Patana
NEWS
Time to Reflect In the Primary School
Page 2
When Science Meets Art / Primary Phuket Football / House Athletics Bangkok Patana is an IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
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s a busy school, this week we had returning football players from Phuket, a Maker Space competition not to mention parent workshops and leadership training. Whilst all these things are very important, they often stop us from taking the time to reflect. After six and a half years at Bangkok Patana, this is my last Patana News and it is certainly a time for me to reflect on the learning here at school. Firstly, I have seen the academic success of our Primary children go beyond our expectations. With quality learning and teaching at the heart of everything we do the attainment of our Year 6 students has continued to improve. Having set targets based on prior attainment the children have continued to excel beyond these targets as they have embraced their learning experiences. I have seen us move from having children ‘sit’ assessment tasks to children having ownership of their learning as they now know where they are in their learning journey, their next steps and how to get
there. This has been a huge change and has brought about empowered learners who want to be challenged in their learning experiences. All of the changes we have made to make the learning experience as good as it can be, have only been successful because of our teaching body. Teachers who have bought into the change, grappled with new concepts and refined their thinking and approaches through a culture of having a go and learning from our mistakes. What has remained a constant throughout my time here at Bangkok Patana, and something I really value is the balance of the learning experiences we provide. The opportunities to dance, be musical, show creativity in the arts and drama not to mention the skills needed on the sports field. These are aspects which we continue to develop and want children to flourish within. As you know, we all value and care for your children whilst they are here at school. This is something every school should do, but I have seen an im-
John Dewey mense amount of care displayed by each and everyone one of our staff when dealing with child. This care is a special aspect of Bangkok Patana and is part of how we operate as a Patana Family. I leave the Primary school in a very strong and forward thinking place, with a new leader who will build upon the current thinking here at Bangkok Patana and will ultimately help learners to continue to grow and flourish. I would like to thank the community for all of their support whilst I have held a very privileged leadership post here at Bangkok Patana. All the best, Clare Sharp, Primary Principal
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his new elective explores both the traditional and contemporary ways to display biological images. Whether painting a beautiful flower or manipulating a digital micrograph, the student is encouraged to explore the boundaries between science and art. This year’s course coincided with a photographic competition at the University of Melbourne for future students entitled ‘Experience Science Through Art’. Some the Elective student submitted their Art-Science images to the University and we are delighted that Sasha Welsh was announced as a competition runner-up with her image ‘What is Colour’. Below Sasha explains her photograph.
The ever-intriguing question, “What colour is that?” is a very common one amongst human beings when looking at art. In art, color is one of the most powerful and significant tools. In fact, it is the most significant. The selection and combination of colours that an artist chooses is what forms the artwork. Science discovery has shown that there are three types of colour-sensitive cones in the retina of the human eye, corresponding to red, green, and blue sensitive detectors. The human eye has the ability to see up to ten million different shades of colour that are combined and processed from these three primary colours. It is an artist’s choice to choose which colours to use out of all the different ten million. But what if we reverse this? What if we can see the different colours an artist combines to form an artwork? Science makes this possible, therefore you can also say we can ‘experience science through art’. I’ve chosen to portray this idea through a photograph of a chromatography experiment. Chromatography is a method of separating mixtures of chemicals or colours by passing it in a solution through a medium in which the components move at different rates. In this picture, you not only experience science from the fascinating scientific method, but it also shows the enchanting piece of art from the separated colour that you get from the experiment.
International Day Tuesday 13th December
There are 60 countries listed to march in the Parade of Nations on International Day 2016. Please come along and support our global citizens as they proudly display their heritage and culture.
Antarctica Argentina Australia Austria Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Bhutan Brazil Bulgaria Canada China Colombia Czech Republic Denmark Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary
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India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kenya Lesotho Liechtenstein Macau Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Mozambique Myanmar Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Norway Pakistan Philippines Poland
Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Singapore Slovakia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Venezuela Vietnam Zimbabwe
The School shop will close at the end of Term 1 on Friday 16th December and re open on Wednesday 4th January 2017. The Post Office service within the school shop will be closed for the school holidays and will reopen on Monday 9th January 2017.
Monday 5th December is a Public Holiday and school is closed. Please note school is open as normal on Monday 12th December.
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unday 20th November saw us enter an excellent eight Primary Teams into the Harrow 7s Invitational Football event with two teams in each of the Under 9 Boys’ and Girls’ and the Under 11 Boys’ and Girls’. This was a great opportunity for our teams to enjoy some friendly competition and for our Phuket teams, a great warm up opportunity for their trip the following weekend. Conditions were hot and the day was long but the Bangkok Patana students kept working as hard as they could in every game played. Some great results included; Under 9 A Boys’ = 3rd
Under 9 A Girls’ = 1st
Under 9 B Boys’ = 1st
Under 9 B Girls’ = 6th
Under 11 A Boys’ = 5th
Under 11 A Girls’ = 1st
Under 11 B Boys’ = 2nd
Under 11 B Girls’ = 2nd
Congratulations and thank you to all those who played, coached or supported at Harrow! Next up was our much anticipated annual pilgrimage to Phuket for their British International School Invitational event which this year boasted an incredible 141 teams! Countries far and wide were represented and in addition to our four Bangkok Patana Under 9 and Under 11 teams, we were delighted to be joined by our Under 13 Boys’ and Girls’ too. Excitement filled the air as we boarded the buses to the airport on Thursday and did not waver until we arrived back in Bangkok late on Saturday night. All teams had some magical moments but it was the team spirit that shone through from all teams that really made me
proud, with the results being a cherry on the top. From a Primary perspective I was certainly delighted that all four of our Primary Teams made their respective semi-finals against some very tough competition. A special mention here to my Under 11 Boys’ who really pulled out some great performances to top their Group and eventually achieve fourth out of 21 teams after a disappointing Sunday at Harrow the previous weekend. Final Primary results from the weekend were; Under 9 Boys’ = Champions Under 9 Girls’ = 3rd Under 11 Boys’ = 4th Under 11 Girls’ = Champions Many thanks and congratulations to all of the coaches and students who took part and the Orange Army of parents who offered support and encouragement throughout!
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ith such a large school it is often difficult to run one event that involves absolutely everyone. House Athletics is one of the few that comes close to doing this as students will be involved either participating or cheering on their fellow House mates. To increase participation even further there were new alternative events on offer and we also put on some B races in some of the more popular events such as the 100m so that more students had an opportunity to get involved for their House and score those valuable points. One of the nicest aspects of this type of event is the opportunity it gives students to have a chance to perform a leadership role. Each House has some Year Leaders per Year group as well as two House Captains from Year 12. It is the role of these students to pull everyone together, encourage participation, ensure students turn up for the right events (at the right time!) and to lead rousing choruses of cheers as events are run, jumped or thrown. I’d like to offer a big thank you to these students for their unending enthusiasm, commitment and determination because it is they who make days like House Athletics the success that we have come to expect. When the last relay race was completed and all the points were added together the final race points and valuable House Points were as follows: Place 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
House Lanta Chang Phuket Samui
Race Points 1,566 1,371 1,321 1,214
House Points 200 150 100 50
In order to celebrate their success Mr Wadsworth will announce shortly a “Lanta Day� and all Lanta students and staff will be treated to a free non-uniform yellow day.
Place 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
House Lanta Phuket Chang Samui
Points 490 440 435 335
During the House Assembly, the students were told that throughout the day their level of involvement was being observed to consider we would put forward to win the very special award in memory of Mrs Mac. This award, in memory of a beloved teacher, acknowledges a significant contribution to House Athletics. It is awarded to one boy and one girl in any of the four houses for fulfilling the below criteria: Takes part in a House Athletics Events with passion, determination and contributes a significant number of points for their house. Exhibits a strong work ethic to perform to their best. An inspirational role model for fellow students. Consistently demonstrating a positive attitude and an enthusiastic approach. Has outstanding levels of sportsmanship. Is humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Is supportive of fellow athletes and their endeavours. Values the contributions that everyone makes to their respected house. The winners of the Joanna McArthur Award will be presented in our End of Term 1 Awards Assembly on 16th December 2016. House Athletics would not happen without a lot of people pulling together and so I would like to thank: The most excellent PE Department, especially Ms Bebbington, for their professionalism in organising and running not only what happened on Wednesday, but also the discus and high jump events held prior to the actual event. The “backroom staff” – housekeeping, technicians, grounds staff and the Sports and Activities Department – for ensuring everything was in the right place at the right time and without whose help the event would not have been possible Those with leadership roles in the House System – House Leaders, House Captains and Year Leaders – for their Trojan-like work ethic before and during events. And of course every single participant who enabled their House to earn those valuable points – yes even if it was just one extra point. With the House Swimming, House Quiz and the House Music and Drama festival still to come – the House system does ensure that it is not only the athletic stars that get the opportunity to shine and the overall House shield is still all to play for. Finally, please do continue to support our recycling efforts by bringing in as much paper, card and glass as you can to the recycling bins near the Secondary noodle stall. The money raised not only scores points for the House but also helps support the education of the children of our sixday staff.
Click here to see all the House Athletic record breakers!
Head of Secondary PE and wannabe Poet, Paul Summers introduces the houses. November 30, a hot, hot day, Bangkok Patana School sports day, Could we break the four minute mile? Could we make Mr Watson smile? Mr Myers calling out, ‘Ey up Chang’, that was his shout, And he wore the colour green, Chang as champions - could it be seen? Mr Reid showed lots of passion, Phuket his house, colour blue the fashion, He came last in the staff relay, What would Mr Grimwood say? Mr Hume, the Geordie lad, He hoped Samui would not be bad, Winning once would be his dream, But that Lanta House they made him scream. Mr Wadsworth looked at the score, We’re in the lead but I want more, Calm down sir it’s just beginning, It’s the taking part that counts not just winning.
Thoughts from Phuket House by Mr Reid
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ouse Athletics, a day where we can celebrate all the houses and all secondary students coming together to compete in a friendly and supportive atmosphere and this year was an exceptional example of this. My house Phuket showed great enthusiasm for the new alternative events, especially the hurdles where we won by a gargantuan margin. However, this was not enough to win the alternative events overall as I think the students were reluctant to get me into the dunk tank! Or at least I hope... Around the track and field, the House Captains and Vice Captains Theo, Celine, Amanda, and Joe were incredibly organised and with the excellent support of all the Year leaders and some of their friends, we managed to fill nearly every single event, even with various absentees and injuries on the day. Phuket fought their hardest and showed great character but we were never able to quite catch Chang for second place, as Lanta romped away with first. Despite this, the students all seemed to enjoy the day and there were certainly some successful performances and even some record breakers; Jimmy Trans - discus throw, Sebastian Vandermeer - 100m, Moniqa Nielsen - 300m and shot put. Let’s hope next year is Phuket’s year and we can end Lanta’s dominance at House Athletics.
Thoughts from Lanta House by Mr Wadsworth
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ednesday saw a great demonstration of house spirit as the young Lanta Lions competed for every point in the House Athletics. Terrific team work amongst the pride saw students covering for injured or absent team mates to ensure that every lane was full. The Lions ran faster, jumped higher and threw further than the rest to record another fine victory. Congratulations to everyone who took part in a marvellous day. Thoughts from Samui House by Mr Hume
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fantastic fun filled day with fabulous individual and team performances packed with the famous Samui House spirit!! Leading from the front and decked out in brilliant, blood red our Samui House Captains Laura, Benedikt, Yae Rim and Alex organised, cheered and supported the entire House to ensure a very high level of participation in all events. Outstanding performances from Kristine Huang and Ben Winyard, Emiko Araki and James Ashford whom won several events and achieved House Athletics records deserve special mentions, as do all the competitors that participated in the alternative events – a cooling dunk really helped on the day! Personally I would like to thank all the Dragons for roooaring on your fellow competitors and making the day such FUN! Dread the Red! Go Samui! Thoughts from Chang House by Mr Myers
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s always House spirit was running high in the House of Chang. Everyone wanted to be involved in this year’s House Athletics. From organising events to competing in track, field and alternative events through to cheering on the day, it was a real whole House effort. Chang had many successes on the track and field and it was great to get a 1st and 2nd in the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 and 5 Tug of War events showing the real power of the whole of Chang House working together. Mr Myers especially enjoyed his time sat on the dunk tank!! Chang can’t wait to do it all again next year! Go Chang!
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ack in Issue 7 of the Patana News in September we told you about Svari (Teya) Tejacharoenanan from Year 2 who won first prize at the Golden Classical International Music Awards in New York, USA. Teya recently returned to New York to collect her prize at the Carnegie Hall. Huge congratulations to Teya who was the youngest performer and also the only pianist representing Thailand.
There is lots going on over at
www.bangkokpatana2041.com including an interview with Staff Representative Helen and logo designer Lara. Follow the journey @BPS2041
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angkok Patana Secondary Students present Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – one of the most popular and longest running musicals in the West End. The musical retells the biblical story of Joseph and the coat of many colours in a magical roller coaster ride through the decades. This is a fun filled show suitable for the whole family. Tickets are on sale now from Khun Ying in the Arts Office.
Mark Comer , 12C
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n 9th November, four students, David Baines, Nafis Mahboob, Pirawat (Putt) Punyagupta and Mark Comer departed for Taipei to attend the annual IASAS Model United Nations (MUN) hosted by the Taipei American School (TAS). They were accompanied by Dr Miles Ellerby and Ms Tania Leyland. IASAS represents the pinnacle of MUN conferences and is regarded as one of the most prestigious Model United Nations conferences worldwide. The conference theme this year was “Empowering the Youth,” and this theme was evident in many of the committee topics, such as “The question of cultivating and supporting social entrepreneurship ventures from the youth”, as well as “The question of developing human capital through education.” David Baines represented Georgia in the Economic and Social Council, and Nafis also represented Georgia in the Human Rights Council. Putt Punyagupta and Mark Comer secured the distinguished position of Advocates within the International Court of Justice, representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its case against Uganda. Despite being a relatively small committee, debate was no less intense, as opposing advocacies and judges made sure that all parties were frequently questioned, challenging their knowledge of international law. David and Nafis were also an integral part of the case, assuming the nerve-wracking role of witnesses wherein they were furiously interrogated by the opposing advocacy as well as the judge. Nonetheless, they provided extremely valuable testimonies. The conference stretched over three days, with accommodation provided by host families from TAS. This allowed the students the chance to experience Taipei following the rigorous debating sessions. Students were able to taste local delicacies as well as travel to some of the city’s best known landmarks such as the Taipei 101 Tower, night markets and the palace museum.
WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHT AT FOBISIA?
WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHT AT FOBISIA?
My highlight at FOBISIA was basketball. Although it isn’t my main sport and I was confused most of the time, our teamwork was great which made it really fun.
Winning the gold and winning all of our games.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MALE ACTOR?
Kevin Hart.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOURLEGGED ANIMAL AND WHY?
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MALE ACTOR? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOUR-LEGGED ANIMAL AND WHY?
I’ve always loved dogs. They are really loyal, protective and are really amazing in general.
My favorite four-legged animal is a zebra because I like the stripes.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
My biggest fear is losing. That’s why I swim; I put all my effort into fighting my opponent, which is me.
My biggest fear is heights.
Joey Wong, Kenji Miyauchi, Kris Dante, Jade Martin, Sri Hollema, Katy Boardman, Conor Kelly, Kerryanne Kelly and Shawn Richardson…
Bangkok Patana held the annual Secondary Sports Day on Wednesday, November 30th, where all four houses competed to win events in throwing, running and jumping. In the end, Lanta took the gold- for the 5th year in a row! Congratulations to everyone who participated.
Calling all Season 2 Varsity teams! Come along to our Cake Break where Varsity jumpers and bags will be given out. There will also be some snacks for all the athletes. We look forward to seeing you there!
December 7th
3 vs 3 Basketball December 9th
@ bps_athletics_council
Staff vs Students Touch December 12th
Christmas Team Relay BPSSPORTS
BPSSports
Tiger Sports
Patana Tennis
The team of students involved in Project STAR have a strong belief that it is essential that we don’t take privilege for granted and remember to reach out to the local community and to give back to those whose life chances are not as broad as ours. At Project STAR, we have a commitment to reaching out to young people with disabilities and to support them in achieving their goals. This week we quite literally gave a voice to young people who receive care and support from two fantastic organisations here in Bangkok: Camillian Home and Cheshire Home. Our Patana Idol event gave students from our school a stage to perform on, singing songs of their choice to compete in impressing the judges and the audience. After a close battle in the finals, the audience vote settled on the duet of Kaela and Audrey as the winners! We also had the honor of having the band from Cheshire Home come to our school to play for us in the finale. Their amazing performance touched the audience’s hearts as they performed and shone on stage like stars. All the money raised will be used to purchase equipment and support the activities we undertake in the homes. We strongly believe that everyone deserves a chance to be a star, and here at Project STAR we hope to create opportunities and raise awareness through events such as Patana Idol. Please continue to support us on our road to a better, brighter future! Jahda Makaam Kongsiri (Project STAR marketing team)
It is always such a satisfying feeling when links are made between subjects and there is a real sense of collaboration and joined up thinking. I had such a feeling earlier this week when I received donations from the Year 10 Junior Enterprise elective students. Over the last 19 weeks they have been planning and running a range of small businesses in the school with a portion of their profits donated to charity. Their commitment to social responsibility and giving back is commendable. Thank you very much to the following:
Bits & Bites donated 2,060 THB to the World Food Programme Let’s Taco’ Bout Flavours used 765 THB to purchase food for the current ‘Food Drive’ Pizza donated 1,570 THB to Patana Marine Conservation Group and 1,520 THB to Project STAR Pokerons donated 420 THB to Habitat for Humanity
#47: Is Screen Time Dangerous for Children? This article from The New Yorker came into my inbox this week and I would like to share it with you. Its narrative and balanced approach is somewhat refreshing in debate that is often quite polarising. “Many parents worry that screen time will impair children’s development, but recent research suggests that most of the common fears about children and screens are unfounded. (There is one exception: looking at screens that emit blue light before bed really does disrupt sleep, in people of all ages.) The American Academy of Pediatrics used to recommend strict restrictions on screen exposure. Last year, the organisation examined the relevant science more thoroughly, and, as a result, changed its recommendations. The new guidelines emphasise that what matters is content and context, what children watch and with whom.” Enjoy the long weekend with your family. Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration
Please remember to cancel your bus home if you will not be using the bus. Especially in the last week of term when there are many events and activities taking place e.g.. Christmas Concert.
Late cancellations of buses can cause problems at the car park, please help to make sure you cancel the bus for your child in advance to help avoid delays to buses departing school.
Please help to be ready in the morning for your bus. Remember the three minutes should not be used daily.
If you will be coming to school for Primary Sports Days next week and would like to travel with your child on the school bus, please ensure you book in advance to secure your seat and avoid disappointment.
Contact Us
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
Anapana (Mindfulness of breathing) teaches children improved concentration skills and enhances calmness of the mind. This technique helps to relieve anxiety and is very useful at exam time to calm those nerves, but also for everyday life. The next Anapana Meditation course will be given on Saturday 10th December for students 13-17 years and on Sunday 11th December for students 8-12 years.
The course is completely free! To enroll or for further information, please contact Eva Sophonpanich at evasophon@hotmail.com You may find this site useful: http://www.children.dhamma.org/en/children/aboutmeditation.shtml Image Reference http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1508449/images/o-CHILD-MEDITATING-facebook.jpg
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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