Patana News Volume 24 Issue 13

www.patana.ac.th

PATANA NEWS

Friday 19th November 2021

Parallels Between Parenting and Pedagogy ear

By Cross Campus Assistant Principal Brian Taylor Page 2 Also in this issue...

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Junior Achievement Top 10 in Asia Page 4 Bangkok Patana Students in the News Mo Bros for Movember PTG T-shirt Competition Urban Wildlife with Coke 19/11/2021

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

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Parallels Between Parenting and Pedagogy Brian Taylor, Cross Campus Assistant Principal Technology Integrator

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iming is everything. I have just completed the final essay in pursuit of my master’s degree and I am embarking on the dissertation soon. In the final Education and Society module, I reflected deeply on the relationship between pedagogy (the art of teaching children) and parenting. We train to become teachers. We learn about the philosophy of education, schools of thought and key theorists who influence modern education. We get to try different pedagogical approaches in our learning environments. We use evidence (empirical data) to inform us on what does and does not work in terms of learning. We tweak our practice, honing our methods on a daily, lesson by lesson basis. We become experts in our ‘art’.

However, how much training do we get as parents? I often think, when I’m presented with a parenting ‘dilemma’ as in my own household – did I miss the appointment to pick up the ‘parenting manual’ when my children were born?

Where does it say, ‘turn to chapter 2, paragraph 6 in your parenting manual for a solution to ‘your child spending a disproportionate amount of time playing Fortnite?’. Thankfully, we do have social and family circles that can advise us on a potential path to navigate through these ‘dilemmas’. There’s certainly a lot of truth in the “wisdom of the crowds” saying when it comes to parenting advice.

Over time, as we experience life, we as adults use the tapestry of our past as a mirror to reflect upon. We use it to inform us, to help us make, hopefully, wiser decisions. Children, especially when young, tend to live in the ‘moment’, not necessarily using the past to inform their current choice, or project into the future to consider the consequences of the trajectory of their ‘in the moment’ behaviour or action. As they mature, their experience helps them to make better choices over time – they become wiser. The way adults learn is called andragogy. There are common aspects to pedagogy (the way children learn) and the way adults learn, but there are also several key differences that are important to be aware of when teaching adults. Perhaps the differences are for a future Patana News article. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a potential link between parenting and pedagogy that I hope you find useful.

THE GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY FRAMEWORK (“I DO, WE DO, YOU DO”) The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) framework or model, commonly known as ‘I do, we do, you do’ (see Figure 1) is a social constructivist teaching strategy that fosters student competence and develops confidence in independently completing learning tasks. The model is one of a variety of pedagogical strategies linked to ‘scaffolding theory’ - the idea that teachers provide support to students and gradually remove it over time.

Figure 1: Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework courtesy of (Fisher & Frey, 2013, p. 3)

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The premise of the model suggests that cognitive load and responsibility should intentionally shift from the from the teacher modelling the skill, technique, and/or knowledge to joint responsibility between the teacher and learners in a collaborative environment, culminating in the independent application by the learner. The model’s foundations lie in Piaget’s work on cognitive structures and schema and Vygotsky’s work on zones of proximal development.

Popular in schools, its greatest benefit is in its step-by-step simplicity, it provides a practical way to implement theoretical ideas from social constructivism when planning learning in a lesson. In this sense, it’s the bridge between theory and its applied practice. The model works well for constructive recipe-style tasks from large group to individual instruction.

Critical thinking and/or creative tasks are more challenging to fit to this model. Furthermore, the GRR framework does not lend itself to inquiry-based strategies. GRR is a core pedagogical strategy that can be selected from the ‘teachers toolkit’ and appropriately applied, depending on the nature of the learning intentions.

SO HOW DOES THIS LINK TO PARENTING? As our children mature, they too are part of a long journey towards independence. The biggest difference is that journey, as opposed to what occurs in our lessons at school, has a much longer time frame. I like to use an analogy when I am discussing the gradual infusion of technology into a family setting. As our children develop their fine motor skills, we release responsibility or trust them to manipulate increasingly sharper knives as in Figure 2. We should model similar GRR with access to technology, media and the internet in our homes. We would not let a 4-year-old eat with a razor-sharp steak knife, nor should we give them unfettered access to the internet, where, within a couple of mistaken clicks they can be exposed to age-inappropriate content and contact.

Image courtesy of Education UCH

When to comes to parenting, modelling is essential. Although I do not subscribe to the actual percentages, there’s a relationship with GRR in Dr Susan Newman’s blog post when she writes: ”I have heard that children absorb 10% of what you say and 90% of what you do. If you are losing your patience, yelling, and threatening, you're going to eventually be on the receiving end of that behaviour from our kids. You may not see it when they are young, but as they get bigger and feel more powerful, it will resurface with a vengeance.” (Newman, 2015) I hope you found this article linking pedagogy and parenting useful. Have a wonderful weekend with your family.

References: Fisher, D. & Frey, N., 2013. Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility. s.l.:ASCD. Newman, S., 2015. The 3 Types of Parents Who Get Bullied by Their Own Children.

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Junior Achievement Team Top 10 in Asia Pacific Finals Nichapatr (Petch) Lomtakul, 13G

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ast week, Bangkok Patana’s Junior Achievement Svasti Jagannadhan 2020/21 team, NumNum, was proud to represent “The Asia Pacific competition was truly an enthralling Thailand in the Junior Achievement Asia Pacific Company experience. Although it was unfortunate that the event was of the Year Finals. held online, thanks to everyone’s efforts, I really felt conThis entailed an exciting two-day competition, honouring nected with everyone in the competition. If I had to name the successes of JA companies across 11 countries. There, one of the most memorable experiences, it would defifour NumNum members took part in several mentorship nitely have to be the mentoring sessions. The mentor’s kind sessions and leadership summits. Upon broadening our words and uplifting comments made me discover a newbusiness insights, we took this as an opportunity to learn found appreciation for our work; their valuable knowltechnical and interpersonal skills necessary to kindle lead- edge and insights into running a business is also something ership and collaboration – fostering a learning of business that I will cherish forever.” - Kazuma Uji beyond a classroom setting.

“It has been a memorable experience being part of However, our educational experience didn’t start there. NumNum, especially having been given the opportuniHaving started NumNum back in November 2020, our ty to enter the Asia Pacific round. I particularly enjoyed achievements are built upon a one-year journey of ide- listening to the other teams’ pitches, as I was able to apation, creativity, and perseverance. We documented this preciate their creativity and see the potential our generajourney by producing a detailed, yet succinct company tion has. In my opinion, every participant of the program report and a creative business video. In the AP Finals, our is a winner. We all gave our 100% effort – this spirit is members further shared our corporate story to a panel of key. I truly enjoyed working with all our teammates, and if esteemed judges via the live one-minute business pitch possible, I look forward to working with them again.” - Yi and interview. We emphasised the multifunctional qualities (Annie) Wang of our self-designed NumNum plushie, made of organic We’d especially like to thank our supervisor, Mr. Fieldcotton grown in Chiang Mai – per our mission statement house, and our business advisor, Ann Baines, for advising to support the local economy during the pandemic. us throughout the challenging yet gratifying experience of In addition to our previous accomplishment of placing starting our own business. Our NumNum team is very exsecond in Thailand, NumNum was announced as one cited to continue our entrepreneurial journey as JA alumof the top ten teams overall in Asia! We’re honoured that nus. the judges connected with our story, and we’re delighted Interested in supporting us? NumNum’s plushies are still to share our unique learning experience with the Patana community, who played a fundamental role in our suc- in stock! You can buy a huggable friend right now: please cesses. The positive reception we received when we set contact Petch on Teams or DM us on Instagram @numup our stall in the Secondary Lounge was a key highlight num_bps to order yours! of our JA experience.

"It was a really good opportunity for me to learn about how a business works, and the boost of serotonin we get from competing and achieving top 10 is unmatched. Being able to understand actual entrepreneurial challenges such as raising capital, differentiating your product, and adhering to your CSR goals has been an incredibly useful and rewarding experience that I would love to take forward with me into my career. Something I learned was that you can't expect to win big if you don't take risks.” -

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Bangkok Patana in the News!

Junior Award in Chess Championship for Year 9 Student Barbara Vogelsanger, Patana parent

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ear 9 student Nicolas Vogelsanger took part in the Blue Chevaliers International Chess Championship in Nonthaburi recently. After climbing up the ranking table from the start, Nicolas took home the Best Junior award after nine rounds of chess.

Congratulations Nicolas!

Optimist Sailing Championship for Year 10 Sailor Koravic Bhanubandh Na Ayudhaya, Patana parent

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ear 10 sailor Weka Bhanubandh had a successful weekend on the waves as he took home the Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship in Pattaya. Despite the difficulties, 65 sailors from eight countries took part in the race for single-handed dinghies. Thailand’s premier youth sailing event, the Thailand Optimist National Championships, was first launched in 1976 as the Optimist Thailand Championship Cup and was held annually until COVID halted the competition in 2020. Congratulations to Weka on an amazing performance!

Rotax Max Junior Rookie Champion in Karting Maarten Vliegen, Patana parent

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ast weekend Year student Charya Seneviratne won the 2021 Rotax Max Thailand Junior Rookie championship.

He trained hard in the run-up to this event and started the weekend very well, qualifying in first position in his class and in 7th place overall (out of 21). With a championship at stake, battles on track were tough and it became even harder when the heavens opened up. Charya kept his cool and won the final of Round 2 and settled for position 2 in the third round. His hard work was rewarded with the Junior Rookie class championship title. Congratulations Champ Charya! This weekend all Patana karters will join the Karting Championship of Thailand. Finals start at 13:45 and can be watched live here. On Sunday Jem, JJ and Taiyo will join the Rok Cup Thailand final round at 1.20 pm live on Facebook.

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PRIMARY MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH

Pentatonix

Karen Ferguson, Primary Music cover teacher hree-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Pentatonix, abbreviated to PTX, (presently comprised of Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee, who replaced Avi Kaplan in 2017) is an American acapella group from Arlington, Texas. Acapella music is a performance by a singer or singing group without instrumental accompaniment. Pentatonix are characterised by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, basslines, riffing, percussion and beatboxing. They produce cover versions of pop songs or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material.

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high school careers." For a local radio show competition to meet the cast of Glee, they arranged and submitted a trio version of "Telephone," the hit song by Lady Gaga and featuring Beyoncé. Despite losing the competition, their singing got a lot of attention at their school and they began performing. Their version of "Telephone" subsequently gained attention on YouTube. Enjoy their music on our special playlist here.

Pentatonix formed in 2011 and won the third season of NBC’s The Sing Off. Shortly after winning NBC's acapella singing competition, the band separated from their record label and subsequently turned to YouTube to promote their debut independent releases. The Pentatonix YouTube channel currently has over 19 million subscribers and more than five billion video views, including “Hallelujah" (600 million views), "Daft Punk" (350 million views), and "Mary, Did You Know?" (260 million views).

Pentatonix began when three childhood friends, Kirstin, Mitch and Scott began creating acapella trios together.

Mitch explains "We had been in choirs for most of our

(I)GCSE Language Exams

Celine Courenq, Head of World Languages

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f your child studies a language outside of school, either a Home Language or a Foreign Language, and would like to consider taking an (I)GCSE exam in that language this academic year, do contact Celine Courenq, Head of Faculty World Languages (ceco@patana.ac.th) before Friday, 3rd December. Please include: • the full name of your child • his/her tutor group • the language they wish to be entered for • the syllabus code of the exam (for example” Cambridge IGCSE Chinese - Second Language (0523)”)

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Bangkok Patana Mo Bros Scott Tooley, Head of Mathematics

A GROWING AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES WE FACE ovember is a leading charity changing the face of tal health initiatives around the world have shown this to be men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental a flawed plan and instead we should be seeking support health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular before we reach a crisis point. Raising awareness of these cancer. Starting in 2004 in Australia and New Zealand, issues by being visual in your support means that converthe Movember Foundation had a focus on increasing the sations will start and hopefully improve the seriousness of early detection of cancer in men. Since then, the charity these health issues impacting men around the world. has raised over AUD800 million and funded more than Teachers and other Mo Bros in Bangkok are increas1200 projects across 20 countries. As the moustaches have grown across the years, so have the issues that the ing the amount of facial hair on their upper lips in order charity looks to raise awareness about and so, with men- to raise money to support this incredibly important cause. tal health becoming a key word in education, business Who knows what is lurking behind a mask on the sports and general living, the charity has taken steps to include field, a mathematics classroom or in a science lab? Like many mental health issues, although you can’t see them this as part of its focus. they are still there so why not just ask the question….. What There is a stigma around mental health, and this creates is behind your mask? a barrier that many men will use to avoid seeking treatIf you would like to make a donation to the Bangkok ment. There is a feeling that we should conform to the strong, masculine and silent ideal and not let these ‘signs Patana Mo Bros then please click on the link here and of weaknesses’ impact on us and others around us. Men- follow the instructions. Thanks in advance for any donations made.

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Can you guess these Mo Bros? Think you know them all? Answers in next week’s Patana News!

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CAT/CAS CORNER Waitrose’s Marketing Masterclass Thanik (Nicky) Siamwalla, 12A

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any know about the Great Recession that occurred during the late 2000’s. Many know about how many businesses lost sales and cut back on production. Many know about the countless amounts of people scrambling to save money. What many may not know is that all of this catalysed an example of ingenious marketing.

During a recession, consumer spending falls, as people are both reluctant to and less able to spend large amounts of money. For a supermarket chain like Waitrose who are considered to retail more high-end products, sales will almost always take a tumble due to high income elasticity. Pressures of falling sales, and the chance to try out a long developing idea, combined to produce Waitrose’s ‘Essential range’. Their slogan of ‘quality you’d expect, at the price you wouldn’t’, explained their intentions perfectly.

‘Essential range’.

This article probably wouldn’t have been titled as it is if this marketing campaign was a flop. In fact, it was a huge success, putting all doubts at the time to rest. For example, an important metric to look at to indicate growth and success is sales. Waitrose experienced a 14.6 percent increase in total sales towards the end of 2009, an amazing turnout for what was predicted to happen. The ‘Essential range’ accounted for 17 percent of total sales at Waitrose, proving it to be a strong preference for consumers. Perhaps the most crucial point was that 60 percent of shoppers were new to the ‘Essential range’, or new to Waitrose entirely, indicating they had reached their target market, without disregarding the loyal ones.

Fundamentally, the idea of this ‘Essential range’, was to supply consumers with high quality meats, sauces and vegetables, at market competitive prices. It may sound too good to be true, and truthfully it did come with a plethora of risks: firstly, this cheap range could well have pushed away all loyal, high-end customers, who may have changed their views of Waitrose from a luxury chain, to a cheap store. This pairs with the idea that Waitrose could have become less reputable, as people may not have believed their ability to supply costly products at more affordable prices. Lastly, some may have seen this move to be ethically irresponsible, as lowering the price in such a way would send a thunderstorm in the direction of smaller supermarkets. However, after thoroughly assessing the risks, Waitrose decided to move forward with the

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STUDENTS SPEAK Fairy Flies Jiyoo Kim, 9T

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eet the smallest insects in the world. The Mymaridae, known also as fairy flies, range from a mere 0.5 to 1.0 mm in length, about half the size of a grain of salt. These minuscule creatures are actually some of the most common chalcid wasps, (not flies) only rarely noticed by humans due to their size. They have a family of around 1400 species, including that of the Dicopomorpha echmepterygis, or the smallest known insect (0.139 mm).

In fact, the Dicopomorpha echmepterygis is so minute that it is even smaller than certain cells, even a human neuron, making them almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

by having fewer and smaller cells. For instance, some cells super-condense their DNA to shrink their nuclei further.

They also squeezed out any extra cytoplasm which means their neurons are at the smallest possible size. The axons of each neuron are as thin as they can be before they stop sending signals altogether. The tiniest species only have 7400 neurons total which is pretty minimal considering the pest fly has about a hundred thousand of them.

But this alone is not enough to miniaturize their brains so they can fit into their tiny heads. So most neurons have actually jettisoned their nuclei. This means that fairy flies Their miniaturization means that they are about as small depend on the proteins they made as juveniles to sustain as insects can get. But how can they reach such scaled- them for the rest of their lives. That may sound like a lot, but down size? First of all, their bodies are a lot simpler than in reality they only live for a week. other insects. They have the regular legs and antennas, but For a final bit of compactness, fairy flies ultimately downthose body parts tend to have fewer segments. Their circulatory and respiratory systems need not be as complicat- size their reproductive system. Because it takes a lot of ened either, since nutrients don’t have as far to go anyway. ergy to grow an embryo, most insects pack their eggs with Fairyflies rely on a diffusion process instead. The smallest lots and lots of yolk. But to do that is quite a burden if you are less the size of a grain of salt. So, fairy flies depend on species do without blood vessels or even hearts. other insect’s eggs to solve the problem. Most of its metaHowever, being small doesn’t come without compromis- morphosis occurs within the hosts’ egg, with around two to es. Their eyes are so small that they are near the limit of be- four larval stages. The larvae munch on the host’s egg until ing able to bend and reflect light, and fewer lenses means it emerges as its full adult form. Finish the article about Fairy less clear images. This is why fairy flies mostly use smell Flies here on Scientia to get around. In fact, males of some species have abandoned their eyes altogether including their wings, making them the smallest of the smallest insects.

Those that do have wings possess little feathery frills around them. These bizarre club-shaped wings probably work because when you are that small the air seems a lot thicker, more like syrup. Rather than fly, they grab on to air a bit like how we would swim through water. Experts think that the frills act as mini paddles, allowing them to have effectively larger wings while sparing weight. They also reduce potential turbulence and drag while in ‘flight’.

These are all ways fairy flies minimize themselves to ultimate conciseness. However, the main way they do this is

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STUDENTS SPEAK

Together Again!

Hui (Ying Ying) Han, 5G

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ay! The whole school is back together again! This alert during the day and sleepy towards bedtime. has been a long, awaited return for seven months!

When I heard this wonderful news, I started preparing EVENING ACTIVITIES The hour before bed should be a quiet, relaxing time. two weeks before school even started!

You shouldn’t get involved in rough play or playing outBefore going back to in-person classes, I needed to do side, or computer games. an ATK test (Antigen Test Kit). I’ve done ATK tests before For more tips: click here and here. and they just tickle a bit, so I wasn’t quite so anxious. After doing my ATK test, I packed my bag and went through it The next day, I woke up early and ate my breakfast. twice to check that everything was there. I was so worried Then I went downstairs to get onto the school bus. To be that I’d forget something. honest, the first day was a little overwhelming because I also had swimming on my first day at school! Even there were so many new rules. For example, we couldn’t more pressure for me… To make sure that I had full energy share equipment since COVID was still around. on my first day, I slept extra early.

I was so eager to learn our new line order, class seating plan and who our learning partners were! On top of Here are some tips to sleep well: all that, I got to meet and play with new and old friends RELAX BEFORE BEDTIME again! We also had a new playground and building for It is good to relax before sleeping. Some people might us Year 5’s! It was so exciting! like to wind down by reading a book, listening to gentle At one point in the week, I was having a really bad music or practicing breathing for relaxation. If you take longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, you might need a day. I had forgotten my water bottle at home and I also left my lunch pack on the bus! Luckily, I got it back! Phew! longer time to wind down.

In the new Year 5 and 6 building, there’s a Science lab! In there, we learnt how to properly and safely light matches GET PLENTY OF NATURAL LIGHT IN THE DAY Encourage yourself to get as much natural light as pos- and Bunsen burners. It was thrilling to do it all! sible during the day, especially in the morning. Bright light I had a wonderful first week, and I hope you did too! suppresses melatonin. This helps you to feel awake and

School Fee Invoices Invoices were sent out on 3rd November and are due 3rd December. Please contact accounts@patana.ac.th if you did not receive your invoice.

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#201: Top 10 Technology Gifts for the Upcoming Holidays

Glenn Malcolm, Primary ICT Teacher, Cross Campus Advisor Computing

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t’s the holiday season in a few weeks and I’m sure many of you are thinking about the time away at the beach, in the forests and parks or walking the peaks of Northern Thailand along with jaunts to farther fields.

However, modern gift-giving can involve a lot of technology, and while this can be low-level quality that is discarded for landfill in much the same way all the paraphernalia that’s sold for Halloween – I have set aside some clean. There are these too for a top-quality feel. good quality items for longevity that may pique your inter- Headphones for older children: est based on creativity, music and usefulness for students Bluetooth is all the rage and there is (and other family members) across the school community. a plethora of price points. For top of the line, I use Sony WH-1000XM4.

The Logitech Crayon: Best in class, but they are not cheap.

I can’t recommend this enough to They are though, very well built with parents of younger children as this amazing sound. For long hours of adds the dimension the iPad it was work and play, where young adults born to uphold – sketching, paint- require a top quality fit I use Hyper ing and general stylus-led crea- X Cloud as they don’t squeeze too tion without the worry of breakage tight, have fabric cushions and a or pairing errors in a non-rollable top-quality aluminium body. On a carpenter’s pencil style. budget? Check out Bluedio – superb.

Pencil Covers: Do you have young children and an Apple Pencil for your iPad? Then silicone covers are the way to go, or if you want your young children to write and scribble but hold the pencil correctly then a ‘hand hugger’ is your best and cheapest bet.

Earbuds:

If you are in the market for in-earphones then Sony WF-1000XM4 I bet over the Apple EarPods Pro. Sure, the linkage to iOS is good, but the lower price, the better build and in-app sound quality of the Sony device is superior. You can easily exercise with these too Headphones: my son ‘steals’ my headphones, but they without them falling out of are far too expensive for his everyday use. They are also too loud at even at three quarter volume. I think these are a your ears due their light weight and custom tips. Don’t algood bet from Puro as they are sturdy, droppable and wipe ways believe the Apple hype!

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Music-making: Have a budding musician in your house?

Then look over here at Teenage Engineering. A stalwart of mine for recommendations as the pure joy of music making for everything from retro electronica to synth-based riffs is outstanding. Prices are keen for the longevity of musical creativity.

On Lazada and Amazon.

the iPad can be a completely unique and creative experience is very important. Osmo has been around for a few years and the puzzle, logic and in-situ play style is second to none.

Many, many varieties to choose from. Here (with shipping to Thailand) on Lazada too.

Meowbits from Kittenbot – the greatest 16Bit game making then playing experience for any children who wish to make their own computer games (from Arcade.MakeDigital Art: code.com) and play them. Else, have you seen these MiHave a budding artist in your crobit kits on Lazada? house? Then there are many offerings on display for the digital artist from an App (Procreate paired with something like Paperlike) to artist tablets and slates. In these areas a yearly Adobe student subscription is good start to go with a Wacom Pen Tablet such as this one (my wife has been using this for over 15 years as a graphic illustrator) to the one I recommend as a mid to higher level graphics tablet such as the Wacom Cintiq 16. Mobile phone: (BONUS) Lastly, a true creator’s phone. The Sony Keyboards: Xperia I-Pro. The only phone with a 1-inch optical sensor, Have a budding cod- mechanical shutter, half-press-to-focus and fully profeser in your house? Then sional photographer and videographer operating system they need to be able over Android. Not cheap by any means, but if you know type at speed and very, a budding film maker, this does it all and stores in your very accurately with pocket. The accessories for this are a boon for any driven the knowledge they teenage creator. can hit the corner of the key and it still register the keystroke. Usually, the crown for best keyboard goes to Lenovo, but the Logitech MX-Keys is easily the best multi-function, multi device (3 Bluetooth connections) keyboard. It’s elder, less pricier sibling is this. If your child or family member is iPad only, the Logitech Slim Folio cover is also a fantastic iOS and better option over the ultra-expensive Apple Keyboard cover for the function keys and typing experience.

Games: Tactile play is important and teaching our children that

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ARTS COUNCIL A Digital Journey in Art Demi Chaitavatputtiporn, 11C

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ecently I’ve been very inspired by digital illustrators online. This has led me to start my own digital art journey, using Procreate. What made me choose this specific piece was the fact that this piece was the first time I ever drew a portrait of my very best friend in a digital form, and I feel incredibly proud of the way it turned out. Specifically what I love about this piece, is the way I drew the hands. I feel that this piece represents my art journey- from being unable to depict anything realistically to being able to portray a figure realistically in another medium that I am unfamiliar with.

To me, art is a way in which I can express myself freely that cannot truly be replicated in any other media. Giving me the freedom that isn’t normally experienced in everyday life.

One piece of advice I would give to other aspiring artists would be to keep your head up, try to explore different types of art. Soon you will find the one that resonates with you. My own journey was full of ups and downs, (so far mostly downs), but I feel like the discovery of the types of styles out there motivated me incredibly, and I think it would help others as well. If you are stuck in a rut and you can’t seem to get out, then take a break. Your art won’t run away, it will always be there for you to come back. I wish you the best of luck in your art journey, and I hope to see you at the end.

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ARTS COUNCIL Altering Strategies in Singing Aishwarya Lingarajan, 9F

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am a Year 9 student studying choir during music lessons here at Bangkok Patana School. Since I started as a new student, most of it has been on CSL. I learned quite a lot during this short period, without any prior exposure to a music lesson. While I did not know a good way to sing a song, now I have a greater understanding of the arts in music. Now, I can express myself freely when singing any song; it is almost as if I am dreaming!

The learning of arts in Music helped me to develop confidence, and find a creative side of me that I never noticed before. It makes me feel calm and think from a different point of view. I have also gained more self-confidence when it came to performing in front of an audience. This is why I often find myself waking up with a smile on my face on the days that I have my music lessons.

My class is currently going over a piece of music called Chindia. This song has taught me a lot about how to sing with dynamics and articulation. It has also taught me to spot mistakes in my singing and make improvements with the help of my teachers' comments and feedback on my home learning. This piece of music, however, I have found quite difficult because it requires me to work on my lower octaves - which is one of my weak points in singing. To help me adapt to singing this piece of music, I altered my strategies a little bit.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to be part of such a community that flourished in creativity and collaboration.

I look forward to participating in more activities that involve singing.

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Gift Hampers for Christmas Safy Rizk, PTG TigerShop Manager

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• Gingerbread Cookie

• Patana Christmas Bauble

• Candy Canes

• Jacky Bakes Christmas Cookies

• Chocolate Wafers

• Chocolate Cake

• Patana Christmas Mask

ave yourself a Patana Little Christmas and gift your teacher, your partner or even your friend our Special Christmas Hamper, which includes:

• Macarons • Brownies

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• Box of Cheese and Cold Cuts

Pre-order now and contact us on ptgtigershop@ patana.ac.th or Line 008864sr for more options.

We can deliver it right to your teacher's doorstep!

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Desert Island Discs

With Julie Kelly, Year 5 Teacher

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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 our Year 5 teacher Julie Kelly is stuck on a desert island.

MS KELLY, IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WHAT EIGHT PIECES OF MUSIC WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Always the Sun – The Stranglers I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas Somewhere Only We Know – Keane

Africa – Toto

Electric Dreams – Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder

What a Feeling – Irene Cara

Imagine – John Lennon

Tiny Dancer – Elton John

Click to listen to Ms Kelly’s playlist

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. My bicycle WHICH ONE BOOK WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? Putting Staff First; A Blueprint for Revitalising our Schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 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.

Looking for something to do for the Christmas Holidays?

Check out the Community Offers on Firefly

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Wildlife Spotting with Coke Urban Wildlife Alexander Coke Smith IV, Secondary Environmental Sciences Leader

M

y family and I make it a point to get out of the greater Bangkok metropolitan area as often as possible. Of course, exploring our passion of wildlife photography and observation is much easier outside the city. But what about those times when you are not able to escape the confines of the concrete jungle? Much of our busy lives is spent inside the greater metropolitan area by necessity. Do we simply give up on trying to see wildlife and experience nature?

I say no!

One of my favourite quotes comes from the popular movie, Jurassic Park: “Life will find a way”. There is no truer statement than that. In our great city, one might think, the only animal life might be Home Sapiens, soi dogs, stray cats, and about three species of really common birds. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wildlife finds a way to make a living where ever it can. And for the true nature observer, you can rack up a very impressive species list! Life definitely finds a way!

WHERE TO SEE AND HOW TO SEE WILDLIFE IN THE CITY? Why not start with the urban parks? I’ve highlighted several spots in previous articles, but now is good time for a reminder. Bangkok has a few excellent parks that served as refugia for hundreds of species of animals. With a bit of luck and a good eye, one can spot quite a lot of wildlife. My personal favourite is Lumpini Park, where one can find dozens

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of species of birds and at least two nice mammals. The “wow” species there however is massive Water Monitor Lizards that can be easily seen near the ponds and waterways in the park. Some reach in excess of two metres in length!

Other great green spaces in Bangkok include Wachirabenchathat (Rod Fai) Park, Queen Sirikit Park and Rama 9 Park. All of these are great islands of nature in the urban setting. Nature photographers often flock to these places in search of rarities that make their way to Bangkok! You might wonder how on earth to keep up to date on the wildlife happenings here, so below you will find a list of Facebook groups that are very active and have daily postings of what is happening, not only in the greater Bangkok area but throughout Thailand. I read these blogs daily for sure.

I am very happy to live in a city that has so many green spaces that provide wildlife viewing opportunities, but one must not forget, wildlife can also be seen outside of these green spaces. I have seen so many fascinating species here in Bangkok simply by driving or walking down the roads of the city. I’ve even seen top carnivores like Javan Mongooses, Spotted Owlets, Brahminy Kites and rarer rodents like Rice Field Rats and others. Just keep your eyes open and keep that awareness of anomalies!

Feel free to contact Coke Smith, our head of Environmental Science, for more information. (cosm@patana.ac.th) I recommend joining these Facebook groups for regular updates on wildlife sightings in Bangkok and beyond: • Bird Society Thailand

• LBJ Lovers Thailand

• Mammal Watching Thailand and SE Asia

• ชมรมนักดูนก(Bird Watching Club)

• BirdThailand

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COMMUNITY

Come find the perfect Christmas gifts or pre-loved clothes items when visiting this Christmas Charity Sale.

Make it even more special with customised lovely items from Bangkok Bespoke.

Get lovely handicrafts and Thai souvenirs from the Ruth Centre, Beautiful Creations and many other social organisations around Bangkok.

Add pre-loved (brand names) larger size men and women clothes from SILC and Home of Grace at THB100 or less to your basket!

Student volunteers are welcome if interested in working for community hours.

Contact Isabelle for more information at silcchair@gmail.com.

All proceeds will go to charities.

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COMMUNITY

D ue to COVID measures, the number of seats at the venue will be limited to respect social distancing rules. Tickets will not be available for p u r c h a s e a t t h e d o o r.

Yo u c a n p u r c h a s e t i c k e t s O N L I N E , a t t h e l i b r a r y , o r r e s e r v e s e a t s b y c a l l i n g 0 2 - 2 3 3 - 1 7 3 1 , o r e m a i l i n g i n f o @ n e i l s o n h a y s l i b r a r y. o r g . P l e a s e n o t e that reserved seats should be paid for within 3 days after the booking, after that they will be released.

W i t h t h e l i m i t e d p a r k i n g s p a c e a v a i l a b l e i n t h e l i b r a r y, i t ’s r e c o m m e n d e d that you take taxi or use public transportation.

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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 22

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