, basketball shorts, leggings, and skorts, allowing everyone to find what suits them best. This focus on personal preference ensures that all students feel comfortable and confident in their attire, whether they are participating in PE, ECAs or competitive sports.
The new kit is available via the School Shop. Previously
academy or seasonal sport kit would have been budgeted into trips or tournament billing. This will no longer be the case, allowing students to wear it throughout the season or year-long programme. Over the next few years, we hope our second hand sales of kits will grow, with the design remaining the same for a minimum of five years. The latest fabric technologies have led to our choice of materials, ensuring apparel is durable, anti-microbial and has a longer life span, leading to less frequent purchase of replacements. In addition, we will be working with The Yang Foundation to close the loop via their circular sustainability programme. Used teamwear can be collected to be recycled, reused or repurposed.
OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS ECO-FRIENDLY SPORTS EVENTS
Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond PE and sport kit to encompass the entire experience of events hosted at Bangkok Patana School. We have opted for sustainable medals and trophies, sourced from a local supplier in Bangkok, made from both wood and recycled plastics instead of traditional materials. We have made a conscious decision not to offer event t-shirts at our events, recognising the significant water consumption and environmental impact of manufacturing additional event only t-shirts with the venue and year printed on them. We are working with our students to produce eco-friendly merchandise, crafted from repurposed plastic. Recent examples include hydroflasks, bucket hats and sew-on badges. These items, along with fabric or paper banners, are designed for reuse year after year, ensuring that our signature events like Feeding Frenzy (Swim Academy)
Alice Curwood, Cross Campus Vice Principal
and Patana 7s (Football Academy) are both memorable and environmentally responsible. This approach is just the beginning, and we plan to continue exploring innovative ways to make our events more eco-friendly, hoping to offset some of our carbon footprint from the flights we take to compete in both SEASAC and FOBISIA competitions.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
One of the most exciting aspects of this initiative is the active involvement of our students. At Bangkok Patana, student autonomy is at the forefront of our decision making process, especially when it comes to sustainability. Our established Student Environmental Committee (SEC) and Tiger Sports Council are taking a lead role in overseeing the drive towards sustainable practices within sports, ensuring that the ideas and concerns of our student athletes are both heard and actioned. It is imperative that our
future decisions reflect the values and aspirations of our student body.
A LONG-TERM VISION FOR A GREENER PATANA
While we are taking important first steps now, we also recognise that this journey towards sustainability is a long term goal that will evolve over time. We are committed to continuously exploring new ideas and acknowledging our role as environmental conscious citizens. As we move forward, we invite everyone at Bangkok Patana School to join us in this journey. Together, we can make a lasting impact, ensuring that our school not only stands out for its excellence in sport and education, but also as a leader in sustainability across Asia and beyond.
‘belOnging’ in YeAr 3
Dan Hatfield, Year 3 Curriculum Leader
Aconcept-based curriculum is an approach to curriculum design that moves away from simple subject-specific content and instead focuses on an overarching ‘idea’ which spans several subject areas. At the heart of this curriculum model is the rigorous teaching of academic knowledge but, rather than existing as a simple series of facts, this serves as a pathway to a deeper understanding of the key concept. Some of the benefits of this model include a higher level of engagement from students; an increased level of collaboration in the classroom; a deep understanding of key knowledge and developing in our young students the ability to reflect critically on some challenging concepts.
Year 3’s new Term 1a curriculum is built around the concept of belonging and the driving question of ‘What Does it Mean to Belong?’. We chose this focus as it aligns with the Patana values of global citizenship and celebrating diversity and because it incredibly relevant to our diverse cohort of students.
We use two core texts to explore this concept: Krit Dreams of Dragon Fruit, the story of a young boy who moves with his family from Chiang Mai to Chicago, and
Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx, about a girl who overcomes her fears to rescue her father from an Ancient Egyptian god and, in the process, discovers her sense of belonging in her family of explorers and adventurers.
Our students learn about the geography of Thailand and the history of Ancient Egypt, are taught how to write effective sentences using precise adverbs and nouns, create ebooks and learn how to design and make their own costumes. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to explore the idea of rights and responsibilities, to share the people and places that are special to them, to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of moving to a new country, to inquire about belonging in the context of an historic civilisation; and to voice their opinions on how we can foster a culture of belonging in school.
Our ultimate aim is for the students to understand that belonging is a feeling that is personal to us, that it is perfectly ok to feel like you belong in more than one place, and that we all have a shared responsibility to make Year 3 a place where everyone feels that they belong.
You can also follow these steps on your laptop or desktop; just remember to select the school first. Should you encounter any issues logging into your account, please contact helpdesk@patana.ac.th. If you have any areas of technology you would like me to talk about in these videos then please add a comment in the video or contact me directly on brta@patana.ac.th.
Have a great weekend.
Brian Taylor Vice Principal, Technology for Learning
VArSitY girlS VOlleYbAll
Cindy Adair, Cross Campus Principal
VARSITY GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL STARTS THE SEASON WITH A WIN
On Wednesday evening Bangkok Patana hosted St. Andrews (STA) at home in the first Varsity Girls’ Volleyball match of the season. Kitted out in their new home strips and looking smart, the team were eager to get on court and test themselves. After a 23/24 season which saw many near misses and very few wins, the team, one year older and stronger, were determined to perform well.
The first set started well with some excellent serving runs from Helen Wang and some impressive hitting from our ‘lefty’ Kelly Pan. We took the first set 25-18. However, STA were determined we weren’t going to have it all our own way and served up an energetic second set, where their libero really shone, returning everything we sent their way. We went down fighting 18-25. Set 3 went to Patana and Set 4 to STA. At the start of the 5th Coach Snook
challenged the team, “Who is feeling confident with their serve?” six brave souls backed themselves and stepped forward and took the court as our starters. Our Vice Captain Emma Christiaen held her nerve and put us ahead 5 – 0! But once again STA showed their grit and determination and despite some excellent hitting from April Suriyabhivadh, Mila Chakrabandhu and IngIng Kongboonma we found ourselves at 13-13… a timely turn-over and we managed to serve our way to the win! Congratulations to our rookies who were playing in their first Varsity match this week. Next week we play RIS at home on Monday (please do come along and cheer us on) and NIST away on Wednesday.
Thank you to our awesome parent cheer squad who turned out in force to support us. Shout out to the Varsity Boys team who also started their season with a good win.
cAreerS dAY 2023/24
InTerm 3 of the last academic year, the Careers Department hosted a Careers Day. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as Year 10 and 11 students filed into our Senior Studies area. They were greeted by our keynote speaker, Richard Jackson, who opened our event with his inspiring and personal career journey. Detailing to our students the importance of skills, networking and believing in your abilities, Richard’s opening speech was a perfect start to the morning. He encouraged students to embrace curiosity, explore their interests, and not be afraid to take risks in pursuit of their dreams.
As the speech concluded, students made their way to the Conference rooms where they would attend various career specific presentations. Professionals from diverse fields offered firsthand insights into their daily work, the skills required, and the educational paths that led them to their current roles. One of the most popular areas was the
‘Speed Careering’ area, where students spent 10 minutes listening to different careers. Doctor, UN worker, engineer, magician, lawyer, journalist and entrepreneur were some of the many professionals that spoke to our students. By the end of the day, students left the event not only more informed but also more motivated.
Patana’s Career Day had succeeded in sparking curiosity, broadening horizons and igniting a sense of possibility in our students. A week after the event, the Careers and University counsellors met with the Year 10 students to provide guidance and support, helping students reflect on their strengths and interests, and how these could translate into future careers. The event was not just about discovering different professions, but also about self-discovery and understanding how to align personal passions with career choices.
Karel De Cock, Careers and Universities Counsellor
newS SpreAdS AbOut Our plAn FOr
prOjectS
Simon Griffiths, Key Stage 3 Curriculum Innovation Leader
Last Wednesday, I had the honour of being a guest speaker at the virtual launch of Kyle Wagner’s latest book, Where is the Teacher. This insightful book highlights 12 transformative shifts for enhancing project-based learning. I’m thrilled that our work at Bangkok Patana is featured, and it was a privilege to share our vision with fellow educational enthusiasts from schools across the world. This launch couldn’t be more timely, as we kick off the first wave of Global Impact Projects with our Year 7 students.
Patana PArticiPAtes!
Achievements from Our Community
Inggrayani Herlambang, Parent
Chanya Bayla Somboonvechakarn (9H) is making headlines as the youngest recipient of the LTCL (Licentiate in Music Performance Diploma) in Southeast Asia this year. Adding to her accomplishments, Bayla was chosen as one of the three performers during the Trinity College London diploma conferment ceremony in Malaysia.
Juntarporn Tangthanasup, Parent
Chaitawat (William) Chatthamrak (7A), represented Thailand, at the Robotic World Challenge 2024, held from 9th12th August in Beijing. Competing against top teams from around the globe, William and his team claimed one gold and one silver medal across two categories.
William’s journey to the international stage began earlier this year when he triumphed in two categories at the Thailand Robotic Competition held from 24th-26th May, earning him the chance to represent his nation at the World Challenge.
Patana PArticiPAtes!
Achievements from Our Community
Kwan and Daniel Ross, Parents
Levi Ross (4F) participated in the SISB International School Rapid Chess Championship 2024 this past weekend and finished as 2nd Runner Up. Congratulations Levi!
Bing Bhirombhakdi, Parent
BeamVoranan has made an impressive debut with her first single, released under Homerun Music, Muzik Move Records, on August 15th. In just two weeks, the music video for her song ‘Whisper’ has gained over 200,000 views on YouTube.
Thanks to the success of her video, Beam has also been honoured with the Influencer Award from Lifestyle Asia Magazine.
Patana PArticiPAtes!
Achievements from Our Community
Pink U, Parent
Arthur
Arin Utoktham (9Y) took the stage at the CIMB Concert held on August 10, 2024, at The Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon. After a successful audition, Arthur earned the opportunity to perform both singing and dancing alongside some of Thailand’s most famous artists.
Currently a member of the ‘Junior Varsity Dance Team,’ Arthur is also one of the featured performers in the upcoming “GREASE - Secondary Musical 2024.”
