Crossroads Issue 26: March 2016

26 MAR 2016 MIC(P) 131/08/2015

pg 16 WHERE’S HE GONNA LIVE?

pg 22 SNOW MUCH FUN!

pg 26 INTERIM REFLECTIONS

A Singapore American School community service publication

Photo by: Taylor Buechel Grade 10 Student

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EDITOR’S NOTE/CONTENTS

THE MOLD

By Kyle Aldous Director of Communications Employers, governments, and even schools box individuals into tidy, artificial segments when allocating resources or providing opportunities.

But demographics, groups, and labels go beyond ad campaigns. In education we see the rampant use of labels to identify different types of students: AP, IB, GCSE. Even a certain GPA will box you into a mold.

Labels, categories, or molds often don’t give you the full story.

Nationality: US Age: 17 Gender: Female AP Classes: Nine GPA: 4.0 Interests: Four service clubs Would you know simply from this list that this student has written two books, has a rich understanding of Cambodian cultures, has lived in

three countries, and intends to work at the United Nations?

Even the most complete demographic profiles miss the mark. As we write our SAS stories, it’s evident that SAS students have more to offer than a list of credentials. We’ve seen students build satellites, overcome learning disabilities, perform in famous concert halls, deliver powerful TED talks, and earn acceptance to prestigious universities.

In this issue of Crossroads, on the Perspectives blog, and in our social media, you’ll find stories of students breaking the mold. They are students who refuse to be seen simply as a GPA, a nationality, and a list of scores. These students have unique stories of success, growth, and service to tell, one-of-a-kind interests and talents, and insights to share.

What’s your SAS story?

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EDITOR’S NOTE/CONTENTS

04

From the superintendent

06 08

Five Minutes

The learning environment

12

Advancement

16

Elementary SCHOOL

20 24

HIGH SCHOOL

32

ALUMNI

34 38

MIDDLE SCHOOL

BOOSTER club & PTA

CAMPUS SCENE

04

From the Superintendent

WHY DOES EXTRAORDINARY CARE MATTER?

By Dr. Chip Kimball Superintendent

Last week, one of the most influential teachers in my life passed away at the age of 90. Dr. Howard M. Stien was a stern Norwegian scientist from the Midwest with a dry wit, tremendous capacity for inquiry, and deep care for his students. He challenged me, made me laugh, and most importantly believed in me at a time when I didn’t believe in myself. It was his belief and deep care that changed my life, not the hundreds of hours that I spent studying biology under his supervision. This is what great teachers do. And this is why extraordinary care matters at SAS.

work compared with graduates who missed out. While SAS is cultivating programs to develop all six of these experiences, it is especially noteworthy that three of these big six experiences are about a student being cared for in their learning environment.

Had at least one teacher who made them excited about learning

2.0x higher

In a 15-year research project synthesizing 800 meta-studies covering more than 80 million students—one of the biggest educational research projects ever—researcher John Hattie developed a way of ranking various influences on learning. Hattie’s study titled “Visible Learning,” published in 2009, found that a supportive classroom climate is one of the most critical factors that impacts student learning.

Had teachers who cared about them as a person

1.9x higher

Had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams

2.2x higher

Worked on a project that took a semester or more to complete

1.8x higher

Had an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom

2.0x higher

Was extremely active in extracurricular activities and organizations

1.8x higher

Students know when teachers care.

Having a positive, caring, respectful climate is necessary if we want students to be confident as they develop and share their ideas and interact with others. Most adults also find this to be true.

Hattie’s research has helped us prioritize our time and resources in practice. A 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index Report also affirmed our belief in the importance of studentteacher relationships.

Findings from the report, a study of more than 30,000 college graduates, reveal that graduates who attain six key college experiences are about three times more likely to be engaged in their

We intentionally create an environment of care because a student is far more responsive to a teacher who cares, and is therefore more likely to learn and engage.

We believe that establishing trust helps strengthen students’ willingness to participate, try things Odds of being enaged at work if graduates had this experience

“Big six” experiences

Students who connect and feel cared for simply learn better. And they don’t just thrive on the school campus; they thrive long after they leave.

Singapore American School has long held extraordinary care as one of our core tenets. Not only is extraordinary care part of our institutional DNA, but we also continuously develop programs that incorporate care into our learning structures because we believe in the why.

that are difficult, bounce back after failure, and ultimately to take control of their learning journey.

The 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index Report reflects this: “Supportive relationships with teachers and mentors—and deep learning and experiential opportunities, such as internships and long-term projects that mimic real work environments—may help students develop a clearer sense of what they do best.”

When we successfully create this environment of extraordinary care,

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SAS 2020:

From the Superintendent

High impact instructional practices

Standardsbased approach

Professional learning communities

Pastoral care

Five focus areas of our strategic plan

Systems supporting learning it serves as the foundation for the attainment of our desired student learning outcomes: character, collaboration, communication, content knowledge, creativity, critical thinking, and cultural competence. When we have an environment of trust and when we truly know our students, we can better incorporate inquiry, experiential learning, and personalized learning into our students’ daily lives.

Extraordinary care at SAS is not just an adjective; it is a verb. It’s a call to action for our staff and our community. As a school, we will continue to be very purposeful about getting to know our students and the lives they live. Through our new strategic plan, we will increasingly create structures that give our students “voice and choice,” empowering them to be in charge of their learning. We want to hear about their studies, their pressures, their relationships, their concerns, and their goals. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every student is known and advocated for, and this is at the heart of what we do every day.

The care of our students is in our core planning documents, our professional expectations, and our professional learning programs.

Extraordinary care is one of our strategic anchors and more recently, pastoral care emerged as a priority in our new strategic plan. This way, students will continue to experience the kind of extraordinary care for which SAS has so long been known.

It doesn’t just enhance learning, but also changes lives.

The pastoral care priority area is under development in our early childhood center, elementary, middle, and high schools, and will manifest itself through existing and new social-emotional programs and an element of care delivered through experiences and academic challenges. Advisory programs that foster relationship building will be key at every level of our school.

The new high school advisory program has had an outstanding first year, and we’ve learned a lot so we can improve it in years to come.

The middle school home base structure will see changes in the future to align with the high school model and create more purposeful interactions between teachers and small groups of students.

Across our school we are focusing on supporting students that undergo major transitions–not just students new to SAS. This includes transitions as students move to a new division, leave Singapore, experience the loss of friends that move on, and in helping our families understand the implications of being a third culture kid. We want to be deliberate about strengthening and creating structures that support pastoral care across the school.

One of the strategies we use to ensure that students are cared for is professional learning communities.

Every faculty member actively participates in a community designed to share practices and strategies to encourage and challenge our students. With this structure, we commit protected time for faculty to work together with the purpose of ensuring that every student is learning at high levels.

Our growing mentor programs support students in combining their academic learning with personal interests, and are nicely integrated into projects that are more readily assigned as part of the curriculum.

And our service learning programs help students apply their learning through caring for the community and world around them.

We believe that when we combine relationship development with study opportunities in areas of personal interest, students feel valued, engaged, own their learning, become passionate, and as a result they learn more.

Years after our Eagles graduate, we hear stories about what made the biggest impact while at SAS. We often hear about Interim Semester, IASAS, friends, and even Mr. Hoe’s Szechuan chicken. But it’s our caring teachers whom our students remember the most. These teachers profoundly influence student lives, and we’re proud of the care they provide.

Singapore American School has great opportunities ahead.

Extraordinary care will bring us through many opportunities and challenges, and will ensure that each of our students is nurtured, giving them fertile ground to grow, mature, and reach their potential.

As we look to the future we will celebrate and build on the extraordinary care at SAS. For us, our future is bright because of the heart found in the ethos of our school, making our academic and experiential goals not just possible, but attainable.

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Five minutes

MINUTES

WITH CHRIS BEINGESSNER MIDDLE SCHOOL DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

By Sandhya Bala and Clara Fong Communications Interns

Sandy Bala is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program. Sandy enjoys photography, writing, and traveling.

Clara Fong is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program. Clara enjoys reading about current events, eating home-cooked food, and practicing fencing in her free time.

What is the best part about your job?

What do you like to do during the weekends?

Being able to work with the caliber of students and staff we have. The fact that our staff are all experts in their field and our students are so focused on learning makes it a wonderful place to work.

I spend time with my family exploring Singapore or relaxing beside the pool.

What is your favorite restaurant in Singapore?

It’s also a time where students do much of their social and emotional growth. There are opportunities to guide them through some of these tougher times and situations as they learn to navigate the world. Also, they’re fun. There’s a lot of humor and laughter, and everybody needs more laughter in their life.

How has your past experience as a math and English teacher affected your current role as principal?

Les Bouchons. A great little Parisian place located near Chinatown.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Why did you choose to work with middle schoolers?

I would like to be able to fly. That would be pretty handy in this job.

It’s a wonderful age because students are forming their opinions and figuring out what they think about big issues. They have quite polarized opinions and strong feelings about certain topics. It’s great to help students work through some of the social dilemmas that they encounter.

Favorite part about living in Singapore?

I think if you can teach English, you can teach anything! A lot of the strategies I used as a reading and language arts teacher can be applied to social studies, math, and other subjects. Being well versed in both subjects has given me a good sense of what effective instruction looks like. It’s nice to have that broad experience to draw on.

No winter! Where we’re from in Canada, it’s an average of -20°C (-4°F) from November to February, and it’s challenging for everyone.

One of the appealing parts of moving to Singapore is that our kids can be active outdoors all year around.

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What is one thing we don’t know about you?

I grew up on a small mixed farm in a small town in Saskatchewan, and I took over farm operations when I was 16 years old and my grandfather passed away. We had cattle and grew wheat. I farmed for five years before entering the teaching profession.

Did you always want to go into the education field?

I did. I don’t know why, but once I hit high school, I just knew. I started teaching when I was 22 and I’ve been doing it ever since!

How does working in North America differ from working in Southeast Asia?

There’s so much more you can do with students in Southeast Asia because of proximity. I remember teaching grade eight English in Canada where we were doing a unit on deforestation and how to address that social issue, but when we were in Cambodia, we could easily take a field trip to actually see it happen. To have the opportunity to see what you’re learning about is a lot more engaging and meaningful for students.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

When I was quite young, at the end of the day on our farm, I would always have time with my dad and grandfather to go through flyers together and see what’s on sale at the local farm supply shops. Simply

Five minutes

having that one-to-one time in such a hectic environment was really nice.

What are you looking forward to in this new year?

For my kids to get more comfortable with travelling and so that our family can have the opportunity to go to more places we couldn’t otherwise go to. My wife and I really want to bring our kids back to Cambodia and take them to some of the places where we lived. I’m looking forward to them growing as travelers.

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The learning environment

WORLD LEADING PARTNERS

By Louise Donaghey Summer Semester Director

Singapore American School partners with world leaders in a variety of fields to offer leading edge programs not available elsewhere in Singapore. These partners have designed exclusive programs for the SAS Summer Semester student. Students participating in these programs will receive a certificate of participation from the partnering organizations.

At the very heart of the Columbia University Business School’s philosophy is the entrepreneurial mindset. Students learn to emphasize their individual initiative and bring those skills to bear on any business path they choose.

Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation - Columbia Business School This Columbia University Business School course exposes high school students to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Participants will be guided through the new venture creation process as applied to their own original ideas.

This course allows learners to hone critical skills in research, creative decision-making, communication and negotiation, project management, financial analysis, and collaborative leadership.

Stanford pre-collegiate programs provide in-depth hands-on exploration of advanced topics, development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, exposure to current research directions, and a challenging and rewarding academic experience in an environment with others who share a passion for learning and self discovery.

Creative Writing - Stanford University Pre-Collegiate Studies in collaboration with V-Campus In this Stanford University precollegiate course, students will develop the imaginative, critical, and technical skills necessary for writing fiction and poetry. Using the published work of well-known authors and original student writing, students will explore various topics and problems that confront anyone embarking on the creative writing process. The course follows the workshop model where students bring their own stories and poems to class for group discussion, and develop the skills to sympathetically critique each others’ work.

Math Logic & Problem Solving Stanford University Pre-Collegiate Studies In collaboration with V-Campus This Stanford University PreCollegiate course is for those who delight in solving challenging math

problems and who would like to further develop their problemsolving and logical reasoning skills.

The subject areas that the problems are drawn from include set theory, number theory, and combinatorics, none of which require more background than algebra.

DigiPen prepares students to enter the industry as world-class programmers, artists, designers, and engineers ready to face the challenges of creating cutting-edge software and entertainment media.

Artificial Intelligence for Games DigiPen Institute of Technology The prevalent use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow in software applications for industries including gaming, robotics, finance, retail, manufacturing, military, and even medical diagnosis. This workshop introduces students to the basics of AI and provides students with opportunities to program AI for gaming and robotic systems platforms.

Junior 2D Game DevelopmentDigipen Institute of Technology Students in the Junior 2D Game Development workshop will learn to apply concepts of math, physics, art, computer science, and music through hands-on activities that

culminate in a variety of digital and non-digital games. Students will learn that game design is much more than a hobby–it is a challenging and rewarding field that inspires passion, creativity, and hard work!

Junior Art and Animation Digipen Institute of Technology Digital production artists are responsible for producing the amazing visual experiences in today’s video games and animations. Success in this field requires artistic passion combined with a solid grasp of both traditional and digital art skills. This workshop allows students to explore the world of production art and animation through a variety of animation projects using non-digital and digital media.

Fundamentals of Game DesignDigipen Institute of Technology Video games use many of the same game mechanics found in classic board, card, and dice games. Many video game designers prototype their concepts using non-digital methods to quickly evaluate the rules and playability of their idea, before going through the time and expense of making the digital version. The Fundamentals of Game Design workshop explores time-tested game mechanics, and teaches students the design process needed to create their own engaging games.

As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures, and ideas to change lives and to transform organizations.

A global perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of research and teaching.

Developing Innovative Business Ventures - INSEAD The Business School for the World This INSEAD Business School program will offer students an opportunity to experience the journey of an entrepreneur. The paradigm for career development for young business people is changing. They used to join a large corporation and move up the corporate ladder. But many talented young people delve into a career in entrepreneurship, and start a new venture in the hope of creating the next Google or Uber. This program will awaken future entrepreneurs inside the participants and allow them to learn what it means to be an entrepreneur.

TS College Tours is the only college tour company that focuses exclusively on offering college visits for students who are attending international and American schools abroad, and who plan to attend university in the US or UK. College tour choices include the US Northeast, California, art colleges, Midwest schools that focus on math, the sciences, and engineering, and universities in the UK. Tour counselors all have extensive experience in international schools and have the expertise to help students determine their “best fit” colleges, discover special requirements and determine what colleges meet those requirements, and help students present their unique backgrounds as stand-out assets when they apply. Each trip includes 10 to 12 college visits, daily debriefings, opportunities to experience residential life, evening seminars on applications and admission topics, information sessions by admissions officers, and opportunities to bond with other international students.

Learn more about SAS’s summer classes at http://www.sas.edu.sg/ summersemester!

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The learning environment

MY

By Alysha S. Grade Six Student

At Summer Semester there are so many smiling faces waiting for you when you step off the bus. Teachers welcoming you like this each day makes coming to school even better. And there’s everything from Taylor Swift to the Beatles blasting from a speaker, making us dance.

That’s what happens as soon as my Summer Semester day starts.

When you first walk into advisory, it’s a little nerve-racking to see all the new faces. But soon enough, you’re laughing at a joke someone has made. Kids are listening to you rant about your annoying little brother, and those who have little brothers are nodding their heads in total accord. By the time I leave advisory, I have five new friends.

My first class is Healthy Mind, Healthy Body. I am told every day is a new activity, and today is cooking.

Within a few minutes, my team is whipping up a Gordon Ramsay level meal. Sophie is whisking the egg. I’m dicing the tomatoes. Nora is sprinkling the seasoning. When we’re finished, we are congratulated on our teamwork and everyone says they loved our meal. The compliments leave us warm and happy.

Fast forward to lunchtime. I’m aimlessly twirling my spaghetti on my fork. As soon as I take a bite,

Sophie and Sam decide to walk around the cafeteria, parading and yelling, “pies are the best!”

Before I know it, I succumb to the pie power and run up to join them. Soon there’s a conga line going around with 20 people at the tail! We do everything from the Macarena to mock American Idol. We try not to laugh as we perform an emotional Italian opera drama. That’s what lunch at Summer Semester is, a place to not only talk with your friends, but act out Les Miserables in terrible French accents.

I don’t want lunch to end, but my next class more than makes up for it. Crack the Case makes me feel as if I am an FBI agent. From teeth impressions and microscopic examination to handwriting analysis, it is crime busting at its finest. At one point, I have a card in my hand that has a picture of a woman on it, and I have to describe every detail I see to the class. They don’t get to see the picture, but they have to draw it based on my description.

When I see the drawings, I laugh so hard that I almost miss the teacher telling us we are going to go outside to do fingerprint dusting. I head out, hunting for fingerprints that people might have left on the walls. Brush in hand, I dip it in black powder (the real kind that detectives use), tap it on the

container’s rim, and dust the wall.

Nothing. Still nothing.

Then, I see a faint mark on the wall and I cry, “I found a fingerprint!”

Then another, and another.

My third course Woodlands to Wall Street is about the stock market. Once I stepped inside I was hooked. We learned that even famous companies like Apple and McDonald’s have pitfalls in the stock market! We made an infographic showing how to choose and sell the right stocks. People were really creative with how they went about that. But the best by far was our class’s virtual stock market. It ran at the same time as the New York Stock Exchange, it had the same companies, and the same progress and decline. We worked with partners, and it was so exciting to come into class every day and see how our stocks were doing.

Sometimes they were through the roof, and sometimes they were below the ground. But every class was interesting, engaging, and a learning experience.

Finally, my day ends. Sigh! I wave goodbye to all the teachers that made this day awesome. On my way to the buses, I ask my new friends about their favorite parts. Some say it’s classes. Some say it’s meeting

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The learning environment

Alysha S. is a sixth grader at Singapore American School, and a passionate reader and writer. During new people. A few even say it’s the conga line at lunch! I don’t want to leave, but when I step on the bus I am reassured that there is a whole semester ahead of me. As the bus pulls away from school, I look out the window with my headphones playing music. “That was the best day ever,” I think. And I can’t wait for tomorrow.

her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing the guitar, and traveling.

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ADVANCEMENT

WHY I GIVE

By Kaelan Cuozzo Kaelan Cuozzo is an SAS alumna from the Class of 2015, and a freshman at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

When I take stock of the things that I am really thankful for in my life, one thing that immediately comes to mind is the stellar education I received during my six years at Singapore American School. While SAS has a rigorous academic program that thoroughly challenged me, when I look back, what first comes to mind is all that I learned beyond the walls of the classroom.

For me, this learning came in the form of working with a variety of service clubs and organizations.

What makes these clubs and organizations different from those of any other school is that they are truly empowered to make an impact because they are given the resources to do so through the support of the SAS Foundation.

Throughout my high school career, the organizations I was part of were granted over $60,000 from the SAS Foundation. In the second semester of my senior year, I proposed that our school host a TEDx event, an independently organized TED-like event. I did not expect to receive the support I did, especially given the late nature of my request.

However, our high school students, faculty, and administration were all so enthusiastic about the event that they granted us $20,000 and gave a

group of 27 students the chance to plan the event from start to finish.

Today, it continues to be a platform for ideas that would have otherwise gone unheard.

I was also involved in Executive Service Council in my junior and senior years of high school.

Executive Service Council consists of six elected students, and is in charge of organizing school-wide service events, monitoring club activities, and providing aid to over 60 new and existing service clubs in the high school. At the end of my junior year, we proposed that a service fund be started to provide service clubs with more direct access to funds. This way, club officers could apply for a grant and engage in more meaningful and impactful activities besides fundraising. The SAS Foundation set aside $25,000 for service clubs and allowed the Executive Service Council to accept and evaluate applications for grants. This was a momentous learning opportunity for both the Executive Service Council members and all of our club leaders who chose to take advantage of this initiative.

Lastly, I was involved in the Global Issues Network (GIN) whose mission is to empower young people to collaborate locally, regionally, and globally to create sustainable solutions for global issues. One way students fulfill the mission is through GIN conferences, which are student-led gatherings of change-makers. Throughout my time in high school, the SAS Foundation supported multiple GIN conferences including GINSING 2012, BeiGIN 2013, and GINSING 2014. This had an immeasurable impact on the SAS student body and community who had incredible learning experiences planning and attending GIN conferences.

I cannot thank the SAS Foundation enough for their generosity, their empowerment of students, and the hands-on learning experiences they made possible. I have come into college with skills that many of my peers are just beginning to learn. It is for this reason that I have just recently made my first donation to the SAS Foundation.

I encourage all students, alumni, parents, and faculty to give back to the SAS Foundation because your donation will go towards creating a generation of innovators, leaders, and dreamers.

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ADVANCEMENT

Singapore American School Foundation

Philanthropy Philanthropy Awareness Week in February 2016 educated our high school students about the impact that gifts to the SAS Foundation have on their education. Students learned about people, programs, and places that foundation gifts provide for the school.

Students took the time over their lunch break to write special thank you notes to our donors to show their appreciation for the special ways their education has been enhanced by foundation gifts.

WHO

are our donors?

If you have already made your gift for this school year, thank you!

If you haven’t yet had a chance to make your contribution to the foundation, please consider a gift to help us reach our participation goals.

#SASPROUD

Parents AlumnI friends faculty staff students

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101 WHAT DO THEY GIVE?

ADVANCEMENT

S$3.3 MILLION RAISED SO FAR IN THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR

WHERE DO THEY GIVE?

connections

+ Academic programs

Time

+ Arts and Culture

money expertise

WHY DO THEY GIVE? Make a difference Help others Appreciation Pay it forward

+ Athletics + Campus Facilities + Clubs & Organizations

HOW Much DO THEY GIVE? Hundreds

of different areas supported

Thousands

of Hours spent volunteering

Millions

of dollars donated

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WHERE’S HE GONNA LIVE?

By Kyle Aldous Director of Communications

Elementary SCHOOL

The art of research already exists in the hands of children acutely sensitive to the pleasure of surprise. The wonder of learning, of knowing, of understanding is one of the first, fundamental sensations each human being expects from experiences faced alone or with others.

Loris Malaguzzi

“Where’s he gonna live?” asked a curious group of preschool children on an outdoor nature walk when they came across an empty bird’s nest on the ground. Our early childhood teachers love questions like these because they spark great discussions and opportunities for children to begin learning to solve problems.

The children returned to the early childhood center carrying the bird nest, sticks, leaves, and snails, eager to share their findings. They also wanted to learn more about birds and nests, but it was already lunchtime.

However, one little boy, stick still in hand, asked, “Ms. Nancy, what can I make with my stick?”

Ms. Nancy said, “Philip, why don’t you go home and think about what you’d like to make with your stick, come back tomorrow and tell me your plan?”

Philip thought for a second and responded, “I’m gonna go dream about it.”

The next day, he declared, “I dreamed I was gonna make a birdhouse.”

While none of the children are carpenters by trade, they do know exactly what to do when faced with something they don’t know.

Research!

Students are encouraged to make observations, ask questions, then learn to find solutions. Ms. Nancy helped the students look through books such as The Magpie’s Nest, find articles online about building a birdhouse, and even watch a stepby-step video that showed how to build a birdhouse.

While watching the Youtube demonstration, one student questioned the process, saying, “But I’m a little boy, I can’t use big machines!”

The early childhood center teachers and students have a collaborative relationship with SAS facilities and services projects manager Mr. Francis Ang. Ms. Nancy arranged for the students to meet with Mr. Ang to learn about how to build

a birdhouse. Mr. Ang answered their questions regarding tools and construction, showed them blueprints, and took them on a special trip to the workshop to see the construction process.

In a few short weeks, the students went from recognizing a need and discussing the problem to finding and implementing a solution. This is the same problem solving pattern taught to high school seniors, and a pattern students will use for the rest of their lives.

The eager children returned from the workshop with the birdhouse, and sanded and painted it green.

They chose green to be the same color as the trees and grass, and they felt this would make the birds happy. They’re now deciding just where on campus to hang the birdhouse, in the hopes of seeing a bird family move in!

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TAD HILLS

By Alison Cuthbert Library Media Specialist

The Parent-Teacher Association generously sponsors our academic visitor-in-residence program, and students are really inspired by our visiting authors or illustrators long after their visits. Children’s book author and illustrator Tad Hills worked side by side with children during his five-day early childhood center (ECC) residence, drawing, writing, creating, and collaborating with them right at the table.

Children saw themselves as writers or illustrators, and even our youngest learners learned that they can make their own book or create pictures. They said, “I made a book too, Tad Hills!”, “Look at the pictures I drew!”, and “I’m an author!” Inspired by one of Tad Hills’ books, Rocket Learns To Read, some children made their own books such as How Rocket Learned To Swim and How Rocket Learned To Plant A Garden. While librarians and teachers at the elementary library organize the visits, contracts, and communications with writersin-residence, their visits are only possible through the ECC-specific PTA funding.

Elementary SCHOOL

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Elementary SCHOOL

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MIDDLE school

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPTER

By Kyle Aldous Director of Communications

What are the biggest life-changing events you’ve experienced?

Graduating from that prestigious university. Getting married to the love of your life. Witnessing the birth of your child. The death of a loved one. The work promotion that brought you to Singapore.

There are plenty of events to choose from. In the story of our

lives, these events are chapter headings signifying some new plot twist on the horizon.

Near the start of each of our stories is a chapter we all endure… I mean, enjoy.

Middle school.

And if you’re in middle school now, or you remember middle school—

you know the chapter title could look something more like this.

MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!! WHERE NO SITUATION IS SO SMALL THAT IT CAN’T BE MADE HUGE. While elementary school is filled with love, care, and warmth, middle school is traditionally viewed as a rite of passage; a transition

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into young adulthood. It’s a time where students experience a more rigorous academic workload and increased responsibility, while also stepping out to discover who they are, what they enjoy, and how they fit in. It is also a time for young adults to develop the social and emotional skills that may ultimately pay them their biggest dividends later in life.

At Singapore American School, every teacher, administrator, coach, and counselor understands the importance of this chapter in the life of a student. To help students navigate this new territory and build a foundation for success, we need more than a rigorous academic curriculum. This is why our middle school home base program offers every student a space to build their emotional and social intelligence while developing meaningful relationships with teachers and peers.

Over 20 years ago, the middle school implemented a home base system that has gone through several iterations. It began as a way to provide a daily venue for students to meet with familiar peers and to distribute information.

It has always been focused on building community and helping to make our big school feel small.

But some changes are in progress.

In 2016-17, the middle school will put concentrated emphasis on responsive grade level lessons

MIDDLE school

for social and emotional learning opportunities.

What exactly does this mean for your child? Middle school students will continue to be placed in groups of ten to twelve students, and be assigned a home base teacher at the start of the year.

They will continue to spend 20 minutes together each day with their homebase teacher and peers, but there will be specific lessons offered twice a week dedicated to the development of social and emotional intelligence.

Lessons will be aligned to the core values and center around topics such as managing time, nurturing friendships, and advocating for yourself.

During a lesson on empathy, for example, students will have an opportunity to greet one another then will participate in a role play putting students in someone else’s (figurative) shoes. Afterward, students will reflect on the activity and what they learned.

Mathematics teacher Kris Munden says, “We have a great home base program in middle school. These changes will bring more clarity and coherence by placing a greater focus on social-emotional learning outcomes. This will enhance relationships within home base and better prepare our students for whatever life throws at them.”

According to a 2013 London School of Economics study by Richard Layard et al., “The most powerful childhood predictor of adult life-satisfaction is the child’s emotional health. Next comes the child’s conduct. The least powerful predictor is the child’s intellectual development.”

While students enjoy rich relationships and experiences during home base, the real value and impact may not be clearly evident until many chapters later, as they experience other lifechanging events and deal with them resiliently.

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MIDDLE school

SNOW MUCH FUN!

By Kavin K. Grade Eight Student

Our group of 22 were sweating when they departed Singapore, but freezing when we arrived in Moscow, Russia! It was a big leap for us to adjust from 29ºC to -16ºC. Regardless of the temperature, it was the warmth of the hospitality and culture that we were brought into which created the long-lasting memories we left with.

Our middle school trip to the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) Moscow Middle School Festival was a learning experience of a lifetime. As young

drama enthusiasts, we were immersed in Russian culture, drama workshops, and fun activities which you wouldn’t be able to do in Singapore. (*cough cough: snowball fights!)

I was thrilled to be one of the five lucky boys from eighth grade to be selected. I auditioned on September 28, which was pretty close to the start of school. It caught me off guard, but to my surprise, I was called back for a second audition which I found to be more fun and games than a nail-

biting tryout. I did what I loved to do most: have fun creatively. And

by November, I was shopping for winter jackets and snow boots in sunny Singapore! While this year’s ISTA was full of returning seventh graders, it was my first time. In fact, the whole trip was just a collage of first time experiences for me.

We left at the stroke of midnight on January 25, and arrived 15 hours later in Moscow. I remember vividly how all of our tired, jet-lagged eyes instantly turned awake at the first sight of snow. It was the first time I

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had ever seen or felt real snow. Our teacher chaperones Ms. Dowd and Ms. Fulcher’s thoughtfully planned itinerary took us straight to Red Square where we saw the iconic Kremlin and St. Basil’s Church, and ended our long day with an amazing night of ice-skating. I hilariously slipped on my face each day after that. And thanks to modern technology, it was all recorded.

After three days of touring with our awesome guide, we reached the Anglo-American School of Moscow.

At the theater festival, I added more first time experiences to my list, such as being hosted by a local family in their home, hanging out at a Russian mall, and above all, showcasing a final performance we made from scratch and perfected in just three days. We learned the important skill of working with others and coming out of your comfort zone. We were also taught skills in improvisational acting, character development, physical acting, and projection. Our final performance was a combination of what we brought with us and what we learned during the festival.

Reluctantly, we had to leave immediately after the finale for the airport to catch our flight for Singapore. Just before we left the school, we said our goodbyes to our hosts, friends we had made, and to Moscow.

ISTA can be explained in different ways by different people, but I think

MIDDLE school

ISTA is all about teaching us the importance of life experiences. Just from one trip, I had about 20 new challenges and encounters. ISTA is all about putting yourself out there and showing the world who you can truly be. I am very grateful to my parents and all my teachers who believed in me and supported me to help make this trip possible. Our chaperones Ms. Fulcher and Ms. Dowd provided us with affection, care, humor, and memories for us to bring home.

The central theme for this year’s festival was “Out of this World.” It means your acting and drama can tell stories that are far away from our planet: stories that can even be beyond our solar system! You just need to grab life as it comes and put yourself out there. Share passionately, and welcome the opportunities for firsts in your life.

It’s all about trying something new!

ISTA to me means that I Strive

To Act. ISTA was all about the experiences I had with old and new friends, snow, language, culture, and food. To me, it meant learning new things about myself, taking on life as it comes, and enjoying the ride!

As the Russians would say,“Dasvidaniya!” (“Goodbye” in Russian!)

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1tK54Vpitw4 Scan this QR code to view a video of our students at ISTA made by eighth grader Dylan F.!

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High school

A GOOD YEAR FOR COLLEGE BOUND ATHLETES

By Jamila Adams Grade 12 Student

Originally published on http:// saseye.com/2015/12/09/a-goodyear-for-college-bound-sas-studentathletes/ Cole Derksen was sound asleep at 2:00 a.m. on a weeknight when the phone rang. Awakened by the provoking thumps of his iPhone ringtone, Cole received news that would soon change his life forever.

Robert Moritz has been officially recruited for track at Bentley University, but hopes to secure a spot with the football team in March. Robert highlights the common misconception that athletes who are considered great in Singapore may be just mediocre in the US. “People underestimate how good the competition is, and how good we are,” Robert said.

This year there has been an impressive number of students who were recruited to play Division I, II, and III sports at various universities across the United States.

Singapore American School offers 11 varsity sports. While often winning medals and excelling in their IASAS tournaments, many student-athletes feel that they aren’t good enough to play at the collegiate level. But with more students earning athletic scholarships and being invited to play on their college teams, this assumption may be changing.

Robert Moritz at the 41st Singapore Youth and Junior Athletics Championships 2015.

Photo credit: Singapore Athletics.

Another piece of advice mentioned

by Kevin Clydesdale, who recently found out that he will be swimming for Middlebury College, is to “start talking to coaches as early as you can and keep talking to coaches

even if they’re ignoring you.”

Cole always considered basketball as his main sport, but towards the end of his junior year Jared Bildfell, the SAS boys’ varsity volleyball coach, started encouraging him to look into playing in college.

When asked about the process of getting recruited, Cole said, “I went to a few recruitment camps in the Northeast and I made a couple videos. As my relationship with the coaches went forward, they started asking for more game film.”

Cole Derksen.

Photo by Jamila Adams.

But Cole wasn’t interested in just any school, he “was always interested in a small liberal arts school.” Cole will be playing Division III volleyball at Vassar

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College, which he says is “just the right fit academically and athletically.”

Mikael Dahlgren was attending the Stanford Golf Camp this past summer when he realized that his skills were just as good as rising seniors in the States.

“So over the summer, I was planning on visiting five schools all in the Southeast of the United States. Stetson University was the second school I was visiting, and when I was driving up to visit Furman University in South Carolina, I got a call from Larry Watson, the Stetson golf coach, and he said he really wanted me to play for them.

Right then, I knew that I wanted to go there.” Mike continues, “I get a scholarship for golf. I wouldn’t say it’s a lot, it’s not a full ride, but I still get some sort of athletic scholarship.”

Cole and Mikael discovered their passion for their respective sports later in high school.

For some sports, recruitment camps are crucial for getting recognized, but Kaitlyn Richey and Caitlin Loi both say that this is not the case for swimming.

“It is relatively easy with swimming to know if you are good enough to be recruited for a certain school because it is all based on times.

As harsh as it sounds, you’re either good enough or you aren’t and the numbers will tell you,” Caitlin said.

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Kaitlyn, who will be swimming for UCSD in the fall, said, “When I was first looking at schools, I looked at their swimmers’ times and saw how I fit in with their team.”

It turns out that the main problem with trying to get recruited for swimming is just getting the coaches to answer emails. “Some coaches will answer you, and this is usually a good sign if they’re interested, but sometimes they just don’t see an email because they get so many,” Kaitlyn said.

home will all be in the same place, so there will be no commuting for a couple hours every day.” Caitlin has been learning to balance swimming, school, and her social life for so long that she knows how to handle it in college, and even expects it to be easier to manage than in high school.

Tom Kim prepares to throw down to second base. Photo by Tom Kim.

Kaitlyn swimming Freestyle at IASAS in Manilla. Photo by Kerstin Hagemeister.

As glamorous as it sounds to get recruited, being a part of a college team requires a great time commitment. After finding out the men’s volleyball schedule at Vassar, Cole said, “It’s a way bigger commitment than I thought, so I mean, it is a little freaky.” His schedule consists of “three-a-day practices [a month before the season starts, and] for the next two months, it’s two-a-days. But during the season, we’re going to practice, work out, and watch a lot of game film.”

At Stetson University, Mikael Dahlgren will be waking up at 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. weekly for morning practices.

For Caitlin Loi, the time commitment will not be an issue.

“In college, the pool, classes, and

For now, seniors are just imagining what it will be like, but for some of our alumni, it’s a reality. Alum Stuart Baker plays rugby at Duke University. Stuart describes his experience by saying “for the most part, it’s what I expected. The size of the individual players here is much larger, but in terms of skill, I’d say it’s about the same as in Singapore.”

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High school

INTERIM REFLECTIONS

By Charlotte Reimer Grade 11 Student

Mixing and pouring cement.

Carrying buckets of water.

Mortaring and passing cement blocks up and down an assembly line for three days. Our Interim Semester trip to Tanzania would typically send most teenagers screaming in the other direction.

I flew 20 hours from Singapore to Tanzania with 19 other Singapore American School students and our teachers. We stayed in a village called Njoro near the city of Arusha, worked at a local primary school on a dining hall construction site, and taught English to the students.

We lived with two of the kindest people you could ever meet: Mamma Anna hugged us without fail every time we saw her, and Baba Reuben, even in his retirement, was trying to improve any aspect of life he could for his village. At the end of each day as we all trudged back to Mama and Baba’s house, bruised and tired, we chatted eagerly about the progress we made and the effort it took.

As our foundation slowly took shape, head mason Manyada explained to us that not only were we helping to build a sanitary place for their children to eat lunch, but also a much-needed space for the tight-knit community to gather and celebrate important moments in their lives such as weddings, christenings, and funerals.

The air rang with the constant exchange of Swahili and English.

It was always a good measure of how badly you were butchering something in Swahili by how much the ten-year-olds giggled at you.

The universal languages of laughter and soccer bonded us, and at any moment, at least three children were hanging off any SAS student, learning how to use their camera, playing hairdresser, or teaching us a new clapping game or song.

On our last day, the school principal and village officials surprised us with a ceremony and thanked us for our contribution to the school and community. Each SAS student and teacher was wreathed with

a garland of purple flowers by students who had all picked and sewn them together for us.

I waved to Vivienne, one of the girls whom I’d spent a lot of time teaching and playing with, and thought about how much Njoro was giving us in return for the short time we were lucky enough to work there.

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High school

INTERIM REFLECTIONS

By Roopal Kondepudi Grade 11 Student

Singapore Global Local Studies Interim Semester started a lot earlier for me than for most other people.

As my friends learned names and memorized their itineraries, my Interim group created an itinerary.

Singapore Global Studies is a free, in-Singapore trip where you can plan your own Interim. We were split up into groups, given $2,000 per day (for all 23 people), and told to be on our way.

I learned a whole lot about planning, budgeting, and executing the plan. I was able to visit places in Singapore that I’d been putting off because I had no time.

My group consisted of three other juniors and one senior. We chose the theme “time-travel Tuesday” for the day we planned. The planning process itself helped me make friends; even though we were allowed to choose our own groups, I didn’t know many people on my Interim very well. We spent multiple mornings thinking out fun things to do and discussing prices and logistics.

We started on Friday with a trip to Kallang, where we bowled and ice skated. It was (ironically) a great icebreaker; by the end of the two hours trying not to fall on the ice, I had a group to eat lunch with at Thai Express. After lunch, we went bowling, and I learned that our teacher sponsors (Mr. Tewsley and Ms. Bai) are amazing bowlers. They bowled strike after strike, leaving our mouths hanging open.

We had a weekend in the middle of it, and while it interrupted the flow, I thought it was a good transition into

Interim week. The Monday after, we assembled at Sentosa, where we had a relaxing morning. I read a good book in the shade and walked through the cool water. After two hours at the beach, we walked over to the Luge, a huge Sentosa attraction.

The Luge is a ride where one sits on a toboggan and slides down a hill.

To get to the top, we had to take the Skyride. The five minute ride up to the top of the hill was quiet and peaceful – you can see all of Sentosa from the top.

We rode the Luge three times and then boarded the Sentosa express to Din Tai Fung, which is a popular Taiwanese restaurant. I love the food there, especially the vegetarian dumplings and noodle soup. Lunch ended early, which gave us an hour to explore on our own. I personally sat down and enjoyed the sunshine (it was a wonderful day), but some people bought dessert and others walked around the island.

Our next stop was Gardens by the Bay. This is certainly a place I’d like to visit again. We walked through the Cloud Forest, which was a gorgeous room full of trees, flowers, and even a waterfall.

We met at Haw Par Villa at 10:00 a.m. the next morning. I had never been, although it was something I’d been meaning to see since I moved here.

Time-travel Tuesday had officially begun.

Visiting Haw Par Villa gave me the opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture. We walked through the Ten Courts of Hell, which according to Chinese mythology is where sinners

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HiGH school

are sent after death. To atone for their actions, they are punished based on their crime. For example, those who cheated on tests had their body cut in half, and those who disrespected their elders were thrown on a tree of knives.

It was a very interesting experience, as before visiting Haw Par Villa I had little to no understanding of Chinese culture.

The theme for the day –Time-travel– had sprung from the idea that we would go into the past while visiting Haw Par Villa. Next, we’d step into the future: laser tag.

Taking the MRT to Plaza Singapura, we assembled in front of LaserOps. I’m normally not a good player, but this time I killed it, getting third place every game. I really enjoyed laser tag because when we were split into teams, I talked to and strategized with new people.

Finally, it was time for us to return to the present. One stop away, in Clarke Quay, we were met with our next challenge: Lockdown. Split into groups, we were locked in a room for an hour with clues to help us escape. For my group, it wasn’t so much coming back to the present as going into the future.

The theme for our room was “End of the World,” zombie-apocalypse style.

Lucky for us, we had a few smart minds and escaped in about thirty minutes.

Looking back, the day I planned (Time Travel Tuesday) was a success. I think people enjoyed themselves during laser tag and Lockdown. Honestly, I cannot think of a way to improve my day; it was not perfect, for sure, but I think we planned and executed it pretty well!

The rest of the week was similar, each with a different theme.

On Wednesday we visited Botanic Gardens and the Alive Museum for a “Picture-Worthy Wednesday.” The Alive Museum was really fun – from different angles, the paintings on the walls looked 3D and the props made people look like their head was severed from their body.

Thursday was our last day, ending with a “Thran-sport-ation Thursday.” We met on the East coast to play minigolf at the Lilliput golf facility. I thought it was a lot of fun – Mr. Tewsley turned out to be a great golfer, and I started weak but ended strong. The only qualm I have is that the majority of the restaurants we went to for lunch had limited vegetarian options.

I especially liked my Interim because I got to interact with people I normally wouldn’t have made friends with. To be honest, what surprised me was how nice everyone on the trip was. I don’t know anyone very well, but I made a lot of new friends and had a lot of fun with them.

I was able to visit places in Singapore that I’d been putting off because I had no time. Now I have more fun things to do on the weekend with friends: I can go to the Alive museum, play Lockdown, go ice skating, play minigolf, or just walk around Gardens by the Bay.

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High school

BOUNDARIES

By Jef f Devens, Ph.D. School Psychologist

You best teach others about healthy boundaries by enforcing yours.

Bryant McGill “My parents don’t give me any privacy. Just because they pay the bills they think they have a right to ransack my room, scrutinize my social media, and ‘edit’ my schoolwork. I’m sick of it!”

Eric’s dad had found some “stuff” in his personal space that resulted in him losing his phone for a week, a death sentence for a teen. He showed up in my office seeking advice on how to create some boundaries between himself and his parents.

“Did you have some sort of agreement regarding when they could or couldn’t enter your bedroom?” I inquired.

“No…not really.”

Actually they did. Eric had conveniently left this out during our initial conversation.

“Then what makes you think they don’t have the right to snoop around when they want?”

Eric sat silently for a moment before responding, “They should know.

If they want me to respect their boundaries, they should respect mine.”

When our own children were younger (now seven and ten) we established boundaries that governed most facets of their lives.

Over the years our boundaries have shifted, reflecting their growth,

development, and increasing need and desire for autonomy. These boundaries will continue to morph, by design, until they leave the nest.

Psychologist John Townsend notes, “Boundaries function somewhat like the trunk of a tree. The trunk holds the leaves, fruit, and roots together.

However, all trees with strong trunks started out as weak saplings.

They needed to be tied to a stake because they couldn’t yet handle their own weight. They needed to lean on and be supported by something outside themselves.

Then, in time, the tree matured and took over that job for themselves.”

Parents, we’re the stakes in our kid’s lives. The boundaries we put in place help our kids shoulder responsibility for age-appropriate actions as they gain ownership of their emotions and behaviors.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a boundary as “something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent; a point or limit that indicates where two things become different; an imaginary line that shows where an area ends and another area begins; and limits that define acceptable behavior.” Boundaries are essential to raising healthy kids. As such, I want to highlight two areas that may be of help as you establish and maintain healthy boundaries with your children.

Personal space “Why do bedrooms have doors, if not for privacy?” quipped Eric.

The desire for personal space is so enticing that some kids take zany measures to secure it. I once knew a kid who slept in a closet under the steps because this provided him with a door and privacy. He could barely fit his mattress in the “room” and had little to no space for his clothes, but that didn’t matter.

There was a door, it was private, and it was his!

In Eric’s case, his dad justified entering his room “without permission,” under the pretense of him violating rules about how he was to take care of it. These rules included making his bed daily, not leaving dirty dishes or leftover food in the room, putting all clothes in the hamper, and putting garbage in the bin. Eric’s parents agreed to allow him to have personal space (a boundary) by establishing some rules to govern this. Eric initially agreed to abide by them, but when he chose to violate these, he sulked.

Sometimes though, just sometimes, we parents do cross the line.

Instead of knocking and asking for permission, parents violate personal space boundaries. If our goal is to raise kids who respect boundaries, then we must respect them, too. If you suspect something nefarious is going on, then by all means investigate, but I encourage you to stop and think through the decision.

School What teachers expect of students academically, socially, and emotionally is, for the most part, developmentally appropriate. When

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it comes to learning, one of the primary tasks of parents is helping kids understand where parents’ responsibility for learning ends and a child’s responsibility for learning begins. This doesn’t mean parents abdicate responsibilities. Instead, parents should increasingly focus on helping kids with the skills of emotional regulation, organization, time management, and selfadvocacy.

When boundaries around schooling are not established or violated, the results are heartbreaking. I frequently work with teenagers who frankly have no business attempting to undertake the academic load they, or their parents, have signed on for. In many cases, this isn’t an issue of aptitude, ability, or intelligence; it’s about boundaries, balance, and emotional regulation.

These kids, and parents, are overwhelmed by academic and extracurricular activities, are sleepdeprived, and highly anxious. This is the sort of thing I’m trying to help parents mitigate. This is an active process, one that continues through all the years of school.

If you’re dealing with boundary issues around schooling, we as teachers, counselors, and psychologists want to help.

Start by having conversations with your child’s teachers. Ask, “What should my child be able to do independently, how much time should they spend on this assignment, what sorts of technology do they need access to, and for how long?” Also, share what areas you are finding difficult when it comes to enforcing boundaries

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such as emotional outbursts, organization issues, lack of followthrough.

Questions and answers: What’s the difference between a boundary and a rule?

Rules are typically directed outward and often have a negative connotation (i.e.,do this or else!).

Rules are also specific, describing an action or behavior that is out of bounds. Boundaries, in contrast, are directed inward toward self, and established as a means of selfpreservation.

Boundaries are about one’s personal property line, and help clarify what one is and is not responsible for in the lives of others.

Boundaries also are generally less clarified than a rule. Neither rules nor boundaries operate well in the absence of the other.

What are common boundary issues you deal with?

Parental micromanaging is probably the most common. This occurs when well-meaning parents, who love their kids dearly, are unable or unwilling to allow their child to own their learning. The marring of boundary lines contributes to child and parent anxiety, stress, low output, and a lack of willingness to take risks.

Other common boundary issues include aggressive behaviors, alcohol and drug issues, money management, cellphone and

social media issues, faith, sexual involvement, defiance, and home life. All of the above are broad boundaries that need to be unpacked as rules in order for healthy boundaries to be maintained.

What are some common negative reactions by kids to boundaries and what can parents do in response?

When kids react negatively to boundaries, parents shouldn’t think, “This isn’t a good boundary,” or “This isn’t working.” Rather, kids’ emotional reactions often indicate that boundaries are working.

Will parents cease and desist, or do they have the resolve to stay the course?

Establishing new boundaries can take up to 20 weeks of parental consistency, and along the way, kids will react emotionally. Kids’ emotional reactions include: anger, temper tantrums, willful forgetfulness, martyrdom, badgering, intimidation, threats, buttering up, and physical tactics.

Kids will try to divide and conquer, not because they are bad kids, but because it’s their way, albeit faulty, of trying to gain independence.

If you’re in the midst of a boundary battle, reach out to your child’s teachers, school counselor, coaches, or other mentors for help. One of the unfortunate aspects of living abroad is lack of access to family and community for support and encouragement. Building community is as much about supporting you as it is your children.

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TEXAS

ALUMNI

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By Lauri Coulter Associate Director of Alumni and Community Relations

Klevrin Sitohang is an SAS graduate who works with Texas 4000 for Cancer. Texas 4000 is a registered non-profit organization and the longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world.

When did you graduate from SAS and how long were you here?

I started at SAS in 2001 in Mrs. Banks’ third grade class, and graduated as part of the Class of 2011.

Where did you go to college? Did any of your interests start here at SAS? After graduating from SAS, I enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin majoring in finance and economics and graduated just this past May of 2015. I developed an interest in finance (and to some extent economics) in high school, due to my father’s background in the field. But Mr. Tico Oms’ business class also got me hooked!

How did you get involved with Texas 4000?

Honestly, when I first heard about Texas 4000 from a friend, I just thought, “Oh wow, that’s a cool and unique thing to do!” But after hearing more stories of past riders and their personal attachments to the cancer-fighting mission, I felt more emotionally connected to the cause and the organization. And for me, that link was mainly due to my grandfathers.

My maternal grandfather is a survivor of lymphoma, which he received radiation treatment for back during the Cold War. At the

time, chemotherapy was still a pretty new treatment for cancer, so what’s grueling even today was much more so for him back then.

The treatment took a very heavy toll on his body, and we’ve started seeing its effects recently as he reached his 71st birthday this year.

However, cancer took the life of my paternal grandfather much too soon. He was diagnosed with and actually treated for brain cancer in 2004, but lost a lot of his cognitive abilities, which left him half-paralyzed with suppressed memories. After six years of being free of cancer, he suffered a relapse and eventually passed away from cancer in 2010. This was incredibly saddening for our family since all of us looked up to him as the person who got us on our feet. In fact, both of my grandfathers really showed us what it meant to live humbly and struggle through hardships for family, which inspires me. Joining Texas 4000 was a way for me to honor their struggles with cancer and to celebrate their incredible lives.

churches, synagogues, schools, people’s homes, and campsites with amazing hospitality! Even though we were complete strangers to the residents, they would donate cash, full-course meals, and other supplies to us without question. All it took was a word or two on our part to show that they were not alone in the fight against cancer.

Firstly, we all grew physically. There was one day that five other riders and I attempted a challenge of biking 200 miles (320 kilometers) in one day! It took us 19 hours. We set off at 6:00 a.m. and reached the next town at 2:00 a.m.

Lastly, this sounds generic, but I learned a great deal about selfsacrifice and making the best out of nothing. About 20 days into my trip, I actually broke my hand in an accident in the middle of Colorado.

I was told I’d have to be off my bicycle for a week or two, which ultimately left me with the option of either going home or being in the support vehicle and taking on a support role for two weeks. Sounds counterintuitive, but I knew that the two-week support role would be tougher, since I’d be watching my teammates experience amazing things on their bicycles, while I could only watch over them in the car and support them with one hand. And when I did get back on my bike, I knew I’d still be riding with a cast and in pain. But going home was just never an option for me! I had to complete the journey as promised to my donors, my family, and my grandfathers. So really the only way to cope was to keep my head down and tough out the agony of watching my teammates cycling, and to never show that I was struggling on the inside. And that was tough, really tough.

Secondly, I saw first hand how generous and kind people can be.

When we passed through rural towns, we were often hosted in

This summer was Texas 4000’s twelfth year of our annual charity bike ride from Texas to Alaska and our most successful year as

Tell us about your amazing bicycle trip and what you accomplished both personally and as the organization.

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well. Although we were only the second largest group (with 72 students in our class), our team raised more funds than any other team in Texas 4000 history, reaching about $735,000 USD. In addition, throughout our journey across the US and Canada, we visited more and gave more cancer awareness presentations to rural communities than any previous team. Ultimately, I really think we achieved our goal of spreading hope, knowledge, and charity in the fight against cancer. ​ hat are your plans for the future?

W What is next for you?

Recently, I’ve started working at a new a strategy consultancy job at McKinsey & Company in Dallas, Texas. It definitely seems odd breaking into the corporate world after a very altruistic, outdoorsy, and

ALUMNI

adventurous summer with Texas 4000. But I think the principles from my journey will remain, and I’ll be continuing my devotion to cancer-fighting missions, whether it’s through joining awareness programs, sponsored sports events such as marathons, or just donating upfront to the cause. I have no real idea yet what the future will hold for me, but I really do believe that Texas 4000 prepared me mentally for any challenge to come.

How did your experience at SAS impact you?

SAS’s impact on my college experience and on me joining Texas 4000 was clear when I realized that I was the only born and bred Southeast Asian who has ever done this journey. I’m Indonesian by nationality, and after looking

through the alumni directory of our team and the directory of many other cross-country biking organizations, I simply couldn’t find any other Southeast Asians on the rosters!

It’s not to say that other Southeast Asians aren’t capable of doing something like this, and it’s not to brag that I’m someone special.

Rather, I’d say that due to the circumstances that I was brought up in and one of them being studying at SAS, I believe that the values of exploration, discovery, creativity, curiosity, and integrity SAS instills in its students, in addition to the values taught to me at home, were what got me to where I am now.

They kept me grounded. I’m very grateful to SAS for teaching me that!

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BOOSTER club

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

By Doreen Chou Booster Club Secretary

During the Booster Club’s welcome coffee in the beginning of this school year, our new publicity committee chair Monica Moritz said, “I don’t know why I waited so long to join the Boosters. And now my son is a senior. I should have joined years ago! It’s great to be involved.”

Her words and enthusiasm made me think how fortunate we are to have a well-run volunteer organization for high school parents to help make a difference in our students’ lives. The Booster Club is where you will meet other parents whom you would normally not meet. Face it, now that your kids are in high school, the kids don’t want you around and think they don’t need you (they really do, though).

The Booster Club is a great way to be involved in your kids’ lives without them realizing it. This is where athletics meets visual & performing arts and Scholars’ List meets IASAS and where we are also outside representing the Booster Club at hotel fairs, fundraising at home tours, hosting Trivia Nights exclusively for adults, and providing hospitality for coaches, parents, and students from many different international schools around the region. We have 14 different committees that we welcome you to join, and most of our volunteers sign up for multiple committees.

From pep rally barbecues, spirit sales, IASAS, the Fighting Fish Santa Claus swim meet, bake sales to popcorn day during finals week, there is always a place for

you. Don’t wait until your son or daughter is a senior like Monica did.

Now is a great time.

In a Boosters Club-sponsored community “for adults only” event held in November, Trivia Night brought together for the very first time participation from SAS alumni, current SAS parents from across all divisions, SAS faculty and administration, and former SAS parents and friends. Not an easy task, but one which involved a lot of pre-planning to coordinate the busy college students who participated in Trivia Night and who are located in different cities around the US. It was a sold out event as was the popular Home Tour last spring, and required the social fundraising committee volunteers to coordinate many aspects of an event held on a Saturday evening outside of school hours, getting sponsors for our raffle prizes, door gifts, lucky draw prizes, and manage a catered Mediterranean dinner for 90 guests in the Khoo Teck Puat high school library. Our volunteer emcee of the evening was middle school teacher Jeff Barber, who kept the audience entertained through eight rounds of trivia questions.

One of our most recent events which required a considerable number of volunteers was the annual Scholars’ List luncheon held on January 22. Volunteers were headed by Thea Lerman and Chantal Wong who started planning this event in September.

Many subsequent meetings were held with the core team, vendors and SAS facilities in order to plan

and execute a 40-minute luncheon attended by well over 700 students.

Over 50 volunteers contributed to the success of this Booster Club event!

With three kids of my own, I’ve always been involved in their school no matter what country we lived in. My kids went to Hong Kong International School for six years, then Singapore American School for three, Shanghai American School for five years, and now we are back at SAS in our fifth year for a total of eight years at SAS. SAS by far is the largest school my kids have ever attended, but I still find it the most warm and friendly of the three. Surprising for a school with over 3,900 students, right? Being an active SAS parent volunteer has made the difference for me during our years here. It has made SAS feel like a smaller school for us and our kids.

The Boosters are incredibly welcoming to new ideas and different ways to do things. They are innovative and proactive, thanks to our president Lan Fisher who is serving her third year as president, and Kay Schot, our vice president for two years. Our dedicated volunteers go above and beyond what most Booster Clubs do for the students, teachers, and the school.

In fact, many other international schools look to us for inspiration and new ideas. We’ve achieved this together as volunteers, and together, we are empowered to make a difference in your lives and your children’s lives.

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BOOSTER club

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PTA

WHY VOLUNTEER?

By Cayce Cirino PTA Secretary

Why do people volunteer? I know why I do it, but I have long wondered why other people do. So I asked some of our PTA volunteers why they volunteer!

Alice Shyu Children: grades ten, twelve, and one graduate Tenth year at SAS I volunteer with the PTA because I want to make good use of my spare time doing something meaningful.

I chose to help with the Chinese booth at International Fair, because I wanted to mingle and socialize with Chinese mums from around the world. Volunteering allows me to have fun, meet parents with interesting backgrounds, and help find ways to make things better for students. Get involved and take it to the next level!

Beth Sweeney Children: kindergarten and third grade Fourth year at SAS I volunteered with the book fair because I wanted to do my part, plus my girls like seeing me around their school. I enjoy volunteering because I get to know people and it gives me a window into how things work at SAS. The best things about being a PTA volunteer are that you can choose the amount of time you are willing to commit and the way you want to become involved.

Ann Marie White Children: grades four, seven, and ten, plus a college freshman, a college junior, and two working on master’s degrees First year at SAS We have moved around a lot, and I always tell my children to make a difference and bloom where they are planted. I volunteer with the PTA because I believe in giving back to the community. You don’t have to give a lot of time. Some jobs are easy and some are bigger or more complex, all jobs are important, and volunteering is a great way to make friends.

Ruchi Agarwal Children: kindergarten Second year at SAS I volunteer with the PTA because I really appreciate the effort and time PTA members give our kids.

This year, I am the International Fair raffle baskets chairperson and a room parent. I volunteer because I get a sense of satisfaction that I can do my part for SAS, I can meet many wonderful mums, and because I like that my son’s friends notice that I am at school so much!

Volunteer because it’s fun! And if I can do it, you can do it.

Nathalie Emami Children: kindergarten and second grade Fourth year at SAS I volunteer with the PTA because I want to give back to the school that provides our children with so many amazing opportunities. I chose to become a room parent to help support my son’s teacher and to spend time with the kids. I also volunteer to help raise money for PTA programs, especially the visiting author program, which my sons love. I tell people that while our children are privileged enough to attend a very well-resourced school, our time and efforts make a difference.

Bettina Borjes Children: grades three and six Fourth year at SAS Why not volunteer? I enjoy starting the school year by helping out at Open House and assisting families with getting their kids’ uniforms. For me, volunteering with the PTA is my duty as a parent. Besides, it’s fun volunteering at International Fair for a short shift and then spending the rest of the day eating and meeting fellow parents, teachers, and students!

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Yuka Tanaka One child in grade four Fifth year at SAS I have been a volunteer with the PTA for five years because it is my way of giving back to the school, teachers, and staff who make our children’s school safe and fun-filled.

I choose to help with the vendor fair because I worked with T-shirt sales last year, and I wanted a bigger job this year. Volunteering helps me make connections, keeps me informed, makes me happy, and I love the big smiles and thanks I get from my child.

Lori Watson Children: kindergarten and grade five Fourth year at SAS I volunteer with Pumpkin Patch for my daughter and the other children. I wanted the day to be extra special. The overall reward is seeing the kids’ faces when they walk into the room and see how it has transformed. The more people who volunteer, the easier and more enjoyable the task. Plus it’s an opportunity to get to know people from all over the world and learn new things.

PTA

Ghazal Chaudhry Children: grades two and five Sixth year at SAS I volunteer with the PTA because I want to stay connected with my children while being part of an intellectually rich and culturally diverse community. I chose to volunteer with the hospitality committee because it is all about building a close community, creating festive environments, and orchestrating memorable events, which fit perfectly with my personality. The PTA is full of inspirational and supportive people from various walks of life, who are full of energy, ideas, and creativity.

Becky Moseley Children: grade twelve plus two graduates Eleventh year at SAS I first volunteered with the PTA to meet people. I signed up for the PTA store right away. At the welcome coffee, I discovered my son’s class did not have a room parent, so I signed up for that. The next three years, I chaired the book fair. After that, I became secretary and then PTA president. Moving onto the executive committee enabled me to see the whole operation. Volunteering means that I am making a positive contribution to my child’s school.

Dina Fuller Children: grades five and eleven, plus two graduates Ninth year at SAS Volunteering in the classroom was my gateway into the PTA. When Staff Appreciation Day came around, I volunteered in the classroom and with food at the different divisions. Seeing the appreciation and smiles on the staff’s faces brought such joy to my heart. So when I was asked to join the hospitality committee, I accepted. My love for helping, meeting people, and cooking seemed suited for this position.

Volunteering has made the school appear a lot smaller than I ever thought possible.

Manaswi Jhala Child in preschool First year at SAS I chose to volunteer with the PTA because as a first-time parent, I wanted to be involved in my daughter’s school life. In the process, I found a community of strong, dedicated parents whom I can rely on for advice. Many parents ask me how I got involved with the PTA. I always say the PTA makes it easy to volunteer by providing so many avenues to contribute. All you have to do is raise your hand, and we will find you something to do!

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E N E C S

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#SASEDU

Want to see your Instagram photos, tweets, or Facebook posts end up here in Crossroads?

Start using #sasedu in everything you post about the school!

#SASedu A preview from @thekapoktree of the #SASedu PTA International Fair, Saturday, February 27!

#WBD It’s Welcome Back Day #WBD at the #SASedu high school! Happening now: waffle making in advisory groups!

#eddietheeagle #sasedu #whosthemanbehindthemask And we’re back in action! We’re looking forward to an exciting semester! #eddietheeagle #sasedu #whosthemanbehindthemask

#IASAS day one! #SASedu

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#interim2016 #sasedu #capoeira Spending an Awesome Day 2 of interim semester with the best Pro MMA fighter May Ooi at Brazilian Cultural Centre #interim2016 #sasedu #capoeira

#sasedu #StudioC100 #sasesart Our visiting artist this week, Chelsea! #sasedu #StudioC100 #sasesart

#sasedu #teacherlife Was this the photo I’m supposed to post?

Field day was a blast! #sasedu #teacherlife

#makeymakey #scratch #sas_it6 #sas_ coding #sas_criticalthinking #sasedu #makeymakey #scratch and some playdoh helps us build simple circuit controllers #sas_it6 #sas_coding #sas_criticalthinking #sasedu

#iasastouch2016 #sasedu #sas_touch Coach Bond leads our pre-game talk. #iasastouch2016 #sasedu #sas_touch

Tools Band saws, drill presses, sanders, cordless screw guns, handheld jigsaws, and much more!

Storage Bins Filled with Legos, screws, bolts, nuts, pulleys, Blu Tack, paper clips, wire, and more! Storage bins contain everything a student would need to rapidly prototype their ideas.

Maker Carts Thanks to gifts to the SAS Foundation, three-tiered maker carts were designed, engineered, and built by students for storage and transportation of maker materials.

CAPTIVATING CLASSROOMS For 18 years, middle school technology teacher Mr. Jim Diebley has been innovating with his classroom and his curriculum. Much of the space, from the bright yellow walls and oversized storage units to the library style accordion shelves, was conceptualized and created by Mr. Diebley. His classroom is the ultimate tinkering space where students learn to turn big ideas into tangible products.

Self-Made Posters Quotes from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world line the walls encouraging students to tinker, fail, adjust, and then keep trying.

3D Printer Middle school students learn to design using modeling software and bring their ideas to life using a 3D printer.

ert Helm b o e .R

I have acrophobia.

gh Curnet .5 Lei

t

Clara Fong is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program.

Clara enjoys reading about current events, eating home-cooked food, and practicing fencing in her free time.

f.

I was super short all through high school and only had my growth spurt in university. I was 4’8” and weighed less than 100 lbs when I graduated from high school.

Match each SAS teacher to a fun fact about them! Turn the page over for answers when you’re done to see if you were correct.

No cheating!

E.

e

7.

M

G.

lH ci hae ardi

ng

I have a facial scar that I got while working my first teaching job.

a.

r

Sandy Bala is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program. Sandy enjoys photography, writing and travelling to new places.

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By Sandhya Bala and Clara Fong Communications Interns

sie Buran

t

NAME THAT TEACHER!

.1 Jes

I graduated from JIS and I was an IASAS softball player, competing against (and defeating!) SAS at SAS.

10.B

5.D

9.G

4.E

8.F

3.A

7.H

2.J

6.C

1.I

ANSWERS

B. I yell at my family to clean the house and put away all sharp objects before Chinese New Year. I also threaten to abandon them if they break anything during Chinese New Year because that’s bad luck for the new year!

2.

n Cuthb e

C.

rt

I went to the wrong country by accident.

ephen Ly

D.

H.

.9 Betsy Hall

I used to be a fireman.

on

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be vine-ripened tomatoes.

yley Anders a H

6.

4.St

so i l A

J. I left Canada right after graduating University to teach in Monterrey, Mexico at a US school there.

ul a .8 Urs Pong

s

i.

I am on a mission to complete all the AJ Hackett bungy jumps in the world.

I’ve jumped off the highest one, measuring 233 meters (764 feet), not once but twice! I’ve also jumped in Cairns, Australia and Queenstown, New Zealand.

Next up is Singapore, once it opens later this year!

ck i R o g e r i V .

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NOTABLE MENTIONS

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LE TOUR DE SINGAPORE

The National Integration Council funded SAS high school junior Gabriella Zhao’s event “Le Tour De Singapore,” a cycling treasure hunt at Gardens by the Bay on February 28 that was part of Gabriella’s United Singapore initiative. The event gave a voice to the thoughts and opinions of international students in Singapore who answered 35 thoughtprovoking questions regarding the importance of national identity. The camera footage collected with the student answers will be edited into an inspirational clip set to be published

by Mediacorp. Singapore American School students attended the event as international youth delegates.

AUTHOR STEVE SHEINKIN WORKS WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Steve Sheinkin shared his research techniques and more with our students during his time as the author-in-residence in the middle school. Students and parents were treated to a presentation one evening as Sheinkin talked about his most recent nonfiction book, Most Dangerous. Thank you to the PTA for providing our students with these incredible opportunities to work with talented and successful authors as part of the author-in-residence program.

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SAS PARTICIPATES IN THE VEX ROBOTICS TOURNAMENT

SAS Robotics Club competed in the VEX Robotics Tournament at Taipei American School along with 35 other robotics teams.

The SAS team entered three robots in preliminary rounds, and one of our robots qualified for one of eight playoff spots. SAS was narrowly eliminated by TAS 2-1 in a best-of-three event in the first round of playoffs, making a final ranking of number five. Great progress from three years ago when the SAS team arrived at TAS to compete with one semifunctioning robot!

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SEVENTH GRADERS COLLECT CHANGE FOR CHANGE

With the support of Mr. Craig Derksen, seventh grade social studies students involved in Change For Change donated over S$4,500 this year and currently have issued 110 loans to entrepreneurs in 57 countries around the world. They donated Thai baht to the Operation Smile non-governmental organization that helps children with cleft palates. Hong Kong dollars were donated to Opportunity International to support disadvantaged entrepreneurs, Malaysian ringgit was donated to an International School of Kuala Lumpur service event for SUKA Society and Circus Kathmandu in support of victims of trafficking in Asia, and Chinese yuan was donated to some SAS custodians for their low-income relatives in China.

Indonesian rupiah, arts and crafts supplies, and T-shirts went to Side by Side, a community building organization in Bali that focuses on sustainable organic food production. Indian rupees benefited Gramshree that supports the social and economic empowerment of women.

Mixed banknotes that converted to over S$500 went towards the African Education Trust. School supplies and children’s books were donated to a village in the Philippines supported by our high school Gawad Kalinga service club. Most of the remaining change will be donated to the following organizations: Transient Workers Count Too, Care Corner Singapore, Wish for Kids (an SAS service club involved in community building in Cebu, Philippines), Gawad Kalinga, Tabitha Foundation Cambodia, Kiva microloans, and other worthy causes. Donations of Singaporean or foreign change, used clothes, and other items are always welcome at M327 in the middle school.

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ALLIED PICKFORDS SINGAPORE 2016 DESKTOP CALENDAR ART COMPETITION

Rebecca N. (second grade) and Anna C. (fifth grade) are winners of the Allied Pickfords Singapore 2016 Desktop Calendar Art Competition.

Their art was featured on a calendar page for one month and on the cover of the Allied Pickfords school calendar respectively, and they also took home Toys “R” Us vouchers.

Well done!

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6

HIGH SCHOOLERS TO ATTEND IASAS CULTURAL CONVENTION IN ART

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SAS IASAS CULTURAL CONVENTION DELEGATES

High schoolers Satori Chang, Claire Freeman, Nadia Koolina, Isla Myles and Naomi Stock are representing SAS in Taipei for the IASAS Cultural Convention in art. All five will have completed the triple crown of all three AP art courses at the end of the year. They will have roughly one hundred works of art completed during their time at SAS, and will get to represent the Eagle Way in Taipei as they have demonstrated it here in school.

Congratulations!

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CANCER AWARENESS RUN

The annual SAS Cancer Awareness Run was held on campus on December 18, the last day of school before winter break. The peer counsel and its Cancer Awareness Run planning committee leaders and friends helped to sell silicone bands and ribbons, with all proceeds going towards Johns Hopkins University cancer research.

Many SAS students will also be representing our school at the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools cultural convention in dance, drama and technical theater, debate, forensics, band, strings, piano, and choir this March.

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SERVICE LEARNING GURU CATHRYN BERGER KAYE VISITS SAS From January 21 to 29, international service learning and education consultant and author Ms. Cathryn Berger Kaye visited SAS teachers, students, and administrators. Known for her work in service learning, civic responsibility, student leadership, high level literacy, respectful school communities, engaging teaching methods, and environmental sustainability, Ms. Kaye shared her tips on how to lead service learning programs, networking, leadership training, project research, and to connect academics and service learning in the SAS community.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COACH WINS 21ST CENTURY LEARNING INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL INNOVATION AWARD

Educational technology coach Tara Linney won the 2015-16 21st Century Learning International Global Innovation Award sponsored by Pearson for Innovative Educational Coaching, beating out hundreds of educators from 26 countries. Linney was chosen as this year’s winner for her case study work on how coding impacts student learning, and her collaborative work with multiple school departments in launching iTime, a student-led inquiry project throughout all of fourth grade.

Initial results from her research show that students involved in coding can pick up certain academic skills such as geometry principles faster than their non-coding peers, in addition to social skills such as resilience, iteration, collaboration, and communication.

Linney says, “By exposing students to coding activities at a young age, we’re preparing them for success in a future filled with possibility. When we give students a choice in what and how they want to learn, we’re also giving them a voice.”

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THIRD GRADER JOINS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHOIR

Third-grader Max M. was chosen to be in the Singapore Lyric Opera Children's Choir in 2015. Max performed with the Singapore Lyric Opera in their performance of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci at the Esplanade, and will be performing with the Lyric Opera again on June 6, 2016 in Opera in the Park at the Botanic Gardens. Congratulations, Max!

Photo from Patricia Makatsaria

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IASAS RUGBY AND TOUCH RUGBY AT ISM

The rugby and touch rugby tournaments were played at International School Manila due to recent public safety events in Jakarta.

In the finals, the SAS girls’ touch rugby team lost against The International School of Kuala Lumpur 1-3 and won 3-2 when playing for third against International School Bangkok, ending with a bronze medal. Boys’ rugby lost to ISKL 10-31 and won against ISB 50-0, finishing in fifth place.

Photo from Patricia Makatsaria

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LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL PEACE POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

For the second year in a row, SAS had four winners at this year’s Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest, including the Singapore grand champion. Ji Woo B. (eighth grade) won the grand prize of S$500 for her peace poster, and Elana M. (seventh grade) won first runner up and second cash prize of S$300 for her entry. Joyce F. (eighth grade) and Vidya S. (sixth grade) were both finalists in the competition and each won S$100 for their entries.

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14

SILVER WIN AT IASAS TENNIS AT ISB

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SWIM RECORDS BROKEN AT IASAS

Our SAS girls’ tennis team played in the finals against ISM, coming home with the silver. Jessica Webster and Alysia Chang earned All-IASAS honors. The SAS boys’ tennis team came in fifth.

The boys' SAS swimming team ranked third overall, and the SAS girls ranked in first place with 759 points, nearly double the score of second place.

Our Eagles dominated much of the three day event. In the 4x100 IM relay, the boys team of Vincent Liu, Cobi Lopez Miro, Kevin Clydesdale, and anchored by Zachery Goldwax landed themselves gold medals. Our girls team Hanna Chuang, Hadley Ackerman, Ellie Wargo and Molly Clark finished things up scoring our Eagles another gold while breaking the IASAS record by nearly 10 seconds!

The girls 4x100 relay led by Caitlin Loi, and Meagan Clark, Kaitlyn Ritchey, and anchored by Harley Lopez Miro broke an IASAS record of 4:00.00 with their own time of 3:59.73 in an exciting finale to the three day event.

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Our IASAS basketball teams came home with double gold! The girls won 40-38 against ISM in the finals and the boys defeated JIS (56-37). The lady Eagles won 40-38 against ISM with the help of Nicole Cook, who scored 11 points while a twopointer from Kara Kidwell, clinched their win in overtime. The girls are now back to back IASAS champions. For the boys, Damion Gillespie II scored 16 points, helping the Eagles notch a 56-37 victory over JIS.

DOUBLE GOLD AT IASAS BASKETBALL AT ISKL

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NATIONAL DANCE ASSOCIATION HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION

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U10 GIRLS’ SOCCER TEAM WIN GOLD AT TOURNAMENT

On January 30, our U10 and U11 soccer teams participated in the Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools season two tournament.

U10 boys’ soccer (division two): bronze U10 girls’ soccer (division two): gold (pictured) U10 boys’ soccer (division one): fifth place U10 girls’ soccer (division one): bronze U11 boys’ soccer (division one): eighth place U11 girls’ soccer (division one): fifth place

Congratulations to the following high school students on their induction to the National Dance Association Honor Society: Francesca Martone Frances van Vuuren Sasha Mison Nicole Junkévits Mina Mayo-Smith Janna Agustin David Lu Hugo Rubin Jaclyn Chan Jessica Zhu Sophie Anderson Maile Wong Ines Cernuda Alonso Hannah Bradshaw Diya Vuthandam Natalie Bernardo Christen Yu Emilia Muniz

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MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVICE AT GAWAD KALINGA VILLAGE Singapore American School middle schoolers spent time with children at Hugo Perez Bayanihan Gawad Kalinga Village in the Philippines in January.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BASKETBALL SHOOT-OUT CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to our elementary school boys and girls basketball shoot-out champions!

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Fifth grade girls’ placements Winner: Alicia N. (Ms. Reighley) First runner-up: Samantha W. (Mrs. Meredith) Second runner-up: Alisa W. (Mrs. Curnett) Fifth grade boys’ placements Winner: Keith B. (Ms. Kim) First runner-up: Avi K. (Ms. Kim) Second runner-up: Leyton S. (Mr. DeMichele) Fourth grade girls’ placements Winner: Justine M. (Ms. Van Gasse) First runner-up: Lavanya S. (Ms. Harter) Second runner-up: Elena S. (Mrs. Brinton)

Fourth grade boys’ placements Winner: Evan D. (Mrs. Brinton) First runner-up: Justin C. (Mrs. Koehler-Smith) Second runner-up: Arthur C. (Mrs. Christiansen)

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ACSIS 14U VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS

The 14U volleyball season concluded with our girls’ A and B teams winning the ACSIS championships in division one and division two. Pictured are the A girls in their blue uniforms with their ACSIS medals and shield. The equally proud B team in red have great smiles for their hard-fought victory.

The boys’ A team won silver and the boys’ B team won fourth place to also have a strong finish to their season. Other season 2 middle school sports included swimming, 14U soccer, and 12U girls’ basketball.

Congratulations!

Third grade girls’ placements Winner: Sara D. (Ms. Hookyaas) First runner-up: Jae Eun K. (Ms. Selvie) Second runner-up: Carolina C. (Mr. Gray) Third grade boys’ placements Winner: Rohit K. (Mrs. Denver) First runner-up: Aryan P. (Mrs. Rigg-Anderson) Second runner-up: Miguel L. (Mr. Gray)

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ACADEMIC VISITOR-INRESIDENCE COURTNEY CAMPBELL

Award-winning singer, storyteller, writer and musician Courtney Campbell visited our elementary school from February 1012. Working with and performing for our preschool to grade five students, she also held an interactive parent-teacher workshop about storytelling. Thanks to the ParentTeacher Association for sponsoring Ms. Courtney’s visit.

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SOUTH EAST ASIAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION TEAM PLACES FIRST

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SAS BASEBALLERS IN THE THF CLASSIC

In the February THF Classic youth baseball and softball tournament hosted in Singapore, SAS’s 10U team came in as runners-up in their championship game against the Hong Kong All-Stars. Our 10U team were also baserunning skill challenge champions.

Congratulations to our 12U team for winning their championship game against the tough THF Black team in the tournament. The 12U division most valuable player for THF Classic 2016 is SAS’s Cole Conneen. SAS’s Cal Galicia was named the tournament’s best pitcher.

On February 27, two SAS teams competed in the South East Asian Mathematics Competition. Team two comprising Sam Liew (individual sixteenth place), Andrew Fu (individual twelfth place), and Jihwan Choi (individual fiftieth place) took third place overall and team one comprising Soumil Mukherjee (individual second place), Annie Kim (individual eleventh place), and Rohan Jasani (individual ninth place) took first overall again, beating 300 students from 40 schools in Southeast Asia.

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SCIENCE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY Congratulations to the following students who were inducted into the Science National Honor Society on February 23:

Saif Kureishi Jong Hyun Cha Ruth Jaensubhakij Devansh Tandon Chloe Shin-Gay Sushmit Dutta Emile Morin Serra Erdamar Tara Aggarwal Nidhi Verma Tanvi Dutta Gupta Faisal Halabeya Andrew Fu Annie Kim Lufei Wang Jacob Uy

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Robert Meeks Maegan George Katherine Enright Will Mundy Drew Suranjan Connor Mayberry Jisoo Kim Ansh Prasad Buechel Taylor Kianna Broadman Rachel Cristol Rohan Sahu Ana Katarina Stein Vrbanic Kay Kwon Yoon Namgoong

Soumil Mukherjee Jaclyn Chan Jihwan Choi Vijayendra Jagtap Seoyeon Kim Anyatama Makur Kaitlyn Ritchey Elizabeth Su Louis Gordon Freddie Shanel Alex Chu Jayhyun Chang Pakhi Gupta Hongyi Lee Sandhya Bala Jordan Shanel

Robert Law Keshav Jagannath Philip Jung Jennifer Jung Alice Zhou Luke Zhang Seung Hee Sung Arjun Chaliha Udai Khattar Anika Khanderia Toorno Mishra Anya Parekh Zoe Ong Angela Lee Diya Vuthandam

NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PROJECTS The following middle school students presented their National History Day projects at the NHD Exposition 2016 at the SAS middle school library on February 24.

The White Rajahs: Exploring the Unification of Contrasting Cultures Junior Group Exhibit Chloe B. Evelyn Z. Christine Y. The Apollo-Soyuz Mission: Launching a Unified Exchange Junior Group Exhibit Callie E. Tara A. Mehek J. Trinity Y. The Great Indian Partition: 1 Land, 2 Countries, 390 Million People Junior Group Exhibit Zhirou G. Friyana C.

The Life of North Korean Defectors Junior Group Exhibit Jacqueline S. Patricia G. Ushmil S. Little Rock Nine: Encountering the Boundaries of School Segregation Junior Group Exhibit Sophia H. Isabelle S. Potsdam: An Exchange Between Nations Junior Individual Website Sarim A. Syonan Years in Singapore: Encounter with Japanese Imperialism Junior Group Website Sean S. Michael K.

Japonaism: The Exchange of Art between Japan and France Junior Individual Documentary Meera P. Music during the Holocaust: Encountering Hope within the Horror Junior Group Documentary Jack W. Sanjana R. Jewish European Immigrants to America: A Critical Exchange in US History Junior Group Documentary Lauren L. Jenny P. Joy J.

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WORD ON THE STREET If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

By Sandhya Bala and Clara Fong Communications Interns Sandy Bala is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program. Sandy enjoys photography, writing and travelling to new places.

Clara Fong is a junior at Singapore American School and a member of the SAS Communications and Alumni Relations Work Study Program.

Clara enjoys reading about current events, eating home-cooked food, and practicing fencing in her free time.

SONIA K. 9TH GRADE

Being able to fly.

ALEXIS M. 12TH GRADE

To be able to read people's minds and know their judgements.

ARIANA M. 4TH GRADE

Teleportation, to go home.

MILES H. 4TH GRADE

Invisibility, so I can get away from math.

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MAJA S. 4TH GRADE

JP G. 1ST GRADE

TIKA S. 8TH GRADE

Breathing fire, because I love dragons.

Shapeshifting, so I can go through walls, or change into something small.

Invisibility, because sometimes I feel like running away from my problems.

ROHIT K. 3RD GRADE

JAMES G. 2ND GRADE

ZACH H. 6TH GRADE

Super speed, because I would like to get around to places faster.

All of them.

The power to stick to a wall with gluing powers.

40 WOODLANDS STREET 41 SINGAPORE 738547 PHONE: (65) 6363 3403 WEB: WWW.SAS.EDU.SG QUESTIONS? EMAIL US AT COMMUNICATIONS@SAS.EDU.SG CPE Registration Number: 196400340R Registration Period: 22 June 2011 to 21 June 2017 Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)