Why Do Educators Love Working at SAS?

Visit the

SAS PTA online store

to purchase school spirit items

Uniform-approved zipper jackets

Gifts and accessories

Hats and umbrellas

Spirit socks and shirts forRed Out Friday

And much, much more! http://sasptastore.myshopify.com/ Booster Club

S P I R I T S A L E

Visit us at https://sasboosterstore.com/

We ship internationally!

MightY Eagles Back in Action!

By

DIDI HARI KRISHNAN

Communications Writer

Singapore American School student athletes have resumed training for games, and members of our community have been welcomed back on campus to cheer on our mighty Eagles as they compete! After two years of no games on campus due to the pandemic, sports facilities at SAS are finally buzzing with excitement! Throughout this rollercoaster year, our students have shown their resilience and determination to keep things going—a true embodiment of the Eagle Way. There is so much to look forward to next year, and we hope all members of our community will join us in supporting our student athletes. Go Eagles!

I felt freedom, like I had been trapped in a cage for these past two years, as we could only practice and only dream about playing games, but now that dream came true! Even though we are only participating in friendly games and not tournaments, it's still a great feeling to be playing again after almost two years! Thank you to the coaches and staff who made this possible for us!

WILLIAM F., EIGHTH GRADE SOCCER

I felt nervous that I would forget how to play, but even after two years, I was grateful and happy to play again. I’m looking forward to refining my skills and learning new tactics on the field.

CHARLOTTE P., EIGHTH GRADE SOCCER

The only games I have played in two years were small-sided basketball games. I was rather excited about being able to compete with different players.

MANUEL R., SIXTH GRADE BASKETBALL

Without a doubt, our end-of-season tournament in March was a standout moment for me during my final years on the soccer team. Having been largely impacted by the pandemic from the end of my tenth grade year onwards, the tournament was a true culmination of all of the hard work and perseverance that had been displayed over the past years by the players, coaches, athletics team, and everyone involved in the sporting program. Being given the opportunity to play a multi-day, multi-match tournament against other schools brought back a sense of competitive spirit and normality that sparked such positivity and joy in everyone in the soccer program and truly wrote a wonderful final chapter in my journey as a high school soccer player—I could not be more grateful!

LIAM MURGATROYD, TWELFTH GRADE SOCCER

It felt like the world was normal again. Over the past two years, only being able to play in pods of five, the sense of playing as a team, the bond between players, the intensity and the love for the game were fading. However, stepping onto the field again, seeing the same faces with me as in Manila during our last IASAS, with the same intensity and desire to win, my love for the game was relit. It was, however, also heartbreaking since with every game, I came one game closer to playing my last game as an Eagle.

LEENA GOPALA, TWELFTH GRADE SOCCER

A highlight this year has been the exciting changes that allow us to play soccer games as a team, and finally test how much we have grown, and what we can do better. As long as I can play these games, I know I have something to look forward to in the future.

VICTORIA S., EIGHTH GRADE SOCCER

It has been amazing to see our son Ollie competing again on the SAS basketball team against other schools. He loves the sense of competition and camaraderie that these games bring, and it's great to see that big smile return again on game days.

MICHAEL BUCHHOLZ, PARENT

It was surreal but at the same time very natural, like my team was meant to be there. I was very nervous playing the game at first, but after settling in, I began to remember what it was like to play an actual game with my team and just getting back into that dynamic and watching people jump around and have fun was amazing.

HENRY WONG, TWELFTH GRADE VOLLEYBALL

For many players, this was the first time in years that they got to test and grow their skills under tournament conditions and all of them rose to the challenge. From day one to day three, you could see them grow as individuals and a team under the careful direction of Coach Oscar. They left with so many new opportunities to improve.

Equally important, everyone got to spend time together again in unrestricted groups after the games. This would’ve been special on its own but the fact that it came on the back of Singapore’s eased restrictions made it a celebration on more levels. We all felt grateful to be able to be a community again.

In short, the tournament was a huge success and a well-appreciated time away for the 12U White Eagles Baseball Team.

RASHMI DALAI, PARENT

The approval to operate under the vaccination-differentiated safe management measures is a giant leap forward in terms of facilitating sport within our community, and I am very appreciative of the Singapore government for providing this opportunity for our school. Seeing games with officials, fans, players, and coaches all doing what they love is incredibly uplifting. I realize what we have been missing for so long, and it is a tremendous boost in morale for our entire community to be able to enjoy sport again in a manner to which we are more accustomed. Hopefully, we will continue to make positive steps forward in providing our students with the opportunity to do what they enjoy.

JARED BILDFELL, MIDDLE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

By

CARA D'AVANZO

Communications Writer

INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL COURSES: COURSES:

RECENT GRADS REFLECT

Five years ago, Singapore American School made a commitment to expand and strengthen the innovative course options available to high school students. This decision grew out of curricular review findings, re-accreditation process feedback, and the school’s research and development initiative. Since then, we have created around 20 Advanced Topic (AT) courses, Catalyst has become a graduation requirement, and the Quest program has been developed. These courses are all designed to expand students’ choices, deepen their learning experiences, and help them prepare for college, employment, and life in the 21st century. They encourage students to delve into topics of personal interest while engaging in project-based learning, building networking and organizational skills, and investigating the real-life implications of what they are studying.

We asked some recent SAS graduates to comment on how our innovative programming has affected them in their transition to university studies. They attended our high school as these courses were phased in, and they took full advantage of them in their final years at SAS. Their reflections provide insight into how our innovative courses affected them while at SAS and continue to benefit them today.

Eunah Jo, class of 2021

Currently at Harvard University, I plan to major in social studies or economics, with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies, and on the pre-law track. AT Seminar (tenth grade) and AT Research (eleventh grade) were both indescribably valuable to me—so valuable, I became a teaching assistant to AT Seminar as an SAS senior! These classes offered the freedom to explore while learning essential critical thinking and practical research and writing skills.

Often, friends from these classes text me messages like, "This class is so easy because of Sem/Research" or "Sem/Research were such blessings in disguise." As you can tell, you will struggle a little in these classes—but you grow SO much through that. And there is a support system of instructors and students who came before you, who are always willing to help out.

I see the benefits in almost every class I take here. Our required first-year writing class encapsulates many AT skills, such as research-based arguments, synthesis, and commentary. My AT courses helped me be at ease and focus on the intellectual exploration of the topic—domestic labor—rather than worrying about writing my essays. I was so used to the peer-feedback element, my instructor here told me she appreciated how I give feedback in specific, nuanced ways! From policy memos to presentations to job interviews, my experiences in AT Seminar and Research have been applicable, relevant, and necessary.

Mihika Iyer, class of 2021

I am now attending Boston University with a biochemistry and molecular biology major and a math minor. At SAS, I really enjoyed AT Environmental Science (ATES) and AT Historical Inquiry. The latter had many close similarities to the discussion-based classes I’m taking in college. Historical Inquiry with Mr. Matt Hughes taught me the most about inquiry and research, which has been the best preparation for college research papers. ATES with Mr. Steve Early was also similar to my less-stressful STEM discussions, but it was Mr. Early's passion that characterizes some of my favorite college professors. Finally, AT Computational Physics has been helpful with project-based learning in college.

For my Catalyst project, I worked to learn more about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and gain first-hand experience understanding the ASD community in Singapore. I'm currently working at a non-profit educational center as a math and science tutor, helping at-risk and educationally challenged students thrive. A lot of what I've learned through Catalyst has been incredibly helpful in this experience.

Hannah Joe, class of 2021

I am currently studying biochemistry at Imperial College London. For my Catalyst project, I was interested in urban farming, especially hydroponics. Therefore, while Catalyst was a mandatory course, I saw it as an opportunity to pursue my own interests. My Catalyst inquiry asked, "How can I educate those interested about hydroponics systems and about how to build one?"

Through exploring my interests in building a hydroponics system, teaching others, and learning more about the underlying science, I realized this was a field I wanted to pursue in university. Catalyst was an experience that helped guide my educational career. In terms of academic skills necessary in university, I find there is a lot of outside reading and research required, and I believe Catalyst helped me develop an eye for discerning which types of material to read and gain knowledge from. I am currently at Northwestern University majoring in computer science. Two of my favorite SAS courses were AT Linear Algebra and AT Multivariable Calculus. Although challenging at first, I found them extremely applicable to the real world, which pushed me toward a final project I was very proud of: I used linear algebra to find the best properties on the Monopoly board! At Northwestern, both courses have been helpful in my introductory engineering classes and my current research position, which focuses on computer vision and machine learning. Because I already have a basic grasp of the material, I can get to the more complex and interesting work more quickly.

My Catalyst inquiry involved helping a small middle school in Kerala, India, find sustainable ways to improve their science department’s resources. I raised over US$3,000 so the school could buy new supplies like microscopes and beakers, as well as more basic things like better lighting, a projector, and a laptop. I also researched best practices in teaching science to middle school-aged children.

As an engineer and a researcher, it’s important to be self-driven. Teachers and superiors are not going to remind you about things—you have your own projects and you have to figure out how to get them done, how to access appropriate resources, and how to network to find experts who can help. My Catalyst experience prepared me for the independence of college.