The ET Journal Winter Issue 2012

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THE EARCOS JOURNAL A Link to Educational Excellence in East Asia

WINTER ISSUE 2012

MENARA KUALA LUMPUR is the fifth tallest telecommunication tower in the world and the tallest in Southeast Asia.

Standing at 421m and located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

Featured in this Issue Curriculum: 9 fascinating articles Green & Sustainable

The EARCOS JOURNAL The ET Journal is a triannual publication of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools(EARCOS), a nonprofit 501(C)3, incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA, with a regional office in Manila, Philippines. Membership in EARCOS is open to elementary and secondary schools in East Asia which offer an educational program using English as the primary language of instruction, and to other organizations, institutions, and individuals.

Objectives and Purposes * To promote intercultural understanding and international friendship through the activities of member schools. * To broaden the dimensions of education of all schools involved in the Council in the interest of a total program of education. * To advance the professional growth and welfare of individuals belonging to the educational staff of member schools. * To facilitate communication and cooperative action between and among all associated schools. * To cooperate with other organizations and individuals pursuing the same objectives as the Council.

EARCOS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tim Carr, President (Jakarta International School) Thomas Farrell , Vice President (Kaohsiung American School) Deidre Fischer, Secretary (Cebu International School) David Toze, Treasurer (International School Manila) Joe Beeson (Yongsan International School of Seoul) David Condon (Canadian Academy) Anne Fowles (Suzhou Singapore International School) Tarek Razik (The International School of Beijing) Julian Whiteley (United World College of South East Asia) Office of Overseas Schools REO:

Connie Buford (ex officio)

Letter from the Executive Director Dear Colleagues: The 2012 EARCOS Leadership conference (ELC) was our largest to date with over 1200 delegates registered. What a great relief to gather after nearly two years! The Kuala Lumpur Shangri-La was an excellent venue for our 43rd EARCOS conference.

All our keynoters Milton Chen, Alan November, and Greg Whitby helped us focus on some of the key issues in the changing educational landscape. The breakout sessions and preconference were well attended and practical. A Survey Monkey was sent out to solicit comments on the conference that will help us plan for future conferences.

Please see our conference write up in this issue.

Welcome to the newly elected EARCOS board members Tom Farrell of American School Kaohsiung for a second term, Joe Beeson of the Yongsan International School of Seoul, and DJ Condon of Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. They are a great addition!

Thanks to the many school heads who attended the AGM in Kuala Lumpur.

The ETC scheduled for March 28-30, 2013 at the Concordia International School of Shanghai, China has a huge slate of great presenters and activities, in the special strands scheduled. We thank CIS for its hospitality. Keynoters are Liv Arnesen, Michael Furdyk, and Zoe Weil. The PE strand keynote presenter is the well known Jean Blaydes Madigan. She is being sponsored by Gopher Sports. The PE pre-conference will be hosted at Shanghai American School on their Pudong campus. We appreciate the hard work of the ETC teacher representatives who help coordinate registration and on site logistics. We need your support!

I look forward to seeing many of you in the next few months while visiting schools and attending various conferences and recruiting fairs. We are here to serve you! Use us.

Dick Krajczar Executive Director Check out our updated website at www.earcos.org and read our E-Connect blog at earcos-connect.tumblr.com

EARCOS STAFF Executive Director: Assistant Director:

Richard Krajczar Bill Oldread

Vitz Baltero Ver Castro Robert Sonny Viray

Elaine Repatacodo Edzel Drilo Rod Catubig Jr.

Editor: Bill Oldread Associate Editor: Edzel Drilo

East Asia Regional Council of Schools Brentville Subdivision, Barangay Mamplasan Biñan, Laguna, 4024, Philippines PHONE: 63-02-697-9170 FAX: 63-49-511-4694 WEBSITE: www.earcos.org

(L-R) Robert Viray, Dick Krajczar, Edzel Drilo, Rod Catubig, Bill Oldread, Ver Castro, Vitz Baltero, and Elaine Repatacodo

In this Issue 2 4

11th EARCOS Teachers’ Conference 2013 43rd EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012

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Faces of EARCOS - Welcome New EARCOS Trustees, Heads, and Schools - In Memoriam

10

Learning 2.012: Learning, Changing, Leading

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Press Release - An Innovative Arts and Culture Center - Celebrating NIST’s 20th Anniversary - Bangkok Patana School Awarded Second Prime Minster’s Export Award - American International School of Guangzhou turns 30!

- 20th Anniversary at International School of Ulaanbaatar - YSF First at Yokohama Science Frontier High School

EdThouht - Educators Must Engage Young People in the Great Tasks of Our Times

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Student Art Gallery

59

On the Road with Dr. K

ETC Advisory Committee meets at Concordia International School

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Weekend Workshops 2012-2013

EARCOS Global Issues Network 2012 “Time To Act, Time To Change” Curriculum - The Language of Mathematics - Unpacking the Suitcase - Out of thew Classroom: Student Designed Inquiry - Problem-Based Education: Less Teaching More Learning - Bronze International Award - Assessing the Expected School-Wide Learning Results - Collaboration: A Creative Approach in the Visual Arts - The Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page - Student Novelist in Bangkok Book Review - Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning

by John Hattie - When You Can Trust the Experts?: How to Tell Good Science from Bad in Education Service Learning - American School in Japan English Playground Service Program for Fukushima Evacuees - A Small Can make A Big Difference - Just a Small Effort Green & Sustainable - Canadian International School of Hong Kong - The Ideal of Green & Sustainable at Dominican Int’l School - Turning Green at the ICS-HK - Giving Time to Sustainability at ISKL - Involving Our Community in Sustainability - Old School Meets New School - Seeing Green at Tohoku International School, Sendai, Japan - WAB Welcomes Back Dr. Jane Goodall Campus Development - Hong Kong Academy: Building for the Future - Building New Athletic and Recreation Center at ICS Bangkok - New Tennis Facility at International School Manila - SCIS-Pudong Opens “State-of-the art” Art Facility - TAS Celebrates New Science and Technology Building - RIS Opens The Residence at Seelos Hall - Taejon Christian School Moves to Brand New Campus

Front cover photo by Mr. Grant Cameron Back cover art Isa Minori Grade 12 (Oil), Shanghai Community International School

Correction from fall issue Art Gallery section:

International School of Tianjin Grade 2, Turtles An Endangered Animals, Crayons and Dye

Contribute to the ET Journal >> If you have something going on at your school in any of the following categories that you would like to see highlighted in the Spring issue please send it along to us: Faces of EARCOS - Promotions, retirements, honors, etc.

Service Learning Campus Development - New building plans, under construction, just

completed projects.

Curriculum - New and exciting curriculum adoptions.

Green and Sustainable - Related to campus development or to

curriculum efforts.

Student Art - We showcase outstanding student art in each edition.

Press Releases Thanks you for your help in allowing us to highlight the great things that are going on in EARCOS schools.

Winter 2012

Winter 2012 Issue 1

11th Annual EARCOS Teachers’ Conference 2013 We are pleased to announce the 11th annual EARCOS Teachers’ Conference (ETC2013) in Concordia International School, Shanghai, China scheduled for March 27 for the preconferences and March 28 to 30, 2013 main conference.

We have a host of excellent keynote speakers and workshop presenters. Our keynoters are: Liv Arnesen, Michael Furdyk, Zoe Weil, and Jean Blaydes.

We think the conference will prove to be professionally stimulating and will provide you with an opportunity for networking and building camaraderie.

This year registration will be accomplished online. The registration form can be accessed from this link https://earcos.org/etc-reg/conf_login.php Each school will receive a designated username and password to access to the registration form. All required information is self-explanatory. The username and password is given only to Teacher Representative so EARCOS will deal only with one person from each school.

If you have any questions, please contact the EARCOS office or email Elaine Repatacodo, ETC Coordinator at elainer@earcos.org

Preconferences Debra Berkey Developing Online Courses: Techniques and Strategies Jean Blaydes How Brain Research supports the need for Quality Physical Education Jonathan Borden, Curt Nichols, and Counselor and University Admissions Forum (Counseling 1) The EARCOS Counselors Committee Marilyn George Serving as a Visiting Committee Member and Conducting a Self-Study David Hong AP Environmental Science John Jacobson The Artist Within Me (Choral Music & Movement) Michael Boll and Michael Lambert Shift Happens: Are you in denial? And for how long?

Derek Selander, Jenny Ostermiller and Toward an Effective Bullying Prevention Approach in an International School Context (Counseling 2) Jeff Utecht Ted and Carolyn Temertzoglou Physical Literacy: An Approach for Student Success in Physical Education Alison Youkilis AP Studio Art Cliff Zeng AP Chinese Language and Culture

Workshop Presenters Presenter Topics

Presenter Topics

Michelle Anderson Liv Arnesen Louis Bergonzi Debra Berkey Jean Blaydes Peter Boonshaft David Gran and Breen OReilly Megan Campisi Theresa Chao and Chunman Gissing Kendra Farrell Michael Furdyk

Theresa Goetz David Gran Julie Hartley John Jacobson

Mike Johnston

Kelly McFadzen Joseph Stucker and Paul Wood Cesar Reyes Kimberly Sajan Timothy Seelig Stephen Shore Ted Temertzoglou Carolyn Temertzoglou.

Jeff Utecht Suyi Wang Zoe Weil Cliff Zeng

Visual Art Lecturer, Educator and Explorer Strings Physical Education Physical Education Band Visual Art - Film Drama Chinese Language Art IT/ Global Issues Dance Art Drama Choral Music

http://www.earcos.org/etc2013/

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Global Issues and Environmental Education Visual Art Recruitment Art Graphic Art Choral Music Special Needs Physical Education Physical Education Technology Chinese Language Humane Education/ Global Issues Chinese Language and Culture

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EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012 - Theme: The “Why“ of School in 2030

The beautiful and inviting city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was the site of the recent 43rd annual EARCOS leadership conference held from November 1-4. Over 1,200 delegates, including associate members, presenters and 64 members of FOBISSEA, the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia attended the three-day conference with the theme of “The Why of School in 2030.” There to assist the delegates in exploring this intriguing and compelling topic were three renowned keynoters.

The conference opened with an address by Milton Chen, the author of Education Nation and Senior Fellow and Executive Director Emeritus at the George Lucas Education l Foundation in the San Francisco bay Area that utilizes its mutlimedia website, Edutopia.org and documentary films to communicate a new vision for 21st century skills. He described the 6 edges of redefining the nature of school including the thinking edge, the curriculum edge, the technology edge, the time and place edge, the co-teaching edge, and the use edge.

The day two schedule was opened with another wonderful keynote presentation by Alan November. Alan is an international leader in education technology and possesses the uncanny ability to wow and audience with his incredible grasp of the future role of technology in the education of our students. The energy in the room was palpable. He left delegates with many ‘takeaways’ that will surely find their way into our EARCOS schools.

The wrap-up keynote on the day three was delivered by Greg Whitby, the executive director of schools in an Australian system of 78 Catholic school in Western Sydney serving 42,000 students and employing 4500 teachers. Greg shared with his audience the challenges and complexities of the process of leading in today’s world to guarantee there is in fact a future for schools and schooling. He stressed that given the contemporary society that it is impossible to predict what life for the young people beginning their school careers in 2030 might be like, and the incredible challenge that this poses for today’s educators.

This conference was a wonderful opportunity for school heads, trustees, business managers, principals, and other administrators to learn, share ideas, develop new lines of thinking, and socialize with old friends.The venue could not have been better.The staff of the beautiful Shangri-La Hotel went out their way to accommodate our needs, and to provide us with a variety of outstanding meals and snacks. Particularly notable were the welcome reception and the gala dinner. Making this wonderful experience possible was the very professional staff of the Shangri-La led by Patrick Oh, Director of Events and May Ching, the Assistant Director of Events Planning. Special thanks to the hard work of Mr. Ali and Mr. Go and thanks to the entire staff of the Shangri-La Hotel who helped make this conference a great success.

At past conferences delegates have questioned the need for a conference bag, so in response to those suggestions this conference was a ‘no bag’ conference. In leiu of providing bags a donation of 3000 Malaysia ringgit was made to the NGO recently started by former ISKL teacher Kenny Peavey, EESEA, the Environmental Education Alliance of Southeast Asia. We are confident that this organization will extend the reach of environmental education to both international school and local schools alike.

Lastly, we would like to thank all of the school delegates and associate members whose participation made this conference a success. We at EARCOS hope to build on that success as we plan for the 44th annual conference to held November 1-3, 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. See you there!

Bill Oldread EARCOS Assistant Director

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The Bigger Picture

Connie Buford, U.S. Dept. of State Regional Education Officer

Dick Krajczar, EARCOS Executive Director

Milton Chen, Keynote Speaker

Alan November, Keynote Speaker

Greg Whitby, Keynote Speaker

Preconference

Preconference

Preconference

Timothy King and Michael Rodman Preconference

Marc Frankel LTP Preconference

Jay McTighe Preconference

Jazz Band, International School of Kuala Lumpur

Mont’Kiara International School Stringa Musicians

Latin Express - Garden International School Winter 2012 Issue 5

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012 - Theme: The “Why“ of School in 2030

Tim Carr, EARCOS Board President (Jakarta International School)

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012 - Theme: The “Why“ of School in 2030

The Bigger Picture

David Warlick workshop

Richard Mast workshop

Kevin Bartlett Preconference

Shangri-La Grand Ballroom

Shangri-La Grand Ballroom

Kim Green workshop

Craig Trygstad and T.K Ostrom workshop

Jeffrey Brooks workshop

Chris Jansen AD workshop

(L-R) Will Fitzhugh, Alan November, Julian Whiteley, (L-R) Deidre Fischer, Jim Koerschen, Ann Tim Carr, Dick Krajczar, and David Toze Fowles, and Connie Buford (U.S. Dept. State)

Kate Meininger and Jeffrey Taylor, International School of Kuala Lumpur

Cultural Event

Welcome Reception

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Cultural Event

The Bigger Picture

J. Andrew Westerman workshop

Ronald Knapp, MS Principal Brent International School

Alan November workshop

Ian Sutherland workshop

Mike Johnston workshop

Carol Commodore workshop

Workshop session

Pat O’Brien and Andy Davies workshop

Julian Whiteley workshop

John Littleford workshop

(Left) Sr. Carolyn Terencio, O.P. from Dominican International School, Taipei

Joseph Levno workshop

Registering over 1,100 delegates is really fun.

Chip Barder with David Neudorf Band.

(L-R) Bill Oldread, Asst. Director, Elaine Repatacodo, Gala Dinner.

Beth Oldread, and Vitz Baltero.

Winter 2012 Issue 7

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2012 - Theme: The “Why“ of School in 2030

Joe Stucker workshop

Faces of EARCOS

Welcome New EARCOS Trustees, Heads, and Schools >> Stephen Wilkin Head of School Mt.Zaagkam Int’l School Thomas Farrell Vice President Kaohsiung American School

Joe Beeson Trustee Yongsan Int’l School of Seoul

David (D.J.) Condon Trustee Canadian Academy

Busan International Foreign School 50 Gijang-daero, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-902, South Korea Mr. Stephen Palmer, Principal

http://bifskorea.org

Oberoi International School

http://oberoi-is.org/

Patrick van Kampen, Ph.D. Head of School Yogyakarta Int’l School

Oberoi Garden City Off Western Express Highway Goregaon (East) Mumbai - 400063, India Dr.Vladimir D. Kuskovski, Head of School

In Memoriam >> wanted to return to international school administration. Concordian International School was fortunate indeed that Bob agreed to come out of retirement and to serve as our Elementary and Middle School Vice-Principal.

+ Robert D. Wenger

Concordian International School administration, teachers, staff, students and parents mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Mr. Bob Wenger, who passed away on April 22, 2012. Bob had been battling cancer for more than a year.

Throughout his entire illness Bob never lost his warm smile, his good humor, or his ability to positively influence the school community – fellow administrators, teachers, students, and parents.

Bob joined Concordian in August 2010. He brought a wealth of experience as a teacher, counselor, and as a long-time administrator, both in the US and at international schools.

Bob had served as an elementary school principal at the Venable School in Virginia, USA, at International School Manila in the Philippines, at Taipei American School in Taiwan, at AIS in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. After being retired for a few years, Bob found that he 8 EARCOS Triannual Journal

He was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise, and a joke and a laugh too. He truly cared about the teachers, the students, and the school. All those who interacted with Bob on a regular basis will surely miss his wise counsel, his common sense, his warmth, and his sense of humor. He spent countless hours talking and listening, supporting, encouraging, and nudging all of us to do and to be our very best.

At a memorial service held at the school in late April, Bob’s colleagues and friends honored his memory and his service to Concordian with words spoken from the heart, song, and dance. We know that Bob surely would have loved the song and dance!

The Concordian community extends our heartfelt condolences to Bob’s wife Lisa, his four sons, his two step-children, his seven grandchildren, and his entire family.

he commenced his new position as Athletics Director at SSIS Suzhou.

During his time in China, Damian made a huge impact on schools and sports across the region

+ Damian Johnson

Suzhou Singapore International School (SSIS) and the Association of China Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) are recovering from the tragic loss of Damian Johnson who was both Athletics Director at SSIS and the Chair of the ACAMIS Athletics Director network.

During his career, Damian worked as a PE teacher at; Karabar High School, Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia (1996-2000); Sponne School, Towcester U.K. (2000-2001) and the British International School Cairo (2001-2004). Damian was then appointed Head of Physical Education & Athletics Director at the International School Brunei (200406) and later Dean of Students at Amman Baccalaureate School, Jordan (2006-08).

Damian moved to China in 2008 to take up the position of Athletics Director & Head of PE at Beijing BISS International School. In August 2012

In the words of an ACAMIS Board members; “He was so warm and personable that everyone looked forward to a chat and came away feeling good. Even though we have all lost a friend and colleague, I am certain that even after such a short time at SSIS, he will have made a great impact and will leave lasting memories with staff and students. We pass on to his parents and relatives our condolences at their loss, but also that he led a very good life in China as a role model for teachers and young people that will be remembered for years.”

A memorial for Damian was held at SSIS on November 5, his funeral took place in Sydney Australia on November 14th. SSIS and ACAMIS would like to thank all of our friends and colleagues for their support of Damian and of our organisations these last two weeks.

PE teachers should submit their application to present to their ETC Teacher Representative.

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ol o h c lS a n o i at ol n o r h e t c S In n a i Presenters: a d c r i er co m A Jean Blaydes Madigan (Keynote) Con ai h g n Ted Temertzoglou Sha FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT Carolyn Temertzoglou Dr. Debra Berkey

www.earcos.org/etc2013/

Thanks to the following PE committee chaired by Jon Wrzesinski(SAS), Cheryl Fullerton(PRIS), Becki Bishop(CISS), Gaile Rockey(ISBangkok)

Learning 2.012

Learning 2.012: Learning, Changing, Leading >> Learning 2.0 is a conference that aims to be different, where we are encouraged to be social, be connectors and to push our own understanding of learning.

Each year the conference evolves and strives to be the leading educational technology conference in the region and perhaps globally. After four years in Shanghai, this year’s conference, Learning 2.012, moved up to Beijing, and was hosted by the Western Academy of Beijing where over 400 participants from schools in over 20 countries came together to learn, change and lead.

The features of this year’s Learning 2.0 conference included the quick & inspirational Learn2Talks which are bite-sized presentations from Learning2Leaders and students, the ‘unconference’ sessions where participants can build their own ‘just-in-time’ learning and the cohorts where groups of about 20 educators with similar interests met together throughout the conference to network, share experiences and discuss the impact of their discoveries in their curriculum areas.

The Red Shirts! The Learning2Leaders and Committee

This year we introduced the Extended Session to allow participants to gain a deeper understanding of an emerging innovative topic facilitated by one of our Learning2Leaders. Themes for these included iPads in the classroom, global collaboration design, game-based learning and the ‘flipped’ classroom.

And for those who wanted a snapshot, our Learning2Leaders presented an overview of their topic ‘In a Nutshell’ session.

As always, the inclusion of students was popular and this year the Geek Force comprised students from both WAB and Dulwich Beijing.

One major change this year was the composition of the committee with representation of tireless educators from EARCOS and ACAMIS schools and beyond: from Delhi to Brisbane, Hanoi to Tokyo, Shanghai to Singapore, Jakarta and more! Using the myriad of sophisticated collaboration and communication tools we met virtually over the course of the year and through the gamut of timezones to discuss, create and produce a truly exceptional experience.

We had exceptional feedback from the participants which provided the icing on the cake for everyone who worked so hard for the conference to be such a success.

Colin Zhang, WAB student, on ‘What 21st Century Learning Looks Like In China’

Comments were ‘This is my third Learning 2.0 conference and it gets better each year. This one was the best’ ‘The connections and networking were fabulous’ ‘The culture of sharing’ ‘Perfect organisation’ ‘I’ve been so impressed from start to finish. WOW’ ‘You guys rock!

With over 98.6% *of participants saying that they would recommend the conference to colleagues, we anticipate an quick sell-out next year in Singapore where UWCSEA will be hosting Learning 2.013.

Please visit the http://learning2.asia for highlights and links to the many resources, images and video clips.

Photos by Dave Caleb

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The Geek Force

Learning 2.012

Juli Lindsay

Chris Betcher

Dare to be Creative!

Jeff Utecht

Steve Katz

Be social - the final gathering at the end of an exhilarating 2+ days of learning

Jabiz Raisdana

Winter 2012 Issue 11

EdThought

EdThought >>

Educators Must Engage Young People in the Great Tasks of Our Times

By Mike Connolly

One of the most difficult problems we face is to make it possible for young people to participate in the great tasks of their time.

We have designed our society in such a way that most of the possibilities open to young people are too bookish or frivolous. John W. Gardner, former US Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (Self Renewal, p.126) Young people, filled with youthful idealism, long to make the world a better place in which to live.Yet we have designed our society and our educational system in such a way that this youthful idealism is anesthetized in most and snuffed out in many before it has a chance to blossom. The result is a world full of misery, much of which could be relieved if relieving it were to become a priority, and young people were encouraged to and given opportunities to become active in bringing about needed change.

Think of the disheartening non-verbal message of most of our schooling. In twelve or sixteen years you’ll get to use what you are learning here for something more meaningful than more schooling. We, who are educators can do better than that. We can help young people find opportunities to participate in the great tasks of our time.

In 2007 speaking at Harvard University’s Commencement, Bill Gates lamented the fact that he “left Harvard with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world—the appalling disparities of health, wealth, and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair.” He went on to ask the Harvard Faculty, students and parents gathered there a question that all educational institutions, not just universities, should ask themselves: Should (insert your school’s name here) encourage its faculty to take on the world’s worst inequalities? Should (insert your school’s name here) students learn about the depth of global poverty… the prevalence of world hunger… the scarcity of clean water… the girls kept out of school… the children who die from diseases we can cure? … These are not rhetorical questions –you will answer with your policies.

There is a danger in international schools that the young people in them can remain as isolated from the reality of “the awful inequalities in the world,” and the “appalling disparities of health, wealth and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair” as Bill Gates was. My wife and I are currently interviewing young people who are aware of the inequality and misery that exits in our world and who have initiated inspiring projects, many of them on their own, to help relieve that misery. We plan to celebrate them and their accomplishments in a book titled Surrounded

by Heroes.

Some of those students come from international schools and predictably they mention that students in international schools live in “a bubble world” sheltered from the realities of the lives of the locals around them. We know what they are talking about; we have lived and worked in that “bubble world.”

But like the students who we have interviewed, other young people can break out of that bubble with the help of their teachers and can satisfy their yearning to make a positive difference in the world. Admittedly, EARCOS schools whose students are involved in GIN and other humanitarian initiatives locally and beyond are doing this. But more can be done—and must be done. Consistently, the young people in our book, who range in age from 12 EARCOS Triannual Journal

seven to twenty one, tell us that it wasn’t until they actually saw the face of misery—and in particular in the expressions of children—that they were moved to action. Many of them had been involved in humanitarian fund raising activities in the past that had little emotional impact on them because these young people had yet to see and feel the reality of what they were raising funds to defeat. Once confronted with that reality they were moved to action in ways that are truly inspiring—and for them empowering.

Most of the conversation we hear these days about improving education still focuses primarily on preparing students for future employment in the global marketplace. While preparing students to make a living is important, we should never confuse ourselves or our students by equating this practical necessity with making a life. Learning must not simply prepare students to nourish their bodies; it must prepare them to nourish their spirits. One of the best ways to help them to nourish their spirits is to give them opportunities to bring about positive change in the world.

In 2008, a former student of mine addressed a gathering of over 1000 teachers at an EARCOS Conference. Perhaps some of you remember him.

Yeon Duk Woo, speaking on the subject of how teachers could foster genuine Global Citizenship among their students, told the following story.

One day a son came to see his father. He was tired and frustrated. He complained to his father about how difficult life had become and confessed that he just wanted to give up. His father, who was a chef, pulled a chair up for his son and invited him to sit down. When he was seated, he took three pots of water and placed each on the stove. When the water came to a boil, he took a carrot and cut it up into the first pot. Into the second pot he put an egg and into the third pot he put some ground up coffee. After a few minutes he said to his son “Come on over here son, I want to show you something.”

As they stood looking at the pots boiling on the stove the father said to his son.

“What do you see? Impatiently the son replied “I see three pots one with carrots, one with an egg and one with coffee”.

“Look closer”, his father said, can you see: That when the carrots were subjected to the boiling water, they became soft When the egg was subjected to the boiling water, it became hard But the coffee… ah son, the coffee changed the water?

Yeon Duk concluded his speech with words that are both a compliment and a challenge to all educators: Ladies and gentlemen, you are the ones, in your classrooms, who teach students what it means to be a global citizen...You are the ones who teach us that we have the power to “change the water.”

Young people yearn to make a difference in this world. When they find ways to do that, their lives have more purpose, and more meaning -- and so does their learning. Part of the job of international educators—indeed all educators—must be to redesign education so that it is not simply bookish and frivolous but gives young people opportunities to engage in the great tasks of our times.

Mike Connolly worked as a principal in international schools for sixteen years. He is the author of two books:Teaching Kids to Love Learning, Not Just Endure It and What They Never Told Me in Principal’s School.

ETC Advisor Committee meets at Concordia International School to plan for ETC2013

(Back row L-R) Bill Oldread, Clint Hamada UNIS Hanoi, Jeff Leppard ASIJ Tokyo, Peter Kimball TAS Taipei, Dick Krajczar EARCOS Exec. Dir. (Middle row L-R) Amy Moretti ISKL Kuala Lumpur, Keith Allerton JIS Jakarta, Amanda Wood SAS Singapore, Marnie Hurst ISM Manila, Dee Mulligan HKIS Hong Kong, Ross Tague ISB Bangkok, Lisa Keam ISB Beijing. (Front row L-R) Tina Bui SAS Shanghai, Vasudha Hurkat ISY Yangon, Elaine Repatacodo EARCOS ETC Coordinator.

Shanghai. The largest city in the world. A major financial center. One of the busiest ports on the planet. And the host city for the EARCOS Teachers’ Conference on March 28 – 30, 2013!

world’s greatest challenges through innovative global education programs.

Zoe Weil is a pioneer in humane education who promises to challenge us to teach for a more peaceful, humane and healthy world.

In preparation for ETC2013, the EARCOS brain trust of Dick Krajczar, Bill Oldread and Elaine Repartacado guided the Advisory Committee through a whirlwind weekend and jam-packed schedule in and around Concordia International School, located in the Jinqiao area of Shanghai. With returning members and new members alike working together, we worked our way through the agenda to help ensure that the EARCOS Teachers’ Conference will be a great experience for the hundreds of teachers in attendance from around the region.

In addition to their keynotes, these dynamic speakers will also be leading smaller workshops to share their expertise and experiences. There is also a lineup of workshop presenters invited to address a wide range of topics, from Chinese Language and Culture to Graphic Art to Choral Music.

There are almost 30 workshops identified that are specifically for school counselors.

As usual, the weekend began with a tour of the available conference hotel options. Fortunately, there is a large range of choices to suit every budget and every requirement. From the Ramada (great looking breakfast buffet!) to the Metro (funky décor) to the Citadines (closest walk) and a few other places in between, there is something for everyone. Be sure to check out the awesome video overview made by Advisory Committee member Vasudha Hurkat: http://bit.ly/etchotels.

The conference theme this year is “Moving Minds, Moving Bodies.” With conference strands in Physical Education, Visual Arts, Performing Arts (including Chorus, Music, Dance, Drama, Strings and Band), Technology, Chinese, Global Issues, Counseling and General Education, it promises to be an amazing professional development experience. This is the perfect year to be holding the conference in a school setting because the amazing facilities at Concordia – from the gymnasium to the theatre, from the dance studio to the weight room, from the band room to the classrooms – promise to support the performance-based strands in a way that a hotel venue never could.

The keynote speakers are world-class and inspiring. Liv Arnesen is a polar explorer and motivational speaker who plans to lead an 80-day expedition to the South Pole with a diverse team of six women from six different continents. Michael Furdyk seeks to empower youth to address some of the

The centerpiece of any EARCOS Teachers’ Conference is always the teacher-led workshops. Our colleagues from around Asia are currently preparing to lead workshops that will highlight some of the amazing work that is happening in classrooms all through the EARCOS region. These workshops serve as an amazing source of PD for the presenters (as well as the participants!) and give them an opportunity to act as ambassadors and represent their schools to an audience of over 1000 teachers!

The preconference sessions are an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into a specific topic. There are whole-day sessions planned, including how brain research supports the need for quality physical education, counseling and university admissions, choral music and the artist with you, and physical literacy.

Shanghai is a dynamic and vibrant metropolis. In addition to this amazing professional learning offered during the day, the city promises something for everyone. You can eat at world-class restaurants, stroll along the Bund, explore the French Concession, or be amazed by the city view from atop the World Financial Center, aka “The Bottle Opener.”

So talk to your school’s EARCOS Teacher Representative, check out the conference website (http://www.earcos.org/etc2013) for more information, and be sure to start your visa application for China early! You don’t want to miss the EARCOS Teachers’ Conference 2013!

by Clint Hamada, chamada@unishanoi.org Winter 2012 Issue 13

ETC Advisory Committee

ETC Advisory Committee >>

EARCOS GIN 2012

Keynote speakers Scott Hammell and Rob Dyer join a middle school GANG as they discuss ways to alleviate extreme poverty.

MS delegates listen attentively as Louis Ng, founder of ACRES, gives his keynote on animal rights and rescues.

Time To Act, Time To Change

EARCOS Global Issues Network Conference 2012 “GIN conferences help to form a stronger connection within the youth community…and build a mutual bond between international students with the hope that they will educate their community when they go back home. As far as I’m concerned, that is the most important aspect of a GIN conference.”

Timothy Cyrillis Young, Grade 12, SAS and GINSING leadership team member GINSING gets to the root of global issues and inspires action More than 700 students from Asia and beyond gathered in Singapore from November 9–11, 2012 for the largest EARCOS GIN conference to date. Singapore American School (SAS) and UWC South East Asia, East Campus (UWCSEA East) co-hosted the 2012 Global Issues Network conference (GINSING). More than 450 high school students (ages 14-18) converged at SAS while more than 300 middle school students (ages 11-14) gathered at UWCSEA East for the first GIN conference-within-a-conference for middle school students.

‘Time to Act, Time to Change’ The planning committee intended that GINSING be an action-oriented conference. That commitment was evident in the conference theme – ‘Time to Act,Time to Change’ – as well as the student-designed logo. Motivated by the reality that we are running out of time to solve the sustainability issues plaguing Earth, the student leadership team incorporated into the logo a clock set to 11:57, representing the three years remaining before the Millennium Development Goals deadline.The GINSING name and logo also reflect the ginseng plant, with the plant’s roots prominent in the logo. As ginseng roots are often used in Asia 14 EARCOS Triannual Journal

for their healing abilities, so does GIN contribute to healing the planet.

Focus on environmental sustainability Holding the conference in Singapore offered participants a unique opportunity to experience first-hand some of the wide-ranging examples of development and sustainability in the city-state.

The first day of the conference was designed to prime participants for the following two days of discussion and workshops. All delegates participated in experiences that enhanced their knowledge about possible responses to issues of environmental sustainability and energy and resource management.

The Middle School participants visited an environmental learning centre in Singapore’s Dairy Farm Nature Park for an experiential session led by the JUMP! Foundation followed by a sustainable picnic. The session fostered leadership and teamwork as well as environmental awareness to effectively set the stage for the weekend conference sessions and action planning.

For high school delegates, SAS teacher Steve Early and his student team worked with the Singapore Tourism Board to design 21 different ‘ecoCare’ excursions focused on nature, technology or education. Activities included planting trees, exploring preserved ecosystems and visiting sites that address solutions to environmental and resource management issues.

long after GINSING as green roofs reduce energy usage, lessen surface runoff, filter air pollutants and increase biodiversity.

Both students found the project empowering. “If two students with no money and no experience can do this, anyone else can,” Kirsty said, when asked what she learned from the experience.

Katherine agrees, “I’ve learned that it’s possible for youth to tackle world issues.”

Dairy Farm, UWCSEA and SAS have all committed to maintain the roof garden, and they hope to replicate the project model with other schools and businesses in Singapore. So before the conference even officially opened, a group of students had already taken sustainable action for the environment.

Abundant inspiration and support Following the first day’s excursions, all participants gathered at SAS for the official opening including keynotes from Room to Read founder John Wood and magician Scott Hammell as well as dance performances by SAS students and Epic Arts. The evening culminated with the Peace Concert and Global Village exhibition of NGOs. Throughout the weekend, keynote speakers and NGO mentors engaged students with knowledge and inspiration while also coaching them in leadership and organisation skills. Participants were fortunate to have access to such experienced and committed mentors.

Green roof ‘ecoCare’ excursion sets the stage for action One of the ecoCare excursions, a green roof project, centred around the installation of a rooftop garden atop a large supermarket near the UWCSEA East Campus. The project was the result of collaboration between the host schools, a business (Dairy Farm Singapore) and the government (National Parks Board).

Uniquely GINSING To support the conference’s commitment to action, GINSING introduced Global Action Network Groups (GANGs) to allow students from different schools across the EARCOS region to share and learn from their experiences with a global issue of choice and network to create effective solutions to that issue.

Originally conceived by UWCSEA East Grade 11 students Kirsty Benham and Katherine Lundevall, the project will continue to make a difference

Technology and social media also played a large part in the conference and are continuing to do so as participants stay connected online. Face-

EARCOS GIN 2012

High school delegates a nd sponsors plant a rooftop garden during their ecoCare excursion.

Rob Dyer, founder of Skate4Cancer gives his inspiring keynote address to the MS delegates. book, twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other online tools all played a part in communication and sharing during the conference and in maintaining connections afterwards.

Taking Action On the final day of the conference, the student GANGs among both the high school and middle school participants developed their plans and articulated their commitments to action. At SAS, the high school GANGs wrote and presented their Local Action Plans (LAPs). Some also prepared and shared videos expressing their plans, which were to be creative, doable, realistic and sustainable.

Middle school participants at UWCSEA East also created and shared action plans in their GANGs. In addition they submitted ‘I will…’ statements expressing a personal action they would take upon their return home.

Stephanie Hao, a Grade 12 student at SAS, sees real potential for positive change from GIN. “Bringing together like-minded, passionate, readyto-take-action young adults enables intellectual exchanges and…enriches and expands the knowledge base of the leaders of the future. GIN conferences are integral in educating and inspiring younger generations to act now.”

GINSING by the numbers GINSING is the first EARCOS GIN conference to offer a conference within a conference for middle school students.

Participants in GINSING 2012 included • 67 schools from 19 countries • 453 high school students, 350 middle school students and 140 adult sponsors (the largest number of attendees at a GIN conference to date) • Student delegates from 36 different nationalities representing every continent • More than 20 NGOs

Dorjee Sun, founder of Carbon Conservation adresses high school delegates during hi keynote.

Appendix Speakers at GINSING 2012 Joint SAS and UWCSEA East Opening Ceremony: • John Wood, Founder and co-chair of non-profit global organization Room to Read and author of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children.

• Scott Hammell, Magician and escape artist, holder of three Guinness World Records - motivational speaker for following one’s passion and taking action.

HS GIN Conference Keynotes: • Dorjee Sun, CEO of Carbon Conservation, and passionate about forests, community development, conservation and climate change.

• Hannah Taylor, LadyBug Foundation Inc. and author of Ruby’s Hope, believes that everyone deserves a roof over the head and enough to eat as basic human rights.

• Emmanuel Laumonier, founder of Yayasan Emmanuel, working tirelessly in Jakarta, Indonesia with orphanage homes, health services, food rescue and mobile library. Graduate of Jakarta International School (JIS), Emmanuel “had the world at his feet but he chose a higher calling.”

• Abigail Alling, Chairman and President of The Biosphere Foundation, for two years she lived in an artificial laboratory of 3.15 acres, Biosphere 2 with seven other ‘biospherians’ in total isolation. Her passion today is monitoring coral reefs in the Coral Triangle aboard the research sailboat the Mir. • Shawn Lum, lecturer of natural sciences and science education for Singapore’s National Institute of Education, Shawn is the president of the Nature Society (Singapore), Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) Board Secretary and Principal Investigator of a forest study at Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

MS GIN Conference Keynotes at UWCSEA East • Rob Dyer, founder of Skate4Cancer, where a team skates to spread the awareness of cancer.

Losing many of his loved ones to cancer over a short period of time sparked Rob to skate over 8,000 km from Canada to Los Angeles.

• Justin Bedard, founder and executive director of the JUMP! Foundation, which educates students and teachers worldwide about global issues and leadership issues through workshops and training programs.

• Louis Ng, Executive Director of Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES) in Singapore. Beginning at a very young age, Louis Ng dedicated his life to making a difference for suffering and trafficked animals.

• Joel Simonetti, teacher and co-founder of Fintegrity, a NGO dedicated to conserving marine life.

NGOs participating at GINSING 2012 High School NGOs giving workshops on Saturday during two sessions: JGIS, JUMP!, Empty Bowls (making clay bowls in the art studio to later sell for hunger relief), WWF, Hannah Taylor, Yayasan Emmanuel, Eco Singapore, Quest University, Green Volunteers (Grant Pereira), Biosphere Foundation, A Clean Thirst, Tabitha, and Gawad Kalinga MS Conference NGOs: JUMP!, EPIC arts, BSDA Shumkriel Language School, Green Geko, Island Foundation, ACRES, KrousarThmey, and Fintegrity ecoCare Excursions for high school participants 21 ecoCare Excursions gave GIN participants the opportunity to take a step beyond the conference confines prior to getting down to the important business of networking. Excursions were divided into three categories: nature, technology, and education.

The next EARCOS GIN2013 conference will be at the following hosting schools: - HS GIN2013, International School Beijing - MS GIN2013, Jakarta International School

Winter 2012 Issue 15

Curriculum

The Language of Mathematics >>

By Allen Lambert, MEd, MA, MYP Teacher Beijing City International School vocabulary that is particularly to math as well as natural language. Everyday words are transformed or broadened to include new meanings peculiar to the concepts of mathematics. At times, students may struggle with understanding concepts described within the mathematical register. Integration of writing allows for more exposure, repetition and reflection on the use of the appropriate register while students are developing their natural language. The teacher modeling appropriate speech and the students adopting that speech as their own benefits both their understanding of mathematical concepts and their language development.

The acquisition of mathematical ability is a subtle process, but dialogue between the learner and teacher is imperative, and this depends on effective communication. (Jacobsen, 1975) “We are all language teachers,” stated out head of school in his opening message to the Beijing City International School (BCIS) staff. What does this mean for those of us who teach other subjects? As an educator, I have learned over the course of my career the importance for my students of planning for language development within my mathematics lesson.

Some say Math is a universal language, but like learning any additional language, we approach Mathematics through our natural language. Mathematics has its own unique words and expressions. Writing and speaking about mathematics helps students grasp concepts better, explain and assess their thinking, and brings more enjoyment to the subject. When a student writes about math, he gains a deeper understanding of what he knows and is able to do.

Students typically love math at the beginning of middle school but by the eighth grade year only 57% say that they enjoy it. This resonates with the oft-quoted statistic that 4 out of 10 adults hated math when they were in school. Is there a connection then between a student’s ability within a language and their ability to learn math?

Traditionally, mathematics has been taught through repetition and memorization. We are transforming classroom practices at BCIS by teaching concepts and strategies through meaningful learning experiences. The use of language and specifically written language in mathematics is a valuable paradigm switch in teaching and learning. In addition to assessing the right answer to a problem, teachers assess the ideas and the strategies behind finding solutions. To solve a problem in mathematics, students use their language skills to comprehend the problem, reason the best strategy for solving it and in communicating how they found the solution to others. Integrating writing into this process allows the student to be reflective of their understanding and abilities.

Studies show that effective teaching in mathematics includes a focus on the development of conceptual knowledge and language that requires the teacher to use clear and understandable dialogue with the students. This supports them in learning new ways of expressing their thinking and models the appropriate uses of the mathematics register; the use of the special 16 EARCOS Triannual Journal

How are we doing this in the MYP classroom? Students speak openly about the process they use to solve problems.They are encouraged to share strategies with one another and often explain their work to the class. Students write short reflections or explanations of their problem solving strategies as well. These are used as an additional means to conference with each individual student. It is through their speaking and writing that students demonstrate what they know and what they can do. By asking students to respond to simple prompts, much of their understanding is revealed. In addition, graphic organizers are used to developing vocabulary and work through the problem solving process. In everyday class work, homework, quizzes and assessments, writing is incorporated to develop language and make the task more holistic.

Dr. Gilberto J. Cuevas of the University of Miami asserts that the student’s ability in language not only determines performance in mathematics but also in the acquiring of conceptual learning and therefore is an integral part of the teaching process. Although there is not a clear understanding of the relationship between language factors and mathematical achievement, research has shown that there is a correlation between mathematical achievement and reading ability. This speaks of the need for language development.

Students are expected to use language appropriately when communicating mathematical ideas, reasoning and findings – both orally and in writing.

Through mathematics students have access to a unique and powerful universal language while developing their primary academic language. Students are expected to communicate a coherent mathematical line of reasoning using different forms of representation when investigating complex problems. Speaking and writing in mathematics is integral to working through a process, communicating to the teacher individual needs and demonstrating understanding of newly learned skill; therefore I am a math and language teacher.

References Andrew Sterrett (Ed.), Using Writing to Teach Mathematics, Mathematical Association of America,1992. Dr. Marcia Frank, Writing in Math – Should it Have a Home in Today’s Curriculums, University of Maryland, 2001. Gilberto J. Cuevas, Mathematics Learning in English as a Second Language, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 15, No. 2, Minorities and Mathematics. pp. 134-144, Mar., 1984. Bernadette Russek, Writing to Learn Mathematics, Writing Across the Curriculum, Vol 9, August 1998.

Jacobsen, E. (Ed.).(1975).Interactions between linguistics and mathematical education: Final report of the symposium sponsored by UNESCO, CEDO and ICMI, Nairobi, Kenya, Sep- tember 1-1 1, 1974 (UNESCOReport No. ED-74ICONF.808).Paris:UNESCO. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind93/chap1/doc/1c793.htm

Curriculum

Unpacking the Suitcase >>

by Marlon Ng, Curriculum Coordinator, American International School, Hong Kong

AIS Curriculum Coordinator, Marlon Ng, engages teachers in planning their curriculum using the CCSS

Due to the multi-faceted perspectives of educators teaching abroad, international schools have the wonderful opportunity to bring a transient staff with innovation to their schools. Some international schools have depended greatly on these teachers to solely define the content and skills for their programs of study. Even so, disruption to the curriculum has likely occurred as teachers come and leave. This phenomenon has been commonly referred to as the “suitcase curriculum”. Over time, a guaranteed curriculum has been compromised.

The American International School of Hong Kong has had the opportunity to rethink the sustainability of our curriculum with the recent educational reforms from the States. Currently a new set of American standards, Common Core State Standards (CCSS), has become prominent in the media. CCSS has demanded more focused but rigorous expectations for all students.

These standards require students to think critically and integrate their thinking with technology. As an American standards-based school, we have welcomed these standards for their alignment with our school ESLRs and emphasis on 21st century learning skills. Nevertheless the process has brought on new challenges to our faculty.

Almost two years ago our school leaders transitioned to CCSS by understanding the purpose behind the standards’ authors. The goal was to structure appropriate achievable tasks for the teachers, include teachers as integral participants of the change, and find ways that they could be supported in the process. Work started in the elementary school with our English Language Arts program through laying out a plan across the K-5 grade levels. Teachers were provided a specific framework for their units to become part of the bigger picture. General enduring understandings and essential questions derived from the big ideas of CCSS were created to aide teachers in designing their units of study. Leadership planning beforehand was useful and helped our teachers become aware of the recent standards.

Long-term transformation required cultivating teachers’ minds on the possibilities with change. Teacher talk was the channel we used to inspire, problem-solve, and empathize this journey. Student artifacts from performance assessments were vital starting points to discussion about learning. Moreover, CCSS gave us the crucial common language to frame our dialogue. Professional learning communities became the norm when making decisions about the curriculum. Teachers needed time to meet, whether in our faculty meetings, special release times, or professional development days. During one of our first whole faculty days, our vertical teams consisting of teachers in early childhood through to Grade 12 was able to produce meaningful work because CCSS supplied the consistent vocabulary and learning goals.

This past summer I was honored to present our school curriculum initiative at Heidi Jacobs’s Curriculum Mapping Institute in Saratoga Springs, New York.

My most important discovery was that we were part of a wider professional learning community. Technology has allowed us to connect globally through a multitude of social media tools, such as Twitter, Skype, and Heidi’s recent livebook Mapping to the Core. These connections will affect our practice. I am confident that the future for many international schools will be to “unpack” that “suitcase curriculum” and settle to a sustainable guaranteed curriculum for the long run.

AIS teachers work in their vertical teams to develop Common Core State standard-based curriculum

We worked from the general to the specific. During our first year, teachers’ units consisted of learning targets and assessments aligned to the standards documented on our online mapping software Atlas Rubicon. In our second year, the staff set about “unpacking” or deconstructing the standards to what classroom practice would look like. Having already established target standards for each unit, the alignment of the curriculum became easy.

Subsequently teachers focused on the meaningful activities and refining evidence collection.

Winter 2012 Issue 17

Curriculum

Out of the Classroom: Student Designed Inquiry >>

By Frank McGowan, American School in Taichung, fmcgowan@ast.tc.edu.tw

A steady hum permeates through the classroom as students gather materials, collect data tables and coordinate the day’s tasks with group members.

One group leaves class equipped with a pH kit, thermometer and dissolved oxygen kit. These students head to the small campus pond to measure water quality. They quietly approach the pond to avoid disturbing a group that is already in position and counting the brightly colored gold fish swimming near the surface. Another group, carrying soil sampling materials, turns uphill toward the garden and soccer field. Remaining students wait to conference with me about data collection or to discuss current results. This scenario plays out at least once a month as students collect data based upon inquiry questions of their choice.

In the United States, work to complete the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is steadily moving forward. Similar to the Common Core standards for Language Arts and Mathematics, these new standards are a collaborative effort of many states. A Framework for K-12 Science Education, which provides the basis for the NGSS, identifies the following eight scientific and engineering practices for classrooms: 1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) 2. Developing and using models 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 4. Analyzing and interpreting data 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) 7. Engaging in argument from evidence 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information The purpose of a year-long inquiry project is to provide students with the opportunity to dive into the practice of being a scientist. We begin the year with a silent walk through campus. Students, with clipboards and paper, record questions and observations. Upon finishing the walk, they mingle throughout the classroom sharing interests with classmates. In the end, groups form based on common topics and then move forward to develop a specific question. For many 8th graders, generating a question grounded to the school’s campus is challenging as is the process of identifying variables.

However, student groups soon reach the point of planning investigations.

The excitement begins! Some groups build equipment, others puzzle over 18 EARCOS Triannual Journal

tricky data collection challenges such as calculating the percentage of the pond’s surface area covered by algae, and other scientists incorporate photography as a means to record change throughout the year.

Months zoom by as students return to sample locations and collect data.

Animated conversations become the norm as surprising results return. Students increase their confidence in scientific practice by repeating and refining procedures while the classroom develops into a community of scientists as groups give status updates and maintain web pages. As the school year rolls to an end, students wrap up their projects. It is now time to make meaning of their results. Using a claims-evidence-reasoning framework, students present their findings to the class. Final presentations focus on the ideas of group members as they connect patterns in their data to background information and scientific principles.

As a teacher, I find myself often resisting the urge to “fix” projects as students head towards complications. It is important that these scientists deeply engage in the process and this often means that students make errors along the way. Given time, which is a key attribute of a year-long process, students are able to use reflection as a tool to improve and learn. The Framework writes: As in all inquiry-based approaches to science teaching, our expectation is that students will themselves engage in the practices and not merely learn about them secondhand. Students cannot comprehend scientific practices, nor fully appreciate the nature of scientific knowledge itself, without directly experiencing those practices for themselves.(p.30) I believe that the time taken to provide students with an extended opportunity to research and become invested in a project of choice is important if I am to engage students in science. As one student wrote in a reflection, “I also liked how the assignment was spread throughout the whole year, instead of packed into a month or two. Long term assignments tend to give students more time to watch the growth and development of an experiment (in this case, the population of protozoa) for ourselves, rather than finish short-term assignments and infer what will happen and not get to actually experience the results.”

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Curriculum

Problem-Based Education: Less Teaching More Learning >>

By Stephen Moore

High School Fine Arts at International Community School, Singapore This year I have been learning a lot, as a teacher, about ‘teaching less so that students will have the opportunity to learn more.’ This might be a bit of a radical thought in a field that is often compared with entertainment – that of a school teacher – but it works! There really is something to be said for giving a project, stating clear objectives and high standards, providing resources for learning, leaving lots of room for divergent thinking and then getting out of the way to let the kids really learn for themselves.

This year, thanks in part to a paternity leave (care of my beautiful wife Bea and new daughter Joy), I was afforded the opportunity to truly get out of the way and let the kids work. Their results speak highly of the success of this method.

The project was sculptural: full-body casting in cellophane tape. The objectives were simple; I wanted to see students think about 3 things: figurative gesture, casting, and environment (our school campus) - causing their audience to re-think space by installing works in unusual places.

Handstand – Gabe Brunk, Daniel Jungnickel, Ryan Lim – grade 9 International Community School, Singapore

I left instructions and a lot of tape for the sub: 1. look at images from an artists’ website who was working in a similar medium at a high level 2. watch a 1:30 minute you-tube video on the technique of sculpting with packing tape 3. form teams of 3 and go out to choose their location, marking it on a school map 4. start sculpting!

When I returned to school after two weeks, I found that the box of packing tape (6-10 rolls per team), newspaper and wire that I had left was now transformed into so many interesting characters!

There were ninjas crossing the 2nd story railing, a bungee jumper was diving through the surface of the earth, a fisherman with a line dangling off the 3rd story had caught a wire fish, and a couple of characters dancing gangnam style (one complete with speakers, and an interactive playlist for passers-by to fiddle with in the hall). A winged figure was ‘flying’ past the chemistry room suspended by a wire, and a reverse gravity stair climber (MC Escher style) was on the way to the gym while a ballerina danced through a wall nearby. There many others that I could not have imagined for them! My personal favorite: a portrait of ME – so sleepy that I could barely keep my head up - holding my new-born baby!! How did they know? They put that one on a couch in the office for all to see.

How do you assess a project like that? The only appropriate answer I could think of is more student ownership. Ballots were made and the Elementary students and teachers as well as all of my High School and Middle School Art students were invited to an on ‘campus art field trip’ to view and cast votes for their favorite works. The top prize (some vouchers to a local art supply store) went to a group of freshmen boys whose sculpture was doing a handstand on the roof above the academic office!

In conclusion, I set high standards and clear objectives, left lots of room for creative thinking and stepped back so that the kids could rock-it! They really did! That is real learning through problem-solving, and a wonderful example of how students will really own a project if only the teacher can remember to step out of the way!

Stephen Moore is from California. He has been teaching High School and Middle School art for 10 years, 6 of which were at the International Community School, Singapore where he teaches today.

Photos by Jonathan Hane, grade 12, International Community School, Singapore.

Bungee – jump by Evans Ti, Alyanna Renon, Liam Riley – grades 11 &10, International Community School, Singapore

20 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Curriculum

Bronze International Award >> New Curriculum for PTIS Grade 9 students

By Emma Shaw, emmash@ptis.ac.th

Bronze International Award - new curriculum for PTIS Grade 9 students Beginning this 2012 school term, the Prem International School has introduced the Bronze International Award (IA) program, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as part of its curriculum for all grade 9 students.

Certified IA Leader, Adam Peacock of the Visiting Schools Program (VSP), leads the thirty-eight students through this exciting self-development program with the assistance of Prem and VSP staff.

Pre-training courses are held on the Prem campus to introduce the students to many outdoor essentials including activities on the low ropes course, first aid, orienteering skills and raft building in preparation for their practice and final two-day adventurous journey trips. Students are expected to utilize the skills they learnt during the training sessions, packing their gear, sleeping outdoors as well as carrying their food supplies and cooking the groups’ dinner on their expeditions.

Grade 9s practice Adventurous Journey As the first term came to a close in October nearly all Grade 9 students had completed their practice Adventurous Journey. Pre-trip preparations were made in homeroom sessions to decide what food they would bring, who would carry what and the all important question of what to wear.

The first trip was completed by class 9E along with Ajarn Emma and Ajarn Steve, who met the VSP team at the school entrance on a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. After redistributing the first aid kits and maps, all working on the skills learnt in the preparation days, the group set off to the start of the two day trek from Mae Taeng to Chiang Dao just north of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Some VSP staff went on ahead to be posted at checkpoints over the first day’s trek. Each group set off at 15 minutes intervals, following their maps and written instructions to move through seven checkpoints.

The first part of the trek wound around a stream and ended at the first checkpoint at the bottom of a stunning waterfall for a quick stop and a swim for those who wanted it. The straightforward instructions included a simple phrase to “keep going up until you reach the next checkpoint” - and it went up, and up, and up! After many stops and much huffing and puffing all groups made it to checkpoint two only to realize the uphill wasn’t over.

Throughout the day the group weaved up and down through the forest, hill tribe villages, and farmland with a continuous panoramic view of the mountains of the north. All groups arrived at camp before dark and began to set up mosquito nets and mats for sleep in a village hut; followed then by the serious business of cooking made much more the challenge by a sudden 22 EARCOS Triannual Journal

change of weather - a rainy season rain storm.

All “Mama” cups consumed, dishes washed and tummies full everyone began to settle down. IA leader Adam got a fire going and everyone indulged themselves with toasted marshmallows and chocolate dip brought by A. Emma and Kelvin (9E). Although the master marshmallow maker turned out to be Ajarn Steve, who spent most of the evening toasting perfect marshmallows for everyone.

After a good sleep, breakfast and a cleanup they once again set off together for the second and final day of the hike. Due to the rain the night before but everyone worked together to help one another slipping and sliding through the muddy bits. Lunchtime was spent around a stream relaxing and making observations of the natural environment around them, including the discovery of an amazingly beautiful wandering spider which crossed their path. After a short rest they set off with the promise of an end in sight. Many uphill challenges later, the exhausted party arrived at the end of the trek.

Tired, hungry but rightfully very proud of their accomplishment more than a few fell asleep on the way back to school.

The final adventurous journey will take place later in the school year implementing lessons learned from the practice run and developing new skills such as compass reading, setting up a campsite and sleeping in tents.

PTIS feels the rewards of the International Award Program to their grade 9 students lead to amazing opportunities to discover what they are made of, put in to practice their growing skills base and encourage closer bonds with their fellow classmates all in harmony with their student vision of inquiring, caring, knowledgeable and confident learners.

Back at school, reflections took place in homeroom based on what would they change, what did they do well and what they need to do for the next trip.

Next term all grade 9 students will continue the International Award training and complete the Adventurous journey element with a two day canoe trip. In addition, to this element students are selecting Exploria activities to cover the service, skill and physical recreation elements of the award.

This is a valuable opportunity for students to gain recognition for all the extra-curricular activities they take part in as well as learning new skills. It is already clear within the two groups that a great deal of bonding took place during this first trip and many showed great leadership and determination that will help them in their future.

By Daniel Lazor, Elementary Principal and Carol Franck, dlazor@yisseoul.org

goes beyond content and curriculum to the type of individuals they are becoming.

By making our ESLRs a part of the common language at YISS, our goal is that our students will internalize them and strive toward demonstrating the values represented in their own lives. Those ESLRs that have been difficult to measure will be evidenced in the culture that becomes evident to any who visit our campus.

Assessing the Expected School-Wide Learning Results (ESLRs) of our school has been a struggle for the staff and leadership at Yongsan International School of Seoul. Some of the ESLRs are clearly academic and have an unmistakable connection to typical school assessments; others, reflecting a desire to see our students grow in character, can be difficult to measure since they aim at internal decision making and values. And so, at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the leaders of the YISS Elementary School initiated the use of a small segment of the weekly chapel and assembly time to focus on presenting our ESLRs and to helping our students understand how to apply them to their everyday lives. This has become known as the “Guardian Way,” after our school mascot, the Guardian.

Each quarter, three of our twelve ESLRs are highlighted with the meaning and application reinforced, while students are challenged to live out their lives according to the Guardian Way. Our teachers have also been encouraged to give a greater focus on the ESLRs in their classrooms so that these will become common language to our students.

Both teachers and staff have become conscious of recognizing students who are ‘caught’ exemplifying the ESLRs through everyday choices - in the classroom, cafeteria, or at recess by submitting student names to be announced during chapel and assembly. A gold star with the student’s name is hung on the wall or ceiling of our multi-purpose room and a glow-in-thedark Guardian Way bracelet is given to them. The overall theme uses “You shine like stars in the universe” to describe how our choices to reflect what is good and right and true will stand out against those that are not right around us.

At the end of each quarter, classroom teachers choose one student from each class who typifies the ESLRs for that quarter. Last year, 72 students worked collaboratively with our ES Chaplain by cutting, pasting, and sticking pieces of old calendars together into a unified whole. The inspiration was Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and is shown in this article. This year, our Guardian Way winners are working together on a tile mosaic. These pieces of artwork hang in our school as visible reminders of the benefits of co-operation.

They are also a reminder that the measurement of our students’ progress Winter 2012 Issue 23

Curriculum

Assessing the Expected School-Wide Learning Results (ESLRs) >>

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Curriculum

Collaboration: A Creative Approach in the Visual Arts >> feedback on a specific task or project. Discussions take place in the classroom and are both student and teacher led depending on the context.

In order to achieve true “international” collaboration, I believe schools need to use the available resources to push boundaries. I am the co-creator of a website and made a learning platform for all IBDP visual arts students to collaborate online. Schools are registered on the site and paired up with different schools in other regions. You can find more information here: www. vivacritique.com.

Students create a video presentation each time they complete a project, and these are posted online for other students to critique. Regular videoconference calls between whole classes and individuals create a sense of community and give students fresh insight into their work. The outcome encourages students to be more independent and confident about their work, which can sometimes be very personal or thought provoking.

Collaboration is a something that, we as teachers, we do on a day-to-day basis. Whether it involves students, teachers, parents, or the entire school community, it is a great way to teach as well as learn.

Online portfolio platforms are excellent tools for visual arts collaboration, both focusing on feedback and on the actual creation of art. When I teach MYP and DP visual arts, it is required that all students create a developmental blog and upload their visual work on the chosen platform, in order to collaborate with students and teachers in other schools.

As a high school visual arts specialist working in a 1:1 laptop school, I have been integrating the use of the computer as a gateway for collaboration.

One of the key factors is that students understand why they collaborate, and that the computer is a tool to help do so. From constructive feedback and online critiques, students engage in the powerful notion of shared minds.

Through the use of technology students become more independent and confident through collaboration. Not only does this enable students to experience international perspectives, it encourages them to be global citizens and life-long learners in every sense. That to me is truly creative collaboration.

Some examples of the ways our students collaborate are useful in generating wider understandings, introducing different perspectives, and providing

Chris Lister, clister@chatsworth.com.sg

The Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page The Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page shows what artwork students at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan are working on throughout the school year.

Pierre-Loup Durand, who was a 10th grader at Canadian Academy at the time, created the Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page during his final year at Canadian Academy. He felt that students in performing arts and athletics had many opportunities to showcase their talents through performances and tournaments, while students in Visual Arts did not have the same kind of exposure.The Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page was designed to create another venue for artists at Canadian Academy.

Currently, the Facebook page is run by two high school students; Kailee McCreary and Yuri Shindo and has 165 likes. During its first year in existence, the people who liked this page were not only CA students, but also parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family members of the artists.

We chose to continue this endeavor because of our passion for art, and we wanted to continue updating the page with new artwork from the school.

The pictures of artwork on the page are from all different ages; there are photos of artwork and the working environment from elementary school, middle school, and high school. We try to show a full range of art so that each and every individual is recognized. We upload pictures about one to two times a month for elementary, middle, high school art, which includes Studio Art and IB Art classes. Our class, Studio Art, is mainly for 10th grade students in their second year of high school art. This class prepares them for the next year when students can begin IB Art, a course in the International Baccalaureate Program for 11th and 12th graders.

26 EARCOS Triannual Journal

The number of “likes” and “views” has significantly increased since last school year. We have noticed that there are many different people who view this site from all over the world, including Chile and Malaysia. We hope that more people around the world will visit Canadian Academy Art Gallery Facebook Page and like it! www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Academy-Gallery/180327045372882 Kailee McCreary ‘15 and Yuri Shindo ‘15 Canadian Academy, Kobe, Japan

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Curriculum

Student Novelists in Bangkok >>

By Selena Gallanger

Despite our challenging start, NaNoWriMo was a phenomenal success, with many students surprising themselves with what they could do. Their class teachers have also seen the benefits spill over into improvements in their classroom writing, where they have been more confident and prolific.

With twelve published authors in the school courtesy of last year’s NaNoWriMo, interest this year has been rising exponentially. I expect to have a lot more students sign up to participate and the excitement is already mounting. We’re planning some fun events to celebrate and support our budding novelists, including a “Write All Night” in the school library at the halfway point. We’re also encouraging some of our students this year to write their novels in a language other than English. I am anticipating some stiff Word War competition as the secondary students won’t want to be beaten two years in a row.

At the end of it, I’m looking forward to reading (and publishing through CreateSpace!) our imaginative, funny, touching, scary, amazing student novels.

Selena Gallagher is an educator at the NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. NIST has around 1,500 students of over 50 nationalities, ranging in age from 3 to 18—and many of them are getting ready for a new year of NaNoWriMo! We asked her to tell us a little more about NaNo at NIST. Last November, over 300,000 adults, children and teenagers from many parts of the world wrote novels, collectively writing around three billion words. They were joined by our school, which was participating for the first time. We had budding novelists from Year Five to Year Twelve, writing mostly in their own time, with individual word-count goals ranging from 2,500 to 30,000 words.

However, we are in Bangkok and NaNoWriMo coincided with some of the worst flooding Thailand has ever seen. Our school had to close in October which interfered with our preparation for NaNoWriMo and we weren’t even back at school on November 1st in time for the challenge to start.

But the students rose to the occasion admirably, and the extended break allowed many of them to give their word counts a real boost.

I kept track of the students using the Virtual Classroom and we encouraged each other using the forums. One Year Five student demonstrated incredible dedication, achieving his original goal of 4,000 words in just three days! He immediately started on a sequel. By the end of November, the 13 elementary novelists had written a combined total of 74,709 words, with many exceeding their original goals by as much as 254%!

Juggling heavier workloads, nine participants from the secondary school still managed to write a combined total of 101,594 words during November, with five of them successfully meeting or exceeding their challenging word count targets. Some novelists even managed to persuade their parents to take part, too!

The last word should go to some of last year’s student novelists: • NaNoWriMo has been an amazing experience for me. It taught me what it was like to be a real writer.

• When I’m in NaNoWriMo I feel famous. Also it’s fun and it has strengthened my writing skills. I think whoever is in NaNoWriMo is lucky.

• NaNoWriMo has been challenging but it is worth the time because it helps me get better at writing and literature. Sometimes it’s hard but most of the time it is fun because I get to control the story.

• The whole idea of NaNoWriMo is to put your inner editor away and just write. And it’s great to be able to do something like this in only a month.

It was a serious challenge especially with school to find the time and keep above that golden line on my NaNo stats. And it’s really fun to share your ideas with other young authors from all around the world. A real must for any young author.

• I think NaNoWriMo is amazing because it helps me improve my imagination, typing and writing. I think opportunity will push me to do my best.

28 EARCOS Triannual Journal

I recommend that every educator and administrator read Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning by John Hattie. Hattie synthesizes more than fifteen years of research with the largest ever collection of evidence-based research related to student learning success. What I liked best about Hattie’s book is that it provides teachers with data-proven strategies for optimizing student learning. Hattie encourages educators to put student learning at the forefront of all educational efforts by coaching students to bridge the gap from unknowing to knowing with this streamlined strategy: 1. Identify realistic goals and success criteria.

2. Implement and adapt strategies to meet the goal.

3. Assess success and determine next steps.

Hattie emphasizes that educators must “know thy impact,” and teach students rather than content adapting along the way to best meet the individual needs of every student.

His research also identifies powerful educational strategies such as collaborative learning, just-right feedback, assessment-driven goal setting and coaching students in “learn to learn” strategies and behavior. Educators will find that Hattie’s book affirms as well as challenges their craft and endeavor. Further, Visible Learning for Teachers will provide educators with the data they need to defend and implement best practices and teach children well.

- Maureen Devlin, Fourth Grade Teacher, Wayland Public Schools, Massachusetts http://teachwellnow.blogspot.com/

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Winter 20125:58:00 Issue PM 29 11/19/2012

Book Review

Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning by John Hattie >>

Book Review

When Can You Trust the Experts?: How to Tell Good Science from Bad in Education >> Daniel Willingham is professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.

He is a regular contributor to the magazine of the American Federation of Teachers, the American Educator. As such, he is uniquely qualified to write on the science of education.

Much of what passes for “research” in education is, in reality, advocacy.There are millions to be made by giving seminars on whatever “new” idea happens to appeal to teachers, who are always eager to learn promising approaches to improving learning by their students.

Willingham opens his book with a catchy treatise on the Golden Ratio, which is equal to 1.618... Given a series of rectangles of varying dimensions, the rectangle whose sides are in a proportion of 1 to 1.618 will be more aesthetically pleasing to most people. Actress Jessica Alba is thought to be one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Many features of her face are proportioned by the Golden Ratio. Readers will find this discussion to be very interesting.

The author’s description of the Reading Wars is very compelling. He explains how generations of young children were deprived of effective reading instruction when teachers were diverted from using direct teaching of letters and sounds. Instead, students were expected to learn to read by memorizing whole words, since mature readers did not sound out words but read whole words at a glance.This was adopted wholesale by educators without any research evidence that it worked.

Willingham provides a lot of detail as to how one can identify valid scientific evidence and separate it from simple promotion of something that sounds good but lacks any real substance. If teachers were to follow his advice, they would put a lot of “professional development” seminar presenters out of business. The result, however, would be more good teaching and less faddishness in education.

By William L. Brown, PdD bbcllc@sbcglobal.net Dr. Brown is a retired Educator living in Michigan and a frequent Amazon reviewer.

44th Annual EARCOS Leadership Conference The East Asia Regional Council of Schools is excited to invite you and your a dministrative staff as delegates at the 44th annual EARCOS Leadership Conference (ELC2013) in Bangkok, Thailand scheduled for November 1-3, 2013.

30 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Service Learning

American School in Japan English Playground Service Program for Fukushima Evacuees >>

On March 11, 2011 the Tohoku region of Japan was stricken with the triple disasters of mega earthquake, giant tsunami and nuclear catastrophe. In the immediate aftermath of these momentous events, students, staff and parents of The American School in Japan began a series of short-term relief efforts ranging from mud removal and gutter cleaning to feeding hot meals to thousands of evacuees. In addition to these short-term efforts was one long-term program that we call English Playground that still continues today.

The English Playground volunteer program began in May of 2011, approximately two months after the March 11th disasters. The nuclear disaster in Fukushima forced the Japanese government to evacuate families living near the damaged nuclear reactors. Many of these families were evacuated to Tokyo for a yet-to-be-determined period of time. This has not been a smooth transition for most families, and the children, in particular, have had a difficult time adjusting to the drastic changes in their lives. Many have even refused to attend their new school or associate with their new neighbors.

The plight of the evacuee children was brought to the attention of ASIJ students in the National Honor Society (NHS) and Community Oriented Student Action (COSA) groups by ASIJ parent Hsien Wang. In conjunction with a local NPO and under the guidance of high school Assistant Principal Nancy Kroonenberg, the students developed and continue to run the English Playground program for close to 30 elementary children evacuated to Tokyo from Fukushima.

The English Playground program meets on Saturday mornings and involves between 10 and 15 volunteers who plan and implement a 90-minute program of English education and socialization for the Fukushima children. One primary purpose of the program is to give the kids from Fukushima a place where they can feel comfortable and safe. The English Playground program has become a place where they can release the stress of having had to abandon their old lives and start new ones in Tokyo as well as enjoy the opportunity to develop an interest in learning English. In addition to the weekly meetings, ASIJ student leaders also organize special events, such as 30 EARCOS Triannual Journal

trick or treating, Christmas parties and an English speaking summer camp experience.

The English Playground program has been a wonderful learning experience for the ASIJ students involved. On top of becoming role models for the Fukushima kids, the ASIJ students have had to take on the weekly responsibility and challenges of planning and organizing lessons, and have learned to understand and deal with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on the Fukushima children.

Why do ASIJ students continue with this program every Saturday morning? ASIJ senior Saki Uwagawa’s answer: “Because we care. The community extends beyond the immediate surroundings of family, school and neighborhood.” Taichi Nishiwaki, one of the leaders of the program, states: “ASIJ students are privileged. We recognize that. After 3/11, especially, I think a lot of us felt a sense of responsibility, a need to do something to help the country we live in. Going up to Tohoku to shovel dirt out of people’s demolished homes is great volunteer work, but we can also make a difference by doing things within our power. There’s significance in the little things like reading Curious George and playing charades with second graders that may not seem like community service but serves our community in a way that is really needed.”

Doing one’s part in a community is important, and the English Playground program gives ASIJ students hands on opportunity to learn about and see the importance of volunteering.

Lia Camargo – ASIJ senior Tim Thornton – Deputy Head of School

Performing A rt s s trAnd John Jacobson - Choral, Point of Light Award, “Double Dream Hands Guy” Theresa Goetz - Dance, Creative Dance Center Megan Campisi - Drama, Playwright, Performer, Teacher Julie Hartley - Drama, Director, Centauri Summer Arts Camp Timothy Seelig - Music, Golden Gate Performing Arts, Inc. Louis Bergonzi - Strings, Conductor, University of Illinois, Philharmonia Peter Boonshaft - Band, Director of Bands and Graduate Conducting Program, Hofstra University

eArCos t eAChers ’ C onferenCe 2013 m ArCh 28-30 | t heme : “m oving

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Service Learning

A Small School Can Make A Big Difference >>

By Brent Fullerton, Grade 5 Teacher, Pasir Ridge International School, bfullerton@prisborneo.org

the school community can help the NGO and Wehea Dayak to construct a traditional longhouse within the community. The longhouse will serve as an educational center to teach the value of the forest and ensure traditional knowledge and oral history will be passed on to future generations.

This is my third time meeting with Brent and Cheryl. Back in 2009, they traveled to East Kalimantan leading 18 students from Quest UniversityCanada on a seven week immersive study. The intrepid group visited PRIS and shared their discoveries about the environmental and ecological issues negatively impacting the island of Kalimantan with our school. Since then the school has followed Integrated Conservation’s ambitious work.

Gentle prayers are whispered by a shaman in a language I am unable to understand as he sacrifices a young chicken with his razor sharp knife. Its blood is smeared marking an “x” on our foreheads. After each prayer the village chief translates an unrecognizable dialect into Bahasa Indonesia. An elderly woman takes my hand and threads a thin red string with three tiny beads snugly around my wrist. Her wrinkled, nimble fingers take care to weave an unbreakable knot. She produces a red betel nut grin and winks.

“You are welcome to Nihas Leah Bing,” gleams the chief, carefully shaking each of our hands before touching his heart.

“You are protected and may enter our forest,” gestures the ornate shaman standing next to the chief.

One by one each village elder clasps our hands, bows and welcomes us into their thousand year-old Wehea Dayak tribe and their forest. My colleagues, Andreas Saputro and Jeff Evans, and I, have traveled into the heart of Borneo to meet the Wehea Dayak to learn how they are working to protect their ancient forest from international loggers.

The Wehea people live along the banks of the Wahau River in the village of Nehas Leah Bing, located in East Kalimantan. The Nehas village are the oldest Dayak of the seven Wehea tribes. They are ancestral hunters and guardians of the Wehea forest, which emcompasses approximately 38,000 hectares of forest land. This forest has been under constant pressure from companies looking to log the old growth trees and export the wood to international markets.

Not that long ago, the Nehas village was surrounded by a dense, biodiverse tropical rainforest, home to towering trees and the buzzing sounds of endemic species. Now we must drive a rough and bumpy three hour ride through endless palm oil plantations before reaching the edge of the forest.

Sadly, most of the young children from the village have never seen this forest. The sun scorches our necks as we walk into the village. There aren’t any trees around, and it’s difficult to find shade from the intense equatorial heat.

My new bracelet is soaked with sweat.

In the village we meet up with Brent Loken and Sheryl Gruber, the couple who founded the NGO, Integrated Conservation. Their mission is to create a sustainable program to support the Nehas Leah Bing as they wrestle to protect one of the last remaining lowland forests of Borneo.

We share our purpose for our visit. Our intent is to look at the feasibility of a future school excursion for PRIS middle school students, and to see how 34 EARCOS Triannual Journal

From the Integrated Conservation website: “The forests of Indonesia are home to an estimated 12% percent of the world’s mammal species, 16% of reptile and amphibian species, and 17% of bird species.The number of species endemic to Borneo make it a biodiversity hotspot, yet 60% of Borneo’s forests have been cut and what remains is in danger of being lost within decades. One community, the Wehea Dayak, is fighting back to protect their forest. In 2004, the Wehea Dayak declared 38,000 hectares of forest, ‘protected land’ under their traditional law. Since this declaration, forest guardians have reduced illegal logging and hunting, and this project was awarded Indonesia’s highest environmental honor.”

This large tract of forest is home to the Borneo clouded leopard, sun bear, orangutan, Miller’s Grizzled Langur, as well as a hundreds of other native flora and fauna. Interestingly, the Miller’s Grizzled Langur and the Bornean bay cat, both thought to be extinct by scientists, were recently rediscovered in the Wehea forest. Our hope is that students at PRIS can learn a valuable lesson--that despite our relatively small school size (population less than 100 students), we can make a difference. We have done it before. We can do it again.

Many years ago the school community helped another scientist, Dr. Willie Smits. Willie made his home a refuge for many orangutan and hornbills that were illegally captured and kept as pets in Balikpapan. He needed a place to care for them so he approached the PRIS school director. With empathy and understanding some policies were bent and the campus became a temporary safe haven for the animals. Meanwhile, the community worked tirelessly to raise money which eventually lead to purchasing deforested land in the nearby village of Samboja. The Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) was born. The once barren grassland is now home to a regenerated rainforest growing each day. The children and PRIS community learned they could make a difference.

Now the Wehea forest needs our support.

Last fall Sheryl Gruber again visited PRIS and presented Integrated Conservation’s initiative to a large audience. We gazed in awe at the video and camera trap images of wild animals roaming freely in the Wehea forest.

“That was so inspiring!” commented one of the parents after the presentation.

This eventually led to the Early Childhood/Art teacher Heidi LeGassick creating and organizing, with the assistance of Art teacher Elizabeth Campbell, an art auction event to raise money for Integrated Conservation. Throughout the school year children began designing individual and collaborative paintings and sculptures, which were to be sold on the auction block. All the proceeds were to be donated to Integrated Conservation in order to support the Wehea Dayak’s educational and media center longhouse. Brent and Cheryl were invited and shared their vision to the audience. The night was a grand success. After much excitement from bidding battles from the

Join us to support protecting the forest so our children will not have to

regrow another rainforest like Samboja or miss another Wehea sunrise ever again.

To learn more about the efforts to help the Wehea people, visit Integrated Conservation’s website: http://ethicalexpeditions.ning.com/

Just a Small Effort >>

By Hajera Shah, International School of Kuantan, sha.hajera@yahoo.com After receiving the Global Citizen award for the Year 2010-11, I resolved to put even more effort and interest into the cause I already found joy in working for. Keeping in my mind the meaningful and inspiring quote from Laurence Leamer’s King of the Night,“The difference between a helping hand and an outstretched palm is a twist of the wrist.” I always seek oppurtunities to help the needy. When I was informed about the EARCOS grant program for Global Citizens I eagerly applied for the grant. To my utmost surprise and joy, I was announced as one of the six winners. I was awarded $500 and this enabled me to participate more fully in the activities of the NASOM Autistic Centre carried.

The Autistic Centre proposed a list of materials from which the autistic children were to make hand-made objects. These items were to be sold in their annual art exhibition to raise funds. I could not wait to get started with the project. I keenly looked forward to test my creativity and my ability to

get the little ones to produce something good. The interest of the children in the colorful materials assured me that this was going to be an enjoyable project. I was so glad to discover that the children absorbed and used their own creativity to make the goods. The children, under the teachers’ guidance, made colorful hair clips, frames, decorated the headbands and much more. It took me by surprise to see how the children had a perfect sense of choosing good color combinations to decorate the goods. I concluded that a lot could be done with them if they were to be given a lot more oppurtunities.

Although I just made a small effort to contribute for the betterment of the world, I think that one should always strive to do whatever he can do, be it small or big. In the words of Edward Everett Hale, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Helping students achieve academic excellence since 1929.

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Winter 2012 Issue 35

Service Learning

crowd, eventually all the pieces were bought. The entertaining evening was capped by the closing announcement that the auction raised a grand total of $10,000!

Green & Sustainable

Canadian International School of Hong Kong

A related measure is the En-trak Energy Monitoring system being considered. The system, designed here in Hong Kong, and being used by several schools already, allows the tracking and display of energy usage through an online portal. Areas such as classrooms can be tracked separately from common facilities, displaying all the data in charts or graphs for students and staff to use. Usage can be displayed as energy units, expenses, carbon dioxide emission amounts, even pineapple buns, a snack close to the hearts of Hong Kongers. Lower School teachers see its application to math and science units. Upper School teachers see its application in the IB Extended Essay, geography, math and sciences.

The school’s food service provider has also played an important part in the movement. Compass-Chartwells (Compass) continues with Meatless Mondays once a month, uses corn starch-based biodegradable containers for some products, doesn’t sell drinks in plastic bottles and introduced a small composter in October to compost some kitchen waste. They have extended these measures to most of the schools they work with in Hong Kong particularly because they worked well at CDNIS. They are now looking into working with NGOs named Feeding Hong Kong and Foodlinks that collect and redistribute food to organizations that feed the less fortunate.

The Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) is now in the third year of its EcoSmart movement, an effort to improve the school’s environmental efficiency and to raise awareness of environmental issues.

We are proud to say that in June 2012, CDNIS was designated an official green school, receiving the Hong Kong Green School Award accorded by the Environmental Campaign Committee of the Hong Kong government.

As a result of this designation, CDNIS became a candidate in the schools section of the 2012 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, to be announced in December this year. These achievements have resulted from the work of students, staff, parents and school partners. It by no means indicates that we are the “greenest” we could be, nor that we are the most environmentally friendly school in Hong Kong. It does mean that we have achieved a specified standard from which we now need to work and improve, cementing the changes made so far as part of our school character and reputation.

So what now? What do we do next and how do we maintain momentum?

One ongoing contribution to the movement is the upgrading of air conditioning and lighting facilities. systems. Over the next year, energy efficient split-type and central air conditioning units using earth-friendly coolants will be installed throughout the campus. T8 fluorescent light tubes have already been changed to T5 tubes. Though renovations are still in progress, electricity usage for the mid-August to mid-September period decreased 12% compared to the previous year. We continue to have our Friday Lights Out, at which non-emergency and non-essential lights are turned off from 10:55am-1:05pm

Perhaps the most far-reaching result was the establishment of the Hong Kong EcoSchools Network, an association of 14 international and local schools working together to give youth a voice in government and business policy. CDNIS worked with Chinese International School (CIS) and Hong Kong Academy to form the network. It meets only a few times per year but thus far has had a strong and measurable impact, most notably on CompassChartwells. The schools in the network that also use Compass requested the same measures used at CDNIS, with CIS switching to Compass because of their adaptability. It thus became viable and practical for Compass to implement similar measures in their other schools, compounding the positive effects the network is meant to create. This year we will work on waste reduction and better recycling with them.

The above scenario illustrates the key to schools having a positive impact on environmental and sustainable development issues—cooperation and community. Schools are tremendous users of resources. Working together, we can produce a sizeable influence on our community and region, both through exchanging ideas for what we can initiate in our schools and by influencing the suppliers of the resources we use. The more suppliers see schools changing their operations, the more they will change their own operations, which results in a larger impact on the environment and sustainability. Can schools in your area start doing the same?

Sustainable Development Coordinator Nasci Lobo is looking to share information and ideas with schools that have similar positions and initiatives. He can be contacted at nascilobo@cdnis.edu.hk

Special Education Network in Asia SENIA 11 will be at Jakarta International School on February 22-23rd, 2013 with a preconference on the 21st. http://www.senia.asia/

36 EARCOS Triannual Journal

By Mercia de Souza, merenvin@gmail.com

At the Dominican International School in Taipei, Taiwan, the ideal of sustainability that will save our planet for future generations, is taken seriously.

The school sent twenty-six student delegates and nine teachers to the Global Issues Network Conference in Manila in February. This large group of students have all been involved in community service projects run by the school, but the enthusiasm for GIN became a reality when the GIN Club not only grew to the largest club in the school, but Junior GIN, for grade one and two students was established. Sustainability issues became serious business for everyone in the school, as the GIN Club members spread the message that permeated many school activities.

Save-our-earth fever caught on throughout the school. In April, the Student Council challenged students to build their Spring Fair booths with recycled materials. During a recent Masquerade Night event, bonus points were given to booths that made use of recycled materials. As students’ creativity was challenged in the booth building competition, the results were astonishing. They had to think carefully about themes that could be created using recycled materials. Materials had to be gathered and re-used, showing students that one did not need new materials to build an attractive booth.

Another challenge was to create garments from recycled materials for the Spring Fair Fashion Show. Students created many different kinds of garments from recycled materials. They also had great fun finding used materials and making something wearable from them.

The Junior GIN Club was the brainchild of Victoria Winstock, and Tanya Naudé, teachers in the first and second grades. With the help of art projects and experiments they are bringing the reality of global warming and other global issues home, even to the young children in the Lower School.

The GIN Conference in Singapore became a challenge for the eight teachers who run the large GIN Club, as the organizers decided to allow a maximum of ten high school and six middle school delegates from each school.

How does one choose ten students from the more than forty high school members who attend club meetings regularly and do community service in areas such as education for all, health issues, consumer safety, poverty relief and combating global warming. The answer was the “My GIN Summer Portfolio” – a booklet given to each GIN High School member, in which outside organizations had to verify the hours worked on a community service project during the summer vacation. In addition, students had to write an essay about these activities. The ten students with the highest number of meaningful service hours, were rewarded with the opportunity to be delegates at the GIN Conference in Singapore.

The Education for All group started to teach English in Kindergartens in outlying areas. Some travelled very far to get to the teaching destination, but they relentlessly kept providing their service. A grade nine student, Albert Chang, did ninety-two hours of verified community service in this group. Others did between eighty and eighty-seven hours. The Health Issues group went to kindergartens to educate children in matters such as flu prevention. The Consumer Safety group interviewed manufacturers of consumer products and even chefs in hotels about food safety. They then produced a video of their findings.

Students who are not going to the conference are currently involved with a project that will make DIS a “Compass School” according to the guidelines established by Alan Atkisson. The majority of these students attended the Manila conference and have become the project leaders that will make DIS a “Compass School”. To organize the indicators, students use “The Compass of Sustainability”—a format developed by international sustainability consultants AtKisson, Inc. The Compass is a symbol of new directions and a symbol of sustainability. North, East, South, West, translate into Nature, Economy, Society, Wellbeing. This project will culminate in a school-wide pyramid building exercise at the end of January. Pyramid is a tool that can be used with groups of any kind to learn more about sustainability — locally, or globally.

Albert Cheng who did 92 hours of community service during summer.

Hopefully the students at the Dominican International School, Taipei, will learn the skills to provide a sustainable future for generations to come as the GIN Club goes from strength to strength, spreading the message and leading by example.

The High School GIN members organized themselves into groups that started to research sustainability issues in Taiwan and began to plan related future activities. The Dominican International School in Taipei became the only school in Taiwan and one of a handful in Asia that participated in the International Student Carbon Footprint Challenge, run by Stanford University. Not only the GIN students took up the challenge, but entire classes participated throughout the high and middle school. Teachers who are not directly involved with GIN, also took up the challenge and the event went far beyond the GIN Club and its members.

In the middle school, students began planning a “My Green School” project.

The Dominican International School in Taipei has almost completed the first phase of rebuilding the fifty-five year old school buildings. In the new building one will step into into an environment more suitable for the 21st Century and once everyone has moved into the new building, the Middle School project will kick in. Recycling, saving of energy and greening of the environment around the building are part of the project, but “My Green School” will reach much further than that, as administrators and faculty plan for a green environment.

Junior GIN experimenting with the effect that oil spills have on sea water.

Winter 2012 Issue 37

Green & Sustainable

The Ideal of Green & Sustainable at Dominican Int’l School

Green & Sustainable

Turning Green at the International Christian School Hong Kong

By Luke Kahawai, kahawaii@ics.edu.hk

Mr. Shawn Bensey, the “ICSHK Go Green Ambassador”, and some of his students working in the ICSHK garden International Christian School Hong Kong (ICSHK) is a growing educational community nestled in the heart of the New Territories of Hong Kong. As part of the ICSHK “Go Green” initiative, we constantly seek opportunities to educate our student body about the importance of being Green and “building a community that promotes and is committed to the principles of sustainability and stewardship of God’s creation.” ICSHK continues to take steps toward making this motto a reality.

Green Mooncakes At ICSHK we seek to teach our students about the importance of being part of service to the community. Every year ICSHK holds a fundraiser to purchase traditional Chinese mooncakes for the less fortunate. We partner with organizations to distribute the mooncakes during the Chinese MidAutumn Festival holiday. In addition to the purchase of mooncakes, we also use this campaign to raise money for a deserving cause. This year the additional funds raised will go to the ICSHK Go Green fund and a portion will cover the cost of a new composter set to arrive this fall. We eclipsed our fundraising goal by 40%, giving us the ability to fund other green projects around the campus. This campaign is a great opportunity for our students to share God’s blessings with the community around us while giving them an education on being earth-conscious.

Welcome, Rocky!

We are happy to welcome ROCKY to the ICSHK family. Who is ROCKY, you ask? Rocky is a lean, Green, composting machine. The A700 Rocket Food Composter or “Rocky” is the newest addition to the ICSHK family of Green initiatives. Rocky will allow ICSHK to process food and organic

waste from the school into reusable compost. Additionally, ICSHK plans to develop a Community Compost Program which will allow our students and their families, our neighboring schools, and the area farming community to bring organic waste to the school for composting. The long term goal is to sell the nutrient rich soil that the composter produces to area farms. In return, ICSHK would purchase the organic vegetables produced by these farms for use in the school lunches. ICSHK has partnered with the Teng Hoi Conservation Organization of Hong Kong to get the program started.

We look forward to the opportunity to build a long lasting relationship with the organic farming community in Hong Kong, as well as the opportunity to teach ICSHK students about sustainability.

Green Grant In April 2012, ICSHK received a grant of almost US$64,100 from the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) of Hong Kong. The grant money allowed ICSHK to install a heat shield on the roof and solar film for all of the windows, allowing the school to reduce its energy consumption and cost.

Additionally, a portion of the grant was designated to purchase bicyclepowered kinetic generators affording ICS the opportunity to produce its very own source of power.

The ECC is also responsible for funding the purchase and installation of a mini weather station. This will allow ICSHK to be part of the Hong Kong Observatory’s “Community Weather Information Network” of data collecting facilities. Not only will this allow ICS to provide the community with weather information specific to our area of Hong Kong, but in the future, the data collected from this weather station will make ICSHK eligible for future solar technology grants.

ICSHK Roots and Shoots In its 6th year of existence at ICSHK, the Roots and Shoots Club provides awareness campaigns for ICSHK students and their families. Each year our students participate in beach cleanup events that are organized by the International Coastal Cleanup and Ecovision. Additionally, the school hosts screening of documentaries that bring awareness of global issues like poaching and overfishing.

A Green Future Along with creating awareness and developing standard practices like closing doors to classrooms and hallways and following our “Turn It Off ” energy saving program, we also hope that someday ICSHK can develop a community garden and possibly a farmers’ market. We also hope to have live plants in every classroom on campus in the very near future.

ICSHK is committed to making our school a self-sustainable and energy efficient establishment of learning. We are excited about the projects that have been completed and the potential for building “community” in our community. Most of all, we look forward to continuing on the path toward being good stewards of God’s creation.

E-Connect

Keep up with the latest ideas and discussions in education by connecting to EARCOS E-Connect. http://earcos-connect.tumblr.com/

38 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Though everyone acknowledges the importance of sustainable practices, education, skills, and thinking, often sustainability or environmental coordinator positions are given a stipend and, possibly, a planning period to prepare.

The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), recognizing the value of a sustainability education for our students, decided to give sustainability the most important of resources: time. In 2010 the board of directors took, in the words of our school’s director, a “bold step” into a future-oriented direction by creating its first full-time position of environmental coordinator.

Since then the availability and presence of the environmental coordinator has allowed for a number of initiatives that, under different circumstances, would have been too cumbersome to address. This year, the third of our bold new direction, the position has been transformed into that of sustainability & service learning coordinator, uniting two concepts that are made for each other.

Our first task, once the coordinator position was created, was to recognize the importance of a multi-faceted approach to educating our students. Our school needed a sustainability framework that would address the world’s most pressing issues while simultaneously making them real. We wanted to get students into nature, to find connection, to be inspired, to be challenged, and to appreciate it for what it offers. We needed buy-in from all members of the community. In short, we envisioned a ‘green’ facelift of sorts.

Standards and benchmarks were developed for our new education for sustainable development (ESD) framework, largely based on the United Nations themes for sustainable development. Subsequently unpacked for each division, the ESD standards and benchmarks were shared and infused into the curriculum at all levels and disciplines where natural connections were evident.Training was, and continues to be, ongoing so that all new members of staff and faculty are aware of and familiar with the expectations regarding ESD in the classroom. As of July 2012, 232 different teaching units at ISKL addressed ESD standards, and we are continuously developing new units and lessons with ESD concepts.

The sustainability & service learning coordinator is often seen walking around with a computer case, walking swiftly and with purpose. He enters classes, pulls out the computer, sets up the projector, and challenges students to discuss and deliberate ways to make the world—their own future—a more sustainable one. Whether presenting to IB economics students on sustainable development, chatting with 9th graders about using the three lenses for their i-search projects, leading the MS environmental studies students on a campus tour of our sustainable facilities, or playing recycling games with the prep-junior classes, he is busy making sure that students at all levels are engaged in discovery, analysis, and problem solving. When not engaging students he can often be found collaborating with faculty, administration, staff or, more importantly, students to promote sustainable education and practices.

A classroom-based curriculum would not be sufficient in giving students a chance to be educated about the natural environment if it did not also provide opportunities for students to explore the outdoors. Our long-standing Malaysia Week program for the middle school, and recently launched (2009-2010) Global Action Program for the high school, give students the opportunity to head outdoors—into a variety of cultural, environmental, and social settings—and receive an excellent experiential education. Ongoing opportunities—HS art retreats and ES wetlands field trips, for example—provide ample opportunities to engage in powerful education at a local level as well. Just last year ISKL introduced the International Awards Scheme as an additional choice for our students. Though still in its infancy the program recently awarded its first five silver and bronze awards to ISKL last year!

But a sustainable mind frame can only go so far when it is ‘given’ to students in the form of curriculum and/or experiences, no matter how well it is presented. What often makes the difference is the process of working toward a common end, of growing a sense of belonging to the natural world, and a taking of responsibility for making our community better. Last year ISKL became a member of the Eco Schools program. Our HS environmental representative, Samantha Lee, a student elected by her peers, serves as the chair of the Green Council, which is responsible for ensuring that we complete our projects using the seven-step Eco Schools methodology. She is also the one who ensures that we are documenting our progress in a transparent manner. The Green Council is tasked with leading our entire community to promote issues of biodiversity (one of the Eco Schools themes) on campus through such initiatives as the creation of a sensory garden, a stream conservation and tree planting on our campus and community. We are hopeful that, by the middle of next academic year, ISKL will be the first recipient of the Eco Schools Green Flag in Malaysia.

Students are also involved in other tasks as well. This year’s International Fest—arguably the most well-attended event of the year—took another bold step in promoting a ‘rent-a-plate’ program whereby visitors (all 2,000 of them) used reusable plates for all their food needs. The initiative, a joint operation of students, parents, and staff, was based on the idea of eliminating single-use plates, much like the elimination of plastic water bottles on campus as well. These are just a couple examples of the initiatives that happen at ISKL, but indicative of our school’s gradual movement toward not just educating for sustainability but living it.

So what’s next for ISKL? Well, dreams of a new campus in the foreseeable future allow us to be inspired with what we can accomplish in terms of facility planning, open spaces, sustainable teaching spaces, and the like. We will continue, of course, to do everything in our power to transform our students into solution-oriented, forward thinkers. ISKL’s school wide learning results of ‘living ethically,’ ‘collaborating constructively,’ ‘reasoning critically,’ ‘thinking creatively,’ and ‘learning enthusiastically’ might well have been written to support our ESD programming. Service learning, our next step, offers opportunities for students to connect the dots between knowing and doing. In two short years our teachers are now receiving regular support to infuse ESD into their curriculum when and where it is appropriate to do so, while focusing on what they do best: educating our students and holding them accountable to the highest standards. In two short years our students are recognizing the power of sustainable thinking for their future, the opportunities it provides, and the challenges ahead. In two short years our entire community is recognizing the value of sustainable decisions. What a world of sustainable difference in two short years since the establishment of the coordinator position? It would appear that, when moving to a culture of sustainability, investing in time is a wise choice.

Laurence Myers Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator, ISKL For further information on ISKL-related sustainability updates feel free to visit the Sustainable ISKL blog at http://sustainableiskl.blogspot.com Winter 2012 Issue 39

Green & Sustainable

Giving Time to Sustainability at ISKL

Green & Sustainable

Involving Our Community in Sustainability

By Tom McLean HS Environmental Coordinator/GINManila2012 Conference Coordinator In February 2012 International School Manila hosted the EARCOS Global Issues Network (GIN) conference (GINManila2012) with the theme Compassionate Action.

GINManila2012 had two key goals: 1. For the conference to be entirely student led 2. For the conference to inspire action

Economy Group Revising Indicators The first goal was achieved by empowering ISM students with the role of facilitating workshop sessions. In order to prepare for their facilitation role ISM students were trained in the use of the Atkisson Group’s Pyramid of Sustainability. Evaluating the level of attainment of the second goal is much more challenging as how can one account for the impact of such an event on the lives of the individuals who attend it? To a large extent it is impossible but not entirely so.

Taking IT Global (TIG) Sprout Program The decision to award twenty scholarships to the TIG Sprout program was an attempt by GINManila2012 to assist students in turning the ideas generated during the conference into reality. Participation in the Sprout program also provided an opportunity to monitor and evaluate the second key goal of the conference. Of the twenty scholarships that were awarded for Sprout eighteen were successfully completed and the students project ideas are up and running at various levels of development. Furthermore one of the EARCOS Sprout cohort’s projects was deemed strong enough for the student to be invited to join the Pearson Fellowship for Social Innovation.

The Pearson Fellowship for Social Innovation is an international fellowship program that supports the most promising social change projects created by TakingITGlobal’s network of youth leaders. In January 2011, the partnership between TakingITGlobal and Pearson Foundation evolved to recognize and support youth-developed projects created as a component of TakingITGlobal’s innovative Sprout online learning experience.

Daniel Um of International School Manila created 40 EARCOS Triannual Journal

a project to address the problem of access to education that he observes everyday in the Philippines. In Daniels words: “Every day outside my opulent gated village, I witness the dichotomy between the rich and poor as the malnourished, uneducated indigent Filipino mendicants knock on my car window. Even when I offer them food or money, I feel helpless. However with the support of the Sprout e-course (partnership of TakingITGlobal and Pearson Foundation) I am empowered to make a positive and sustainable impact on my community. It has been an amazing six-month journey with a steep learning curve in cultivating ideas and relationships. The Sprout program provides the framework and support from inception (design), development (plan/connect) and realization (assess) through seed grants, one-on-one mentoring, peer support, and online resources. The Sprout e-course program is divided into four modules with orientation, lessons, quizzes and independent work but the key to its success is its constant feedback from the mentor and social innovators community.

The Sprout program has helped me to set my passion into a viable action of “Video for Life” in educating the Filipino grade school students through videos. Through the support of Sprout, I was awarded the Pearson Fellowship of US 1000 dollars grant to jumpstart my initiative of educational video lessons in Filipino to supplement the national curriculum. The bi-weekly videoconferences with my mentor and the strong network of inspiring social innovators have constantly guided me through the SWOC assessment (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenge) in creating my first “Video for Life” on fractions. Since the number of trained teachers in the Philippines is limited, I hope to reach out to a greater population of students through my videos. I plan to continue on this rewarding path and hopefully enlighten the underprivileged students as well as myself. “ (Daniel Um, 2014) View Daniel’s ‘Video For Life’ at http://www.projectpage.info/videoforlife/about-us Sustainable Initiative Planning (SIP) ISM is currently engaged in a student led Pyramid that tackles one of the school’s mission statements, to ‘Involve our community in safeguarding and sustaining our environment’.One of the student leaders of GINManila2012, Mariella Salazar, is also leading this initiative. Mariella details how this initiative has come about below.

“As head organizers of the Global Issues Network conference, GIN certainly had a lasting impact on us. When the conference high died down, however, we asked ourselves, “What now?”. After a year of preparation, hard work and planning, the conference was now over and while we were greatly pleased with the results of the conference, we wondered how else we could utilize the skills and momentum that we had developed.

Myung-In Sohn Explaining of Process At that moment we realized that while GIN had promoted meaningful change in communities all over Asia, our school itself could become more sustainable through the Pyramid process.

It is through this that we piloted the Sustainability Initiative Plan (SIP) a student-led initiative that brings together our school board, superintendent, principals, teachers, staff, students and parents. In previous years, our environment council had implemented small initiatives like Meatless Mondays and recycling tin cans but we found that these activities only elicited temporary hype from our school community. But with SIP, we believe the initiatives that are being developed will have a greater impact as they have not been imposed by a few but organically grown by many.

While we, as a team, envisioned the process, we knew that it could never be implemented without the approval of our superintendent and administrators. We needed to pitch the idea to them! The planning leading up to the pitch was frankly daunting. I was personally worried that they would not agree with having students lead a process of large-scale changes in our school. To my surprise, however, not only did the administration agree to take part in the process, but they also decided to make it a school-wide goal for the 2012-2013 academic year. They felt that this process was essential to fulfilling our school’s mission statement, “Involve our community in sustaining and safeguarding our environment.”

The opportunity to pilot such a big project was certainly empowering for us as students. Although we understood the immensity of the task at hand, the fact that the administrators trusted us with SIP was certainly comforting and assuring.

We now understood that everyone in our school community was truly committed to change.

Society group enjoying the a joke.

Seeing the process unfold is like watching a baby grow up—our baby. In our first SIP meeting we

Our third meeting this coming March will involve the group analyzing the data they have collected and identifying solutions that tackle key leverage points within our school system. Although we are yet to complete the process it is already noticeable that our diverse stakeholders have very similar, compatible ideas. These ideas, however, could not be synthesized and im-

plemented without a forum like SIP. Through SIP, we are able to move as an entire school community in order to achieve our common goal of involving our community in sustaining and safeguarding our environment.” (Mariella Salazar, 2013) Find out more about SIP at ISM at http://sustainability.ismonline.org/ Just the Beginning In his concluding remarks at GINManila2012, Akshar Bonu pronounced that for the conference to be a success the closing of the conference had to be seen as a new beginning and not an end. On this basis, developments at ISM and elsewhere must lead him to conclude that the conference was in fact measurably so.

*****

Old School Meets New School

By Jamie Alarcon Simbulan Energy Conservation Engineer, Singapore American School

skills and experience, this means that jobs are scheduled more efficiently and workloads are distributed more fairly.

Radzali, who was a production foreman in the manufacturing industry before coming to SAS, also loves that he can set productivity goals and check SchoolDude to see if he’s actually meeting them. He and the facilities staff have completed nearly 5,000 work requests since SchoolDude was launched in late 2011.

Building Apps Working with technology is second nature to 34-year-old William Ng, who has a degree in computing information systems and oversees the SASCard (the school’s identification smart card) office, the most technologically complex department in facilities and services.

William’s Excel spreadsheets, supercharged with custom macros written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), are apps in and of themselves. He has built tools that allow security officers to check whether drivers’ faces match the photos on their vehicle pass registration documents, and provide SASCard office staff with background information on callers even before they pick up the phone.

Dinoh Jeman (left) and Radzali Dolah, custodians at Singapore American School, use an iPad to access the SchoolDude MaintenanceDirect webapp and stay on top of job orders.(Bryan Quah, Singapore American School Grade 12 Student) When you combine old-fashioned service with high-tech workflows, that’s your killer app. Working at SAS, in whatever capacity, means that you have to be just as tech-savvy as teachers who blog and students who tweet. While none of the folks at in the facilities and services department are selling apps, they’re using technology more and more every day—sometimes in unexpected ways. And it’s not just the young’uns, either. They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but our veterans apparently never got the memo.

Getting Things Done Head custodian Radzali Dolah, 58, was issued an iPad last year to boost productivity in the field. He uses the built-in camera to take and share photos of things that need fixing, and he’s also able to refer to drawings and floor plans in a pinch. His chief complaint is that while the iPad is very portable, he still cannot bring it to jobs that involve heavy lifting without a bag that makes him “look like a Ninja Turtle.”

One of the tools in Radzali’s virtual toolbox, SchoolDude MaintenanceDirect, has a webapp that he can access on his tablet and phone as well as his PC. Before SchoolDude, Radzali had to wade through hundreds of emails–not to mention hastily scribbled notes that were difficult to decipher and easy to misplace–in order to figure out what needed to be done. The process was about as pleasurable as a trip to the dentist.

Now, SchoolDude gives Radzali a tidy to-do list that updates itself in real time. Combined with Radzali’s knowledge of the school and of his team’s

William also lends his expertise to simpler projects, like automating taking student attendance at High School assemblies with SASCard readers that can be plugged into any device with a USB port, such as his Lenovo ThinkPad tablet.

Getting external vendors to do what William does, on top of his day-to-day job, would easily cost tens of thousands of dollars a pop. And even then, an outsourced app would not have been built with the same insight into the school’s needs, nor the same understanding of SAS culture and values, that he has. Now, that’s ingenuity.

Changing the Game For security and safety assistant Edward Paul, it’s the ability to automate simple but time-consuming or labor-intensive tasks that has changed the game.

Previously, he and the security officers would have to watch hours of CCTV footage and manually count the number of people or vehicles going in and out of the campus. Now, software like CSGold gives him all this information with just a few clicks.

Technology also allows him to remotely lock or unlock card-activated doors from anywhere he has an Internet connection. That means no more schlepping back and forth with the master key.

The downside is that, with ubiquitous access to the web, Edward compulsively checks his email even when he’s on medical leave or during the daily commute between SAS and his home in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. But, especially with the sensitive nature of his job, he’s happy that he can stay in the Winter 2012 Issue 41

Green & Sustainable

grouped our stakeholders according to nature, economy, society and wellbeing based on their forte. We watched as high school students and middle school students, began conversing with our superintendent and principals— people we mistakenly thought were “unreachable”. We watched as this diverse group came together in the first meeting to identify desired outcomes of our mission statement, and in the second meeting to develop measurable indicators of progress towards these outcomes.

Green & Sustainable

loop and contribute information and opinions even when he’s away.

formative for both the individual and the office,” he shares.

Transforming Processes According to Anthony Wong, director of facilities and services, his department is extremely selective about using the right tool or technology for the job. He cites SchoolDude as an example of a success story. “Clearly, the Dude has enabled the office to not only streamline back-end maintenance processes, but to also empower all frontline staff to manage, execute, and analyze work requests in an accountable fashion. The ease with which the facilities staff has embraced and used the Dude is nothing short of trans-

“We have a laser-like focus on serving our customers–the students, staff, and community–promptly and efficiently,” Wong says. “Embracing and utilizing technology is a mission-critical part of providing quality facility services. We already have some great software and hardware, and we’re always looking to add more, but it’s our brand of customer service that is the most important weapon in our arsenal.”

Seeing Green at Tohoku International School, Sendai, Japan

The garden has not only been a learning experience for the students, but I found myself learning along the way as well. As we were preparing the soil, one student found a large white larva in the scoop of dirt. I asked around to see what it was until one of the maintenance men, Mr. Sato, told me that he believed it was a kabuto mushi (better known in the English-speaking world as a rhinoceros beetle)… or he thought it could be a different kind of beetle. The only way we could truly find out what kind of beetles they would become was by keeping them in our room and taking care of them.

Then with the help of my class, that is exactly what we did. My own class was not the only one involved with this. All classes were able to come in and observe them, touch them, and ask questions about them. I had students and teachers bring in materials about beetles in both Japanese and English so we could talk about them and see if what we had read matched what we were seeing; to see if what we were doing was the right was to raise them.

High school students helping to build the garden As some teachers and I were waiting outside for the morning bell to ring last spring, I saw students outside taking responsibility for watering the garden. It was unexpected, but highly appreciated. They took time to water every plant and then showed their accountability by making sure they put away the equipment when they were done. I witnessed students observe plants and nature as well as ask questions about what they were observing.

The students around the green area were each engaged with it at their own levels and interests.

Like every good school, Tohoku International School is constantly working to make learning meaningful and exciting for our students. Last year teachers on the elementary team got together and made plans for a way to utilize the space behind our school that was not being used. It was decided we would create five small gardens, one for each class in elementary and one for the secondary students. We also created space for a physical activity and a shaded zone. A few teachers had experience with gardening and they shared their knowledge with everyone else to get us started.

The older elementary students were given the task of planning how we would lay out the gardens.This was a great way to incorporate the geometric concepts of area, perimeter, and measurement authentically. Students also learned about the environment. The grade 1-2 class planted mizuna, a type of leafy vegetable, and were able to take some home for and eat in their salads. The grade 5-6 class turned their plot into They were able to observe how plants start as seeds and how they grow. Over the course of the summer and into the autumn, they could see the plant develop seeds and then see the end of the life cycle. For me, the most impressive learning that happened was the sense of responsibility that was developed. Some students took it upon themselves to start taking care of the garden: including the watering and weeding. It was exactly the characteristics that we, as a school, are trying to instill into our students.

42 EARCOS Triannual Journal

As with all great inquiry experiences, the garden allowed us to: question - What should the design of the garden look like? Which way should the rows go? What should we plant?, What will grow in Sendai?, think - How will the rows affect the way the plants grow? What would the best seeds be to plant?, discover - When making the garden we found dozens of kabuto beetle larvae that we kept in an aquarium in the classroom, and investigate - The students were able to experiment with how they planted seeds and were able to see the fruits of their labor.

Not only is the garden a great addition to our school curriculum, we also used the opportunity to center our summer school program around the garden. The green area has since expanded to include Bug City, an area that we have set aside to grow free to attract insects (which we also call microbeasts). Bug City has in turn taken on a life all its own. It has attracted so many bugs that it is now attracting birds and we have now a mini ecosystem in addition to the garden areas.

We have just planted the second round of crops. This time we planted a winter vegetable, daikon, or Asian radishes, and the learning life cycle has started again. For many of us, it is the first time we will see diakon sprout and start to grow and new questions will emerge. I cannot wait to see how this space will continue to evolve. One of my favorite parts of education is seeing students take what they have learned and experiment, tinker, and play with those concepts for themselves in their free time. Our new garden gives them the impetus to do that. What a gratifying experience for all involved!

Tohoku International School (TIS) is located in Sendai, Japan. As the only international school in the northern Tohoku region, it has been serving the international educational needs of the community for more than 25 years.

Thomas Hammerlund is currently teaching the grade 1-2 class at Tohoku International School. In the six years he has been on the staff, he has been involved in numerous community building projects around the school.

The Western Academy of Beijing (www.wab.edu) was proud to welcome back Dr. Jane Goodall on November 7, 2012. In addition to taking time to speak to students and guests on her experiences and wishes for the treatment of the planet, Dr. Goodall visited with students engaged in water research, and others involved in various Roots and Shoots projects.

A world-renowned conservationist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (http://www.janegoodall.org/), and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Dr. Goodall continues to inspire generations of people all over the world working on behalf of endangered species, and encouraging people to do their part to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment we all share. WAB has been fortunate to have such a close relationship with the Jane Goodall Institute and with Roots and Shoots program. In 1994 the program opened its doors in Asia for the first time at WAB, and in the fall of 1998 Jane opened the first Roots & Shoots office for China, also at WAB. In 2007, with support from Bayer, Roots & Shoots, and the WAB community, the Green Generation Campaign was born, a project which saw the transformation of the body of water in the middle of our campus known as Duck Lake into a protected wetlands, as well as the creation of the fabulous bridge which now connects the two sides of our campus. True to its original intent, [The site serves] as a natural youth environmental education base [that offers] opportunities for youth to experience the impact of environmental changes on the ecosystem, to be closer to nature, and to increase their knowledge about environmental protection on topics such as understanding the benefits of large-scale recycling and reusing, the preservation of water resources, as well as the protection of the natural wetland ecological environment and species of wildlife.1

To this day the wetlands continue to be a source for inspiration and educational activities for our students, while both the wetlands and the bridge are simply lovely visual additions to the campus.

in 2009. Nestled among the majestic Mi Yun Mountains on the banks of the beautiful Bai He (White River), the Center offers a variety of activities and programs for a diverse range of user groups, and is a perfect base from which to explore the historical and cultural heritage of the area.

The Miao Liang Environmental Education and Experiential Center features environmental technologies like a solar PV system for electricity, solar hot water, dry composting toilets, a “biodigestor” as well as ecological grey water systems. Staying on site for short periods for curricular and extra-curricular programs including environmental science and geography, students embrace the environmentally sustainable lifestyle that this center offers, and reflect on the current and future technologies as we address issues faced by our planet.

“Miao Liang has challenged me and everyone else who has lived the experience to question current practices and to constantly explore ways in which to make our world a more sustainable one. The Miao Liang Environmental Education Center is just another reason why WAB is such an amazing school.” 2 Such learning experiences have extended beyond the grounds at Miao Liang, as WAB’s High School Migrant Group’s ACAMIS Service Award winners can attest. Working with Tsinghua University, who will help with design and build, these WAB students raised money to fund both a water treatment system and a refrigeration plant. The water filtration system, to be built to work on the same premises as the system in place at Miao Liang, will allow people from a small village in the Qing Hai district to drink water originating from a nearby stream, and the refrigeration plant will make storing food much easier.

WAB looks forward to continued partnerships with leading organizations, and to new projects to enhance our campus, our learners, and our planet.

1. Katherine Mitchell, 2008: http://lianxi.wab.edu/node/16.

2. WAB Middle School student, 2012

In addition to Dr. Goodall’s legacy at WAB in the wetlands at Duck Lake, environmental sustainability is being taught and practiced at WAB’s Miao Liang Environmental Education and Experiential Center, which was opened Winter 2012 Issue 43

Green & Sustainable

Western Academy of Beijing Welcomes Back Dr. Jane Goodall, Proud of Its Commitment to Environmental Sustainability and Achievements On and Off Campus By Andrew Walton, andrew_walton@wab.edu

Campus Development

Hong Kong Academy’s new campus, opening August 2013

Hong Kong Academy: Building for the Future

By Jennifer Barnes Eliot, jennifer.eliot@hkacademy.edu.hk

Hong Kong Academy is on the move, both figuratively and literally. Long known for its innovative, child-centred teaching and its commitment to diversity, HKA is now looking forward to life at a new campus that matches the quality of its programmes and expresses its commitment to environmental sustainability. HKA expects to settle into the 23,000 sm2, purposebuilt facility in time for the 2013-2014 school year.

water that will be filtered into the building’s “gray” water systems. The roof will be a teaching tool in and of itself, notes Dare. Monitors throughout the building will allow students to track energy, water consumption and recycling, for example. And the building will be flooded with natural light and cooled by a sophisticated air handling system that ensures fresh air rather than recycled air is circulated throughout the classrooms and office space.

“It’s been an extraordinary experience,” says Head of School Stephen Dare, who joined HKA just as the planning and fundraising for the new campus was taking off. “HKA is still a young school, and it will really be able to come into its own with this new building.”

The most important impetus for the new building was HKA’s growing student body. Founded in 2000 with fewer than a dozen students, the student body has grown to 500, with a Secondary school that is still expanding. The school offers a programme for children in Pre-K and goes through Grade 12. In May 2012, HKA celebrated a major milestone with the graduation of its first senior class.

The HKA community is enthusiastic about having a campus that meets the learning needs of the students, faculty, staff and parents. Now in its 12th year, HKA has been in temporary premises that could not easily accommodate the growing student body and increasingly complex learning needs of older students.

The new campus will have classroom space for 660 students with state-ofthe art lab classrooms, opportunities for “hands-on” science experiments for all age levels, computer and technology spaces, and art and music studios. The building will also feature a 350 seat theater, an 80-seat studio theatre, a 750+ seat full court gymnasium, student and parent lounges, cafeteria, and smaller café for visitors. The inclusion of spaces for volunteers was important in the building design. “HKA is, first and foremost, a community,” explains Dare. “Our parents are extremely important to the fabric of the school. We wanted to make sure we had a place for parents, who volunteer generously, to gather socially and for meetings.”

One of HKA’s key values is global citizenship, and the school expresses that value through its commitment to environmental sustainability. The new building is aiming for a Platinum BEAM Plus certification, Hong Kong’s environmental assessment for green buildings. A green roof will help reclaim 44 EARCOS Triannual Journal

The location of the new campus is an added benefit. It faces the Sai Kung water front and is adjacent to wide range of sports areas, including an Olympic size pool, a full track, tennis and squash courts, and boating docks “The school will at last be able to host visiting schools across our full sports programme, which is especially important for our older students,” says Doug Musco, Middle/High School Principal.

HKA’s younger students have not been overlooked at the new campus, which is especially clear, for example, in the play areas. “We wanted a space that provided opportunities for fun, physical activity, and inquiry,” says Primary School Principal Virginia Hunt. “The new space is wonderful for creative play.”

The road to the new campus has been a long one, beginning with tendering the Hong Kong government for a building site, to working with architects and designers, and raising the funds. The process itself has prompted the school to grow and extend, and moving into the new facility will be a fitting final step.

International Community School (ICS) of Bangkok, Thailand Building New Athletic and Recreation Center

By Darren Gentry, Headmaster

This year ICS completes 20 years of providing quality Christian education to the international community of Bangkok. Also this year, the ICS School Board and school community are excited to complete construction of our new Athletic and Recreation Center. This facility culminates several years of planning and prepares the school for the next 20 years of educating the 900+ students who call ICS home.

America, dance, martial arts, and weight training. Additionally there are an indoor soccer pitch, offices, and competition and beginner swimming pools.

Expansive areas for fellowship, a large indoor play structure, and a coffee shop will foster the fellowship that builds community. ICS eagerly anticipates offering more extracurricular and physical activities for students of all ages.

We will dedicate the building to God in January 2013.

It includes three full gymnasiums and associated locker rooms, multipurpose meeting rooms, classrooms, special meeting rooms for Boy Scouts of

People to People Leadership Ambassador Programs brings students from more than 140 countries together at prestigious U.S. universities to: • gain an edge for college admissions and explore careers • develop important leadership skills • increase global awareness Based on your nominations, your students will receive formal invitations to participate in the Leadership Summit of their choice. Special group arrangements are available, and an educator from your school may be eligible to participate free of charge. Contact us at 001.509.568.7903 or email leadership@peopletopeople.com

Nominate today at NominateFutureLeaders.com Winter 2012 Issue 45

Campus Development

ICS Athletic Recreation Center Exterior Perspective

Campus Development

New Tennis Facility at International School Manila Months after bagging double tennis championships at the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS), International School Manila opened its newest sports facility—a covered tennis court complex on its roof deck. Superintendent David Toze led the inauguration ceremony on October 4, 2012 in an event attended by students, parents, faculty and alumni. Guests had the honor of breaking in the new courts, joined by ISM’s top tennis players.

The inauguration brought to an end seven months of construction which enclosed the existing courts on the roof of the campus. Today the 5,500 sqm space is home to 8 artificial grass courts equipped with male/female locker rooms, bathrooms and bleacher seating for 300 spectators. Envisioned as a multipurpose area that will provide a year-round venue for sports, the space also converts into 4 basketball courts and 2 futsal fields.

“[I]t significantly enhances the covered space available for athletic activities essential during the rainy season and, of course, in the summer months when the sun can be oppressively hot for those on the field.”

Mark Pekin, Athletics and Activities Director of ISM, says the opening of the court is a “wonderful start to the beginning of the tennis season program for our students.” The boys and girls tennis team, says Pekin, are looking forward to defending their championships at homecourt come the second season of IASAS in January 2013.

The opening of the tennis courts marks ISM’s tenth year on its new location in Manila’s Fort Bonifacio Global City. With the motif of ‘Ten Years Young,Ten Years New,’ the school renews its commitment to creating the best possible environment for its students through well thought-out facilities that support opportunities for learning. Among other projects recently completed are the resurfacing of the running track and construction of a new floor that now houses the school’s Design and Robotics suite. The next big plans are geared towards creating not just bigger but better spaces for ISM’s Learning Support and Fine and Performing Arts Departments.

In the meantime, the covered tennis courts are definitely a welcome addition to ISM’s topnotch sports facilities, bringing the total number of ISM tennis courts to ten, including 2 existing covered hard courts. The soaring structure cuts quite an impressive figure over the campus landscape. But more than the new look, it’s the difference this facility will make on ISM’s sports program that is truly notable. As Superintendent Toze has remarked,

Superintendent David Toze cuts the ribbon.

*****

SCIS-Pudong opens “state-of the art” art facility Daniel Jubert, Head of School - Pudong Campuses djubert@scischina.org

of a beautiful and spacious new art wing on our SCIS Pudong campus. The wing now includes a number of art studios, a large gallery for showcasing art, and a specific IB art room dedicated to students within the program.

Research affirms the connection between academic achievement and an integrated arts experience. The arts not only captivates students’ imagination, but also exposes them to the cultural diversity and celebrations of our community. Arts education is a vital element of a high-quality, engaging and effective learning environment, and having the facilities to provide this program is a necessity. With the addition of the new art wing, SCIS remains dedicated to its focus on the arts.

Already, comprehensive, innovative art initiatives are taking root, with more than twice as many students enrolled in art classes this year compared to last. Students are busy with units in pottery, portrait drawing, concept design, print making, and plenty of painting. SCIS art teacher Isaac Marshall played a major role in designing the new space: “The room is designed for the feel of an art studio; it is a different place for students to go outside of the regular classrooms. Students are able to expand their creativity and find inspiration in our new environment.” He is not the only one to feel this way. Emma Clary, a 7th grade student, commented, “I feel more inspired to do art this year. It is really nice to have a big room. Last year, we were on top of each other. Now, we have plenty of room to spread out and create our artwork.”

We are all excited to see the beautiful pieces of work soon to be produced!

The focus on the Arts at SCIS has been a constant since the school opened in 1996. Over the past 16 years, programs and facilities have been added to ensure the arts remain a high priority, one fostering a well-rounded and rigorous education. To that end, we are pleased to announce the opening 46 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Campus Development

Taipei American School Celebrates New Science and Technology Building By Kristen Lowman, Communications/Marketing Officer, lowmank@tas.edu.tw On September 28, Teachers’ Day, in a fitting celebration of teaching and learning, Taipei American School (TAS) hosted a Dedication Ceremony for the school’s newly opened Upper School Science and Technology Building.

AIT Deputy Director Brent Christensen, government officials, local dignitaries, students, parents, alumni, faculty, and school administrators, led by Superintendent Dr. Sharon D. Hennessy, gathered for the ceremony in the gymnasium of the new facility, which features specialized science and robotics laboratories, new classrooms equipped with cutting-edge technology, and a state of the art lecture hall. Guests enjoyed the festive atmosphere, highlighted by a lion dance and firecrackers intended to bring auspicious blessings.

TAS Upper School Principal Dr. Richard Hartzell summed up the enthusiasm of the TAS community: “People, program, and--now--place: it’s wonderful to see everything coming together to provide students with the best learning experience possible.” Recent TAS program initiatives have developed top caliber, signature programs in robotics, public speaking and debate,

and character education, complementing the school’s longstanding focus on excellence in core areas such as English, history, fine and performing arts, and STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

In addition to providing students with modern resources that are unmatched in the region, the new building embodies the school’s attention to eco-friendly green initiatives, featuring energy efficient window, lighting, and heating/cooling systems. The building’s design qualifies it for the Bronze Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction, and Health (EEWH) Certification.

The new Science and Technology Building at TAS is only part of the project that also includes expanded sports facilities – covered and outdoor tennis courts and a health and wellness center – as well as a new arts complex for fine and performing arts and increased cafeteria capacity. The Science and Technology Building opened to students at the beginning of this school year, on August 20, 2012.

*****

RIS Opens The Residence at Seelos Hall

By Laura Axtell, lauraa@rism.ac.th

Ruamrudee International School (RIS) announces the opening of The Residence @ Seelos Hall, a new on-campus residential program for students in grades 9 – 12. The Residence, which opened in August, provides apartmentlike living spaces with private amenities and fosters a sense of belonging.

Open to students for five days or the full week,The Residence @ Seelos Hall is designed to assist students in developing their whole person by encouraging both independence and interdependence. Students establish individual academic and personal goals while living and studying with others as a member of a multicultural, caring coming.

A 10th grade resident describes her living experience: “My room is twice as large as the form I had in England and I only have one roommate instead of two. Everything here is new and the food is very good, laundry is provided, and every student his a desk in the study hall.”

Winter 2012 Issue 47

Campus Development

Taejon Christian International School Moves to Brand New Campus A Distinctive Tradition in Education Excellence Continues

By Dr. Thomas J. Penland, Head of School

On September 13, 2012, Taejon Christian International School hosted a Grand Opening Ceremony for its new “state of the arts” campus and facilities in the newly developed area of Techno Valley in Daejeon City, South Korea. Taejon Christian International School, known in the international community as TCIS, has a 54-year history of excellence in international education in South Korea. TCIS, formerly known as Taejon Foreign School and Korea Christian Academy, was founded in 1958 on a missionary compound in the O-jung Dong area of Daejeon. It is the third oldest foreign school in Korea following Pyongyang Foreign School and Seoul Foreign School.

Graduates of TCIS are found throughout the world, and many have distinguished themselves as Christian global leaders.

TCIS struggled for years with inadequate facilities that did not match the quality of the programs and educational product delivered at the school.

The new Techno Valley Campus now allows TCIS to offer not only quality programs but also a first-class learning environment. The campus is located next to the Daedeok Techno Valley Golf Course and is just minutes from Asia’s leading science and technology university KAIST, the new Daejeon Science Belt, and Korea’s new capital Sejong City.

TCIS is the first international school in Korea to provide its students with a 10G technology environment. TCIS is a one-to-one laptop secondary school; students can access the high-speed network and the Internet wirelessly from anywhere on the campus.

The new facilities include a 500-seat Performing Arts Center fully capable of supporting the IB Diploma Theater Arts curriculum. The school has eight science labs (five currently furnished) and two MYP Design Technology classrooms. The Athletic and Physical Education Departments have access to five (5) artificial turf tennis courts, an artificial turf soccer and rugby field, 48 EARCOS Triannual Journal

and two indoor gymnasiums. The dormitories offer living, recreational, social, and study areas for students.

Thanks to the expert leadership and deep commitment of the new Board of Trustees at TCIS along with the ongoing support of our parents, TCIS completed the extensive campus relocation project and finally moved to the new campus nearly three years after the start of construction in late 2009. TCIS remains committed to humbly serve the Korean peninsula and Asia by providing the best in excellent Christian international education.

TCIS takes pride and passion in the purpose of producing global citizens who graduate committed to make a difference for good in the world and in the lives of others.

Press Release

An Innovative Arts and Culture Center

The International Center for Japanese Culture at Yokohama International School Stroll through the streets of a major Japanese city today and you might mistake it for a typical American city--darting cars, bustling sidewalks, familiar restaurants, and neon glow. From clothing, food and architecture, to sports, movies and music, the Japanese have eagerly embraced Western culture.

Tracing its roots, this cultural revolution first impacted the island nation during the Meiji restoration (1867-1911), when trade with western nations flourished anew and Japan adopted a western legal system and constitutional government. For the next century, Japan’s traditional identity shifted westward, and centuries-old traditions gave way to modernization.

However, one international school in Japan is bringing Japanese traditional arts and culture once again to the forefront of the world’s main stage. The International Center for Japanese Culture (ICJC) at Yokohama International School is a non-profit institution promoting traditional and modern Japanese arts and culture. ICJC is designed to help international K-12 students and adults explore and appreciate Japan’s rich and unique culture through music education, arts programs, special guest lectures, and live performances. Located on the scenic campus of YIS overlooking Yokohama Harbor, ICJC resides in a traditional-style Japanese house boasting a performance/lecture space, a Japanese tearoom, a Japanese traditional music room, multi-purpose rooms, and an innovative multimedia resource facility.

Founder and director of ICJC, Dr. Joseph Amato has spent over nine years building a successful and award-winning Japanese Music Program at YIS. But while on a performance tour with his students in New York City several years ago, Dr. Amato was surprised to see American audiences so enthusiastic about Japanese music and culture. “Their interest sparked the idea to create a new program for people of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in Japanese music and cultural heritage,” he says. ICJC officially opened on August 1, 2011 with fanfare and celebration. ICJC poses to be an international landmark for unique and creative Japanese arts and cultural programs.

ICJC now offers the following programs: The ICJC Japanese Music Program is within the YIS school curriculum and open to all students from Grades 4-12 with extra-curricular classes for younger students as well. These classes are taught in Japanese and Eng-

lish. Focusing on a deeper understanding and appreciation of traditional Japanese music through education and performance, the Japanese Music Program seeks to reach a broader international audience for Japanese music through its activities in Japan and abroad.

The ICJC Curriculum Enhancement Program provides additional Japanese arts and culture classes for the entire YIS school body. Elementary CEP classes for the 2011-2012 academic year include Japanese calligraphy, Japanese Way of Tea, Japanese Taiko, and Japanese Dance. Middle School students will explore Japanese kimono design and dressing as well as a workshop in Japanese Kabuki. Special guests lecturers will present to high school students on various topics including Japanese language and literature, arts and architecture.

The ICJC Evening Community School is geared toward high school students and adults. ICJC’s professional artists and craftsmen share their expertise in small and intimate classes. ICJC hosts an array of tuition fee programs including Japanese language, tea ceremony, calligraphy, Japanese dance, Japanese history, Japanese film, architecture, flower-arranging, kimono/clothing design, 13-string koto, shamisen, taiko and much more.

The ICJC Friday Night Lecture Series provides an evening of discussion and interaction led by specialists in Japanese architecture, history, literature, music, visual arts and much more. Each year, six regularly scheduled evening lecture presentations provide the ICJC community with the most diverse and up-to-date perspectives about everything Japanese. ICJC’s Friday Night Lecture Series are live-streamed with recorded broadcasts later posted on the ICJC website.

The ICJC Grants and Artists in Residency Program supports artists and musicians who specialize in Japan as a fundamental strategy in promoting global awareness of Japanese culture. Through the support of its donors, ICJC offers various grants and Artist in Residency programs for Japanese and non-Japanese interested in sharing their art with the ICJC community.

For more information about all ICJC programs, please visit our website at www. yis.ac.jp/icjc or contact us at icjc@yis.ac.jp.

Winter 2012 Issue 49

Press Release

Celebrating NIST’s 20th Anniversary

NIST students from Early Year 1 to Year 13 partook in a whole school portrait as students and staff created a sky full of bubbles and a fantastic cut-out ‘20’. Directly following there was a whole school lunch with a great selection of food and surprise entertainment. Around the NIST oval there were magicians, acrobats and even stilt walkers as NIST students enjoyed this jubilant day. There were also photo booths with customised backgrounds to serve as a keepsake.

To top it all off, there was a whole school assembly complete with a 2,000 cupcake display baked by NIST’s own elementary school. Students and staffed worked tremendously hard on this giant cake and the effort and success was enjoyed by all. Additionally, the NIST world languages programme displayed its extensive languages on offer as students came up and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in nine different languages (Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Hindi, Dutch and Hebrew!). The NIST old school song was sung by over 250 students and for NIST’s long-term students and staff the song brought back many fond memories. Finally NIST drama students from Year 7 showed off their great talents in the brilliant and hilarious adaptation of an old NIST video, organised by NIST’s fantastic Drama Coordinator.

On Friday 17th August 2012, the NIST community kicked of its 20th year with a grand birthday celebration. As a School of 1,500 students it is quite a feat to organize any whole school event but the importance of celebrating all together, as one unified school made this feat surmountable.

This has been an incredible start to the School year with a number of other exciting future events planned to celebrate the School’s 20 wonderful years.

The School looks forward to an upcoming Grand Gala to celebrate with NIST’s adult community and to the release of two commemorative books.

*****

Bangkok Patana School Awarded Second Prime Minister’s Export Award

achievements. Governed by a not-for-profit foundation board, it is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is an IB World School.The school currently has an enrolment of 2,200 students from over 60 nationalities.

Bangkok Patana School has recently been honoured as a ‘Best Service Provider’ in the Prime Minister’s Export Award 2012. Presented by the Prime Minister, Her Excellency Yingluck Shinawatra, this award is the Royal Thai Government’s highest official award, annually granted to outstanding Thai exporters of products and services in recognition of their high quality and standards.

This is the second time Bangkok Patana has received the Prime Minister’s Export Award, having also won in 2002. It is the only international school to have achieved this honour twice. Since then it has grown and developed, consolidating its position at the forefront of international education, and the award is a testament to the outstanding learning environment provided by the school.

Dr. Tej Bunnag is the chairman of the Bangkok Patana School Foundation Board. “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award. We appreciate being recognised for the efforts we make, and the ensuing success we achieve through our students. The award truly belongs to our teachers and students who, every day, strive for excellence, good character and to fulfil potential,” he said. “We are very grateful to the government of Thailand for this award.”

The Prime Minister’s Export Award was founded in 1992 and is presented to the country’s top exporters, acknowledging the importance of this market to the Thai economy. The award-winning organisations are credited with not only offering products and services of a world-class standard but also for improving the reputation of Thai companies in the global marketplace.

Bangkok Patana School is Thailand’s original British International School, founded in 1957, and has a proud record in academic, sporting, and artistic 50 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Thai Prime Minister, HE Yingluck Shinawatra, poses with Mr Matthew Mills (Head of Bangkok Patana School), Khun Pornpimol Charoen (School Manager), Mrs Laura Stamp (Vice Chairperson of the Foundation Board) and Mr David Humphreys (Foundation Board Member) on the occasion of the school being awarded ‘Best Service Provider’ at the Prime Minister’s Export Award 2012.

For more information please contact: Ms. Emma Goligher, Development, Alumni & Marketing Manager emgo@patana.ac.th

By Kim Fieldhouse, AISG Parent

31 years ago, in 1981, 7 students from the United States Consulate began their first day of school in a small room at the Dong Feng Hotel, and by doing so, also took the first small steps toward what is now AISG.

The Opening Ceremony for the exhibit was joined by members of Guangzhou’s expat, diplomatic and local Chinese community, as well as five regional and international artists: Mark Obama Ndesandjo, Ken Cadwallader (Vice President of the Oil Painters of America), Ni Kwan, Lavinia Yu, and Yao You Yi. These professional artists remarked that it was a joy to support the work of the aspiring students and to join in an evening to celebrate cultural sharing and the spirit of community.

During the Art Exhibition Opening Ceremony, AISG Director of Development Mike Ludwick announced the school’s plans to join with the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) to support the city’s poverty-alleviation efforts in the Meitang Village in Eastern Guangdong. This 30th Anniversary charity drive linked AISG and the city of Guangzhou in a joint effort to support education for the children in the Meitang Village. Most of the professional works on display at the exhibit were donated for a silent auction, to support the charity drive, to be held at the AISG 30th Anniversary Gala in May.

AISG is no longer a small school enrolling just a handful of students from the U.S. Consulate. In fact, those visiting the elementary school on Er Sha Island or the middle and high school campus in Science Park immediately feel the energy generated by nearly 1,000 students from 40 nations studying and learning together. In the school year of 2011-2012, the AISG community celebrated the 30th Anniversary to the fullest.

AISG is a student-centered place. It was no surprise then that, during the first official 30th Anniversary event on November 4, 2011, the visiting United States Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, was consistently engaged by eager AISG students. In anticipation of Ambassador Locke’s visit, elementary school students created two giant Jasper Johns-inspired murals of the number 30 to connect with the school’s anniversary. This special project, coordinated by AISG art teacher Jaci Stucker, was a collaborative effort of literally every student at the AISG Elementary School. Ambassador Locke also formally addressed the students at the Ersha Campus during his visit, speaking about the importance of education. He mentioned the significant impact attending an international school has on students and families alike.

Ambassador Locke stated, “I want to say to you that you are getting a fantastic education. It’s being provided to you by some great teachers, instructors and staff here at the American International School of Guangzhou.” Locke’s visit invigorated the entire AISG community and set the tone for the continued celebration of AISG’s 30th anniversary.

The 30th anniversary murals featured during Ambassador Locke’s visit also became a focal point for AISG’s next major anniversary event, the Bridging Cultures Art Exhibition, which opened with an evening ceremony on March 2nd and remained on display at the Garden Hotel from March 3-30, 2012. The spirit of global collaboration behind the creation of the 30th anniversary also permeated this event as organizers sought to involve the wider Guangzhou community. By the time the exhibit opened, it included artwork from six Guangzhou international schools and two local Chinese schools.

The AISG Pearl Anniversary Gala on May 5, 2012, served as the final event in AISG’s yearlong celebration and was an opportunity for the AISG community and friends to gather in support of education, the children we serve and the Guangzhou community in which we live. The evening invited guests to dine, dance and celebrate together while contributing to the Charity Drive in support of Meitang Village. The vision for the event, according to Mr. Ludwick, was “to celebrate 30 years of AISG by reiterating the themes of this special year, which are the power of education, global citizenship, and our shared community of Guangzhou.”

As AISG enters its 31st year it is a milestone not just for the AISG community, but also for the expat community in Southern China. From humble beginnings, AISG has been a home and a resource for thousands of expatriate families in the Guangzhou community and has played a small, but vital role in the development of international business in the region. By providing a top-tier educational experience for expats in Southern China, AISG has made Guangzhou a viable option for expat families by meeting the educational needs of their children.

Winter 2012 Issue 51

Press Release

American International School of Guangzhou turns 30!

Press Release

credited by CIS and NEASC.

20th Anniversary of ISU

By Robert Stearns, Iinternational School Ulaanbaatar

Last September 14, 2012 Mongolia’s International School of Ulaanbaatar, cele-brated 20 years of international education for primary and secondary stu-dents living in Ulaanbaatar.

With the arrival of democracy in Mongolia after 1990, many embassies, international agencies, and NGOs opened their doors in Ulaanbaatar – eager to build strong connections to a country that had been at one time the largest em-pire in the world but had more recently, during the times of the Soviet Union, become isolated from the world com-munity. It was quickly apparent to the families arriving to work at the newly established offices in UB that an English-medium school was needed to support the educational needs of their children. A group of them came together, and with significant assistance from the Embassy of the United States, lay the foundations and acquired the special sta-tus that resulted in the 1992 opening of the International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU).

Since its modest beginnings in a rented, two-room school in the basement of UB’s Russian Cultural Center, ISU has moved three times and now is housed in a modern, fully equipped purpose-built school in the northern outskirts of Ulaanbaatar.

Twenty years later, we are still the only not-for-profit school in Mongolia wholly owned by its parent body – and the only IB World School fully authorised to offer PYP, MYP and DP. Of the four other schools in Mongolia that advertise themselves as international schools, we are the only one ac-

Graduating class of the 20th Anniversary year pose in front of a Mongolian time capsule to be opened in 2032.

As the economy of Mongolia grows, so does ISU. We are beginning an ambitious expansion of our facilities that will double our current capacity of 350 students and triple the size of our existing campus adding a second gymnasium, a swimming pool, a large theatre, another full-sized soccer field and many more special-ized learning spaces for our students.

As ISU grows and develops within its dynamic and rapidly changing host country, its guiding vision is clear – drawing on Mongolia’s unique cultural heritage and environment, ISU aims to offer world-class international education to prepare students, foreign and Mongolian, for higherlearn-ing and for life. We now look forward to the next twenty years of doing just that!

Robert Stearns Director

*****

YSF First at Yokohama Science Frontier High School

By Rie Sato Seu

mental problems, such as “Producing Biogas and Identifying Bacteria,” or on their own research at their respective schools, such as “The Synthesis of Corundum Crystals from Aluminum Cans and Color Changes of Corundum.” It was an unbelievable experience to see high school students carry out such advanced experiments with high-tech instruments.

My presentation was on the “effect of public speaking on the heart rate” in front of 300 people. Despite being a relatively eloquent public speaker, I was at first challenged when finding out that I would speak in front of such a large number of students, teachers and researchers. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable experience (and FUN) to present my research and interesting results.

The keynote speaker for this event was Dr. Dhugal Lindsay, a research scientist with the Japan Agency of Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). Listening to such a revered scientist, who has led the Picasso Project and studies the biodiversity of deep-sea plankton, talk about his findings was exhilarating. Furthermore, I had the chance to discuss my experiment with him!

On September 22nd, six Saint Maur students participated in “YSF FIRST (Forum for International Research in Science and Technology)” at the Yokohama Science Frontier High School (SFH), Saint Maur’s sister school. Although we participated with the expectation of learning about other experiments from students of other schools, we not only gained knowledge in the scientific field, but also created lasting friendships.

As one of the most excited students out of the six to attend this conference, I could not wait to discuss the theme - “Science for the coming generation” – a subject of my passion. Participants from Ichikawa Gakuen Ichikawa Senior High School, Senior High School at Komaba (University of Tsukuba), Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama Senior High School, Tokyo Tech High School of Science and Technology, National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science and Science Frontier High School all presented their experiments and discoveries on topics related to environ52 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Although listening to other people’s experiments was intriguing and, at times, mind-boggling, my best memories of the day were when I was able to reunite with my SFH friends whom I met at the “Immersion Camp” I attended last year. We ate lunch together and went around viewing the poster presentations. At the end of the day, several students showed us the science bukatsu (or after school clubs) held at school. Their Astronomy Club presented their research, pictures taken of the sky and instruments to measure the brightness of the sky at night. Some students had access to electron microscopes without teacher supervision! Students in that club gave explanations of pictures of the heads of ants and eyes of mosquitoes.

We also visited a lab where the students experimented with axolotls!

Although a busy day, when I returned home, I realized how much I enjoyed myself and will miss all the friends, from not only Japanese schools, but also Singapore.

EARCOS T EAChERS ’ C OnfEREnCE 2013 M ARCh 28-30 | T hEME :

C OnCORdiA i nTERnATiOnAl S ChOOl S hAnghAi

“M Oving M indS , M Oving B OdiES ”

v i S u A l A RT S S TRAnd Michelle Anderson- Art

Huangzhou International School

Kendra Farrell - Art

International School of Beijing

Kim Sajan - Graphic Art Shanghai American School

Kelly McFadzen - Art Singapore American School

Cesar Reyes - Art

Taipei American School

David Gran / Breen O’Reilly- Art/Film

Shanghai American School | International School of Beijing

53

Student Gallery

Frustration Margaret Alcala, Grade 11 Cebu International School

Kara Shim, 12th grade, Acrylic paint Grace International School

High School Gallery Self Portrait Kirthank Mianivannan, Grade 11 IB Art Canadian Academy

Aneesah Year 11 IGCSE student 1 International School Brunei 54 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Lights, Watercolor on paper Isabelle Chen, Grade 10 Dominican International School

Student Gallery

Prae, Grade 9 Watercolor and Ink International Christian School Bangkok

Globalization Meo Okubo, Grade 12 (AP Art) American International School, Hong Kong

Bulgan Altangerel, DP2 Acrylic Paint International School Ulaanbaatar

Grade 12 Collaboration Chatsworth International School

Ji Min Jang, Grade 9 Nakornpayap International School

55

Winter 2012 Issue 55

Student Gallery

Grace Wang, Grade 12 Shanghai Community International School

Graphite on paper Sopjia, Grade 10 Beijing BISS International School

Sonia Hung, Grade 11 Kaohsiung International School

Cluttered City, Colored Pencil Hannah Lee, Grade 11 International Christian School Hong Kong

Pen, ink, and color pencil Carrie Corlett, Grade 12 Grace International School

Watercolor Jia Yu Hung, Grade10 Mont’Kiara International School

56 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Student Gallery

Thongcharoenpoolporn (Jenny) Pimpika, Monochrome Painting Ruamrudee International School

Linewash Angela Yi, Grade 10, Watercolor & Ink pen International Christian School Hong Kong

Louise Song, Grade 10, Charcoal International School of Qingdao

Flowers Joanna Hirsch International School Manila Wakako Hosoya, Grade 11, Watercolor Mont’Kiara International School Winter 2012 Issue 57

Student Gallery

Yong Mi An, Grade 12 Saint Maur International School

Predestined Path Mixed media on poster board Lucy Yifan Yu, Grade 12 American International School of Huangzhou

High School Gallery Korean Women, Watercolor and acrylic on paper Ayelet Zamek Elsa High School

Hyerin, Grade 11 International School Ho Chi Minh City 58 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Car Zahara Foyston, Grade 12, Garden International School

On the Road with Dr. K

On the Road with Dr. K Visit to Shanghai American School to plan for the ETC2013

SAS Head of school Kerry Jacobson center with Bill Oldread and Dick Krajczar of EARCOS.

SAS Pudong Jonathan Borden HS Principal, Andy L-R Andy Torris SAS Deputy head, Jon Wrzesinski Torris SAS Deputy Head and Assistant HS Principal head of the PE department at SAS Pudong and Bill Tonya Parham.

Oldread.

Visit to International School Beijing

(L-R) Tarek Razik Headmaster, M.S. Principal Mark Hardeman, H.S. Principal Paul Wood greeting students.

ETC Representative, Lisa Keam with her students.

Tarek Razik and ISB nurse Tammy Fitter

Visit to member schools in Vietnam

Ellen Stern Interim Head of SSIS and Paul Johnson upper school principal on a walk about around their new campus. Welcome Ellen!

ISHCMC headmaster Jeff Wornstaff and Athletic Director Louise Logde. Both will be attending the ELC in Kuala Lumpur.

UNIS director of learning Meagan Enticknap-Smith and EARCOS Rep. Clint Hamada.

Sean O’Maonaigh provided a keynote presentation.

Sean is former EARCOS board member and Head of the International School of Ho Chin Minh City (ISHCMC)

EARCOS New Member Affiliate School Oberoi International School Admin staff, Front Row L-R Jane Dy,Veena D’Silva, Priya Ramteke,Shanna Crofton. Back Row, Vladimir Kuskovski, Ms Georgina Gray, Michael Bailey.

Visit to India

Center, TAISI Chair Anu Monga of International School Bangalore opens the conference.

Winter 2012 Issue 59

On the Road with Dr. K

On the Road with Dr. K Visit to Mont’Kiara International School

Headmaster of MKIS Walt Morris greeting students. ETC teacher rep and long time friend May-Le Tan.

MKIS H.S. Principal Gary Melton

Visit to International School of Kuala Lumpur

Melawati student leaders are the Red hats and they led a tour of the school.

ISKL Melawati Elementary celebration for their 20th anniversary of that school.

KORCOS Conference 2012

(L-R) Lisa Walker and Alice Lavina led the Korcos conference committee.

KORCOS Conference 2012

Jill Bromenschenkel was the keynote presenter at KORCOS.

Visit to Busan International Foreign School

Kevin Smith(Head of Elementary) Stephen Palmer (Head of School) Don Grant (HS/MS Principal) and front is Pamela Castillo (Head of Early Childhood) 60 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Design Technology room at Busan International Foreign School.

1st grade teacher Sierra Waldman far right , student teacher in the middle, Celia the assistant left and a great group of first graders.

Visit to Garden International School

Garden International School entrance

Play field at Garden International School

EARCOS Weekend Workshops >> January

Best Practices in Elem. Schools: Math/Sci. Units of Inquiry and Balanced Literacy Programs Jan. 26-27 Thai-Chinese International School Consultant: Travis O’Neel +1 (ISM) & Sarah Toa +1 (SAS) Credits: SDSU Visual Literacy Jan. 26-27 United World College of South East Asia Consultant: Noah Katz Gifted Education Jan. 26-27 New International School Thailand Consultant: Susen Smith Credits: SUNY “Keeping it Real - Motivating Language Learners Through Folktales and Authentic Cultural Materials” Jan. 26-27 International School Manila Consultant: Lori Langer de Ramirez Credits: SUNY

February

21st Century Learning and UBD Feb. 15-17 Berkeley International School Consultant: Kim Cofino Transforming Learning with the iPad Feb 23-24 Shekou International School Consultant: John Burns Reading Comprehension Feb. 23-24 Bandung International School Consultant: Susan Zimmermann

March 2013

Using Assessment Data to Improve Learning March 23-24 Suzhou Singapore International School Consultant: Martina Bovell B.A. Dip. Ed. Grad dip. Arts (UWA)

Cognitive Coaching March 23-24 Western Academy Beijing Consultant: Bill and Ochan Powell Learning to Learn: Facilitating Student Metacognition March 2-3 Seoul International School Consultant: Bill & Ochan Powell Credits: SUNY

April 2013

Leadership for Middle Managers April 5-6 Seoul Foreign School Consultant: Prof. Philip Hallinger; Prof. Allan Walker Credits: SUNY Oh, no . . . not the 21st Century again!

April 13-14 International School of Beijing Consultant: Greg Curtis Credits: SUNY

EARCOS Special Institute K-8 Math Specialist Certificate for International Schools (Special 2 years program) Application Deadline: October 5, 2012 School: Singapore American School Consultant: Emma Anderson Credits: SUNY Coordinator: Mark Boyer Email: mboyer@sas.edu.sg MSIS Certificate and application for are available at the EARCOS website at http://www.earcos.org/ww_approved_1213.php Read weekend workshop report at http://eacos-article.tumblr.com/

Isa Minori, Grade 12 (Oil) Shanghai Community International School