The FuTure oF Libraries
Stephen Murgatroyd, Cross Campus Head of Libraries
Shapeshifters
is a fantasy series of books, written by Ali Sparkes, which involves a main character called Dax Jones who realises one day that he can change shape - in his case, into a fox! If you have not read them, and you like a good Young Adult (YA) fantasy read, then they are well worth checking out. However, I digress slightly… the reason for this thought process was thinking about our libraries and how they have changed over the course of the past ¼ of a century. Effectively, much like Dax, they look very different yet when you dig a little deeper they are still very similar, offering a service that is both valued and needed in this modern technological world. In much the same way that an electric car does the same job as one with a combustion engine, yet is completely different, our libraries are still full of books… yet are unrecognisable in so many other ways from where they were at the turn of the century.
Not more than five years ago, we had a relatively small digital footprint, with thousands of physical offerings in print books, DVDs, CD, Audio CDs, magazines and so on. Fast forward to today and you will still find a vast physical catalogue of media, as that is what our community wants and requires, but our digital footprint has expanded massively, covering thousands of books for a wide range of ages, magazines, graphic novels and comic books. We also subscribe to many research databases, which allow our children and students the opportunity to find out the answers to their questions both online as well as in a book. You need to move with the times, whilst at the same time respecting the past and the strength that printed materials have. After all,
books can still be read thousands of years after they were written, which cannot be said about many of the technological methods used and discarded over the past 40 years!
The undeniable force in today’s world is AI. It’s here to stay, and the challenge ahead lies in harnessing its incredible potential while carefully
So, where does that leave the library as a physical space, what does a library of the future look like and how far away are these issues before they will need answering?
managing its risks. Just recently, I read about a national bank in a country not far from Bangkok that is streamlining operations, replacing 3,000 jobs with AI for greater efficiency and effectiveness. At the same time, it is creating 1,000 new roles to support AI-driven advancements. This shift does raise questions about the evolving role of humans in these industries—but also opens the door to new possibilities.
So, where does that leave the library as a physical space, what does a library of the future look like and how far away are these issues before they will need answering? I would tentatively suggest that now is the time, so that the new technological AI wave can be ridden, rather than wash over us and we become submerged.
To help us think about these aspects we have enlisted students, parents and staff to gather ideas, thoughts, ideas, which can generate discussion about what direction can be taken so that the libraries at Bangkok Patana continue to provide what our community needs and wants.
Interestingly enough, not one person has suggested that there is no place for a library in the future. In fact, everyone still sees a need for them and loves having a specific space where they can chill and relax, work and research, revise and collaborate, read and socialise. Our libraries are a busy hive of activity in all hours of the school day, we are definitely not a ‘quiet space’ and we love the fact that you can walk around all of our libraries and see the children and students taking part in all manner of human related activities, which is an absolute joy to see.
In the discussions we have had, our libraries have been celebrated for the physical space they offer, the collaborative spaces we provide, the number and variety of books on the shelves - including home languages, the ease of finding books that people want to read, the choices of places to read independently, the opportunities and the time given for the children and students to spend time reading as well as having resources that are specifically useful for parents. However, we have also had suggestions and requests about creating more space as things are a bit cramped, not having enough collaborative spaces, not having enough books in certain areassuch as home languages, finding the layout of the libraries confusing making books tricky to locate, not having enough places to read quietly
and not having enough time to use the library for reading and borrowing books.
As you can see quite clearly from the above feedback, one person’s positive point of view is another’s negative viewpoint. So getting it right, moving forwards, is going to be no easy task, however, what all of the feedback received so far tells
us, is that basically people would like us to have more of the samejust better! The library is, in fact, a valuable space and resource that the whole community appreciates. As the issue of screen time becomes more and more of a hot topic, having a dedicated place where you are able to hold something physical in your hand and connect with your friends is even more important. Much like the
invention of the Kindle over 20 years ago was supposed to spell the end of the printed book, and it was not, the advent of AI is asking the question of whether spaces like a library are going to be necessary or needed moving forwards. The answer we are hearing from the Patana community is an overwhelming yes and that could not be a better reply as far as we are concerned. Happy reading.
seasaC gyMnasTiCs
Bangkok Patana School proudly hosted SEASAC Gymnastics 2025, bringing together nine schools from across Southeast Asia for three days of incredible talent, fierce competition, and inspiring performances. High level gymnasts in MAG Level 3+ and WAG Level 5+ performed skills, from giants on bars, double back somersaults on the floor, to back handsprings on beam. Their warm up and routines thrilled spectators of all ages, including our youngest Foundation Stage students, who watched in awe.
The set up in the sports hall was a fantastic transformation… the event was more than just a competition; it was a celebration of gymnastics, teamwork and sportsmanship. Teachers, staff, parents and students from across Bangkok Patana turned out in force, cheering on the athletes and soaking in the atmosphere. Year 3 gymnasts were seen with home made banners of support, while Year 2 boys were impressed with the strength required in gymnastics.
There were many highlights from our gymnasts who delivered unforgettable moments. The cheers that erupted when Emily landed her aerial on beam were a testament to her dedication and training. Elsie’s floor routine radiated energy and pure love of the sport, earning admiration from all corners of the gym. Saira (Captain) and Claire (Vice) performed in their last ever SEASAC, accumulating
nearly 20 years of gymnastics at Patana between them. Our WAG Level 5 gymnasts reached a major milestone by conquering their kips on bars, and our exceptionally talented primary gymnasts are some of the youngest to compete at SEASAC, among their older peers.
An event of this scale wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of an entire community working behind the scenes. Our Gymnastics coaches took on the roles of trainers, mechanics, decorators and cheerleaders for all schools. Khun King and the Sport and Activities Team were in school from 4.00 am, ensuring deliveries arrived on time. Khun Annie in Transport orchestrated logistics with seamless precision, while Coach Wah’s impeccable organisation kept everything running smoothly. Coach Naam managed the complicated scoring and judges, ensuring every technical detail was taken care of.
Beyond the competition, our gratitude to the external companies who helped make the event a positive one for all involved. Get Fresh, offering delicious food, professional photography with Rembrandt and our own photographers, high quality gymnastics gear with iNUS and of course the PTG who promote our Tiger Spirit. Patana’s mascot, Tuk Tuk, performed in ceremonies, welcoming every gymnast into the competition. The skills shown by this tiger are almost on par with the gymnasts themselves!
Georgina Wright, Head Gymnastics Coach
ACADEMIES AT PATANA
The weekend concluded with a Superhero themed Gala Dinner and Closing Ceremony, giving gymnasts and coaches a chance to come together, celebrate, and reflect on their achievements. It was a time to socialise, capture memories in the fantastic photo booth, and recognise outstanding performances with the Team Awards. The evening began with heartfelt thanks to the dedicated coaches, who have played a pivotal role in shaping these athletes’ journeys. A special highlight was the congratulatory message from Kelly Simm and Claudia Fragapane, our Great British Commonwealth and Olympic gymnasts, who had spent two weeks at Patana earlier in the year. Their words of encouragement and inspiration we hope will leave a lasting impact, reminding every gymnast how far passion and dedication can take them.
SEASAC Gymnastics 2025 was a spectacular display of athleticism, dedication, and community spirit. Whether competing, coaching, cheering, or organising, everyone played a part in making this an unforgettable experience. GO TIGERS!
NAME ALL AROUND AWARD
Zea Luenganantakul MAG L3 - 2nd Place
Billy Howslip
Philip Duckworth
MAG L3 - 6th Place
MAG L4 - 6th Place
Ronya Wallin WAG L5B - 1st Place
Elizabeth Lee WAG L6 - 6th Place
Jasmine Beroud WAG L8 - 3rd Place
NAME MAG EVENT FINALS
Zea Luenganantakul MAG L3 - Floor - 3rd Place Pommel Horse - 2nd Place
Rings - 2nd Place
Parallel Bars - 2nd Place
High Bar - 3rd Place
Harper Collins MAG L3 - Floor - 5th Place
Billy Howslip
Philip Duckworth
MAG L3 - Vault - 2nd Place
MAG L4 - Pommel Horse1st Place
Vault - 6th Place
Glar Watakeyanon MAG L4 - Parallel Bars2nd Place
Caleb Ebrahim MAG L4 - Parallel Bars - 5th Place
Sam Jones MAG L4 - Pommel Horse6th Place
Vault - 1st Place
Parallel Bars - 4th Place
NAME WAG EVENT FINALS
Isabella Pek WAG L5A - Vault - 3rd Place
Ronya Wallin WAG L5B - Beam - 1st Place
Floor - 2nd Place
Naan Dai WAG L5B - Vault - 1st Place
Beam - 5th Place
Suri Tiraratanakul WAG L5B - Vault - 4th Place
Beam - 2nd Place
Floor - 4th Place
Jasmine Thamprida WAG L5B - Bars - 5th Place
Beam - 6th Place
Amelie Kawasaki WAG L6 - Floor - 6th Place
Elizabeth Lee WAG L6 - Vault - 6th Place
Bars - 3rd Place
Beam - 3rd Place
Jasmine Beroud WAG L8 - Vault - 1st Place
Bars - 4th Place
Beam - 4th Place
Floor - 6th Place
Emily Cannon WAG L8 - Vault 2nd Place
Bars - 3rd Place
Beam - 2nd Place
TEAM TEAM AWARD
WAG L5B 2nd Place
WAG L6 3rd Place
WAG L7 3rd Place
WAG L8 2nd Place
MAG L3 3rd Place
MAG L4 3rd Place
d esigning F or C hange :
John Clare, Design + Technology Teacher
Hopefully by now, you have taken a trip to the Arts centre to visit the IB Arts and Design and Technology Exhibition. The exhibition is a demonstration of the hard work our students have put in over the last 2 academic years, with four students included in both Art and Design Technology.
Over the course of Year 12 and 13, our Design Technology students have taken multiple trips to The
Village International Education Centre as part of their Internal Assessment and undertaken their own design project, focusing on socially responsible design. We take four visits to The Village throughout the project, with each visit demonstrating the fantastic work our students have done here at Patana, developing their investigation and initial ideas to fully functioning working prototypes.
Pin approached this project with thoughtfulness and dedication, working with experts from The Village International Education Centre to develop a functional design for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The project combines a competitive numerical game with activities that promote gross motor skills. Pin’s focus on user-centred design, supported by collaboration with students and specialists, ensured the outcome effectively meets user needs. This well-considered project successfully blends learning, movement and social interaction.
MANINTORN (PIN) MANAVUTIVETH
Throughout this project, I worked with a team of experts from The Village International Education Centre to innovate a functional design, supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
My project was aimed to support those who have difficulties in cognitive thinking by playing a competitive numerical game which also develops the children’s gross motor skills by moving around the board. I worked closely
with students and specialists to develop the prototype under the premise of user centred design, focusing on developmental needs and anthropometric profiles of each potential user.
This project therefore is a combination of several elements including the development of gross motor skills, basic mathematical practices and socialising.
D+T STuDenTS ShowcaSe Their DeSignS
Munk approached this project with an open mind and willingness to collaborate with members of the school, both the students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the personal trainers. His design focuses on addressing tactile needs, aiming to improve attention span by engaging the vestibular system to help manage hyperactivity. Munk’s thoughtful approach and commitment to understanding his users’ needs resulted in a well-considered product that effectively supports both learning experiences and sensory regulation.
In my project, I worked with Personal Trainers and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to achieve the goal of creating a product that would support their learning experiences and sensory needs.
My project, aimed to support children with their tactile needs, would serve as a supporting tool to enhance attention span as much as possible. The idea was to benefit from the students’ requirement to stimulate their vestibular system to help soothe any hyperactivity.
KULAMONGKOL (MUNK) SONAKUL NA AYUDHAYA
TransForMing Lives: 2025 habiTaT For huManiTy buiLd Trip
From 28th February to 3rd March, 2025, Munk and Max, co-presidents of Bangkok Patana’s Habitat for Humanity club, led 20 team members on a successful build trip to Ayutthaya. Our goal was to give back to the local community by helping construct a new home for a family in need. Through teamwork, manual labour, and a lot of sweat, we not only helped to create a stable living environment but also built lasting memories and bonds within our team.
THE BUILD EXPERIENCE
The experience began with laying out the foundation of the house with bricks. After securing a solid base, we installed the skeleton of the walls
using steel beams to create a stable framework for the house. On the second day, we installed the wall panels and used cement to reinforce the structure, ensuring it would withstand the test of time. Our team split into two groups: one group dug the septic tank while the other worked on the interior, laying down the foundation for the floor and marking out where the rooms would be.
The next day saw the interior team focused on installing door frames and windows while the exterior team laid out the structure for the roof. It was all hands-on deck on the final day as the whole team came together to finish the build. The septic tank was
completed, the roof panels were installed, and the doors were put in place. Finally, we applied glaze to the bricks and silicone to fill any gaps, ensuring a waterproof house.
Unfortunately, due to Thai labour laws (apparently children aren’t allowed to work 24/7—who knew?), we couldn’t work full days. But we made the most of our downtime by organising quizzes, bonding activities, and relaxing as a team in the evenings.
This trip was more than just a build; we learned many practical construction skills, but more importantly, we were able to give back to the community.
Kulamongkol (Munk) Sonakul Na Ayudhaya and Max Thompson, Year 13
THANK YOU
We would like to thank the Habitat representatives for welcoming us with open arms and providing us with guidance as well as snacks and refreshments to keep us in tip-top shape throughout the very tiring build.
We send out a huge thank you to our
generous sponsors—NTasset, HANA, TeenWorks, and Pool & Spa—for making this trip possible. Without their support, this incredible experience wouldn’t have been possible. Finally, as a club, we would like to thank Mr Munir and Ms King for giving up their weekend and accompanying the build trip.
If you would like to get involved with Habitat for Humanity and make a very worthwhile difference, join our meetings every Friday at lunchtime HUM 310. All Year groups are welcome.
WeengageMenT aT bangkok paTana
Eames Kallayawinai and Thiti Bhanarai
Love is a community engagement team centered around supporting the integration of the performing arts into local Thai communities, specifically our collaboration with elementary school students from the ages 6-14 at Sawasdee Wittaya and ChamChan Schools.
WE LOVE: TO CELEBRATE!
An annual keystone event of ‘We Love’ is our involvement with these schools and taking them out ‘to celebrate’ with fun music, drama, and artistic activities that integrate our key goals in providing arts accessibility to the students.
During the holiday season, the ‘We Love’ team cooks up ideas in the studio lab of musical mastery, introducing the children with team games along with the joy of the holiday spirit and musical madness, handing out goodies and toys, and being able to be that musical friend to the kids. The students at Sawasdee Wittaya Elementary School loved getting involved with the games and activities, and just being able to enjoy music and play with the We Love Team, an opportunity that is not as commonplace, is music to their ears.
At ChamChan Elementary School, the We Love Team helped the students prepare for their musical involvement in their school’s ‘Christmas Celebration,’ where our team specialized in practicing and helping give ideas in music, dance choreography, and pronunciation skills. We worked with them everyday in the build-up to their performances, helping them with our guidance and direction, taking our musical and dance experience as inspiration for the kids to feel the best mentally and musically for their performances. Being able to go watch the final result, and also aid in funding for eight musical scholarships from our fundraisers at school, was an unforgettable experience that we will continue to contribute to.
WE LOVE PATANA EVENTS (WE LOVE: MARIO KART; WE LOVE X GREASE)
Speaking of school fundraisers, back at Patana, ‘We Love’ shifts direction in being able to simultaneously
incorporate that creative direct activism, with our indirect activism in spreading the word across campus in the many events we’ve been involved in, stirring interest surrounding our cause with Patana Students.
In September, ‘We Love: Mario Kart!’ was our launch event at the Community Engagement Fair to introduce our cause to Secondary School students through Mario Kart. It was a massive success: getting our peers at Patana involved allowed us to inspire individuals who connected with our cause.
Progressively within the year, we had been reaching out to the Drama department at Patana to involve those we help with a novel experience for all; bringing the children from ChamChan and Sawasdee Wittaya Elementary schools onto campus to watch Bangkok Patana’s ‘Grease: The Musical,’ was an experience that was enjoyable to all. ‘We Love X Grease’ helped bring the We Love team, and the schools together providing an experience which the school teachers remarked afterwards, “was something the children thought they’d never see in their whole entire life; A once in a lifetime experience to explore new things (whether the music room, pond or theatre), that they would have never seen within the walls of their own classrooms. We Love & Patana’s friendly nature opened the doors to the amazing world of theatre.”
WE LOVE: VALENTINE’S DAY!
Our most recent involvement at school got the students at Patana involved with our cause, where we had organised a ‘Valentine’s Day Roses & Serenade’ Event, which allowed students to send their love to a special someone. We went around during the early morning tutorials with our prepared Valentine’s Day candy roses and our singing voices, to send love to all the students who donated. In total, we raised over THB 12,000 worth of donations from our service and our stall. We hoped that the receivers felt the love (and that their friends enjoyed their slight embarrassment) and understood the love and care we always put into our work: making people smile through music and creativity.
ib bioLogisTs win aT The briTish bioLogy
oLyMpiad
2025
Emma Unwin, Biology Teacher
Between
4th and 7th February, 19 Year 12 IB Biologists gave up their free time to come along and sit two 45 minute online assessments that tested their Biology knowledge, application and critical-thinking skills against their peers internationally. 18,500 students took part across more than 1,000 schools all around the world and the results with certificates were presented this week by Mr Seddon. At Bangkok Patana, we had a significant proportion of students who managed to achieve a leveled certificate. The results are as follows:
Commended - Anisa Ngamtrakulpanit, Gena Wang
Highly Commended - Pannyanat Tanarujiwiwat, Aishwarya Lingarajan, Qiyin (Jean) Xiang
Bronze - Baifu Zhang, Xinning Huang, Venice Dumn-
ernchanvanich, Priyakorn Pabbamnan
Silver - Sera Karl, Akane Hirono
Gold - Yoochan Hwang, Kulchad (Sheen) Thianthai, Najai Wongpaibool - only the top 5% of students achieved this level
As a thank you for taking part, every student obtained a certificate of participation as well as a year’s membership to the Royal Society of Biology. Congratulations to all who took part. Following the interest and successful uptake of the Olympiad, there will also be a Year 10 version, ‘The Biology Challenge,’ later on this year. Watch this space and take part!
Patana ParTiciPaTeS!
Achievements from Our Community
Rodney Fountain, History Teacher
For the third week in a row, BMX has featured in Patana News, which can only be a good thing! Last Sunday saw the much-anticipated Maxxis pump-track championship being held just 20 minutes from Patana, off Srinagarindra road.
A pump track can be used by balance bikes, roller skates / blades, scooters and skateboards, but this race was only for bikes with pedals. Strange then, that in a pump track race, riders will only pedal for about 10 meters at the very start of the race. The speed for the rest of the race comes from ‘pumping’ the undulations in the track and as crazy as it sounds, they generate even more speed out of the banked turns, or berms. By the second berm they’re at maximum speed and if they need to pedal again, something’s gone wrong!
History teacher Rod Fountain and one of his L&D Racing teammates, Arjan Hora (10M) signed on to race in their
age categories and waited for their start time. Unlike a regular BMX race, pump track races usually follow a time trial format meaning it’s just the rider against the clock over 2 laps. In 30 seconds or so it’s all over, which is when the nervous wait to see what time the other riders in your category will post begins.
Arjan put in a great time, but sadly not enough to get him on the podium in his category. However, L&D Racing had one rider on there as Rod managed to get third place in Masters.
There are lots of pump tracks littered around Bangkok, and beyond, and so if you want to get ready for the next round then find your way over to www.facebook.com/ pedalsreadgo or message rofo@patana.ac.th to find out more.
Photo credits: Rod by 701 MOTO VLOG; Arjan by Peloton Thailand.
Patana ParTiciPaTeS!
Achievements from Our Community
Sisi Leung, Parent
On 16th March, Evie Cho U11, Levi Ross U9, Caden Kong U9, Luke Mahadumrongkul U9 and Yun Yun Myat U7 won ‘Best School Teams Winners’ at AISB Chess Tournament.
Also, Levi Ross won 2nd runner up along with Caden Kong who won 3rd runner up at the U9 category. Yun Myat won 2nd runner up at the U7 category.
Achievements from Our Community
Qianpu (Torres) 7B achieved First Runner-Up in the Thailand Junior World Cup Golf Tournament last week. Congratulations Torres on your achievement!
Tina, Parent
