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Head of School’s Blog / The Roar - Sports Try-outs / Taylor’s Technology Tips Bangkok Patana is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
Welcome Back Greetings everyone, I am delighted to welcome you all back to the 2016/17 academic year. A special welcome to all the new families joining us this August, we are so pleased you chose Bangkok Patana School. I am starting my ninth year as Head of School and 32nd year in education and I’m looking forward to the busy Patana year that is ahead of us. It is really an honour to lead such an amazing school. Bangkok Patana is a school where it is okay to be different and to express oneself openly. It is a school that encourages initiative, competition and success and it is a school where every individual is known and feels part of the social group. Only when a student feels connected and happy with their lot, can they learn effectively, and I want them to learn in the most effective way possible. The school year has started very smoothly and I have observed lots of happy, relaxed students and teachers.
New Students A very warm welcome to our 250 new students starting at Bangkok Patana School. We hope your transition is a smooth one and we are so glad you are joining the Patana community! Our total school population is 2,223 students, making us the largest international school in Thailand.
Staffing We have 39 new staff joining us for this academic year. They have already spent a week at school attending a very well organised and informative staff induction programme which Jackie Houghton and her team have done a superb job planning! I’m delighted with the high quality of teachers joining our community.
IB Results 2016 The Graduating Class of 2016 did Bangkok Patana School proud in their examination results this year. The final examinations were sat over three intense weeks in May, with students all coping extremely well with a very punishing examination schedule at the end of a rigorous and challenging two-year course. Results day was 6th July, and a very happy day for us, bringing our best ever set of IB Diploma results. The key statistics were published last week on the Patana Life page of the school website, but I am proud to repeat them here too. Students who passed the IB Diploma achieved an average points score of 35 out of a possible 45. This is an outstanding achievement, set against a world average of 30 points and something that, as a non-selective school, making us very proud. Two other statistics of particular note are that we enjoyed a 99% pass rate, compared to a world average of 80%, and 18% of our students scored above 40 points, compared to a world average of 5%.
Special mention must go to our highest achieving students: Chaninda (Holly) Dejsupa, Teephop (Float) Keerasuntonpong , Millie Ribeiro, Vighnesh Vijay and Sudthatada (Kate) Wattanavekin, who all scored 43 points and count themselves amongst the top 1% of students worldwide and also to Warinyupa (Bebe) Phornprapha, Samakorn (Mike) Duntanasarn and Paul Boulom, who made huge improvements from IGCSE to IB.
IGCSE Results Thursday 11th August saw the publication of this year’s Cambridge (I)GCSE results. In total, 962 qualifications were awarded, mostly to our Year 11 cohort, but also a small number of students from Years 9, 10 and 12. We are very pleased to see an increase in the number of highest grades awarded, with 51.4% A*/A, an increase of 7.8% from last year. In addition, our proportion of A*/B grades also increased, by 3.2%, to 74.7%. Congratulations to our talented and hard-working students. Edexcel results will be available from midday on Thursday 25th August.
Summer Works We are delighted with all of the amazing building refurbishment work that has been undertaken over the summer holidays. Enhancing and modernising our learning environments obviously has direct benefits to our students and I’m sure our secondary Mathematics' students are going to love their new classrooms. This year’s major summer projects include: Complete new upgrade of the two floors of the Admin Building at the front of school, including Reception Complete new upgrade of the bottom two floors of the HUM building including Mathematics and History departments, and new break-out areas Total refurbishment of our Todsamon Faculty Apartments Remodeling of downstairs Secondary Design and Technology rooms Refurbishment of Senior Studies ground floor Complete new Transport Building
Exceeding Perceived Potential At my welcome back staff meeting presentation on Monday, I discussed the work of Dr John Hattie, Professor of Education and Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Hattie is a prolific educational researcher on how children learn best. At my presentation we were focusing on his observations on what defines a great teacher. He talked about highly successful teachers that automatically raise the bar by helping their students exceed their perceived potential. His research confirmed that most adults in their 30’s plus can think of usually only one or two teachers that they remembered fondly and had a major impact on their lives. Hattie said those one or two teachers were undoubtedly the teachers that saw the hidden potential and pushed that student to aim higher and achieve greatness. Wouldn’t it be amazing in future generations when asked the same question, they could name six or seven teachers that inspired them! We talked about the school being full of stars and what a challenge and privilege it is to take our wonderful Bangkok Patana students to the next level as they reach their full potential. As a school we strive to make our curriculum and programme fascinating and I’m really looking forward to another year of exciting challenges ahead in our flourishing learning community.
by Jason Chandra (13M) , Jaruwatana (Sodai) Lotharukpong (13H) and Stephanie Richt (13M)
S
ummer holidays are generally a time of relaxation, but this summer we wanted to try something new. We travelled to a remote village within reach of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and stayed at an organic farm for seven days. This gave us a chance to experience daily life on a sustainable farm and learn some ecological techniques for growing food. Composting is a vital part of organic farming which involves mixing carbon and nitrogen sources (dead leaves, tree barks, cow manure) in order to break sources down into small building blocks to promote
the growth of plants. It was a difficult and challenging undertaking, as we had to work hard to collect the required materials in the burning sun. We learnt about the requirements of compost: lots of water, oxygen, and some effective-microorganism solutions. We also learnt how to identify when the compost pile is ready. Furthermore, we also learnt the importance of microorganisms for human health; for example, in probiotic foods such as ‘Kombucha’ wherein we placed a scobi (a bacterial, fungal symbiosis) into sweetened tea and left it to ferment. There are lots of other
kinds of bacteria that can benefit plants. We collected starfruit and mixed them with “Effective Microorganisms� in order to employ the bacteria in the E-M to create a microbial fertilizer. In addition to all of these supplements to our school biology knowledge, we got to experience traditional farm work including planting pineapples, bananas and bamboo grass, we even had the opportunity to fish for our dinner! A highlight of our trip was a hike to the Karen village. We saw the local school in the area (promoting sustainable development), wild vegetation and its different uses and enjoyed a traditional lunch in a typical Karen village. However, the most significant experience was when we walked
around the Mae Mut Village the day after a calamitous storm. The ramification of a catastrophic event was a devastated village in which the community had to show solidarity and reason by helping the villagers most in need after the damaging landslides. We talked with our supervisor and learnt the value of sustainability as the landslides are caused by the deforestation of trees to plant corn for pig fodder. Ultimately, this experience has changed us and made us more aware of environmental impacts caused by human activities, and the value of communalism, and sustainable agriculture. It was an unforgettable experience that allowed us to enhance our comprehensive school based knowledge through a real world experience.
Welcome Back Parents! We hope you had a wonderful summer break and are off to a great new school year. The PTG is looking for volunteers as well as a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson! Please email ptg@patana.ac.th if you are interested
#37: Virtual Reality and Mindfulness I finished last year’s tips with a mention of the Google Tilt Brush. In order to address the balance here’s a nod to the Microsoft version called HoloLens. We will be following the development of this technology closely as there is no doubt in my mind that it will be a powerful learning tool in our classrooms and homes in the very near future. Trust me, you’ll want to buy one after watching the HoloLens video on the link above! There is currently a wonderful display on Mindfulness in the Secondary Library. Please take a moment when in school to take a look at it and the resources they recommend. An app that I’m exploring is called Headspace. Freely available for iOS and Android, it guides you through a basic 10 x 10 minute foundation course of meditation. Take a look at the video here and see if it works for you…. Have a great weekend…. Brian Taylor, Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration
SPORTS TRY-OUTS Competitive Sport try-outs for Season 1 will take place from 22nd August - 26th August, 2016. Team selections will be announced on 26th August at morning break time. All students should sign up for trials so the coach knows expected numbers and transport can be arranged for existing transport users. Signing up for trials doesn’t mean you are automatically selected for that team. For those students who are selected for teams this will take precedence over any Block 1 ECAs for which you have been selected.
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SPORTS TRY-OUTS
Season 1 will run from 29th August - 4th November and students who are selected for teams are expected to attend all training sessions, competitions and tournaments. If you are not selected for the team you will automatically be added to our development squad, if numbers are sufficient. If you do not wish to be in the development squad please inform the Sports and Activities office to remove you from that team by emailing Khun Suly (suss@patana.ac.th). Please note that trials for TigerSharks Swimming, Tigers Gymnastics and Tigers Tennis involve an individual assessment of skills so please contact the relevant Head Coach for an individual appointment:
Swimming Gymnastics Tennis
(Acting Head Coach)
Generally, Primary School sporting teams (Under 9 and Under 11) are selected following participation in regular ECAs and PE classes, so no need to register for trials. The exception to this is Swimming, Gymnastics and Tennis as discussed above. The key BISAC and SEASAC competition dates for Season 1 are: Nov 3rd - 5th and Oct 9th - 10th (Varsity only). Please check you are available to play that weekend before committing to a team. Our school calendar is available online here and it is important you take the time to check for clashes to avoid problems at a later date. If you spot a clash please speak to the Coaches and Teachers leading the activities to see what your options are.
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Weekly news from the Transport Department
T
he Transport team would like to extend a warm welcome back to our new and returning bus users. We hope everyone has had a smooth start to the school year. We have moved into new offices with the Information Office located behind reception at the front of school. We hope you like the new look!
Please ensure that your children are ready at the scheduled pick up time each morning. The bus will wait for a maximum of three minutes and then leave.
The bus driver or bus monitor will not telephone or ring your doorbell. We ask that everyone helps avoid delays by being on time. Please inform Transport if a fellow bus user is regularly late for their pick up time.
The Transport Department’s direct phone number is 02 785 2470. The office is staffed from 6:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Friday. You can also contact us via email at transport@patana.ac.th
Please ensure that your child knows their afternoon bus number so they can go directly to their bus when they get to the Bus Park after school.
ECA buses will be available from Monday 22nd or Monday 29th August depending on when the ECA commences. Start dates can be found on the Parents Gateway under Student Services.
Don’t forget to check your child’s ECA schedule on the Parents Gateway from Wednesday 24 th August. Any changes should be completed by Friday 26th August to ensure that transport can be rearranged accordingly to commence on Monday 29th August.
Sports try-outs and selective ECAs commence on Monday 22nd August. If you did not ‘sign up’ for tryouts you can contact Transport to see if a 4:30pm bus is available but limited buses are available for this week if you did not sign up by the deadline. If students will make their own transport arrangements home please ensure that you cancel their 2:30pm bus home to avoid causing delays to the bus departure. Only 2:30pm and 4:30pm buses will run from 22nd – 26th August.
We do try to limit changes to bus routes and pick up times. If we need to make changes, you will always be notified in advance. Most changes and adjustments happen within the first few weeks of the school year.
If you are in temporary accommodation and/or will move residence in the near future please inform the Transport Department as soon as you have a moving date. A minimum of five days notice is required. Please check in advance that we have a route to your new location.
Please be reminded that the Transport Service is NUT FREE and no student should have snacks containing nuts or nut products on the school bus.
Thai Basic Conversational Course for Adults This course is provided for non-Thai speaking adults with little or no prior Thai language background. It is designed to develop students’ listening and speaking in Thai language at a foundation level. Students will acquire basic vocabulary and grammatical patterns for daily life. Short dialogues and classroom activities are practiced to enhance both fluency and accuracy when communicating. After completing the course, students should be able to understand and respond appropriately, and be able to initiate basic conversations. Date: Days offered: Time: Taught by: Cost: Venue:
29/08/16 – 04/11/16 (Block 1) Tuesday (Beginner) / Thursday (Intermediate) 8:00-10:00 / 10:30-12:30 Kru Nittaya 4,400 Baht (8 sessions) FHC 208 Interested parents can sign up on the following links: http://www.patana.ac.th/Gateway/Forms/ThaiCourse/LV1-1Tue.asp http://www.patana.ac.th/Gateway/Forms/ThaiCourse/LV1-2Tue.asp http://www.patana.ac.th/Gateway/Forms/ThaiCourse/LV2-1Thu.asp http://www.patana.ac.th/Gateway/Forms/ThaiCourse/LV2-2Thu.asp
Registration is open between Friday 19th August – Wednesday 24th August 2016
If you have any problems registering, please contact Khun Tip in the Thai Department at jaar@patana.ac.th
Job Vacancy: British Embassy Bangkok The British Embassy Bangkok currently has a vacancy for part time Entry Clearance Officer, B3 (L). For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the above link to our FCO local staff vacancies website. Closing Date: 21 August 2016 Kindly circulate to those who may be eligible and interested to apply. Reminder for existing Embassy staff who will be interested to apply: Along with a CV and completed online application form, candidates should attach/upload their last two years End of Year Appraisals if applicable. If applicants have been employed for less than twelve months, they will need permission from their Head of Section to apply and should attach this to their application. Guidance on completing competency based application forms and sitting Interviews can be found on the BE Website and also on the Civil Service Learning portal, Virtual Ashridge portal and Goodpractice.net (both accessed through the CSL). Staff are strongly advised to refer to these.
Recruitment Team Asia Pacific Human Resources, British Embassy
Call to Auditions It’s Panto Time Again! This year the Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT) will be performing the traditional British pantomime Aladdin over the first 2 weekends of December 2016 (December 2, 3, 4 and 9, 10, 11) at Creative Industries @ M Theatre on Phetchaburi Rd. For those of you who don’t know this ever popular form of entertainment, British Pantomime is nothing to do with "mime". It is a non-stop, fun packed show with lots of over the top acting (if you can call it that), singing, dancing and comedy. It’s a crazy, chaotic, fun-packed couple of hours of entertainment beloved by the young and young at heart. After the rip-roaring success of Cinderella in 2014, this year BCT will be performing Aladdin, directed by Ian Robinson, and produced by Suman Tharan and John Wright.
Auditions Details: Auditions for the show will be held at Bistro 33 on Sunday 4th September from 11am to 1:30pm. There are 11 named parts, and the show also needs a chorus of 6 to 10 people who enjoy singing and dancing. British pantomime is very flexible and, although the list of the characters on the website outlines what we are looking for, if you think you have any special skills (e.g. tap dancing, circus skills, gymnastic skills, magician, martial arts or whatever) come along to the auditions, strut your stuff, and the production team will see if your speciality can be incorporated into the show! For complete details and character descriptions and an audition form, go to: http://bangkokcommunitytheatre.com/project/aladdin-2016/
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643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna, Bangkok 10260. THAILAND Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 www.patana.ac.th Email: reception@patana.ac.th