Patana News Volume 22 Issue 28

Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.

Patana

NEWS

Thursday 30th April 2020

Volume 22 Issue 28

www.patana.ac.th

LATEST CSL SURVEY RESULTS Helen Thew, Cross Campus Principal

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Also in this issue...

Amnesty Donates to Community in Need/Solo Festival Online/Year 7 Student Food Photographs 30/04/2020

Bangkok Patana School News

Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by CIS

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How we Continue to Adapt to Continuing Student Learning (CSL)

Helen Thew, Cross Campus Principal

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e are witnessing changes to the way we live in Bangkok in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all working together to flatten the curve by staying home and maintaining our social distancing to control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce demand on the health services. This means we are all spending a lot more time at home and in our local neighbourhoods. In my article this week I wanted to focus on some of the positives that we can think about. My soi (a deadend road) it has become an exercise route for many of my neighbours as we walk or run up and down. As we have started to recognise each other so we wave and nod maintaining that important human connection.

• staying in touch virtually with family and friends; • making time for mindfulness; • asking for help when needed; • limiting consumption of news.

For me routine has been important along with reconnecting with things I enjoy. Over the Songkran break I made a 3,000-piece jigsaw of Bangkok’s skyline which helped to keep me busy and was a great sense of achievement once completed. I see through postings from friends that a lot of baking activities are also happening right now. I am sure we have all followed the news about Captain Tom Moore who was determined to give something back to the nurses, docLOOKING AFTER OUR OWN WELL-BEING tors and many other frontline NHS staff who continue to save There have been many articles appearing in the news or on lives during the coronavirus pandemic. On 6th April at the social media giving us all suggestions on what we should/ age of 99 he began to walk around his garden, with the aid could be doing at this current time to help look after our own of his walking frame, with the goal of raising 1,000 pounds by his hundredth birthday. As I write this, he has raised over 29 well-being such as: million, the largest ever amount raised by a JustGiving cam• keeping routines in place; paign. He has featured in a cover version of the song “You’ll • encouraging healthy habits; Never Walk Alone” which has topped the UK music charts • reconnecting with things we enjoy; and made him the oldest person to ever achieve a UK num-

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ber one single. Captain Tom celebrates his 100th birthday today, Thursday 30th April – happy birthday and thank you for your efforts!

Whilst we read about some of these inspirational stories it is important that we remain realistic about what we can currently cope with and do for ourselves and our family. David Anderson, a clinical psychologist, says “Perfectionism and the coronavirus don’t mix. It’s time to be exceedingly realistic, both at work and as a parent.” We are in unprecedented times, “There’s no playbook for this. Remember we are all doing our best during difficult times.” Therefore, as a school it is very important to us that we continue to get valuable feedback from all our stakeholders, namely our students, teachers and parents so that we can continue to monitor and support our Patana family as we all adapt to our CSL programme.

As Brian Taylor commented in his article last week, the staff really have demonstrated extraordinary levels of creativity and patience and have been versatile and adaptable in responding to the feedback that they are getting. At the end of last week, a survey was sent out to all staff. Below I share some of the common responses.

• Some students do not like turning on their cameras; • Some students are late to join a Microsoft Team meeting; • Not being able to see the whole class; • A lot of noise going on in the background at the student’s house when trying to talk to them (but this can be solved once students mute their microphones when they are not speaking).

IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC YOU WOULD LIKE MORE SUPPORT WITH? The overwhelming response was how much support staff had been giving each other. Time and time again staff commented “The support from other staff has been really beneficial and most helpful.”

IS THERE A NEW SKILL YOU HAVE LEARNT AND COULD SHARE? As you can imagine most staff responded highlighting a particular IT skill they have gained more experience with and were now more confident to use these included: • Microsoft Teams and its many different functions • Padlet WHAT IS GOING WELL? • Google Forms • Having more face-to-face interactions with students this • Loom (video recording site) week.;The tutor group well-being conversations have • Screencastify been very positive.

Our third survey to parents also went out this week and once • Students’ general hard work, positivity and enthusiasm; more we received much valuable feedback that we will • Student attendance for online lessons remains very high share with relevant staff and use as we continue to modify and students are sharing quality learning for feedback; and adapt our CSL programme. Survey results can be found • Students are asking good questions and making good on the next page. use of screen sharing; I would like to thank everyone who continues to share their • A good sense of team spirit with everyone supporting valuable feedback with us. It just remains for me to say please each other; continue to stay safe and be kind to yourself and those around • Parental support. you as we all support each other during this difficult time.

ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR CHALLENGES THAT YOU ARE FACING? • Internet connection at home can be unpredictable (and this can affect the smooth running of lessons);

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Continuing Student Learning Survey Results

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Amnesty Club Donates to Community in need Fasai (Prin) Pulkes and Sonam Okuda, Presidents of Amnesty Patana Club

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ne of Amnesty’s main goals this year was to make a more substantial impact on our community, as we are a CAT Club primarily based on campaigning to raise awareness. With this goal in mind, we decided to organise a donation to celebrate International Women’s Day. Through our incredible associates at Amnesty Thailand, we were able to get in contact with the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW), an organisation that aims to promote equal rights and justice to those who are victims of forced prostitution, rape, mental abuse, and also has an emergency shelter for women and children located in Don Mueang.

To help support APSW, our club organised a school-wide donation and collected food and items, such as milk, cleaning supplies and essential cooking ingredients, that the shelter requested. Many families helped by donating and Amnesty Patana managed to collect 34 boxes of donation items!

Although we couldn’t donate the items ourselves due to COVID-19, many helpful members of staff were eager to help, allowing us to deliver the items to APSW in a time of need. We’d like to thank all the staff members who helped us make this donation possible on behalf of our club: Khun Boonror Khun Surachet Khun Nakorn Khun Suttinan Khun Kittipong Khun Chaipat

Khun Mui Khun Cha Khun Tong (Oracha) Pitakchaithum Ms Puttock Ms McDonnell

Of course, thank you also to all the students and parents who donated! We truly believe this donation will help many people and are extremely grateful that we were able to donate in a time of great need.

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Year 7 Student Takes Second in Pink Lady Food Photography Contest Jemima Painter, 7B

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or the past three years, I have entered the Pink Lady Food Photography Competition. It runs every year and is considered one of the world’s leading food photography competitions. In 2019, I was overwhelmed to win my age category and have an award presented to me by musician Alex James.

I’m always excited to enter, because it’s an opportunity to get inspired and explore Bangkok with my camera for creative food images. For 2020, I entered five photos and was so happy to have three shortlisted, one of which was a finalist image! This would usually mean that my image would be framed and shown in the Mall Galleries in London along with other finalists; sadly, it didn’t happen this year due to the COVID-19 situation.

My finalist image was taken at the incredible Maeklong Train Market. This is a unique, bustling place where a train enters though a compact local market.

The stall holders have to quickly move their produce when they see the train coming, which is very chaotic. I was so lucky to find a great spot with the help of a friendly stall holder. As you can see from my image, I managed to take a shot with the train inches away!

Last night I dragged myself out of bed at 2am to attend the Pink Lady Virtual Awards ceremony on YouTube. I’m excited to announce that I came 2nd in my age category (11-14 years) and could not be happier! I am already thinking what I can submit for my next year’s entry!

Find Jemima’s photos and many other amazing images here

E-Billing is coming to Bangkok Patana starting with invoices for Term 1 of 2020/21. Invoices and receipts will be sent via email.

Please verify or change your email address at the “E-mail for Invoice” link on the Parents’ Dashboard from Friday 1st May. 6

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Solo Festival Online Rachel Stead , Primary Leader of Learning, Music

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his year’s Solo Festival has been moved online with participants submitting performance videos to the Solo Festival flipgrid board. Guests will be able to view performances and all students will be receiving feedback from Music teachers. Students are currently practising at home preparing to share their Music.

You can view the performances from Thursday 7th May onwards here:

PRIMARY SECONDARY

Online Sports Challenge

Cindy Adair, Cross Campus Assistant Principal, Extra-curricular Sports and Activities

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ur coaches have been working with St Andrews to create online Sports Challenges for Football, Basketball and Tennis.

All the challenges and everything our community needs to know, as well as a promo video can be found here.

Live scoring can be found here.

Gooo Tigers!!

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UNI COUNSELORS’ CORNER

UNI OFFERS...

Rebecca Leiler, Year 13 Congratulations on offers from

• University College Dublin • Franklin University

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am still currently on the fence on my decision, as I am still awaiting the response of two other universities. However, I am planning on studying Environmental Science in the future. which is why I am leaning towards Franklin. From the youngest age, I remember people always asking me “What would you like to do in the future?” I would always give a whimsical answer related to nature. Be it ‘fisher lady,’ ranger for nature reserves, marine biologist etc. So the field I wanted to study was set, it was just determining what I could do in that field.

After my expedition to Antarctica, my reason to work with the environment solidified. I came back with a goal; to work on preserving the environment. In my opinion, the way to do that is to understand the environment, understand how different factors can influence it. That is why I decided to study Environmental Science.

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

As a member of the Student Environmental Council I helped organise the first trip to Chiang Mai and helped install renewable/sustainable solar kits for the rural village. Also, I took part in the proposal to install solar panels in our school. Currently, I am working on building a Bangkok Patana forest. I was President of the Patana Community Garden and am a part of the CAT club One4One. In addition, I’ve been playing piano for roughly I have been a student at Bangkok Patana since Year 14 years now. I hope to organise a poetry open mic 4. Playing on the Junior Varsity Softball and Junior Varsity night with a friend once things get back to normal!”

Football was important and I also took part in the Gold

IN THE SPOTLIGHT...

University of Bristol, UK The University of Bristol is a member of the Russell Group and is home to six faculties with over 200 undergraduate courses. The school has around 20,000 undergraduate students, of whom 27 percent are international. The school is ranked in the top 100 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and is ranked seventh in the UK for research. Bristol is recognisable for its iconic suspension bridge and revitalised harbour area but is also well-known for a thriving music scene and flourishing street art culture. Located just two hours from London, the city was named the UK’s best place to live in 2017. The University of Bristol has six academic faculties with over 200 undergraduate courses.

Notable alumni include musician James Blunt, comedian David Walliams OBE, actors Simon Pegg, David Rappaport, Emily Watson, authors David Nicholls, Angela Carter and Deborah Moggach OBE. Nobel prize winners include playwright Harold Pinter, physicist Paul Dirac and economist Angus Deaton, as well as former Chancellor and Nobel laureate in Literature Sir Winston Churchill among many others.

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Taking a Gap Year in Times of Uncertainty Kevin Keller, Head of Faculty, Careers and Universities It is safe to say that 2020 is like no year any of us have experienced in our lifetimes. The global COVID-19 pandemic requires many of us to re-think our ideas of what is normal and challenges our ability to adapt. The need to adjust visions for our future can be even more frustrating and sometimes even scary. With the uncertainty surrounding whether or not universities will open for in-person or online learning or how ongoing border restrictions will effect travel, many in our community may be considering a gap year when they weren’t before.

Each year, a few of our graduating students choose to take a gap year, which can be a fulfilling experience and one that university admission officers can value when the time spent outside of a classroom adds value to a student’s experiences personally and academically.

There are two routes possible to taking a gap year. First, a student will apply to universities as normal, secure offers and then request a deferral to hold their place for one year. In the past, many of these deferrals were granted easily as long as the student was committed to engaging in further subject or personal exploration during their time away.

In today’s climate, these deferrals may be more difficult to secure as universities look to shore up their enrolment and secure their own future as an institution. Too many deferrals can result in not enough spaces available for the following year. While deferring at one university a student is unable to enrol in courses at another. Doing so will result in losing their place and require them to reapply to university.

Another way to take a gap year is to hold off on applying to universities all together. While this option also includes inherent risks, it is best for students who still don’t have a grasp of what they might like to study or feel that they’re not quite ready or mature enough to leave home. It is very important that students on a gap year use this time strategically, engaging in work experiences, reading within their subject interests, starting personal community-impacting initiatives, engaging in meaningful volunteer work or meeting with leaders in their field of interest. These experiences are highly valued by universities who appreciate students who are better able to connect classroom learning to what is happening in the field. There are unique challenges being posed by global social distancing regulations and travel restrictions when students are planning how to spend their year, but with a little creativity and resilience an impactful (and university valued!) gap year can still be realised.

In any case, a gap year isn’t for watching Netflix and falling behind on academics. In fact, it is quite the opposite: It is a chance for a student to enhance or even reshape their university application. One Grad’19 student spent the year pursuing work experiences at international organisations and assisting university faculty with high-level research and recently received five offers from top Russell Group universities in the UK. This is just one of many success stories for Patana gap year students.

We know a gap year isn’t for everyone and most of our students will prefer to jump right into their university studies, but our team is here to speak to any student about taking a gap year, should it become part of their plan. We can help plan and manage the year and will of course provide all of our fantastic support when it comes time to submit university applications. There are a plethora of organisations and other resources available to students. We encourage students to do what’s best for them and their families, whether it means a traditional approach to attending university or one that may include a gap year of exploration.

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STUDENTS SPEAK Derealisation and Depersonalisation Sarisa (Mill) Techasukij, 12J WHAT IS DEREALISATION/DEPERSONALISATION? Psychosensory symptoms - specifically derealisation and depersonalisation - are a common occurrence in mental disorders in which patients have been exposed to trauma, prolonged stress or depression (e.g. PTSD, Bipolar, anxiety, depression, etc…). These symptoms may develop as a coping mechanism for past trauma, or as a means of detaching from a stressful situation that they may feel unable to handle. While both include feelings of unreality and are both dissociative/psychosensory symptoms, they differ slightly. Derealisation involves an altered perception of the external world (Mayo Clinic, 2011), whereas depersonalisation involves a feeling of disconnection or detachment from one’s own body and thoughts (Mayoclinic, 2017).

SYMPTOMS Symptoms of derealisation include: feeling emotionally disconnected, surroundings appearing distorted, artificial, colorless, surreal, or two-dimensional, or a heightened hypervigilance of your surroundings, distortions in time, or in distance, size and shape of objects. (Fritscher, 2019) Symptoms of depersonalisation include: out-of-body experiences, feeling as if you are an outside observer of your thoughts and body (Mayo Clinic, 2017), feeling a loss of control with your actions, a feeling of numbness, difficulty attaching emotion to memories, feeling detached from yourself (as if you have no self), and feeling as if your bodily proportions are incorrect. (NCBI, 1997).

If ongoing or severe, these symptoms may be diagnosed as depersonalisation-derealisation disorder - one of four dissociative disorders in the DSM-5. (Fritscher, 2019). Patients with this disorder - unlike those with psychotic disorders - know that their experiences aren’t real, and therefore may feel as if they are “going crazy”; (Krause-Utz, 2017) this is also a common symptom in anxiety disorders.

Read the rest of the article online at Scientia

2019/20 CALENDAR HERE WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS YEAR’S SCHOOL CALENDAR

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#151: Screen Recording on an iPhone / iPad

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p until yesterday I always thought that the built-in screen recorder in iPhones and iPads recorded with no sound.

Low and behold, if you long press the recording icon you get the ability to switch on the microphone and, in addition, choose which app to send the video to. Click here for instructions on how to switch on screen recording and add it to the control centre for quick access.

Many of our teachers use screen recording software such as Screencastify and Loom. There’s a new iOS app from Loom that makes sharing of your screen recordings simpler and much more interactive.

Click on the icon to install the app and try it for yourself.

Stay safe.

Brian Taylor Assistant Principal, Campus Curriculum Technology Integration Direct Links https://osxdaily.com/2018/11/06/how-enable-screen-recording-ios/ https://www.screencastify.com/ https://www.loom.com/

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Aidan McDonagh The Puzzle of the Week features a new mathematics puzzle released every Monday and students have a week to answer. Do you know the answer?

Submit your solution here

Last week’s solution found here

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Desert Island Discs With Grant Robertson Head of Faculty, English

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his column follows in the style of the famed BBC podcast which features a celebrity every week – here we feature our own Bangkok Patana celebrities! What eight songs, one luxury item and one book would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island?

Today Grant Robertson, Head of English Faculty is stuck on a desert island.

MR ROBERTSON, IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Stupid Thing - Paul Quinn and the Independent Group Uptown Top Ranking - Althea and Donna Flat of Angles - The Fall Chime - Orbital This Charming Man - The Smiths Helicon 1 - Mogwai

Listen to Mr Robertson’s playlist here

All Lost in the Supermarket - The Clash Northern Sky - Nick Drake PICK ONE LUXURY ITEM YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU. THIS ITEM MUST BE INANIMATE AND OF NO USE IN ESCAPING THE ISLAND OR ALLOWING COMMUNICATION FROM OUTSIDE. Selection of 1970s BBC comedy and a (solar powered?) TV WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy Catch the real Desert Island Discs on BBC. Now that you are stuck at home, what are you listening to? Have a list of your own? Let us know! Contact SHKN with your favourites.

Click Here For Updates and Information on the School’s COVID-19 Procedures 30/04/2020

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For daily updates, snapshots and news on life at school you can find us here...

643 Lasalle Road (Sukhumvit 105) Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260 THAILAND Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200 Fax: +66 (0) 2785 2399 www.patana.ac.th Email: reception@patana.ac.th 14

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