Singapore American School Newsflash, May 2011

MICA (P)107/09/2010

A Singapore American School community service publication

May 2011 Volume 13, Issue 7-10/11

Math Problem Solvers

By Susan Shaw GATE Coordinator

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oodlands Post Office sells only two kinds of stamps: 5 cent stamps and 7 cent stamps. What are the amounts of postage that can NOT be made using 5 cent and 7 cent stamps? Explain your answer.

This is a great example of the problem solving required of students in an SAS elementary classroom. Observing students as they solve problems provides teachers with valuable insight into how students learn math, what math knowledge they already

Highlights 8

have, and what math skills they need to further develop.

Problem solving is embedded in the SAS school wide math curriculum.

As the GATE math teacher in the Intermediate School, I believe it is important that my students are appropriately challenged, especially in problem solving. Students are taught specific strategies such as use or make a table, write an organized list, use or look for a pattern, draw a Continued on page 4

The Ultimate Science Education

16 My Language Journey

31 Young Entrepenuers

Editor’s Note

Confessions of a Math Geek

By Tamara Black Assoc. Dir. of Communications

I

have a confession. I’m a math geek. Have been since first grade when I found out why six is afraid of seven. I discovered that there is something gratifying about knowing–and being able to prove–that an answer is correct.

However, what I enjoy most about math isn’t solving a problem, but rather it’s discovering the many ways there are to arrive at the solution.

While I’ve always enjoyed playing with numbers, I fell in love with math as a student in Mrs. Penny’s third grade class. Thanks to a terrific teacher, I acquired a rock solid foundation in math facts and computational skills. But Mrs. Penny took our class beyond rote memorization by encouraging us to talk about math and think about how it affected our lives. She challenged us to work forward along a path to solve a problem, and then wend our way backward to find alternate routes to the solution. Math under Mrs. Penny’s tutelage was an adventure.

I’m excited that this month’s NewsFlash offers a series of articles that highlight math at Singapore American School.

You’ll read about students who excel at math challenges (page 4) and students who are passionate about sharing their math skills with other students (page 6). You’ll also learn about the curriculum review process for our math program and how current research informs and supports student learning.

This issue of NewsFlash also shares stories about how terrific teachers make learning an adventure for their students every day. On pages 8 and 9 you can read about the transformation that science has undergone in our elementary grades and how SAS teachers are sharing our program with educators around the world. You’ll learn about a primary teacher’s journey to learn Chinese (page 16) and the impact it has had on his career and his life, and the impact that families have had on helping sophomores become who they are today (page 22). This is just a sampling of the inspiring articles you’ll find inside these covers, and I hope you take the time to read them all.

You know the answer to the old joke, right? Why is six afraid of seven? It’s because seven eight nine!

While I might be a math geek, I’m also a bit of a word nerd. And this joke makes me giggle every time.

Contents Regular Features 3

From the Superintendent’s Office

12

Booster Club News

25

From the SAS PTA

Highlights 5

SAS Math Review and Renewal

11

Enhanced Language Learning in K-5

19

SAS Teacher Awarded Golden Hand Award

23

Bringing Service to Vietnam

33

Visiting Author Linda Sue Park

35

14th Annual SAS Music Festival

NewsFlash is published monthly during the academic year except September and January by the communications office of Singapore American School.

It is distributed free of charge to the parents, faculty members and organizations served by the school. We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School.

Editor: Tamara Black, Associate Director of Communications Layout Design: Alfi Dino Photography: Karen Cortezano

Contacts General Inquiries and Comments communications@sas.edu.sg NewsFlash Submissions Tamara Black, tblack@sas.edu.sg Deadline for NewsFlash submissions is the first of the month prior to the proposed month of publication.

Singapore American School 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547 Tel: 6360-6303 www.sas.edu.sg NewsFlash is printed on 100% recycled paper.

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From the Superintendent’s Office

By Brent Mutsch, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

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e are quickly coming to the end of another year dedicated to learning at Singapore American School. With the special focus on math in this issue of NewsFlash, I am inspired to think about how we might use numbers to tell the story of what we’ve accomplished over the course of the past year. For example, here are a few interesting statistics about 2010-11: 3,878 students, an all-time high, are enrolled at SAS; 3,076 students ride school buses each day, creating a bus ballet at both the beginning and end of the day;

1,877 personal wireless devices daily connect to the school network; 1,020 purple pens have been purchased at the SAS book room; 523,000 meals will have been served school wide by the end of the year; 1,160 journeys were completed to 32 countries during high school Interim; 1,323 fans Like the SAS Facebook page; and 596 faculty and staff have been involved in providing each student with an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective.

While each one of these statistics tells a piece of the story, within each statistic is yet another story waiting to be told, and none more so than within the last. The passion and commitment our 596 faculty and staff bring to their roles are unparalleled, and their dedication to SAS plays a vital part in creating the strong sense of community for which we are known.

Another interesting statistic is that teachers stay at SAS for an average of seven years, and many stay much longer than that. Take for example Michael Cox, one of our high school chemistry teachers, who is retiring after 30 years of dedicated service to the SAS community at the conclusion of this year. If we look more closely at Michael’s tenure, we find the numbers are quite impressive. Over the course of his time at SAS, he facilitated students’ learning for approximately 5,160 days, which represents approximately 28,380 hours of instruction.

knowledge and understandings can help to address a number of the issues confronting society today. They also came away from their time with Michael having been in the presence of someone who consistently modeled an abiding commitment to being of service to others.

But equally impressive to the extraordinary care with which Michael approached his interaction with students is this same level of commitment across the SAS campus, from faculty and staff who are concluding their first year to those completing their 30th year or more. To all of our faculty and staff, and to all of our parents, students and friends who are committed to providing an exemplary education to each child at SAS, I thank you. All of us working together have made 2010-11 a year that goes well beyond the numbers to shape a culture defined by the nature and quality of our interactions as a community of learners.

passion and “ The commitment our SAS faculty and staff bring to their roles are unparalleled.

“

848,700 miles are traveled annually by those school buses;

Even more impressive are the 6,600 students who benefitted from their day to day interactions with Michael. They came away from his classes with a deeper understanding not only of chemistry, but of how chemistry relates to the world around them and how their

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Continued from front cover picture, and so on that they can use to solve different kinds of math problems. Students are encouraged to work together, share strategies, explain how they solved their problems, and also explain how they know their solutions are correct.

Mental math plays a key role in problem solving, and participating in World Maths Day, held annually on March 1st, gives students practice in a competition format. Students compete against others from around the world via the Internet as they work through five levels of mental math problems. They are highly motivated by the real time aspect of the competition as they type their solutions madly into their computers while simultaneously keeping track of competitors’ scores.

In this year’s competition, SAS fourth grader Andrew Li finished first in Singapore in his age group and was awarded a medal from the Singaporean event organizer.

In addition, the fourth grade math class placed third out of Singapore schools for the same age group, so it was a very proud moment for all, including the teacher, who believes that the emphasis on problem solving in the classroom helped Andrew to achieve this high level of success.

Speaking of success—have you solved the stamp problem yet? Please email your solutions to sshaw@sas.edu.sg.

World Maths Day

by Susan Shaw’s GATE Math Students Fingers fly across the number pad. Once in a while, a hand can be seen pouncing on the mouse like a lion on its prey. Shouts of “3, 2, 1… GO!” can be heard.

“Can I go against you?” echoes through the room Groans and cheers mingle together in the roar, “I beat you!” “What?! Fourth place?”

World Maths Day is an event we will never forget, and we are proud to say we participated along with 1,298,834 students from 22,785 schools and 212 countries. We competed on five different levels of mental math facts for a total of 100 one-minute games. We played online against students from around the world in real time. It was a great deal of fun and we practiced math facts at the same time.

This year’s event was particularly exciting as Andrew Li (grade 4) was first out of all the students competing in Singapore in his age group. David Liu, regional manager of Mathletics in Singapore, presented Andrew with his medal at an assembly on March 30. The grade 4 GATE Math class placed third out of all the schools in Singapore.

Anyone can compete in World Maths Day, even adults. Sign up to play at www.worldmathsday.com.

A Question of Math

By Bharath Srivatsan Grade 9 Student

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e emerged from the arrival doors of Brunei International Airport as a closely-knit group, the six of us ignoring all of the other schools that were grouping together. Disregarding all welcoming signs and people, we walked calmly over to Delifrance and bought ourselves croissants. Yes, we were the two math teams from SAS, and from the beginning we were different from the 77 other teams participating in the South East Asian Mathematics Competition (SEAMC).

Our relaxed attitude soon got attention from a challenge from the sponsor of Hwa Chong Institution. From that moment, the trip was no longer a valorous yet perhaps hopeless attempt at the trophy but instead a battlefield on which to beat Hwa Chong. From the first morning until the last evening we were faced with round after round of math with brief periods of food (and Minecraft) in between. The number of rounds in the competition was huge, with individual rounds, a team round, an activities carousel, a pass-back round and much more.

As a participant, I can firmly say that many of the questions were ridiculously confusing. I remember

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

sitting at the back of the hall for the team round with my teammates puzzling over Jim’s age, or the area of Fred’s farm. Tanvi Ahuja, Christina Lee, and I (Bharath Srivatsan) made up Team Ramanujan, while Han Joon Byun, Kei Hyogo, and Winston Yoo worked together in Team Erdos. Perhaps Team Ramanujan’s skill at building bridges made of spaghetti paid off as we placed 12th, with Erdos coming 39th.

Considering that there were over 230 participants, SAS did remarkably well in the individual rounds. I placed 13th, Winston Yoo came in 38th, and Christina Lee at 54th. From the fighting on the math floor to the long nights solving long term questions, and from the Pythagorean play at the beach to the grand gala dinner, SEAMC was a great experience for all.

SAS Math Review and Renewal

By Jennifer Sparrow Director of Assessment

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he purpose of mathematics education is to nurture an ongoing appreciation, enthusiasm, and curiosity for mathematics. Our goal is for all students to learn how to effectively use mathematics for personal and real life applications. In addition, they should be prepared for the demands of a changing, global, technological society where new careers and new knowledge are continually being created.

The SAS mathematics program supports student growth through the development of: 1.

Strong mathematical problem-solving and reasoning abilities both individually and cooperatively;

2.

A firm grounding in essential mathematical concepts and skills, including computation and estimation;

3.

Connections within mathematics and with other disciplines;

4.

The ability to use appropriate tools including technology to solve mathematical problems;

5.

The ability to communicate understanding of mathematics effectively; and

6.

Positive attitudes about mathematics.

Even though the K-12 mathematics program at SAS is strong by standardized assessment indicators, it is acknowledged that every community of educators, regardless of field or specialization, can benefit from continuing to be well informed about current research findings. In mathematics education, considerable research exists to inform teachers and administrators about teaching and learning mathematics.

During the 2011-12 school year, SAS will begin its regular cycle of review of the current mathematics program by studying research to answer the following questions: In light of the fact that 44 U.S. states have adopted the newly released Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS) as their curricular framework (with four more states pending approval), what might be implications for the SAS curriculum and programs?

What are some approaches to math assessment that would give teachers a more comprehensive understanding of student achievement and growth in math concepts and processes?

Looking both at the U.S. and internationally, what are research-based best practices in teaching of mathematics for students and to what degree are these practices evident at SAS? What might be ways technology can better support and extend student learning in mathematics?

What are possible resources and supplementary programs that should be considered for formal review?

What might be ways to further enhance homeschool communication and/or learning within mathematics?

The answers to these questions will guide the subject area renewal process which will begin with curriculum development and resource identification in 2012-13.

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High Schoolers with a Passion for Math

By Julia Goode Math Club and Mu Alpha Theta sponsor

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ath-letes in the SAS High School have had a busy year. Whether competing, giving and listening to presentations at Math Club, helping elementary kids prepare for the math Olympiad, or tutoring others in their spare time— the students who are passionate about math use their skills to enrich themselves and the SAS community.

This year, members of Math Club and Mu Alpha Theta tutored approximately 40 students in the high school and middle school. The members’ passion for math encouraged those students for whom math does not come easily. It was a good year for math service.

In the first semester, three teams of students ages 15 and under attended the Singapore International Schools Mathematics Competition at Tanglin Trust School. Two SAS teams placed, earning second and fifth places out of the 18 teams in attendance. Our highest scoring individual was Winston Yoo, who placed third.

Last fall, eight new members were inducted into Mu Alpha Theta, the National Math Honor Society, by current members and sponsor Julie Goode. The new members are Viraj Bindra, Hyeong-Sun Cho, Joon Ho Kim, Oliver Kim, Ji Su Lee, Sonia Mirchandani, Alex SchindeleMurayam, and Yien Wu. Induction into Mu Alpha Theta is highly selective and requires scholarship, passion, and service. Members are expected to serve as peer math tutors throughout the year.

Math Club gives students opportunities to compete in international competitions. Students competed in the National Assessment and Testing 2010 Ciphering Time Trials, where our highest finisher was Sam Park in sixth place. In the NAT Fall Start-Up Event, Alex Schindeleg placed twelfth. In the Mandelbrot Competition, which is a five-test format that runs over the course of the school year, our top finisher was Sam Park who placed a commendable sixth in his division. Our top finishers by grade at SAS were Han Joon Byun (grade 9), Tanvi Ahuja (grade 10), Alex Schindele-Murayama (grade 11), and Sam Park, (grade 12). The students competed in fun and challenging team competitions throughout the year.

In the second semester, six of our top young mathematicians were chosen to attend the South East Asia Mathematics Competition in Brunei. Attending were two teams that included Tanvi Ahuja, Han Joon Byun, Kei Hyogo, Christina Lee, Bharath Srivatsa, and Winston Yoo. The teams finished in 12th and 39th place in this very difficult competition that involved 78 teams and 41 schools from 9 countries. Our top individual finisher was Bharath Srivatsan in 13th place.

The American Mathematics Contest (AMC) is held each spring in high schools all over the globe. At SAS, math

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

teachers select 120 kids to sit for either the AMC10 (grades 9 and 10) or the AMC12 (grades 11 and 12). Sam Park scored high enough to qualify for the next, more difficult level of competition—the AIME. According to Sam, “This is the fun one, because all the problems are more challenging.” He has qualified for the AIME every year since grade 8 and has been our top scorer at either the AMC10 or AMC12 each year. He has posted some pretty impressive statistics, including a perfect AMC10 in his sophomore year.

The AMC12 contest is also used as our IASAS math competition. Our varsity squad placed third in a contest decided by only 4.5 points. Sam Park earned a bronze medal individually. Other students on the IASAS varsity math team were Alex Schindele-Murayama (11), Yu Jian Wu (11), Min Jae Lee (12), Edith Enright (9). Our top competitor for the AMC10 was Tanvi Ahuja (10) who along with Alex Schindele barely missed qualifying for the AIME contest. Congratulations to all our math-letes on a very good year.

A Scientific Twist on Math Enrichment

By Wendy Liddell PS Math/Science Coordinator

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he math enrichment program in the Primary Division began five years ago as a response to the need for further mathematical challenge in problem solving for identified students. While the Everyday Mathematics program does a great job of instilling a love of math learning in our students in the regular classroom, we realized that there were some students who—through their own particular interests or competency—could benefit from a further developed math investigations session. By carefully screening those children who benefit from this additional challenge we ensure that all children in the SAS Primary Division benefit from the combination of in- and out-of-class enrichment support.

At the time of the program’s inception, the primary science lab’s inquiry-based program had been in operation for five months. It was

already apparent to us that students had an unending thirst for knowledge about the world that surrounds them.

We used this fascination with the scientific world to develop a math program that would give these very able mathematical students new methods of problem solving while embedding the heart of the program in facts and issues about the natural world.

By basing the program in scientific knowledge and linking it to the natural world and global issues, we believed these students would be exposed to two vitally important areas that would further empower them with the knowledge and awareness that they would need to take on in their roles as future caretakers of the planet.

Students begin each session by working collaboratively for 15 minutes to solve the problem of the

day, and they soon realize that three minds are more effective than one.

Erasers are discouraged as planning and note booking—whether they lead to the correct answer or not—are used as both reflection and reference.

They bounce ideas off each other and exchange different thought patterns.

The middle section of the lesson is devoted to working collectively with the math/science enrichment specialist, and pooling ideas and answers and different methods of working. During the weeks of working together a climate of trust, perseverance and risk taking develops. Students discover that there are many ways to solve one problem. (Indeed a good lesson for life as well.) The students demonstrate considerable expertise in their ability to explore mathematical ideas. As their self-belief increases so does their ability to meet greater challenges.

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The Ultimate Science Education

By Wendy Liddell PS Math/Science Coordinator

T

he National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference has been called the ultimate science education getaway, and it would be difficult to find a more stimulating and professionally rewarding experience.

More than 2,000 professional sessions, hands-on workshops, seminars and presentations from science educators are offered in every discipline and for every division. In March, Rebekah Banks (current IS science coordinator), John Kimzey (IS science coordinator commencing August 2011) and I dove into this year’s conference in San Francisco and explored this rich treasure trove of learning opportunities for science educators.

In addition to networking with teachers from other countries around global issues such as sustainability of energy and water, one of the highlights of our experience was the opportunity to showcase our wonderful elementary hands-on science program. SAS is truly unique in having purpose-built

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science labs in the intermediate and primary schools, each manned by specialist science teachers. Since the inception of the PS science lab six years ago and the IS science lab two years ago, it has become obvious that, in addition to providing unique learning environments, we are doing something right to inspire our students. When the call came for NSTA conference submissions for presentations dealing with exemplary science education with an international perspective, Rebekah Banks and I jumped at the opportunity to spread the word about SAS to the international science community.

As well as our model providing opportunities to share our adamant beliefs that children need to experience science in a hands-on way and develop the ability to wonder and think creatively, we also felt it important to share how—in our roles as science coordinators—we are able to offer the support and resources necessary for teachers to effectively implement the hands-on science

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

programs within the classroom.

We are fortunate at SAS to have the backing of an administration that supports a vibrant science program, and the results are apparent on a daily basis. We hear our students talking about their desire to pursue science as a career choice, science birthday parties have become increasingly more popular, and perhaps most importantly, we witness students taking a closer and more intense look at the world in which they live.

It is this passion that we strive to integrate into both the primary and intermediate programs each day.

Our presentation was greeted with enthusiasm and great interest. Many photographs were taken and emails exchanged. This was powerful confirmation that we are not only doing something right, we are on the cutting edge of science. We were heartened to see and honored to contribute as so many dedicated professionals gathered in one place, all exploring new and interesting ways to inspire the next generation in the field of science.

A Science Transformation

By Louise Perdana Director of Curriculum

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ack in fall 2009, we shared a story in NewsFlash about the exciting transformation of four blank walls and a mountain of boxes into an authentic science lab for the Intermediate School. This project supported the launch of the newly revised science curriculum and our commitment to increasing opportunities for students to think and operate as scientists by providing more hands-on, inquirybased science learning. It was also a logical progression and fitting complement to the wonderful lab experience already being offered in the Primary School lab next door.

The excitement surrounding this new facility made it easy to predict that this vibrant and colorful learning environment would create excitement about science among students. It was also not hard to predict that our formula for this was bound to escape.

Both these predictions have proven true as you read in the previous article, “The Ultimate Science Education,” by primary science coordinator Wendy Liddell.

What we didn’t predict was how quickly and significantly this and other enhancements to our science curriculum would affect parent perceptions of the effectiveness of the science program. (See Chart 1 below.)

As we reflect on our second year of implementation it seems there are several reasons for this positive response, starting with the revisions to the written curriculum. These

established greater articulation of content and skills across grade levels and divisions. In translating this into practice, greater consistency of both learning and assessment within the same course has been a major focus. This is being achieved through developing and teaching common units of study, a significant aspect of which is designing quality assessments tools.

Increased use of technology to support learning is enhancing the lab experience school wide with specific resources such as probes, visualizers and digital microscopes, as well as increased access to computer technologies via the high school oneto-one laptop program and laptop carts in other divisions. In addition to the lab experience, classroom teachers are engaging students in regular inquiry-based science.

The integration of global issues is building real life connections into the program, and opportunities for students to pursue science beyond the classroom are booming. The recently opened Wellcott Program at Dairy Farm is one of many examples of extension programs offering high school students authentic learning experiences to complement those onsite, such as SAVE Club and Medical Explorers Club. The biggest MS club is ECO Club, while in the Elementary After School Activities program, students have more science offerings than ever, as well as the opportunity to participate in the Science Fair.

Science has certainly been reinvigorated at SAS, and the word is spreading!

Chart 1: Climate Survey, Comparison of 2009 and 2010 The division is doing an effective job teaching Science. % of Agreement Spring 2009 (Pre-Implementation) Spring 2010 (Year 1 Implementation)

Totals

Primary

Intermediate

Middle

High

74%

78%

64%

80%

72%

87%

87%

85%

91%

85%

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Knowledge Masters Open

By Priyanka A. Grade 5 Student

“Which snakes are not native to North America?” the captain reads out. The team whispers together, trying desperately to remember science lessons of the past.

Suddenly—bang!—hands shoot up in the air. Cries of “C! I remember it from a book I read! It’s C!” fill the air.

“Does anyone disagree with C?” the captain asks, and a solitary hand can be seen in the air. “I do. It’s E because…” The girl is cut off by the timekeeper saying, “Guys!

Ten seconds left! We need an answer now!”

The chants resume, and the captain is torn. The keyboarder’s fingers are shifting from E to C madly, knowing that he must have the permission of the captain to type the answer.

Finally, with five seconds left and the noise level rising higher still, the captain makes his decision. “E!” he yells above the noise, and suddenly, as the keyboarder types the answer, the room goes silent. You can hear a

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pin drop as the results are processed.

Finally, it flashes on the screen and cheers, yells of “We did it!” and highfives go up in the small room. Great job, the computer says.

The grade 5 Knowledge Masters Open (KMO) competition in Mrs. Shaw’s GATE classroom last Wednesday was filled with anticipation, excitement, and most of all, fun. The students in KMO racked their brains as they went against 200 other teams from schools across the globe. Geography, history, math, literature, science… you name it, the competition had it. 100 questions tested the students’ accuracy, teamwork and speed; the time limit was just one minute per question.

KMO was a huge commitment.

After three days of tryouts, the team was selected by Mrs. Shaw. They practiced three days a week, missing recess and staying after school. The captains, who kept the team in order, the timekeepers, who made sure the team answered in a minute, and the keyboarders, who typed the team’s

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

answers, had to work extra hard, too.

But everything the team did paid off. On the day, the students came to school proudly wearing their red KMO t-shirts for the competition after school. No parents were invited—everyone knew all too well how they tended to want to give the right answer—but everyone who was there confirmed that it was a fast-paced, electrifying couple of hours. By the end everyone was exhausted but delighted by the score: they had scored 91 out of 100 questions correctly, and 640 points, including time bonuses and points for correct scores.

KMO was a great experience. The team made new friends and learned from the competition. And no matter how they did compared to all the other schools (we won’t know how well until later in the month), they all agreed that it was a meaningful experience and definitely worth a try for grade 5 students next year.

Enhanced Language Learning in K-5

By Mark R. Boyer Assistant Superintendent for Learning

2.

Students are most receptive to learning a language in the early years.

3.

Deeply learning a language provides a doorway into understanding a culture and different perspectives.

Mandarin Chinese has been the exclusive language offered in elementary for the past 13 years, and the review process further reaffirmed the importance of Mandarin Chinese for the future of our SAS students, particularly for those who will live and work in Asia. At the same time, it was recognized that approximately a quarter of our students are transitioning out of SAS on a given year with many of these students returning to the United States. Mandarin Chinese is the fastest growing language in the United States, and Spanish is second.

O

n March 15, the SAS Board of Governors supported the administration’s recommendation for a four- or five-day language program in grades K-5 that will begin with the 2012-13 school year. This action culminated two years of significant study, review and discussion with diverse stakeholders and will provide opportunities for student choice in Mandarin Chinese or Spanish.

A scheduling expert will work with PS and IS staff at the end of September 2011 to facilitate how enhanced language learning can efficiently work within the school schedule for 2012-13. Once the schedule is finalized, we will know whether we will be able to offer a fouror a five-day a week language program. Throughout this process there has been continued affirmation for the value of a comprehensive liberal arts program in elementary school. There is a belief that the learning of a second language is a core educational experience within a comprehensive liberal arts program for international students in the 21st century.

Underpinning this belief is an understanding that: 1.

Developing a functional level of language proficiency in another language begins to define what is meant in the SAS mission of “an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective.”

According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Mandarin Chinese is a category 4 language, a complex language that requires a longer time to learn. The increased time starting in 201213 will significantly enhance opportunities for language proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. Spanish is a category 1 language, which potentially makes it an easier language to learn. The choice of Mandarin Chinese or Spanish will offer parents the opportunity to determine the best fit for their children now and in the future. Significant background and forums on language choice will be offered in October and November of 2011 for parents to access information and determine the choice for their children.

When hearing about the approval for an enhanced language program in elementary school, Greg Duncan, who serves as a highly regarded international language consultant and developer of board projects for ACTFL, wrote, “It was great hearing that your board has made the decision to expand the elementary language offering both in time and choice. Few schools in the U.S. make such opportunities available to their students these days, and it is refreshing to see that SAS continues on its path to provide a superior—and world class—education to its students.”

Finally, it should be noted that an extra staff position has been appointed to the middle school to ensure daily instruction in Mandarin Chinese in sixth grade. Also, staffing has been made available to the middle school to start a Japanese language program in sixth grade to begin building a feeder for the high school program. This will provide parity between the middle school and high school language choices involving Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, French and Spanish. The time allocations within the block schedules for grades 7-12 are considered appropriate and are in line with other core subject areas and with what is offered at other leading international schools in the world.

www.sas.edu.sg

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Booster Club

From the President

As the end of the school year is in sight I am reminded of all that the Booster Club has accomplished. It seems like every time you talk about the end of the school year with someone, it comes back to not believing that it is almost over. I don’t know where the time has gone but the Booster Club has a long list of achievements to be proud of.

Most of you are familiar with the Booster Booth which is the most prominent part of the Club.

Over 60 volunteers man the Booth, under the direction of our Booth Manager, working every school day to provide the students and staff with school supplies, uniforms, candy and spirit wear. Our Uniform committee keeps the shelves stocked. Our Design committee works throughout the year sourcing and producing all of the spirit and gift items we offer for sale. The Booth is our main source of fundraising. Every time you purchase something from the Booth you are supporting the Booster Club and enabling us to give back to the school.

For the second year Booster’s held barbeques throughout the year to celebrate events such as Homecoming, Football Opening Day, County Fair, and Pep Rally days for each of the three IASAS sports season during the school day for students and staff. They were a nice way to raise funds and bring the community together.

Our Mentor for a Day program continued for the second year. Again students were given the opportunity to spend the day shadowing someone in a field of their choice. We hope this program will continue to grow and offer more students the opportunity to spend a day observing a career field they are interested in.

We also raise funds through our Social Fundraising and Special Projects committees. On top of generating funds for Boosters, these events offer a social component, valuable to parents in building community.

The following high school clubs received monetary donations: Global Giving

Grass Roots Soccer

SAS Exec Community Svc Council

Art Club

SAVE Club

Habitat for Humanity

Wish for Kids

Photography Club

Outreach Vietnam

Absolute Art Magazine

Gawad Kalinga

Peace Initiative

Doorstep School

Susan Fay

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Booster Club

Booster Club

Along with continuing the traditions of Booster boards before us we added several new events this year.

The Booster cookbook became a reality after a year of planning. It came out better than we could have ever expected. They make great gifts or a nice memory for your time at SAS. Thank you to Janice Chumakov, and her dedicated committee for the many hours they put into this.

Booster’s held its first fashion show recently, chaired by Gillian Campbell and Julie O’Connell. You missed a great evening if you were unable to attend. The Booster Club thanks both of these ladies who came to us with the idea of a fashion show at the start of the school year and just ran with it. Booster’s hopes to continue and make next year’s even better.

All of the above was made possible by the efforts of many. I have the great fortune to work with a terrific group of ladies who fill the board positions of Bake Sales, Booth Manager, Design, Honor Roll Recognition, Hospitality, Popcorn Day, Social Fundraisers, Special Projects, Sports Team Coordinator and Uniforms. All of them put in countless hours so we can support the high school students’ activities as much as possible. If you have a student in the high school and would like to get involved next year please contact us. I know you will find it to be a rewarding experience.

Booster Club

G.A.F.O.

Booster Club

The following is a list of just some of the things we have sponsored with the funds raised: Three Honor Roll Lunches Two free Popcorn Days before semester exams Refreshments at visual and performing arts evenings Lunch at the Turf Club for all graduating seniors before the graduation rehearsal Ten Interim Scholarships valued at $30,000 Ten Senior Awards valued at $10,000 Paid advertisements in the Islander Yearbook and Prism literary publication Travel shirts for all high school students representing SAS out of Singapore Participation patches for students in sports and the performing arts IASAS sports bags for all IASAS participants Donation towards Student Government grade level murals Dance and Musical costumes Gifts for Career Day speakers

Booster Club

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Annual General Meeting

Monday, May 23, 10:00am, H301 All high school parents are welcome to join us for these meetings. Find out what’s happening in the high school and get involved! Discover ways you can help next year.

Free Popcorn Day is Coming!

Wednesday, May 25, 8:00am – 2:00pm, Outside the Booster Booth The Booster Club celebrates our high school students’ commitment to academics in many ways throughout the year. Volunteers will be popping, boxing and handing out free popcorn from 8:00am – 2:00pm and wishing all high school students best wishes for success as they prepare for semester finals.

Good luck on the exams!

Check out the Booster Booth for a wide range of gift ideas

Booster Club

Need some spirit gear to cheer on our athletes or a back rest for those long IASAS events?

Need a warm jacket, sweats or a poncho for those cool summer nights?

Booster Club

We even have sizes to fit smaller figures

Booster Bucks make great teacher, coach and student rewards

Booster Club

Booster Club

The SAS Booster Club Cookbook is now on sale at the Booster Booth.

Buy extra! They will make great gifts, too.

www.sas.edu.sg

Booster Club

Decorate a dorm room with our pennants, picture frames, and blankets

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Booster Fashion Show: Struttin’ and Stylin’

By Gillian Campbell Booster Fashion Show Co-Chair

O

n April 1, the SAS Booster Club presented its first fashion show… No joke! High school students, under the guidance of Gillian Campbell and Julie O’Connell, organized the entire show. The goal was to allow students from different social and academic groups in the high school to work together to build school spirit, develop leadership and organizational skills as well as self esteem, and have some fun. The show met all the goals.

We had a long list of boys and girls who wanted to be involved, all of which had differing levels of enthusiasm for walking the catwalk. Eight girls came forward as stylists and were responsible for developing the show’s themes and outfits. We decided on the theme of Diversity because it’s such a prominent characteristic of our school.

A creative mom thought of the title Struttin’ And Stylin’, and the framework for the show was born.

We were incredibly lucky to work with the generous and helpful suppliers Billabong at Raffles City, Anne F. at Room By SunyAng at Mandarin Gallery, and Brasil Sportswear in Suntec City, who provided us with fantastic outfits for the show. The stylists also designed fun and outlandish outfits in a global and multi-cultural section that reflected the diverse SAS community. The “Trashion” section of the show allowed our talented stylists to really show their fashion prowess as fantastic, stylish outfits made out of leaves, newspaper and caution tape were paraded down the catwalk to the delight of the audience.

The High School Dance Club choreographed and performed a seven minute dance routine on the catwalk.

They also expertly modeled the Brasil Sportswear line of gym, yoga and tennis clothes.

The Makeup Club transformed students into elegant and stylish models, and the Video Club captured the whole event on camera. Photography Club members were paparazzi. Will Pazos and Tan Kabra were the happening DJs for the evening, never missing a beat. Trent Fish and Maya Kale hosted the event and were real pros with their panache and witty one liners. Paul Koebnick and his experienced team orchestrated the lights and sound and made the show look and feel quite professional.

Henry and his talented team from the SAS facilities department transformed the gym into a high fashion venue. The stylists were fortunate and grateful that Paula Silverman allowed them to use the amazing costumes from the Drama Department. From this wonderful Aladdin’s Cave, they created the fantastic fusion of the multi-cultural section.

The ever-ready Booster Club moms provided a delicious barbeque before the show for models and early birds, and

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

talented musicians played while we ate. It was satisfying to see so many groups working so well together.

The objective of the evening was to raise school spirit and bring together kids from all across the high school in a fun event. Mission accomplished!

Comments from the crowd

A perfect combination of trendy clothes, captivating student entertainers, and some “wow” moments on the catwalk. — A parent I enjoyed it a lot and my parents said it was amazing as well. This was a very good opportunity for me to experience this kind of thing as my dream is to work in the fashion industry in the future. — A stylist It helped me to discover that my true passion is (really) fashion. I thank you for helping me to build up my confidence on the catwalk and to be comfortable with my body image. — A model

Appointment to Board of Governors

T

he SAS Board of Governors is pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Nelson Smith to the board effective April 19, 2011. Brent will take the seat of Bart Broadman who is stepping down after six years of dedicated service to SAS. The board extends its gratitude to Bart for his many years of service and leadership on behalf of the school.

Brent is a co-founder and managing partner of LevelOne Capital Limited, which provides financial advisory, consulting and investment services throughout Asia, and is executive chairman of its subsidiary, Vietnam Venture Group Limited. He has extensive experience in banking and finance and is active in the non-profit sector. He and his wife, Sandra, are longterm Asia residents and have three sons, one in grade 9, one in grade 11, and one who is a recent graduate of SAS. Brent will serve out the remainder of Bart’s term, which expires in October 2012, and will sit on the Finance and Advancement Committees.

Moving Beyond Self

T

he way teens imagine themselves to appear to others is fundamental in the formation of their identity, but herein lies a fundamental problem.

You see, quite often when teens compare themselves to others it’s not by viewing their external attributes relative to those of another, but rather by comparing their internal perceptions of themselves to the external attributes of another. Did you get that? Teens look internally and then compare what they find to what they observe externally in others. To combat this, pop psychology asserts that teens need to develop a healthy sense of self. Such commonly used terms to describe this include selfesteem and self-image. However, as long as the mirror of life reflects on “self,” teens will struggle with developing a healthy sense of identity.

With newly developing cognitive abilities, adolescence is a time when young people seriously begin to question who they are, what they believe and most importantly why they believe it. Paramount to answering these questions is the need for kids to have external standards by which they can accurately evaluate themselves. Over the course of a child’s life these external standards become internalized and form the foundation of their identity. This then begs the question, what are these standards? What are the proverbial filters that kids run their thoughts through in order to determine self

By Jeff Devens, Ph.D. HS Psychologist

worth? For example, if the majority of a person’s worth is based on works (i.e., what classes they take, what grades they earn, what college they get into), then the value they place on themselves will vacillate much like a pendulum. At some level, this may account for the dramatic day-to-day mood swings that comprise adolescents’ lives.

I recently had a conversation with a senior who was visibly distraught.

“I don’t want to be known as the person who could only get into her safety school.” She described her four years at SAS not in terms of learning, growth and accomplishment, but rather as a series of failures and disappointments, culminating with being rejected by her first choice university. Her overall selfperception and worth were directly tied to what she accomplished, earned and achieved. (For the record, she earned close to a 4.0 GPA.) Never mind her consistent effort, positive attitude, disciplined work ethic and contributions to the school and community. Her culminating comment was, “Life’s not fair!”

Indeed, life is not fair, but what an important lesson to learn and to deal with.

Setbacks and disappointments provide opportunities to refine and strengthen, in so far as kids have healthy skills to self-evaluate. In this regard, one of the most important tools parents can provide kids is the

ability to pause and reflect on who they are and from where their worth ultimately is derived. Parents, what messages are you communicating to your children regarding their value and worth? What proverbial filters or tools do they have to accurately gauge themselves relative to the world at large? In other words, what are the morals and values you are imparting that will help your children to know themselves, grow to like themselves and find satisfaction in being themselves?

Identity development is a process that involves pain, struggle and trial. To some degree kids are directly responsible for the pain they experience based on their not-so-good choices. However, life will also do a good job of providing opportunities for character growth that have absolutely nothing to do with making poor choices; hence, life’s not fair.

Working through and overcoming setbacks is needed in order to produce healthy adults, yet without parental guidance, kids may spend a lifetime in search of significance.

I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.

Sociologist Robert Bierstedt

www.sas.edu.sg

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My Language Journey

By Robin Pearson PS Chinese Teacher

I

n my ten years of teaching at SAS, the most commonly-asked question I receive is, “Why did you start learning Chinese?” It all began with three-week trip to China back in the mid 1980s when China was just beginning to open up to the rest of the world. That single trip led me down a path that entirely changed the direction of my life.

I never studied Chinese in high school. French was the only option.

When I went to university, I wanted to learn something totally different.

I had already begun learning Chinese part time, and when my university offered a three year degree in Asian studies, I leaped at the chance to enroll. In those days, everyone in Australia was studying Japanese so the cohort of students enrolled in Chinese was small by comparison.

It was a difficult course. We had Chinese daily and each lecture was at least an hour. On top of that were language lab classes, which used the audio-lingual approach where students listened and repeated. Our teacher, XuLaoshi, was a strict disciplinarian who kept us on task and rarely allowed English in class.

There were endless character tests or ting xie as they are known in Chinese (literally, listen write) and there really was only one way to learn characters, which was by rote.

After three years at university, the opportunity of a lifetime arose.

The Australian government was promoting Asian languages and I was selected to go to China to continue my studies. This single award changed my life. I spent six months in Hangzhou at Zhejiang University and then one year in Beijing at the Second Foreign Language Institute or Erwai as it is commonly known.

My university studies in Australia provided a rigorous foundation, especially in reading texts in Chinese.

However, my ability to comprehend and engage in conversation truly did

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not begin to take shape until I lived in China. Aside from four hours of Chinese during the week, it was the day-to-day interaction with Chinese people that advanced my language skills.

As foreign students, we were encouraged to travel as much as possible. Traveling provided a means for us to communicate in Chinese, and train travel especially provided endless conversations with fellow travelers. Those travels in China were highlights of my time spent there.

I’ve seen the sunset on Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), walked the Great Wall where it meets the sea at Shanhaiguan, and even camped up in Wutaishan, a mountainous range where Buddhist temples and shrines abound. They all provided cultural and language immersion opportunities that a class can only dream to recreate.

After completing my scholarship, I began to teach. Transfering all that I had learned into lessons took me on another journey of learning. I had to learn the important facets of scope and sequence and how to inspire my students. One thing I am certain of is that learning is a lifelong experience.

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

To learn the Chinese language truly requires dedication. However, the gift of knowing another language certainly changed the course of my life. The friendships I made, places I visited, and students I have taught have more than made for the hours of study I invested.

Why Teachers Love EASA

By Laura Schuster EASA PE Teacher

W

e all know students who like—no, make that love—Elementary After School Activities (EASA), and the program continues to grow in size and popularity. In EASA’s short life span of eight years, programs have exploded from just four language classes to 85 classes on a wide variety of topics. That also means that approximately 2,400 SAS students are involved in after-school activities over the three terms of a year.

According to EASA statistics, 90% of students enroll again and again, and more than 50% participate in two or more classes a week. This would not be possible without great vision, organization and a competent support system. Coordinating the planning, computer sign up and payment options, hiring logistics and follow-up surveys is Vanessa Hardinge, EASA Program Director.

She is supported by two positive and capable assistants, Rita Rasul and Maslindah Sain, who also share their organizational expertise with the SAS Summer Program, and 15 other Instructional Assistants who provide help with checking students into activities and supervising the time from school release to EASA start.

There is also a maze of transportation logistics to work out. This is the organizational backdrop against which I want to give some insight as to why I think EASA is successful.

Everyone benefits from EASA. Students have opportunities with teachers and local experts in enriching and exciting activities of their choosing. Teachers get to propose activities based on opportunities that can be short term, innovative, exploratory or based on personal talents that are not part of daily teaching responsibilities.

Teachers can be proactive and offer activities in areas not covered in the daily curriculum, and they can explore ideas based on current trends and what is happening in the world

of kids. In addition, they can respond to suggestions from parents and the community at large.

Consider one specialist staff’s perspective: mine. I do not represent all specialists, but in our conversations, many of my perspectives have received a nod of agreement or a wink of acknowledgement. I am an elementary physical education teacher, and as a specialist teacher I see students once every three days.

EASA provides a chance to see students in many contexts across mixed grades and in social dynamics other than grade level classes. This can be invigorating and inspiring for both students and teachers.

In EASA, students are often in classes due to a special interest, which allows teachers to see them in a new light. Often, EASA activities include multiple grades so we see the spectrum of students interacting with those younger, older and the same age. We witness peers helping each other, looking up to each other, and respecting differences. Peer mentoring is held in high esteem in educational circles and though it is not a part of our daily educational system, EASA provides opportunity for students to reap this benefit.

Teachers can offer anything that Vanessa Hardinge thinks is feasible.

I have offered everything from synchronized swimming to creative dance and wall climbings. Another teacher perk is the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers, which is a chance to share expertise.

Creating and teaching activities with peers is a plus. Amazing Minds is an example of such collaboration.

Speaking of amazing, it is aweinspiring to witness the excitement that a new activity or change in routine offers students and teachers alike. The atmosphere is more relaxed than in traditional academic

courses. In EASA, we witness students developing social skills, making friends, and interacting in a different, more playful role than during the regular school day.

When an EASA term is concluded, we propose new classes for the next special journey with both new and familiar students. In this ongoing cycle of EASA offerings, teachers, the school and community seem a little friendlier and more familiar. If the old adage, “the community that plays to together stays together” is true, then EASA is one of the gifts we give ourselves as we give to our students. EASA is a valuable part of a child’s SAS educational experience, bridging the formal day to afterschool activities housed under the architecture which we know as our school. The students and the teachers like—no, love—EASA for many more reasons than I have covered.

Just ask them.

www.sas.edu.sg

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A Smile, a Hug, and a Lot of Love

By Sanuja Bose Grade 11 Student

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ove is not love until you give it away,” was the first song the children at the Bridgman Centre sang to us. The young boys and girls, ages 3 to 17, were belting out a heartfelt, sincere song, accompanying every verse with tight hugs around our waists. That was the first day, and from then on our love for one another grew.

We left Singapore for Soweto, South Africa, on February 3, not really knowing what to expect, not entirely sure of what we would do, only knowing that it would be something to help a school. None of us knew how much the experience would move us or how immense an effect the smiles of small children and adults would have on our lives. We know it now. I think it is safe to speak for the entire group of 20 students and two sponsors when I say that the Service in Soweto trip of 2011 opened our eyes in a variety of ways.

Once we arrived in Soweto and visited the Bridgman Centre, we came face-to-face with artwork of previous SAS students adorning two walls. Our mission was to paint over all four walls of the school and create new designs. Clearly, the previous group consisted of a few artists, whereas not a single person in our group was artistically adept. Many of us were afraid to paint over the art and disappoint the people of the center with our work.

We spent every day (except for Sunday, when we went on a memorable safari) painting. After much thought, an abstract visual of the town of Soweto was painted on the front wall. It was topped off with a shimmering sun and a pair of hands in the prayer position, one symbolically black and the other white, which were designed by one of the men who worked at the center. In the back of the room, a group of girls worked on creating the flag of South Africa. Obviously we could not leave the Centre with a crooked flag of incorrect dimensions; nor could we bear the thought of leaving anything short of our best work. In the end, everyone agreed that it looked fabulous.

Once everything was complete, I felt a swell of pride and a feeling of awe at accomplishing something we did not think possible.

Besides painting the large “chill-out room,” we painted the computer room. That was not the only change in the computer room, however, as we donated four iMacs and a laptop, and installed wireless Internet to replace their outdated technology. To top it off, a new website was created for the Bridgman Centre, which can be visited at http://bridgmancentre.com/index.php.

What made the entire experience worth every second was the reaction of the people who worked at the center and the children. The adults looked genuinely impressed and happy with what we had done, and they congratulated and thanked us. One of the little girls grabbed my hand on the day that we finished our painting. She peeked her head

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into the freshly painted room, her beautiful, dark eyes popped wide open and her head thrust forward slightly as she stood there in awe. I never thought the acceptance and appreciation of a seven-year-old child could be so moving.

Every day after school, the kids would return to the Bridgman Centre, and many would rush straight into our arms. We spent the few hours that we had together productively, and they taught us many games. In the majority of them, we stood in a circle to play, symbolizing the unity of the people at the Bridgman Centre and in Soweto.

We also spent time with buddies, and each of us had up to three friends for the entire week. The children raced through the crowds to find their buddies after school, sometimes asking for help with homework, wanting piggyback rides or braided hair, giving hugs, playing sports and fooling around on the playground. We taught them how to play rock, paper, scissors and in return, they taught us how a smiling face accompanying two arms encircling someone’s waist multiple times a day can change lives.

I will never forget how much love existed in one small place, how so much happiness could be contained in children so physically tiny. I realized that there are places in the world where people can be joyous no matter the circumstances, where people can love without bounds. They gave me a sense of hope. The people at the Bridgman Centre as well as all the people of Soweto taught every single one of us what it means to make the best of a situation, to be happy no matter what happens, to spread love to everyone we meet. Because of this, the Service in Soweto trip truly did change our perspective on life and made us understand the significant effect of a smile, a hug, and lot of love.

SAS Teacher Awarded Golden Hand Award

By Lori McConaghy CFC Coordinator

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f you visit the ECC at SAS, you will find a recipient of the Golden Hand Award, Kaye Bach. Kaye, after granted a leave of absence from her job at SAS and given much support from Principal David Hoss and Superintendent Brent Mutsch, spent two years of her life teaching at the Caring for Cambodia (CFC) schools.

His majesty King Norodom Sihamoni recognized Kaye for the tremendous achievements she and CFC jointly accomplished during this time. The King and the Cambodian government particularly appreciated that her achievements were aligned with the government’s goals. In addition, they value the partnership approach by which CFC operates and the emphasis put on empowering Cambodians.

From the start, Kaye worked hard to befriend and establish mutual trust with her Cambodian counterparts.

A peanut butter brown bag lunch became rice, veggies and meat cooked in a pot at the back of the school.

Kaye’s sensitivity to the local culture and the Cambodian needs gained her respect immediately and were huge factors in her success.

The Ministry of Education in Cambodia has developed childfriendly initiatives that they plan to

implement in 2012. This was a major focus of Kaye’s work in Siem Reap and is reinforced by the international teacher training teams that visit Siem Reap on a regular basis. The CFC schools are the model schools for the government and are visited often by other Cambodian teachers and ministry officials.

Another area of Kaye’s work that was recognized was the establishment of preschools in the villages around the CFC primary schools. Kaye established preschool programs for mothers and small children, and empowered the mothers to run the preschools. This initiative is currently being replicated in other villages.

One of Kaye’s most significant accomplishments was the development of an international teacher training program. She and Sansom (full name), a Tanglin Trust teacher and fellow recipient of the Golden Hand Award, developed this program, which is now among the best in the world and a model for other NGOs. Today Kaye continues to support teacher training groups and programs. Teachers from SAS and Tanglin Trust travel to Siem Reap every year to work with Cambodian teachers and empower Cambodian leadership in the form of mentor teachers. Cambodian mentor teachers

are now inspiring their peers. As an incentive and additional learning experience, Kaye organized groups of Cambodian teachers to visit Singapore international and local schools. These observations and experiences have been invaluable.

The Golden Hand Award was presented to Kaye this past February at a ceremony held at the CFC Arahn School. The grounds were blessed by chanting monks. Students lined the roads and bridge leading to the school and over 500 people were in attendance. A pipe band led the recipients and distinguished guests onto the school grounds, while the Amelio School Dancers performed a ceremonial dance. Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Im Sethy awarded Kaye and other recipients with certificates and gold medals. To culminate the event, caged pigeons were handed to all the recipients and distinguished guests to let loose over the school grounds.

Kaye responded with a thank you to all of the people involved in the CFC family, SAS teachers, the SAS administration for supporting her decision to do this work, and Brent Mutsch and David Hoss for giving her time away from SAS. It takes a village.

www.sas.edu.sg

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Red & Black Day

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By Michael Hardinge Grade 6 Math Teacher

n Tuesday, February 22, 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the region of Christchurch, New Zealand’s second most populated city. While this earthquake was smaller than the 7.1 quake in September, the shallowness and proximity resulted in widespread devastation.

The earthquake resulted in more than 180 fatalities from over 20 nationalities, and in excess of 200 people are still missing. In addition, the devastation to the city’s infrastructure was catastrophic. Thousands of people are homeless and basic amenities have yet to be restored in many areas. Most of the Garden City’s beautiful heritage architecture has been destroyed.

New Zealand’s population is similar that of Singapore, so the majority of SAS faculty members who are from New Zealand have a direct association with someone affected by this tragedy. It made us feel helpless and a long way from home, so we were motivated by the actions of schools throughout New Zealand who were hosting Red and Black free dress days as fund-raisers for the Christchurch relief efforts. The colors represent the province of Canterbury and the proud tradition of the sporting teams that come from Christchurch.

As a result, on March 11, SAS students from the Primary, Intermediate, and Middle Schools donned the colors of

Christchurch and astoundingly raised over $18,000 for the relief effort, which went to the New Zealand Red Cross.

The overwhelming generosity of the SAS community has made a tremendous impact in helping families and sent a powerful message to the people of Christchurch that they are in our thoughts.

For more information, visit the Red & Black Day page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ nationalredandblack or the New Zealand Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.org.nz/cms_display.php.

SAS Volleyball Camp 2011 Open to all boys and girls, entering grades 6-12

Aug. 8, 10-12 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

4:00 – 6:30 PM (Check-in from 3:30 pm on Aug. 8) SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

REGISTRATION FORMS NOW AVAILABLE! High School Office Middle School Office High School Athletics/Activities Office SAS Website: www.sas.edu.sg

All forms to be submitted to the High School Athletics/Activities Office.

Registration open until the start of camp.

“ Excellence is not a sometimes thing.”

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

High School, Middle School Gyms

Fee: $120 (non-refundable, CASH ONLY) Includes: *4 days of professional instruction *Superb player to coach ratio *Complimentary shoe bag *Match Play For more information contact: Kim Criens – Camp Coordinator kcriens@sas.edu.sg

Razor + Crayons – Hair = Money

By Alyssa, Jaclyn, Sue and Yebin Grade 5 Students

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r. Carroll, a fifth grade teacher, trusts his students. He trusts us so much that he allowed us to shave his head in class on April Fool’s Day. It was no joke. It was a fund-raising event in support of the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Students who brought in money for the fund were allowed to participate in this thrilling event. It was not required, but no one wanted to miss out, so everyone brought a donation. The student who brought in the most money got to be the first person to shave Mr. Carroll’s head. The fundraising event kicked off at 8:30am.

Maybe I’ll nick his head! What if I mess up? The room was filled with pressure and tension as each student awaited a turn with the razor. Mr. Carroll’s family watched via Skype from Atlanta, Georgia. We are using Skype each Friday morning to communicate with people all over the world. This Skype session wasn’t related to our class work, but it definitely motivated us to search for good ways to use Skype in the future.

After a much heated discussion the class came to a consensus to create a Mohawk. We also decided to draw a Japanese flag on each side of his head so everyone would know why he was walking around looking like that.

“It was exciting and fun because I have never shaved someone’s head before,” mentioned Celine. “We had a good learning experience as we are learning to use Skype in class, we raised money for Japan, and most importantly we had a lot of fun. What more could we ask for?” commented Tristan.

At the end of the operation we were all relieved that Mr. Carroll’s head was in one piece and that we had helped a country in need. Mr. Carroll’s sister enjoyed watching us butcher her brother’s head so much that she also donated to the cause. In one day we raised $980!

We would like to say thank you to Mr. Bach and Mrs. Graham for their compliments on our finished masterpiece. Mr. Carroll received some additional compliments and other donations for the cause when he showed off his new haircut and our artwork over the weekend.

If your hair starts looking a little shaggy, please drop by i315 for a free haircut…if you trust us.

www.sas.edu.sg

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We Are Outliers

By Kasirha Goodman, Aysha Nesbitt, Katelyn Leong, Will Kingan, Carsten Bahl and Haddie Hamal, Grade 10 Students

just for me, it is for my family, living and dead, who made it so that I could get one. –Kasirha Goodman

Outlier noun. 1: something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body; 2: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from others of the sample.

From Outliers: The Story of Success

by Malcolm Gladwell

I

n the final chapter of his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell looks at his family history and explores how he came to be an outlier. The initial part of the chapter gives a clichéd version of his mother’s success, focusing on the individual merit that enabled her to go to a good school and get into university in London. He then delves more deeply into her story and sees the opportunities and luck that contributed to her success. Her success (and his to follow) was based on many different factors, not just her intelligence.

Being at the Singapore American School in 2011 puts us all in a privileged position. We are outliers. At the start of the third quarter, we were challenged to answer: how and why did we come to be in this privileged position?

How are we products of individual merit and talent? Of hard work? Of opportunity? Of luck? Of cultural values?

Of historical factors? Of our birth date? What else? These questions drove our personal research over four weeks as we tried to work out how we came to be where we are. We learned so much about ourselves and our families.

I think the biggest thing that I learned is that anything can happen by chance but only those willing to work hard can grab the chance. To students who undertake this project next year I would say, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it” (Confucius) so show everyone the beauty in your family and the path of your outlier. –Carsten Bahl Not only was I given the opportunity to write down bits and pieces of family lore, I was also able to find out how they relate to me. This project brought me closer to my great-grandmother. Even though she died years ago, I now feel like I know her so much better because I understand how her choices and sacrifices affected my great aunt and grandmother, my mother and myself. My parents always told me I had to be stronger, better and faster in school than anyone else and through this project I was at last able to really understand what they mean. My education is not

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

When the Outliers project was introduced to students in English 10 there was some hesitation because of the amount of work that seemed to be involved. But that work soon turned into something enjoyable. It was an independent project that gave us the freedom to develop and format our topics and, like private investigators, we were left with our own devices to discover a variety of matters. Outliers helped me understand how my mother was shaped by the major events in her life and how in turn those events have impacted me. The information I gathered came from hours of conversing and I unearthed things I did not know about her. Outliers began as a school assignment; however, it ended as a personal project, listening to a fascinating story of a woman whom I aim to be like every day, my mother. –Aysha Nesbitt I already had an idea of who to select as my Outlier and how to interpret the story. As one of the few local Singaporeans enrolled in SAS, my biggest goal was to educate those who didn’t know anything about the local history and to broaden the minds of those who already know a bit of it, because this was a unique historical tale told through an eyewitness—my grandmother—of the developing history of Singapore. Another reason why I enjoyed the project was because I felt as though my family had been brought closer together. One day my mother and my aunt came up to see what I was working on. I happened to be putting together the page where my grandmother starts a family and becomes a mother.

Much to my surprise, my mother and my aunt began recollecting their memories of their childhood to each other. I was amazed at how much my grandmother’s story told through an English project could impact my family’s bond. It seemed as though that one scrapbook had pulled us together to become closer than we already are.

–Katelyn Leong What I liked most about this project was talking to my family, especially my grandmother. I visit them fairly often, but it made me feel really good that the day after I interviewed my grandmother, my mom talked on the phone to my aunt (my grandmother lives in a retirement center about five minutes away from this aunt’s house, and they spend time together daily) and my aunt said that the moment I hung up with my grandmother, she called my aunt and told her that it made her feel so happy that I was interested in her and her past. That made me feel really good. –Will Kingan Haddie Hamal writes about what many of us learned during this research process: “It’s funny to see how things worked out, in the end. That in a lot of ways, one little moment, or one choice, maybe one you didn’t even know you had made at the time, or a moment you thought was like any other—can change everything.”

Bringing Service to Vietnam

By Michael Hsun Grade 11 Student

M

ost of us are familiar with SAS service work in Cambodia and the Philippines, but one place—just two hours away from Singapore—we often forget to mention is Vietnam.

With 90 million people and the fastest growing economy in the Indochina region, Vietnam has lifted millions out of poverty. However, millions more have also been left behind in an unbreakable cycle of poverty.

Outreach Vietnam, a new high school service club, was founded under the single premise of education. In Vietnam, there are no scholarships or sliding scales. Most families cannot afford to pay public school fees, and their children have little hope for a future that is any different from continued economic and social deprivation.

Recently over Spring Break, 15 students and two teachers traveled to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam to work with the Anh Linh

Free School, a primary and middle school for Ho Chi Minh City’s poorest and most disadvantaged street children who otherwise cannot afford to attend the local schools.

Most of Anh Linh’s students come from troubled family backgrounds of prostitution and abandonment, and more than half are ineligible to attend local schools because of their age.

Over the course of four days, trip members taught English, set up a computer lab with donated laptops, taught computer lessons, doubled the library collection with books (including those graciously donated by the SAS PTA), visited local families, assembled care packages consisting of cooking oil, chicken stock and rice, distributed backpacks, donated sports equipment, and presented red packets to each Anh Linh student.

One member commented, “Interaction with the Vietnamese students required a lot of work on our

part but was very meaningful. The language barrier was intimidating at first, but I realized language was not an issue. I learned that service is making an active effort to give back to those less fortunate than us, and I look forward to next year’s trip.”

The firsthand experience that members experienced with the Anh Linh kids are memories that will be forever remembered.

Trip participants included Michael Hsun, Alvin Yang, Sung Hun Kang, Daniel Kim, Matt Koh, Justin Kim, Han Joon Byun, Danny Kim, Yoon Ku Kang, Ji Wan Ok, Juliana LaNguyen, Dan Kim, Jonathan Hsun, Sean Park, Sam Kim, Mr. Rick Bisset and Mr. Christopher Strance.

We would like to give special thanks to Bridges to Learning, Inc. for its continued support and the PTA for sharing the gift of literacy with Anh Linh students.

www.sas.edu.sg

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Relief During Times of Crisis

By LeHing Tu HS Service Coordinator

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ith each passing year, SAS continues to advance its mission of engaging students to become global citizens.

Through concerted and active community involvement, SAS has been able to continue to respond in a responsible and supportive manner to local, regional and global needs and issues.

This year, the forces of nature hit hard and we reached out to you, the SAS community, at several times.

Our compassionate and dedicated community raised over $145,000

in total for the Pakistan Flood and Japan Earthquake Relief, enabling us to help our neighbors and friends worldwide weather the crises in their lives. Your support is greatly appreciated by those who help them and, most importantly, by those who benefit from our contributions.

On behalf of the Service Executive Council and the families and victims of these crises, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued support for the fund-raising this school year.

Helping Others in Telunas

By Harrison G. and Mira S. Grade 5 Students

They beat drums and walked with us to the school.

The school was a concrete building with uncovered windows and no doors. We rushed into the humid classroom where each table had a welcome cake. Sweet tea was served while the principals exchanged welcome messages. The Indonesian children outside peeked at us through the windows.

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n March 5 and 6, 50 grade 5 students went to the Riau Islands in Indonesia.

Before the trip, we spent six weeks making posters, games, and other activities in order to teach English to Indonesian students at the Riau Island School. The Intermediate School also donated $2,000 from student council fund-raising.

On that exciting Saturday morning, the teachers led us onto the ferry. The ride from Singapore was long, but we were finally there. Then we had three minutes to go crazy over chewing gum before the bumpy ride through the waves to the Riau Island School.

As we got closer, we saw hundreds of students on the shore waving. They were almost as excited as we were.

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We were each assigned five students, who were very enthusiastic and paid close attention. For about an hour, we taught and rotated groups. Then we ate lunch, which was fish wrapped in banana leaves, rice, baby bananas, fried chicken and vegetable soup.

After everyone had finished the scrumptious food, the Indonesian students performed for us. It was amazing. Afterward, we all ran outside to play different games. The Indonesian kids were better at soccer than we were!

The next boat ride was shorter.

Telunas Beach Resort looked like a bunch of bamboo houses on stilts. As we got closer, we realized how nice it was. The full Telunas panorama showed green hilltops and endless seas. We piled in and sat down to

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

complete our LIFE chart: L for learned, I for interesting, F for feel, and E for enjoyed. Everyone was given different shaped stickers, and we wrote a little passage for each section.

After dinner and a game of “Mr. L’ Heureux Says”, it was bonfire time. There were scary stories and jokes. Then, smores! We roasted gooey marshmallows and ate them with chocolate. The teachers directed us out on the deck to star gaze. It was awesome. There were shooting stars and different constellations.

The next day we were put into two different groups to do the ropes course or to jump off the dock.

The ropes course was a bunch of intricately positioned ropes going uphill. At the end, the kids got to see Mrs. Graham climb. She was quite good! The group at the beach jumped off the high dock. It was like flying.

Helping others made us feel better than just helping ourselves. We learned how to be with other cultures, and we set personal, social, and learning goals that included meeting new people, learning how to teach, understanding teamwork and learning Bahasa. We met our goals and had fun while doing it.

From the SAS PTA

I

By Mae Anderson PTA President

have enjoyed the privilege of serving on the PTA Board for almost eight years, and I continue to be amazed at the work ethic of my colleagues on the PTA Board, and am impressed by the generous contributions from many parents within our community toward events and services undertaken by the PTA.

PTA has had another record fund-raising year, and I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the board members that I have the pleasure of working with, who have made these achievements possible. Another reason for the PTA’s success is the support that the administration and faculty so readily extend to us. We are deeply grateful to them, as well as to the facilities crew, IT team, security personnel and custodians. The support we enjoy is integral to establishing a positive and productive relationship between the PTA and SAS. In this conducive environment, it is a pleasure to dedicate time and effort to supporting the school when our efforts are so appreciated.

As we come to the end of another school year, we are in the fortunate position to disburse to the school the proceeds of our fund-raising efforts. We look forward

Committed To Excellence Dates: Aug. 8, 10, 11, & 12 Times: 4:00 – 6:30pm Location: SAS Sports Fields For: All Boys & Girls Going into

Grades 7 -­‐12 Cost: S$120.00 Per Student; Cash Only

SOCCER CAMP SAS

For Registration Forms & Further Information

Forms in the HS admin office and the HS athletics office or contact:

Tico Oms: toms@sas.edu.sg Room S119 Geoff Rodocker: grodocker@sas.edu.sg ECC Room 107 Mark Forgeron: mforgeron@sas.edu.sg Room M217

to doing so at the PTA Volunteer Appreciation Tea that will be held at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence on May 10. Please RSVP for this event by getting in touch with our Welcoming & Hospitality Chair, Erma Huston at e.huston@pacific.net.sg. If you are not able to attend this event, please look out for an article in next month’s issue of Newsflash that will describe some of the items that will be purchased with the funds that you helped raise this year.

Please join us at the last PTA community event and fundraiser for the year, the White Elephant Sale, on Saturday, May 14. The event will be held at the Primary School Foyer from 9:00am-1:00pm and will feature a Used Book Sale. In conjunction with the White Elephant Sale, many families in the Woodlands will also be having yard sales. Maps showing the participating homes will be provided.

I hope we see you on May 10th at our Volunteer Appreciation Tea. It would be very nice to visit with each other before we break for summer.

Mae Anderson PTA President mae.anderson@mac.com

CAMP

Upcoming SACAC Workshop 2011

SAS

Positive Discipline for Children Aged 2 – 6 Years

Date: Time: Cost: Venue: Facilitator:

Tuesday, 3 May 2011 9:30am – 11:30am $80 SACAC member / $95 non-member The American Club Atrium Room Cate Hey, Director of SACAC Counselling

Journeying Adult Transitions–Understanding Midlife

Date: Time: Cost: Venue: Facilitator:

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 9:30am – 11:30am $80 SACAC member / $95 non-member The American Club Atrium Room Lissy Puno, SACAC Counsellor

SACAC Counselling offers psychological and counselling for a broad range of issues including; adjustment, anxiety, depression, child/adolescent issues, parenting and relationship issues

For more information or to register for a workshop contact SACAC Counselling 10 Claymore Hill, Singapore 229573 Tel: 6733 9249 E-mail: admin@sacac.com Web: www.sacac.sg

www.sas.edu.sg

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The SAS PTA held one of its biggest fund raisers, the County Fair on February 26, 2011. It was a very successful event in many dimensions. The event was well attended by the members of the SAS community, who showed their support for the fund raiser by their presence and their contributions of service and talent. We collected more than 24,000 books for the used books sale and had over 160 items for the Silent Auction. The Harley Davidson T‐shirts were well appreciated. The games were fun and there was a wide variety of food available.

The success of the County Fair was a result of team work and dedication. I would like to thank our entire team for their support and for helping us to learn many different values as we went along. I want to add my deep felt gratitude to all the volunteers who came forward to put their hearts together to make this event so special. A special thank you to the Administration, Faculty, Staff, Security and Maintenance team for all their help. Last but not least, a huge thank you to the PTA Executive Committee and the entire board for their support and encouragement. A big THANK YOU to all of you: SAS Family, a wonderful team for leading us to success in County Fair 2011. ‐ Jodie Stone, County Fair Chair, 2011

“Those who can do, those who can do more, volunteer.” ‐ Author Unknown

THE SAS PTA WARMLY THANKS OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS:

COUNTY FAIR COMMITTEE COUNTY FAIR CHAIR PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER

JODIE STONE MAE ANDERSON ARATHI NILAKANTAN BECKY MOSELEY JUDY BYUN

ASST EVENT TREASURER PARLIMENTARIAN HIGH SCHOOL REP USED BOOKS BOOTHS & EQUIPMENT SPONSORSHIP

CINDY REIDY SHELBY PAZOS KIM HAMBY LINDA FORTMAN ARATHI N. & VIDYA S. VIDYA SAMBAMURTHY

COUPONS /TICKET SALES SILENT AUCTION SILENT AUCTION T‐SHIRTS FOOD & DRINKS BAKE SALE ENTERTAINMENT VENDOR FAIR

HOLLY HOLL MAUREEN MURRAY HILARY WENNER MICHELLE FRITSCH KAT KEHOE KAREN TRAINOR SUE LIEBERMAN ERMA HUSTON

GAMES

IBIRONKE EJIM

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KOMOCO HOLDINGS PTE LTD HARLEY‐DAVIDSON SINGAPORE ASIAN TIGERS KC DAT KRAFT FOODS MEXICAN TACO BAR

AMERICAN CLUB | DIETHELM SINGAPORE PTE LTD DUNKIN DONUTS | HUBER’S BUTHCERY | JERRY’S BARBEQUE MARS FOODS | MVO MARKETING | PARTYWORKZ SANTA FE RELOCATIONS COMPANY| SAS EAGLES BOOSTER CLUB

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011, 10:00am to 12:00pm Venue: The Residence of the U.S. Ambassador

Graciously hosted by: Ambassador David Adelman & Mrs Caroline Adelman Attendance by RSVP only! Please email Erma Huston at: e.huston@pacific.net.sg

THE SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

PTA White Elephant Sale 2011 SATURDAY, MAY 14TH, 9AM TILL 1PM PRIMARY SCHOOL FOYER

Over 20 sellers at the SAS Primary School Foyer & Over 40 homes in the Woodlands Neighborhood.

Maps to participating homes will be given out at the Primary School Foyer on the day of the Sale.

The SAS Primary School side gate leads directly to the Woodlands neighborhood & participating homes.

On campus parking for SAS families with registered vehicles only.

Offsite parking available in HDB multi-storey carparks in blocks 421A & 426A along Woodlands Street 41.

www.sas.edu.sg

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Campus Security Upgrades

By Victoria Anne Camelio Facilities & Business Office

A

s many of you prepare for a much anticipated summer break from SAS, administrators and members of the security and facilities team will be gearing up to implement a series of security upgrades across campus. The safety and well-being of our students, and therefore overall campus security, continue to be priorities. An improved vehicle access system at the campus gates, increased use of security, cameras, and stricter bus access policies that allow us to track the whereabouts of students in transit are just some of the changes that will be visible in August.

As of this writing, most families returning to SAS next year will have received a Campus Access Application for parents and household help who regularly visit the school campus. (If you have not yet received your application, don’t worry. It’s coming soon!) As returning families, you are receiving a jump start on this application process so that you can avoid the rush at the beginning of the new school year.

Receiving your Parent/Helper SASCard Completing the SAS Campus Access Application will allow parents to obtain SASCards for themselves and their household staff (if they deem it necessary) as well as the new Family Vehicle Access Decal that will be required beginning in August for passage through the main campus gate. The Vehicle Access Decal is an upgraded identification decal for your vehicle that will

replace the current SAS vehicle decal and will offer the convenience of remaining valid for four years.

Our goal is to make the application process as simple and straightforward as possible. Parents may return completed applications electronically, through the mail, or simply by dropping them off while on campus. There is even a drop box at the main guardhouse specifically for completed applications.

In addition, the SASCard office provides application assistance, including forms completion, document scanning, photo capture and SASCard account set up.

You may visit the SASCard office during regular office hours of 7:30 am-4:00 pm. Also, you may have noticed help kiosks set up in either the Primary School lobby and the High School atrium for the purposes of application processing. If you have questions, or would like to process your application on campus, feel free to approach one of the tables for assistance.

Completed applications will take approximately three weeks to process. You will be notified via email when your cards and decals are complete. For security purposes, all SASCards must be collected in person by at least one of the parent applicants. If you are collecting a SASCard for a family or staff member, please be sure to bring that person’s passport with you for verification.

The program will offer five weeks of enrichment and recreational activities for students in Pre-K through Grade 9 from June 13 to July 15, and will operate Monday through Friday, 9:00am-1:00 pm, with a recreational and learn-to-swim program from 1:00-2:30 pm. Fees include lunch and are by the week except for mix and match modules, which are for the entire five weeks. Discount prices are offered when registering for all five weeks.

To find out more about the many learning opportunities offered and to register online, go to www.sas.edu. sg/summer. Program inquiries may be directed to summerschool@sas.edu.sg or to Ms. Martha Began, Director of Summer Programs, 6363 3404 ext. 6645 or Maslindah Sain, Summer Program Secretary, ext. 6280.

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

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AMERICA N HOOL SC

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xcitement, fun and learning all rolled into one! That is what the SAS Summer Program has in store for children ages 4-15. Our enrichment program will have a qualified teacher as well as eager and responsible teenage student assistants for each class. Classes and sports camps will be conducted in a recreational and enjoyable manner.

SINGAP O

SAS Summer 2011

SUMMER

SAS Summer Programs Early Childhood to Grades 4/5

Module 1 – Early Childhood (ECC) – Pre-K Module 2 – Chinese Club (Grades 1-5) Module 3 – Remedial RLA (Grades 2-5) Module 4 – New! Sports Camp (Grades 1-5) Module 5 – Enrichment Activities (Grades K-4)

Middle School, Grades 5/6 – 9

Module 6 – Enrichment Courses (Grades 5–9) Module 7 – New! Chinese Club (Grades 6–9) Module 8 – Sports Camp (Grades 6–9) Module 9 – New! Scuba Diving (Grades 6–9) Module 10 – New! Recreational/Learn to Swim (Ages 6-15, Optional 1:00pm snack, swim 1:30 – 2:30 pm)

The Burden of Scarcity

By Sophie L. and Sarah L. Grade 6 Students

From the droplets in a baptismal font to the scattering of ashes on a holy river, water blesses our lives.

National Geographic Magazine

I

n Singapore, when we turn on the tap to rinse our hands, we rarely think about it. The water is always there. The reason we do not think about it is because Singapore has a well-developed economy and excellent infrastructure. Most of us take for granted that resources, such as water, are abundant. In Singapore, we invariably have what we need at our fingertips. What few of us think about is whether it is the same for everyone in every country. In fact, almost half the people on Earth do not have water piped to their homes.

About three-quarters of Earth’s surface is covered with water. Over 97% of that is salt water, leaving less than 3% for fresh water, of which 2% is locked up in snow and ice. Water is essential to life on earth. As humans, we have to replenish ourselves with water constantly, altogether needing somewhere between one and three liters of water each day. Even a mere decline of 2% of our body’s water supply can cause dehydration. In Southern Sudan, India, Uganda, and even some parts of China, women have to walk long distances to get water from rivers, pond, or waterholes. The water is often filled with dirt, bacteri, and parasitea. In India it is increasingly hard to pump water out of the aquifers, the sources of water in underground layers of rock, as the soil is becoming saturated with salt and is contaminated with irrigation water. In China, many factories dump untreated waste into the rivers, not caring that it causes the water to become too polluted for humans and animals to drink and too toxic to be used for farming.

Environmental Refugees This is by no means the first time in history that water deficiency has created environmental refugees.

Approximately a thousand years ago, the Anasazi, inhabitants of Chaco Canyon, in what is now New Mexico, built many dams, rock-lined ditches and floodgates to manage the water from their massive reservoir. They were a quite advanced civilization, living in four to five-story buildings.

Even with good rain, the inhabitants used the land to its limits. When multi-year droughts occurred, it was impossible to grow enough food for the population. Widespread famines occurred, and many inhabitants left Chaco Canyon to join other pueblos.

By the 1300s Chaco Canyon was deserted. This is similar to present day situations. In Gujarat, India, parched men and women travel many kilometers just to swarm around a single well, hoping for a glass of water.

Anasazi building ruins

Although we, as individuals in Singapore, cannot do much to alleviate water scarcity in other countries, we can be appreciative of what we do have and start conserving water. If we begin educating younger generations of the need to save water, they will grow up learning to value and conserve all our earth’s precious resources. They will then teach their kids, and they, in turn, will pass those values on to the next generation.

Parents, besides just conserving water, your kids can save your family a lot of money in water bills and also help lower the demands for imported water from Malaysia.

800 Swimming Pools

We have conducted a small and informal survey on whether kids turn the tap off while they are brushing their teeth. In Singapore, there are approximately 800,000 children between the ages of five and eighteen.

We found that 27% do not turn off the tap. Each person who does not turn off the tap wastes about 26 liters of water a day (out of an average of 158 liters used per capita per day in Singapore). If 27% of all

of Singapore’s children also do not turn off the tap, then approximately two billion liters of water are wasted every year. This could be used to fill 800 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

Children taught to turn off the tap and shower while brushing their teeth and soaping up will develop other ecofriendly habits. As well as teaching today’s kids how to save water, we should also teach them why it is so important. Here are just a few basic tips on conserving water.

1. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and when you do use the tap, use it at a lower flow.

2. Shorten showering time by setting a timer.

3. When you are not getting wet or rinsing, turn off the shower.

4. Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running them under the tap and use the collected water to water plants.

5. Use one glass per day to save washing so many glasses.

We took these water-saving ideas a step further—to a local kindergarten.

We brought our ideas to Sparkle Tots Childcare Center. We were introduced to two classes of six-yearolds. As the PowerPoint progressed, many hands flew up and good discussions erupted.

There has been no more water added to the amount that Earth had millions of years ago, but, with an increasing population, we either need more water or we will have to use the water more sensibly. If we do not do anything about this situation, we risk the same fate as unfortunate civilizations such as the Anasazi. We still have time to change the way we use water before it is too late.

www.sas.edu.sg

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An Adventure in the Making

By Sheri Helmueller Publicity Chair, Boy Scout Troop 07

D

o the challenges of outdoor adventure, camping, testing, wilderness survival skills, cooking in the outdoors, hiking, and learning first aid and orienteering skills sound appealing to you? Then you may want to join Boy Scout Troop 07 where you’ll have an opportunity to experience adventures too numerous to list.

In October of 2010, Scouts from Troop 07 boarded a bus for an amazing journey to Taman Negara, Malaysia, reaching their final destination by long boat. While camping in this extraordinary primary rain forest, they ventured on night hikes, climbed peaks for stunning views over the mountains, crossed rope bridges, shot blow pipe dart guns, and honed their canoeing skills.

In addition to several campouts throughout the year, the scouts participated in service projects at SAS, joined the U.S. Ambassador for a barbeque, met other Scouts at the 100th annual International Scout Jamboree and participated in two Merit Badge Marathons. Two young men from SAS have also received the highest honor in scouting, the Eagle rank.

Have we piqued your interest? If so, please join us at our weekly Tuesday night meetings, held from 6:15–7:30pm at the Singapore American School, High School room H301.

The following FAQs might help you decide if scouting is for you.

What do Boy Scouts do?

Boy Scouts goes beyond camping, canoeing, hiking, first aid and learning to tie knots. It is a way of life, a set of values and standards. We hope that the right values, morals and standards will become their way of thinking and govern how they make decisions in the future.

Who is eligible to join?

Boy Scouts is available to boys who have earned the Arrow of Light Award, have completed the fifth grade, or are 11-17 years old. New Scouts can join the troop at any time.

How often do Scouts camp out?

Campouts are approximately every six weeks. The Scouts decide what, where and when. An adult volunteer camp master is responsible for making the arrangements and is the point person on the campout. There is typically one adult volunteer for every five boys attending a campout, with a minimum of three adults present at any event.

How quickly do Scouts achieve ranks?

The Troop’s goal is for all Scouts to achieve the rank of 1st Class within one year of joining. There are six ranks in Boy Scouting: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle, each being more challenging than the one before it. Parents must be patient as scouts will progress

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

at different rates depending on their individual interests and goals.

What are merit badges?

Merit Badges are awards earned for learning a particular skill with the assistance of an adult counselor. The Troop offers numerous opportunities and classes on a rotating schedule to assist Scouts in earning Merit Badges.

Who runs the meetings?

Consistent with BSA policy, Troop 07 is a boy-run organization, under the guidance of adult leaders.

Scouting presents boys with opportunitiey for growth that require them to try, do, lead and occasionally fail. Leaders and parents assist Scouts in Troop 07, but they do not take over the process. Scouts vote during an election night for their leaders. These elected youths then plan, organize, and conduct the meetings with the mentorship of an adult.

What is a patrol?

The Patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups. These groups help determine the Troop’s activities through their elected patrol leaders.

Do patrol leaders and parents have meetings?

Yes. Patrol Leaders, as well as any other Scout and parent, can join in monthly meetings to discuss Troop activities, select campout locations and present ideas for future activities. Parents meet monthly in Committee Meetings. Any parent can join the committee to help with Troop Advancement, Merit Badges, Outdoor Activities, Logistics, Publicity, Events an, Policy changes. There wouldn’t be a Troop without the support of parents!

For additional information about our Troop, including a schedule of upcoming activities and reports of previous campouts, please visit www.bsatroop07.org, or contact publicity chair, Sheri Helmuelle, at tykotoms@hotmail.com.

Young Entrepreneurs

By Viraj Bindra and Klevrin Sitohang Grade 12 Students

for a potential company. They had to use their knowledge of all the aspects that go into a business proposal including projected financials, marketing strategies and management positions.

At the end of the course, their business plan was submitted to a worldwide entrepreneurship competition called the Hong Kong PolyU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Student Challenge. The team was recently notified that they, along with 29 other secondary school teams, had advanced to the semi-finals of the global competition. Consequently, the competition is flying them to Hong Kong to participate in the next stage of the competition from June 11 to 17.

Due to a conflict, Mr. Sitohang, the parent of one of the participants, will be replacing Mr. Oms as the sponsor of the trip.

A

t the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, three seniors initiated an independent study with TEC chairperson and teacher Mr. Tico Oms. The course had a variety of aims, including gaining an understanding in MBA-level finance and furthering all three students’ interests in entrepreneurial studies.

Alexander Amstrup, Klevrin Sitohang and Viraj Bindra spent the bulk of the course developing a business plan

Titans of Business

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The team’s task is now to prepare a full presentation for the competition, along with an elevator pitch video.

They will compete against teams from all over the world.

Indonesia, India, Vietnam, the United States, Sweden, Taiwan, and the U.K. will all be represented, among other countries. While other Singaporean institutions, such as ACS International and UWCSEA, also participated in the competition, SAS was the only school to have a team shortlisted for the semi-final round.

By Kelly Murphy and Michael Hsun Grade 11 Students

ith eyes fixed to laptop screens and students punching numbers on calculators, eight students in three teams from the Business Club successfully beat four international school teams to earn the first, second and third places in the Junior Achievement Titan Competition for International Schools 2011, hosted by Anglo-Chinese School (International).

After two grueling weeks of preliminary rounds, three teams from the SAS Business Club, which is sponsored

by Tico Oms, successfully made it into the finals. Junior Achievement is a business community that inspires young people to achieve their potential and fulfill their dreams through hands-on activities. This year, Junior Achievment’s competition consisted of teams running a virtual business.

All through the final round, Business Club members Han Li, Jimmy Yoon and Andrew Gong remained at the top of the bracket. The Officers team, consisting of club president Michael Hsun and secretary Vincent Wu trailed the first-place team closely throughout and finished with a strong second place. The real surprise though was the final all-freshmen team, The Three Marketeers, who miraculously jumped from a distant fifth to finish third

in the last five minute quarter of the competition. As one member commented, “The fact that we jumped two spots in one quarter as a last ditch effort was incredible!”

For the eight out of nine members who attended the competition for their first time, everyone came away with a valuable learning experience in how to run a business.

Congratulations to Michael Hsun (first place), Vincent Wu (second place), and Jesse Atlas, Amy Sedgwick, and Katie Wilhoit (third place).

www.sas.edu.sg

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Writing with Linda Sue Park

By Anna K. Grade 6 Student

“Ok guys, now we are going to write a ‘first try’ sentence,” the teacher said, facing her students who quickly put their pens to paper and wrote a sentence. “Now focus on word choice to make it more descriptive,” she continued. This may sound like an ordinary class in the Middle School, but it was actually a class taught by award-winning author Linda Sue Park.

She said the character should always have a problem and the book has to be about how the character attempts to solve the problem. For a developed story, it should include 3-10 chunks of action where the character experiences either progress or impediment and that writers had to decide if they wanted a happy ending, a hopeful ending or an adult (sad) ending.

Linda Sue Park visited SAS for one week in late February. During her visit she rushed around between the Primary, Intermediate, and Middle Schools telling students about writing techniques and her books.

Students said that she helped them become better writers with her writing tips. Some of the favorite tips were to revise the piece over and over

again by focusing on word choice or word order. Another popular one was to use our fists as camera lenses. To do this, she said, “Place your hand over your eye like a camera and imagine what your character is doing.

Then write it down.”

It’s clear from the feedback that Linda Sue Park made a positive impact on writers at SAS, and the next time they put pencil to paper, they may just follow her advice. For more information about the life of Linda Sue Park, visit her website: www.lindasuepark.com.

She told grade 6 students about her three favorite books that she has written. She said A Single Shard was a favorite because it won the Newbery award. Another favorite was Storm Warning because it made the most money, and Keeping Score was her favorite to write because it was all about baseball and she particularly enjoys baseball.

Later on, she shared her thoughts on writing structure with the students.

Fire Breathing Dragon Kilns

By Ellen Levenhagen HS Ceramics Teacher

China more than 2,000 years ago.

The wood-fired kilns are built into a hill with the head of the dragon at the base of the hill and the tail at the top.

The kiln at the Pottery Jungle is 30 meters long and 2 meters wide, and fires over 1,000 pieces of pottery at a time. The firing in February was the first in many years due to renovations on the structure of the kiln.

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igh School ceramics students recently had the rare opportunity to feed a fire-breathing dragon. The Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle’s Dragon kiln, located in East Jurong, was roaring during the week of February 18-20.

Dragon kilns originated in South

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HS students in the ceramics classes at SAS were fortunate to get some of their pottery into the recent firing.

Ceramics teacher Ellen Levenhagen and husband Mark Kolinski, MS teacher, contributed a few hours of labor in exchange for pottery space in the kiln.

Feeding a dragon entails an enormous amount of work, mostly stoking wood

NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

into one of the 20 fire ports along the length of the kiln. The dragon had to be fed for three days in order to reach its maximum temperature of 1,260 C. The ash from the wood forms beautiful spotting effects on the surface of the pots.

Stoking the kiln was a labor of love for Levenhagen. It is gratifying to be a part of an ancient ceramic tradition.

A goal for the ceramics program is to involve SAS students in the firing process in the future. For now students can be proud of the pots they made, which show the beautiful effects of a dragon’s roar.

For more information about Pottery Jungle and the dragon kiln, check out: pottery@chowkwang.com.sg or contact elevenhagen@sas.edu.sg.

Visiting Author Linda Sue Park

By By Kirk Palmer, Kate Brundage, Scott Riley PS Librarian and Teachers

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Newbery award-winning book, Korean family traditions, poetry, a career in writing historical fiction, KoreanAmericans, and limited Korean language skills are just some of the topics PTA Visiting Author Linda Sue Park presented to students during the week of February 28 to March 4.

Students in ECC and Primary School learned about Ms. Park’s early life growing up in Illinois, where her parents were in university as students and teachers. She shared that her parents made the decision that their children would only learn English and not Korean, and as a result she only knows a few Korean phrases.

She shared a game played with children on their first birthday that predicts their futures. Certain objects are set out and the first one the birthday child grabs predicts what the child’s career will be as a grown-up.

Ms. Park says her mother told her that she selected a pen and that is why she became an author. Our own students of Korean heritage enjoyed this story because many of them had also played this game, and they shared what objects they had picked.

Taking advantage of Ms. Park’s skills as a writer, students in both Intermediate and Middle Schools talked with her about writing in

workshop settings. By meeting in smaller groups, the students were able to interact with her, listen to ideas about how to make their own writing better, and discuss some of the difficulties of written expression.

These discussions helped students understand that even professional writers go through trying times with their own writing, and that is part of the writing and creative process.

Ms. Park shared with a parent/ child book club in grade 5 that it is indeed daunting to think of writing a whole book but that her strategy is to complete two pages a day (about 500 words) so that she does not feel overwhelmed.

Ms. Park met with sixth graders in two sessions, which allowed them to have smaller groups and to talk about a wide range of topics including growing up as a child of immigrant parents, being a foodie, and loving video games. One of her secrets she shared with students is that she is not necessarily a writer, but rather a rewriter. She often rewrites her stories and books until they meet her own standards of what is acceptable. She confessed that she rewrote My Name Was Keoko 38 times.

This was an important story for her to get just right as it is the story of her mother growing up in Korea during

the Japanese occupation before and during World War II. Accepting that an author may need to rewrite and rewrite, Ms. Park asked students to look at some of their own writing and especially focus on word choice and word order.

A session on Wednesday, March 2 in the elementary theater provided an opportunity for adults to find out more about writing and the writing process, and to hear about some of the research that has been done on reading and reading development.

An interesting question and answer session ended the evening.

A wide range of SAS students were able to hear an award-winning author talk about her own processes and her own life, gain insight into the writing process, and hopefully discover that just about everyone struggles to express themselves and not to feel discouraged. Ms. Park made her presentations relevant to each level, and it is clear from the comments made by teachers, students and parents that this visit was successful in all aspects.

The four SAS librarians would like to thank the PTA for its support of the visiting author program and its continued success.

www.sas.edu.sg

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Our Friend Eric

By Jeff Koltutsky MS Art Teacher

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his semester, art students from grades 7 and 8 received a special visit from Eric Rohman, author and illustrator of world famous picture books including award-winning My Friend Rabbit and Time Flies. Eric generously shared his expertise with the students during his two and a half week visit, conducting daily workshops for the art students who benefited from his extensive artistic knowledge and skills and from his kind and encouraging approach to making art.

Eric and the eighth graders worked on a cross-curricular unit about American history and slavery, which the students were studying in Social Studies and RLA. For illustrations to accompany stories about slavery, Eric taught the students how to use printmaking to create expressive and emotionally charged images similar to German Expressionist prints. The students’ stories and illustrations will be compiled into books and available in the MS Library. Students also created slavery collages using print and various other media to remind viewers of a dark time in American history. These works may be viewed on the display boards outside the MS art room.

The grade 7 students also worked with Eric on printmaking, focusing on the fundamentals and mechanics. Creative ideas for prints erupted, and the students created incredible works. The final print works may be viewed in the MS main foyer.

All the students worked with Eric to create illustrations for next year’s student handbook. It was enriching, and also fun, for me as a teacher to see an expert like Eric take a unit to a higher level. His experience with illustration and the creativity that maks his own books so successful flowed into the students’ work, and I am personally excited to see these works published in our student handbook.

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NewsFlash SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

14th Annual SAS Music Festival

By Anna Criens PS/IS Music Teacher

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he 14th Annual SAS Music Festival took place March 7-12. Four visiting conductors came to SAS to work with strings, choir, and band ensembles in the Intermediate, Middle and High School divisions, taking concert repertoire to the next level and working with students to hone their musical crafts.

These professionals also conducted the ensembles in specialized concerts, where classes combined to create larger ensembles as well as combined cross-divisionally.

The band students welcomed Chip De Stefano, director of bands at McCracken Middle School in Skokie, Illinois, and Dr. Timothy Diem, assistant director of bands and director of marching band at the University of Minnesota. The strings students were under the expertise of Dr. Joanne Erwin, professor of music education at Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio. The choir students raised their voices with Dr. Juan Tony Guzman, a Dominican Republic native and director of the jazz program and associate professor of music education at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

The K-12 music teachers observed these experts while they worked with the students and participated in professional development opportunities throughout the week. This was an absolutely unique and wonderful opportunity for SAS musicians and teachers to connect and share their love of music and performance.

www.sas.edu.sg

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IASAS Cultural Convention

Seniors Kelly Schuster and Cameron Noble in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” a play based on the short story by Gariel Garcia Marquez. English teacher Dr. Michael Clark wrote the script and directed the play with Tracy Meyer. Photo

by Erica Huston.

Seniors Kendall Covington and Avery Lim in “Framed,” a dance revealing the secrets behind a family portrait. Photo by Erica Huston.

Senior Alex Amstrup won gold for Oral Interpretation with short story “Tobermory” by Hector Hugh Munro. Photo by ISKL yearbook staff.

Junior Oliver Kim practices his trombone, preparing for Cultural Convention.

Students auditioned for a spot in the ensemble travelling to Cultural Convention. Photo by Michael Cox.

Senior Jerone Abueva prepares an art piece for packing. Photo by Michael Cox.

IASAS singers sang six songs, including “Shore on this Shining Night” by Morten Lauridsen, during their final concert. Photo by Michael Cox.

Seniors Ben Teo and Jem Magbanua perform their duet for “Framed.” The two portrayed a young, engaged couple.

Photo by Erica Huston.

Senior Mary Lieberman, an aspiring opera singer, performs her solo. Photo by Michael Cox.

Senior Becky Ruan takes cue from the conductor.

Photo by Michael Cox.