Singapore American School Newsflash, October 2005

NewsFlash

Volume 8, Issue 3-05/06 - October 2005

A Singapore American School community service publication

MICA (P) 234/08/2005

RUNNING FOR A CURE

Contributed by Amanda McKinnon, Carmine Filice and Sam Lloyd

On September 8th and 9th students in grades three through twelve became the newest participants in a young man’s dream; a dream that started 25 years ago. In April 1980, after losing his right leg to bone cancer, 22 year old Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope.

Terry ran 42 km each day with the intention of crossing the entire country of Canada to educate people about this disease. After 143 days and more than 5000 kilometres, doctors announced that the cancer had spread to his lungs and he would not be able to continue his run. Though Terry’s life ended prematurely, his inspiration continues to live in the thousands of people who participate in the annual events around the world, including Singapore.

In the days leading up to the run, interest and excitement grew as students learned about Terry’s incredible journey. Light showers did not deter approximately 200 third grade students from dashing around the 1.5 km course on Thursday morning. As the run came to a close, questions of “can we do that again?” were heard throughout the foyer. Fourth grade students also showed their spirit and enthusiasm in an equally enjoyable run on September 9th, while fifth grade students had the rare opportunity to meet and talk to Mr. Derrick Lau, a Singaporean man who also lost his leg to cancer as a teenager. Mr. Lau shared the challenges and triumphs he faced in his battle against cancer. His inspirational story brought Terry Fox’s message of hope even closer to home. continued on page 29...

News Flash Contents

2 In This Issue 03 04 07 08 12 14 19 22 24

Robert Gross Superintentend of Schools

25 26 Mark Boyer Asst. Superintendent Curriculum and Staff Development

Rhonda Norris Asst. Superintendent Business

27 28 30 31

David Hoss Principal Primary School

Robert Godley Principal Middle School

Marian DeGroot Principal Intermediate School

Paul Chmelik Principal High School

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School NOVEMBER NEWSFLASH Deadline: October 24, 2005 Publication Date: November 7, 2005 DECEMBER NEWSFLASH Deadline: November 28, 2005 Publication Date: December 12, 2005 Email Community News Input to bgribbon@sas.edu.sg Email Trading Post Input to trade@sas.edu.sg Trading Post advertising is restricted to non-commercial items only from SAS students, parents and staff

Development Curriculum & Staff Development Calendar Highlights PTA Boosters Board of Governors Election Sports - IASAS ICCS 2005 Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration 1,050 Paper Cranes Special Olympics Singapore National Games SAS National Merit Semifinalist AP Art History Grade 8 Mural Paintings Latest Fitness technology High School Music Concert Counseling - Adolescent Depression Gregory Burns A Special Gift from Jane Goodall New Teachers Career Day

Are You Receiving What’s Happening at SAS? We are sending all parents and guardians a regular weekly What’s Happening at SAS newsletter by email.

If you have not been receiving the weekly email it probably means that we do not have your correct email address. Send us an email at communications@sas.edu.sg to let us know that you have not been hearing from us. We can add one or both parents emails to our distribution.

The weekly What’s Happening at SAS will also be posted on the website at http://www.sas.edu.sg NEWSFLASH is published monthly by the Communications Office of the Singapore American School. It is distributed free of charge to the parents, faculty members and organizations served by the school.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Singapore American School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738547 Tel: 6360-6303 SAS Website: http://www.sas.edu.sg Editor: Beth Gribbon Assistant: Joey Lew

Development

3 SAS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Update from the Development Office

GETTING THE NEWS TO YOU:

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ctober brings the opening of our 50th Anniversary Program and the launching of the Annual Fund and Endowment Appeal. By now you should have received, by mail, the Celebrating Our Alumni brochure which explains the events planned for this year’s anniversary celebration and gives details regarding ticket sales. If you have not received a copy, please contact the Development Office at 6360-6302 or smurray@sas.edu.sg and we will make sure you get one. You can also view the brochure online at http://alumni.sas.edu.sg.

In addition, in order to help you keep up to date with all that is happening this year, the Development Office will send a monthly e-letter giving you a heads up for each month’s events. Again, please contact us if you have not received the October e-letter so that we can update your email address.

All proceeds from the Celebrating Our Alumni Series will go to the Annual Fund supporting financial aid, community service, athletics, visual and performing arts and special projects at Singapore American School. A portion of all proceeds will be placed in the endowment fund.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INVOLVED? We are looking for help at some of the events and in the Development Office. From meeters and greeters, to bartenders and decorations, we will be needing help setting up and manning events and in the office stuffing envelopes for the numerous mailings we are doing this year. If you would like to give some time and see the events from an insiders view, please contact our office as above. In addition, look out for sign-up sheets at Division Coffees and in the Division Offices.

COMING IN OCTOBER Homecoming Picnic and Football Game: Friday, October 21 Not just a football game, it’s a chance for the whole family to join in and have a little back-home autumn fun. Food, games for young and old, parades, and a homecoming king and queen!

Homecoming Dance: Saturday, October 22 Leave your children behind and join us dancing “Under a Harvest Moon”. No, you don’t have to find a prom dress! It’s a casual event for the young at heart. Tickets on sale in the Development Office.

For more information consult the flyers on the back page of Newsflash or contact the Development Office.

That 50 Day! Monday, October 24 This one is for the students. On this 50th day of our 50th year, throughout SAS, we will celebrate the number 50. The highlight will be an all school picture taken by helicopter as we spell out “SAS@50”on the Stadium Field. Be sure to ask “how was your day?” when your children come home!

Susan Murray Director of Development

Math Tutoring The HS Math Club, sponsored by Dr. James Kett, will be tutoring high school and middle school students during their free periods, after school or on weekends. (Middle school tutoring is available after school or on weekends only.)

Student tutors have completed math courses in various levels, and will be helping students with their homework or areas in which they need encouragement or further understanding. The sessions will be 30 minutes long, or a time mutually agreed upon between the tutor and student. We encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity. Please send an email to Tarang or tell your math teacher if you would like to benefit from our tutoring service.

This is free of charge. If you have any other questions or concerns, please email Tarang at tarang321@gmail.com.

Curriculum & Staff Development

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From the Assistant Superintendent For Curriculum and Staff Development formulated by January to guide renewal and upgrades of services and support.

Mark Boyer

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eptember has been a full and exciting month of classroom teaching,professional development, and curriculum development.

In terms of curriculum development, SAS has a five-year cycle of curriculum renewal.

Each subject or service area has three phases of thoughtful planning and preparation: Study Year, Development Year, and Implementation Year. The Study Year is for review of stakeholder input/suggestions and for investigation of best practices. The Development Year is for development of new curriculum, identification of new resources for classroom use, and for various levels of preparation for implementation. The Implementation Year is when the curriculum, resources, and all areas of support are launched.

In addition to the five-year cycle of curriculum renewal, SAS also provides off-cycle support within subject areas and services as needed.

STUDY YEAR BEGINS: LIBRARIES, COUNSELING, SPECIAL SERVICES, AND MATHEMATICS Last May, a survey was sent to all parents to begin the collection of input for our new Study Year areas. Parent Coffees provide another forum for input, in conjunction with input from external expert reviewers, staff, and students. These four Study Year areas are in their initial stages of inquiry, and a set of recommendations will likely be

This past summer, Shirley Frye, Past President of the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics reviewed the school’s current curriculum and provided detailed feedback and suggestions for each grade level. Arrangements are currently being made for Shirley Frye to be at SAS in November to offer support for staff and to also provide a Parent Night. Mathematics Reps are currently reviewing the research on major trends in mathematics and also the information on exemplary mathematics programs.

The Singapore Ministry of Education’s Maths Unit was invited to SAS in early September to provide a presentation on their current approaches to mathematics education for all SAS Mathematics Reps.

Singapore is rated as one of the leading countries in the world for mathematics education, and the intent of the session at SAS was to look for approaches that could be transferable to the context of our school. It was a provocative session that continues to generate inquiry and dialogue among faculty at SAS.

understandings and perspectives on Social Studies as a discipline and field of study 4. Increased efforts across grade levels to establish relevance and connections for learning 5. Enriched selection of resources for classroom use Eighteen SAS staff members have been involved as grade level Reps for the new curriculum and resource recommendations. The Reps work with all grade level staff in developing and confirming curriculum changes and for making recommendations for resources. Final refinements of curriculum and resource recommendations will continue throughout the fall, and adoption and purchase of resources is anticipated in the spring. Full implementation of the new curriculum, new courses, and new resources will start with the 2006-2007 school year.

Outcomes of the Modern Language review are: 1. Additional levels and staffing have already been added, as the DEVELOPMENT YEAR: review process has progressed, to SOCIAL STUDIES AND MODERN better support the diverse needs LANGUAGE of our student community 2. On-site consultant support Outcomes of the Social Studies review by internationally-recognized are: leaders in modern language 1. Development of a with SAS faculty new philosophy has facilitated the for Social development of a “...to create richer and Studies that much clearer and more supportive environcreates a tighter a more coherent ment for student learning” focus on history, and dynamic g e o g r a p h y, curriculum for all and society, language areas and that also 3.

Faculty provides enhanced support for skills participation in on-site workshops in conjunction with content and regional and U.S. conferences 2. Greater depth and application of has increased the use of effective learning within grade level topics, strategies for student learning which has necessitated the reduction 4. Extensive review of resources of “coverage” by faculty has led to the 3. Enhanced selectivity of topics across recommendation of materials and grade levels to provide different media to create richer and more

Curriculum & Staff Development

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From the Assistant Superintendent For Curriculum and Staff Development (cont’) supportive environments for student learning This past summer, we sent our Preschool through 12th grade Modern Language curriculum drafts to three external expert reviewers for feedback and suggestions. The following are some comments by our reviewers: “SAS has undertaken an approach to curriculum development that is cutting edge. While many districts and schools have aligned their curricula to the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning and detailed what students will learn, few have been specific about how well students can use what they’ve learned. Your curriculum is breaking new ground.” -- Dr. Mimi Met, Professor at the University of Maryland and Director of the National Foreign Language Center

and author of LANGUAGES AND CHILDREN: MAKING THE MATCH, provided a weekend workshop in September on instructional strategies and increased use of the target language in the classroom, and then provided three days of curriculum writing support with faculty to follow-up on the consultant reviews from the summer.

Final refinements of curriculum and resource recommendations will continue throughout the fall, and adoption and purchase of resources is anticipated in the spring. Full implementation of the new curriculum, new courses, and new resources will start with the 2006-2007 school year.

IMPLEMENTATION YEAR: VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS AND COMPUTERS, BUSINESS, & TECHNOLOGY

We are now in our implementation year “Oftentimes, curriculum documents are for our new curriculum and resources for long on describing what Visual and Performing students should know but Arts (VPA) and also for short on characterizing Computers, Business, what the language looks and Technology (CBT). like when students Twelve new courses use it. The use of the were introduced this American Council of school year for VPA and Teachers of Foreign five new courses were Workshop on Language (ACTFL) introduced this school instruction strategies Performance Guidelines year for CBT. All new for K-12 Learners places courses have filled, and the curriculum document on the solid are receiving positive responses from footing of the best common professional students. thought in the United States about language performance vis-à-vis time One of the recommendations from investment.” -- Dr. Greg Duncan, the review of VPA was for greater President of InterPrep, Inc. articulation and communication among K-12 VPA teachers to further enhance “I want to congratulate you for student opportunities. Numerous new developing and describing a well defined, program opportunities have emerged articulated foreign language program. this year within and across divisions for It is a huge undertaking to coordinate SAS students, and efforts are underway the many entry levels and components to “institutionalize” some of the leading of your program.” -- Dr. Peggy Boyles, events in the arts areas.

International Consultant.

The new philosophy for VPA addresses Dr. Helena Curtain, Professor at the need to learn about the arts, experience University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee the arts, and to engage with professionals

Curriculum planning and development

in the arts. The new curriculum for VPA establishes a balanced approach for learning about the arts and experiencing the arts. Through the initiative of VPA teachers at SAS and support by PTA and the Arts Council, interaction with professional artists and participation at professional performances and exhibits is continuing to increase.

These professional experiences are creating tremendous excitement and learning for both students and staff.

A key sentence in the new philosophy for Computers and Technology is: “There is a commitment to effectively and appropriately integrate computers and technology into all areas of learning at all grade levels, so that students are able to broaden their thinking and skills in real life applications.” The changes that were made by the end of last school year in curriculum, course offerings, resources, and support were efforts to more tightly align with this new philosophy. This philosophy was initially developed to support the work of teachers in Computers and Technology, and this year the philosophy has been broadened to a school goal for all staff.

The new curriculum for Computers and Technology provides grade level guidance for student expectations. Each division (i.e., Primary, Intermediate, Middle School, and High School) has further established exit outcomes to further ensure purposeful student proficiencies. Finally, in order to

Curriculum & Staff Development From the Assistant Superintendent For Curriculum and Staff Development (cont’) support equity of learning opportunities for all students in all classrooms, staff proficiencies have also been clarified in the use and instruction of Computers and Technology, and support for staff learning will be made available through various staff development opportunities.

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Social Studies and Modern Language – music theory throughout division areas for adoption this school In addition to year the workshops “The faculty at Singapore 5. L i t e r a t u r e offered as a American School places a Circles with school, divisions high value on professional Dr. Nancy offer a range of J o h n s o n staff development development...” provided opportunities, and HIGHLIGHTS: numerous staff is also involved SEPTEMBER’S STAFF ideas and in numerous outside DEVELOPMENT strategies for increasing a love and courses, conferences, workshops, OPPORTUNITIES AT SAS understanding for reading in upper and independent study. The faculty divisions – grades 5-12 at Singapore American School Training on the use of Developmental 6. Singapore Ministry of Education’s places a high value on professional Reading Assessments (DRA) that Maths Unit provided a provocative development and lifelong learning provide cross-grade level and session on their approaches to because of their commitment to c r o s s - d iv i s i o n a l mathematics education provide the best possible education teacher support 7. Atlas Orientation for for all students. The opportunities in identifying staff in Visual & Performing to interact with other brilliant local, comprehension, Arts and also in Computers, regional, U.S., and international fluency, and Business, & Technology educators create a dynamic that accuracy levels on how to use the school’s frequently ripples throughout the of reading for web-based system for school, and generate ongoing ideas individual students, development of classroom and excitement for teaching and and also notes units linked to the school’s learning. progress from newly adopted curriculum fall assessment to for these areas Workshop with spring assessment 8. Dr. Helena Curtain Dr. Susan Baum Parent Coffees within grade levels provided an outstanding – piloting the use of this assessment weekend workshop of instructional Intermediate School - IS Library this year strategies for modern language (8:30am – 10:00am) Certification training for staff in the teachers, and followed-up with three Dec 5 use of the Ropes Course and the days of curriculum writing support for Climbing Wall (two extraordinary modern language in preschool through Middle School - M301 resources at SAS!) 12th grade (10:00am) Graduate Course with Dr. Susan 9. A grant to SAS provided the Nov 7 Baum on delivery systems and opportunity to send several high Dec 5 classroom strategies for supporting school staff members to a regional gifted and talented students (Dr. Advanced Placement Conference High School - H301 Baum said all students are gifted 10. All SAS teachers are engaged in book (10:00am) and talented in different ways, and study sessions on best practices to Nov 14 provided ideas on how to identify support enhanced reading skills for all and support the diversity of gifts, students Primary School - E. Theater talents, and needs of students) – this 11. Curriculum and Service planning (8:30am to 9:30am) was a course in our on-site Master’s and development for Social Studies, Oct 10 Degree Program through Buffalo Modern Language, Counseling, State, and the course was also open Libraries, Special Services, and Early Childhood Center - At the to all other interested SAS staff Mathematics ECC All the major publishing companies 12. Five music faculty participated in a (8:30am – 9:30am) and several niche companies two-day local workshop on how to use Nov 7 provided a Publisher’s Fair for our new Sibelius software for exciting identification of new resources in approaches to music composition and

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Calendar Highlights

7 October 2005

7 7-9 8 9 10 11 12

13 13-15 14

14-15 15 16 18 19 21

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PS UN Day 9:15am – 10:00am HS Coffee House 3:15pm – 5:15pm Bintan Service Trip HS SAT Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm PS Parent Coffee 8:30am (Elementary Theater) PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) “Launching Your Senior” Parent Group 10:00am – 11:15am (H301) STUDENTS’ EARLY DISMISSAL 12:45pm ALTERNATE DRESS DAY No PM Pre-Sch Pre-K is in session HS PLAN & PSAT TESTING YOM KIPPUR IASAS Soccer in Singapore IASAS Volleyball in Bangkok That Dance Thing (7th Grade) 6:30pm – 8:30pm Hollandse Club That Dance Thing (8th Grade) 7:30pm – 9:30pm IASAS Cross-Country in Bangkok MS That Dance Thing (6th Grade) 6:30pm – 8:30pm Hollandse Club Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm “Launching Your Senior Parent” Group 10:00am – 11:15am (H301) HS Instrumental Concert 7:00pm (Auditorium) HS Basketball/Cheerleading/Swimming/ Tennis/Rugby Seasons Begin Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301) MS REPORT CARDS GO HOME 50th Anniversary Homecoming SACAC Football Game 6:00pm (Stadium Field) HS Choir Concert 7:00pm (Drama Theater) HS ACT 50th Anniversary Homecoming Dance Adults only 8:00pm – 11:00pm (HS Gym)

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26 27

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30 31

Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm “THAT 50 DAY” School Wide 50th Anniversary Activities IS Official UN Day Annual General Meeting of the American School Trust Limited 7:00pm (H301) IS/PS REPORT CARDS GO HOME PS/Pre-K/K Pumpkin Patch “HS Launching Your Senior” Parent Group 10:00am – 11:15am (H301) MS UN Day Assembly 2:00pm (Auditorium) ALTERNATE DRESS DAY HS Booster Bake Sale PS Grade 1 & 2 Pumpkin Patch Parent-Teacher Conferences for Pre-Sch to Grade 5 No school for Pre-Sch Early Dismission for Pre-K to Grade 5 (No lunch will be served) 11:30am Parent-Teacher Conferences for Pre-Sch to Grade 5 No School for Pre-Sch to Grade 5 HS First Season Sports Award Night 7:00pm (Auditorium/Drama Theater/ Theater Studio) PTA Food Fest 11:00am - 3:00pm (HS & MS Gyms and PTA Office) HS Biathlon 8:00am – 1:00pm (Pool/Fields) IS/MS/HS Solo Ensables Strings Choir/ Band (Auditorium/Drama) Theater/ Performing Arts Classrooms – All Day Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm IS/PS/MS HOLIDAY ALTERNATE DRESS DAY PS/IS Halloween Parties 1:30pm

November 2005 1 3 3-5 4 5 6 7 7-9 8 9-12

DEEPAVALI (HOLIDAY – NO SCHOOL) HARI RAYA PUASA (HOLIDAY – NO SCHOOL) HS Wish for Kids Service Trip INSERVICE DAY (NO SCHOOL) MS/HS SAT & Subject Test with Listening The American Community Thanksgiving Charity Run/Walk 8:00am – 10:00am Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm Early Childhood Center Parent Coffee 8:30am (ECC) MS Parent Coffee 10:00am (M301) HS Interim Semester Fee Collection @ HS Gallery PTA Board Meeting (PTA Office) 9:30am Financial Aid for US Citizens Senior Parents 7:00pm (H301) THIMUN participants in Singapore (HS)

9 10-12 10 11-12 11

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ALTERNATE DRESS DAY HS Drama Production 7:00pm (Drama Theater) 11:30am Dismissal Parent/Teacher Conferences (MS) Hong Kong Honors Band Festival (HS) NO SCHOOL FOR MS GRADE 6-8 Teacher/Parent Conferences (MS) 6:00pm Celebrating Our Alumni Series: Art Opening @ HS Gallery & Atrium SISMC Math Competition 8:00am – 2:00pm (H301) Swimming/Tennis Exchange in Singapore Rugby Exchange in Jakarta Touch Rugby Exchange in Kuala Lumpur Campus Mosquito Fogging 5:00pm – 7:00pm

PTA

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From the PTA President

hough the temperature is not dropping to the same degree as the fall temperatures in the northeast areas of the U.S., it is this time of the year that reminds me of when my family and I used to visit a local farm and enjoy the scents of the season. Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year. The local farm that we used to visit always had the aroma and colors of fall. We had the chance to enjoy the taste of freshly squeezed sweet apple cider and doughnuts, and run around in the colorful pumpkin patch having the chance to choose our one special pumpkin.

To help bring a little fall to our community here in Singapore, the PTA will be sponsoring a number of events at SAS. For those of you that have students in the ECC and Primary divisions, mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 25th and Wednesday October 26th. Your child will visit the PTA Pumpkin Patch in the PTA Office with their class, enjoy a story for the season, and receive a treat, compliments of PTA. On the 29th of October, in conjunction with the International Food Fest, we will open the PTA Office at 11:00 am for the sale of pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn to the SAS community at very reasonable prices. Proceeds from this event will be used to support the High School Community Service Clubs. Due to a limited supply and high demand for pumpkins, please plan to get your pumpkins early and be patient in the process as this is a very popular activity held during Food Fest.

We are able to coordinate these two events due to the generous support of the APL (American Presidential Lines) Company. They support this event by purchasing the pumpkins in the Northwest of the U.S, crate them for shipping, clear the shipment into the country and deliver this precious cargo to the PTA Office at SAS. We once again thank APL for this generous support that benefits so many families here at SAS. After picking out your special pumpkin, plan to spend the day enjoying the sites and sounds of our International Food Fest in the Middle and High School Gymnasiums. This event will be held from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. For those unfamiliar with this event, you will find a large variety of ethnic food prepared by members of the SAS community.

Plan to come and enjoy cuisines from Japan, China, India, France, and many other countries. Keep your eyes open for our first Chili Cook Off at the American Booth. While at Food Fest, do not forget to stop by Room S204 to view the gorgeous Theme Baskets and purchase raffle tickets to win your favorite basket of various delights. They need to be seen to be believed.

Another event to mark on your calendar is the Annual PTA Carpet Auction (held in conjunction with Eastern Carpets).

This auction will be held on campus, in the PTA Office, for the first time, on the evening of Friday, October 14th. A beautiful selection of oriental carpets will be available for auction. Viewing begins at 7:00 pm with the auction starting at 8:00 pm. Tickets cost $10 in advance, with a limited supply of $15 tickets available at the door. During the evening, complimentary finger foods and drinks will be served. Please plan to come and enjoy a casual evening of fun.

October is a very busy month for PTA; we look forward to seeing you at these events. If you have the time to help at these or any other future events, we would welcome your support. Please contact us with any questions or inquiries at pta@sas.edu.sg.

Susan Fay PTA President

Hopefully many of you were able to attend the PTA Welcome Back Social at the American Club poolside. A big thank you to Karin Stolarski, Caroline Faris, and the entire Hospitality Team for making the arrangements. You gals certainly know how to throw a party!

If you haven’t already received your complementary copy of the SAS PTA 50th Anniversary Calendar, please contact Wendy Dwyer (hairnetw@hotmail.com). A true keepsake! Additional calendars are available for purchase at PTA Sales or the High School Booster Booth.

PTA

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The Genius Behind the PTA 50th Anniversary Calendar Contributed by Wendy Dwyer

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ll SAS families now hold in their hands the final edition of the PTA 50th Anniversary Calendar. So many of you have inquired about the brilliant graphics, that we thought we would share the secret behind the magic. Our graphic artist extraordinaire is none other than SAS parent, Amy Chou. Amy and her husband Ivan Chuang have two daughters, Hanna and Olivia.

Born in Taiwan, Amy is a ’92 graduate of the University of Maryland College Park. Her graphic arts major led her to a career with the Washington Business Journal, and she subsequently worked as the Art Director for the Eastern Research Group. Looking at her work on the brochures and reports she created for the National Park Service makes you want to drop everything and travel to the historic sites! She has honed her skills by favoring the Adobe Photoshop and Quarkxpress programs.

Amy’s interest and commitment to creating a stunning and textured commemorative calendar was immediately apparent as she scoured the past 49 SAS yearbooks for “Then and Now” photos. Her idea was to formulate the early SAS pictures in the background in sepia tones, and position the recent SAS photos in 3D to “jump out at you!” Her method was to outline and trace each foreground picture meticulously with the cursor and then remove the extraneous background. The 4 girls sitting in the tire swing on the March page demonstrates this method, as each and every linked chain was outlined and the background was removed.

Even the girls’ hair was completely traced to capture the 3D look. It is obvious that Amy loves her work and she was able to bring the finished product to completion in less than 3 months!

Thank you Amy Chou – you have created something that will definitely be treasured by SAS families during this 50th anniversary year and a copy of the calendar will find its place in our 50th anniversary time capsule! Additional copies are for sale at the PTA Sales Office and Booster Booth.

High School Principal Moving On Paul Chmelik has announced that he will be leaving Singapore American School at the end of this school year. Having serving as the High School Principal at SAS since August 2000, he will leave behind a legacy of outstanding leadership and positive growth. Students, faculty and parents alike will miss his steady and compassionate style of leadership. The decision to leave did not come easily, as Paul and his wife Betsy (Middle School Librarian) have enjoyed working with a truly supportive SAS community. However, Paul wants to pursue a position as a Superintendent of Schools, and feels the best opportunities may lie outside of Singapore. We wish Paul and Betsy all the best in the coming months as they evaluate the many opportunities that will no doubt become available to them.

Boosters

12 Booster Booth will be open 2005 International Foodfest October 29, 2005 11:00am till 3:00pm

Seat cushions are a real comfort...try them out!

WHAT’S NEW IN THE BOOSTER BOOTH?

Cards, cards and more cards....

Wine Charms are back!

Eagles Shorts are in!

Popcorn, granola bars, coolers, visors, more and more!!!

Booster donated gifts to all speakers at Career Day. IASAS can holder will be sold during IASAS soccer at the Booster Booth. The Booth will be open Oct 13 & 14 from 7:45am to 5:00pm. On Oct 16, Boosters will have a table in the high school cafeteria from 11:00am to 3:00pm, selling booth items, baked goods, and snow cones.

For the Booster’s Home Tour Poster, Boosters asked Miss Harvey’s Studio Art students to sketch interior home scenes. Aubrey Jackson’s sketch of a grand staircase was selected for the poster. Shu-Chi (Pony) Weng, Alvin K. Cheng and Hye-In Cho’s sketches will be featured in the Home Tour Program. All the sketches will be displayed at the Shangri-La Hotel during the Booster’s Home Tour.

Board of Governors

14 From the Board Chair

To:

All Members of The American School Trust Limited and Those Eligible to be Members

t • • • •

he Annual General Meeting of The American School Trust Limited (the “Trust”) will be held on Tuesday, October 25th, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., in Room H301 in the High School. The agenda for the AGM includes: A presentation of the audited accounts of the Singapore American School for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005.

The appointment of auditors for the year 2005-06.

A report from the Superintendent.

The election of four Governors of the Board for three-year terms.

All Trust members are entitled and encouraged to attend the AGM and are eligible to vote in the election.

There are six candidates for the four Board seats and they are: • Susan Champagne • Bob Comstock • Shelley DeFord • Maya Roll • Marybeth Shay • Garth Sheldon Trust members may cast their ballot for up to four of these candidates by: • Voting personally by attending the AGM on October 25th.

• Voting by absentee ballot. An absentee ballot and instructions on its use will be mailed to your home the second week in October.

• Delegating your vote via the use of the proxy form. Any Trust member who desires to delegate their vote by proxy must personally obtain the said serialized proxy form from the Board Secretary at the registered office of the Trust.

Please be aware that in order to vote in this election, you must be a member of the Trust. If you have not yet joined the Trust or if you are unsure about your membership, please contact Margaret Yeo at email Margaret@sas.edu.sg or call 6360-6314 for assistance.

On behalf of the Board, I encourage you to join the Trust, attend the AGM and vote.

Sincerely, Shelley DeFord Chairman, Board of Governors

Meet the Candidates Forum The PTA would like to invite staff and parents to a Meet the Candidates Forum. The forum is designed to acquaint the SAS community with the individuals who have indicated that they will be seeking a position on the Board of Govenors for Singapore American School. The forum will consist of a brief statement from each candidate addressing their background and why they have an interest in serving on the Board of Governors. The session will then be opened for questions and answers.

Date/Location: Friday October 14 at 3:30pm in Room H301

Board of Governors

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Candidates for the Board of Governors Susan Champagne

Children at SAS: Kate and Conor McGurk, grades 10 and 7 Occupation: Research Consultant, Researcher Date arrived in Singapore: April 2000 Expected length of stay in Singapore: Indefinite Work Experience: • Consulting projects in China on education, child rearing, and migrant workers for Save the Children, UNICEF, Ford Foundation, Bernard van Leer Foundation, and China Labor Development Research Institute • Teaching: courses on research methodology at Beijing University; English language teaching at China Academy of Sciences Educational background: • Stanford University: Ph.D. (Education) • M.A. (Food Research Institute, Concentration in Population Studies) • University of Toronto: M.A. (East Asian Studies) • Nanjing University, China: Diploma: (Modern Chinese History) • McGill University: B.A. (Major in English Literature, minor in Modern Languages and Communications) Volunteer Experience: Member of the Parent Ad-hoc Committee for Modern Languages Ms. Champagne’s statement: “I have a longstanding interest in education which I have pursued through experiences as student, teacher and researcher in Canada, the U.S. and in China. As an undergraduate, my coursework spanned a broad spectrum of fields in the social sciences and humanities, and for my M.A and Ph.D. degrees I specialized in Asian Studies and Education. I’ve also had a range of experiences teaching: At Peking University I taught research methodology to graduate students in the Department of Tertiary Education; in the early 1980’s I taught English to scientists in Beijing; and since the early 1990’s I’ve worked with a wide variety of Chinese research groups, training them in critical inquiry and helping to design research strategies, interview protocols, analyze data and produce reports. As a doctoral student of Education at Stanford University I had the opportunity to study education from a broad-based perspective - historically, globally, its various philosophic foundations, and the many ways it is impacted by and impacts upon society at large. I’ve studied a number of languages, attaining a reasonable level of fluency in Mandarin and French, and basic communication skills in Spanish, Italian, and Russian. I’ve also had rudimentary training in Japanese and Hebrew.

The preponderance of my project work and research has focused on education and children. I’ve worked as a consultant for Save the Children, Unicef, Bernard van Leer (a Dutch foundation concerned with preschool learning), and I’ve been involved with several projects devoted to improving educational opportunities for migrant children in China. My Ph.D. dissertation looked at child rearing practices and philosophies in the PRC, specifically the meanings attached to the trait of “intelligence,” and the strategies used by parents in a category of child rearing, commonly known as “intelligence education.”

“Academically, there are several components of schooling which I believe deserve a high degree of priority. Most importantly, I feel we should uphold the highest standards of literacy skills. Given the sea of information and ideas currently swirling around us students need to be able to read with ease, so they can profitably and pleasurably navigate their way through it. It will also be of huge advantage to them if they are able to express themselves clearly and persuasively in the written form, thus enabling them to play an active role in the global exchange of ideas. An aptitude for critical inquiry and thinking is also of paramount importance for engaging with the current influx of information: students should have as much guidance as possible in developing good judgment and skills of discernment so as to be able to engage with the multiple and often conflicting ideas to which they are exposed.

Finally, I believe that as global citizens it is of great value for our students to be able to communicate in more than one language.

Oral language skills need not take that long to learn: language programs can be tailored so that practical communication skills can be mastered even at the most elementary levels.

Schools play a wider role than simply providing children with academic skills. During the thousand or so hours students spend in school every year, social habits are developed and values are formed – some explicitly taught, but many absorbed indirectly through the general school environment. I feel that it is important that schools strive to create an environment which fosters the development of certain sensibilities, most importantly, I think, those that concern how we relate to one another. I believe that we need to move beyond the principle of tolerance, and aim for the more challenging, fulfilling and practical goal of mutual understanding. The classroom provides an excellent opportunity to pursue such a goal: it is a place where students must work and learn alongside others who may feel or think or do things differently. In this context students can be guided to develop the communication and social skills to interact with others in an empathetic and intellectually engaging way.

Finally, I think that given the richness and diversity of the SAS community we could all profit by increasing opportunities for the expression of community views. We need a venue, I believe, for exchange, debate and reflection of ideas, a forum which would allow teachers, parents, administrators and students to reflect upon the best ways to serve our community and the global world in which we now live. More voices need to be heard in this huge community to which we all belong. This, I believe, would greatly enrich the SAS experience for us all and would contribute to the goal we all share which is to provide a quality education for our children.

I believe that it would be of great benefit to the SAS community for its Board of Governors to include amongst its members one with an expertise in the field of Education. If elected, I will strive to make the greatest use of my background and experience to benefit the SAS student body in all its goals and quests for the highest quality of education and its pursuit of a high standard of university study. In addition, I will strive to be attentive to, to understand, and to represent a wide spectrum of SAS community views. With my broad experience in education, from a pedagogical, critical and international perspective, I believe I have the competence and the proclivity to approach school governance issues thoughtfully, with an openness to the experience, objectives and ideas of the SAS community.”

Board of Governors

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Candidates for the Board of Governors Bob Comstock

Children at SAS: Eric – grade 11, Chris – grade 9 Occupation: Managing Director Employer: Compass Foods Pte Ltd Expected length of stay in Singapore: Indefinite Educational background: BSME, University of California, Berkeley Community involvement: • Cub Scout Pack 3017 – Chairman, 1997-2002 • Boy Scout Troop 07 – Chairman, 2002 – current • SACAC Football Announcers Coordinator – 2003 & 2004 • SACAC coaching (five years) Mr. Comstock’s statement: “During my 4 year tenure on the Board I have actively served on the Facilities and Finance committees and contributed my expertise in engineering, construction management, and budgeting and policy management. I remain concerned with continuing the non-complacent excellence that defines SAS, while recognizing the necessity of increasing fiscal prudence.

My family and I have lived in Singapore for over 12 years and three years ago my partner and I founded a research-oriented food and pharmaceutical additive business. I was previously employed as the Managing Director for Atotech in S.E. Asia where during my tenure I managed three companies that tripled sales and increased profits six-fold. I build facilities in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and a factory / office complex in Singapore. My responsibilities also included budgeting for three legal entities and establishing the policies and procedures for four operating units.

My background includes experience on multiple boards, including four professional association boards, two independent company boards and one club board. I have also served as the Chairman of two technical conferences in Singapore.

I continuously attempt to solicit feedback from other parents as to their opinions concerning SAS and where improvements can be made. I also continue to maintain active community involvement including five years as a T-ball and baseball coach along with eight years as the Committee Chairman for the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. I was a member of the US Olympic Sailing Team, and currently enjoy sailboat racing, swimming and mountain biking, while raising two active high school boys.

I enthusiastically offer to continue to serve on the SAS Board.”

Shelly Deford

Children at SAS: One in grade 11 and a Graduate of the Class of 2004 Occupation: • Vice President, Chase Manhattan Bank, New York City • Partner in a regional financial advisory firm working in Jakarta, Bangkok and Hong Kong Expected length of stay in Singapore: Indefinite Educational background: Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Cornell University Community involvement: • Singapore American School Currently serving on the Board of Governors as Chairman and Member of the Finance Committee and Trust Committee; and Parliamentarian of the Booster Club. Previously PTA President, Treasurer, 8th and 6th grade representative, and Gecko Press 3rd grade coordinator • SACAC Fighting Fish Commissioner of Swimming • Raffles Junior College member of the Board of Governors Mrs. DeFord’s statement: “As one of the candidates in this year’s election I seek your support.

I have served on our Board of Governors for the past six years and it has been an incredible honor to do so. I have been a member of the Finance, Curriculum and Trust Committees, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Board and am now in my second year as Chairman of the Board. While on the Board I have remained very active in the PTA, the Booster Club and the SACAC swimming program. Recently, I have been appointed to the Board of Governors of the newly-independent Raffles Junior College. That appointment speaks volumes about the reputation that SAS has in the educational community here in Singapore and it is my privilege to be a small part of that.

All that said, why should you vote for me? There is no special skill set to be on the Board. In fact, when we make Board appointments we look for a broad range of backgrounds and professional experiences. What does bind us though is the real commitment that we each have to our school and that commitment can take many forms. For me, that commitment takes place both in and out of the boardroom. I get involved and I think that is what defines me best as a Board member. I love Singapore American School and have been and continue to be involved with the school in so many ways. My volunteer work for the school has fulfilled me more than any work I’ve done. Our school has a proud tradition of excellence in parent involvement. We have a faculty and administration that enthusiastically encourage this involvement and a talented and dedicated group of parents who do get involved and I am proud to be a part of this group. As our school grows larger we will be challenged to keep our parent community involved. I plan to be a dedicated part of that challenge.

I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue as a member of our Board of Governors.”

Board of Governors Maya Roll

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Candidates for the Board of Governors

Children at SAS: Kelsey – grade 6, Kayla – grade 5, Alex – grade 2 Occupation: Full-time mom; formerly a Foreign Service Officer with postings in Washington DC, Germany, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates.

Expected Length of Stay in Singapore: Indefinite Educational background: Lynchburg College (Virginia) Local Community Involvement: • SAS Board of Governors • SAS Board Representative to the PTA Board • SACAC Sports • Girl Scouts • Singapore Oilwives Club Mrs. Roll’s statement: “My family and I have lived in Singapore since 1999, following 12 years in the Middle East. I am honored to have had the experience of serving on the SAS Board of Governors for the past two years, and am grateful for the opportunities we and our children have been afforded here. It has been personally rewarding for me to have had the chance to interact with so many parents and faculty members, both on a personal level and as one of their representatives to the Board. As an active member of the Curriculum Committee, Trust Committee, and Facilities Committee, it has been my responsibility to bring not only my own opinions to the boardroom, but also those of the community I have been asked to represent. I believe I have done this consistently.

Although each year brings new challenges to the Board and the Administration of SAS, one area of particular interest to me is how we moderate the growth of our school, to ensure that we maintain the quality of education and personal touch each student deserves.

I grew up and was educated as a “Third Culture Kid” myself in The Congo, Guyana, India, Laos, and Ethiopia, so I know the unique experiences our children have here at SAS, both in and out of the classroom, will continue to shape their lives for many years to come. I am very familiar with many of the needs and challenges of expat families and believe that I can continue to provide a valuable perspective on the Board, as I have lived, worked, and been educated in an overseas environment for most of my life.

My goal is to help ensure all of our children leave SAS with a strong sense of community, a healthy level of self-confidence, and an ongoing enthusiasm for learning. I look forward to meeting many of you at the Meet the Candidates session on October 14th and would welcome the opportunity to continue as one of your representatives to the Board of Governors.”

Marybeth Shay

Children at SAS: 2: Alexander, grade 5; Victoria, grade 1 Occupation: • Public Relations/Marketing Executive with Santa Fe Relocation Services • Owner and Manager of a small import business • Former Medical Sales Representative and Trainer for American Home Products (Wyeth and Whitehall Labs) Education Background: Bachelor of Arts, Communications from Fordham University Community Involvement: • Singapore American School Active member/volunteer of the PTA and Room Parent • Former Cub Scout co-leader and Executive Board Member • Volunteer with SACAC sports • Active Member: American Chamber of Commerce American Club American Women’s Association PrimeTime Business and Professional Women’s Association Singapore Oilwives Club • CCD educator at Church of St. Ignatius Regional Involvement: Executive Vice President and Board Member for Caring for Cambodia Mrs. Shay’s statement: “Diversity is the mortar that bonds the building blocks of SAS. With the growth and expansion of our school in both its facilities and student population, I find it to be an exciting time to be part of this foundation of diversity.

The SAS Board of Governors is an integral part of our community and touches all aspects of school life. By being an active member on the Board I can contribute valuable insight of our school community, support our children’s educational experience and offer my personal commitment as one of the many parents who is so passionate about SAS! I have served in a variety of management positions since 1986 with responsibilities in educating and training technical sales associates, as well as marketing, public relations and event management. In addition, I play an active role locally in community activities that benefit the schools interest as well as that of the supporting business community. Regionally, I am active establishing schools in Cambodia. I feel these experiences coupled with my desire can and will prove to be of service to the Board of The American School Trust.

Although I would be new to the Board, I have had the benefit of my son, and now my daughter, enrolled at SAS for the past five (5) years. My husband, Bill, and I have enjoyed our five years as residents in Singapore and have a commitment to remain here for the next three to five years.

I am committed to working to improve all our children’s experience at SAS. Thank you for your consideration.”

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Candidates for the Board of Governors Garth Sheldon

Children at SAS: Sam – grade 11, Emma – grade 9 Occupation: Architect / Managing Director Employer: Architectural Restoration Consultants (Private) Limited Expected length of stay in Singapore: Arrived 1983, no current plans to leave Educational background: • BA Architecture (honors), University of California, Berkeley, 1976 • Special Studies in Conservation and Restoration, British National Trust, London, 1977 Community involvement: • Big Brothers of America (San Francisco) 1978-80 • AIDS awareness Program in association with UNTAC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 1992-94 • Australia New Zealand Association – International Junior Soccer League Coach, 1996-98 Mr. Sheldon’s statement: “I have served on the Board of Governors for the past 6 years. In that time I have worked to make a contribution to the community by working with the rest of the Board, the administration and the faculty to maintain the high standard of program and facilities that make SAS special.

As chairman of the Facilities Committee, I have been closely involved in the issues related to the existing built environment and the planning and implementation of the expansion works. I have also served on the Curriculum Committee and in this capacity I have tried to bring voice to some of the issues I think are important to the quality and variety of courses and extra-curricular activities offered at SAS. I have recently joined the Finance Committee with particular interest in responsible management of tuition costs and developing the long-term financial security of SAS. I was a member of a 3-person committee that reviewed the school’s security posture and procedures and made recommendations on appropriate actions and policies to address the associated issues. I have also served as Vice Chairman on the Board for the past 2 years.

I have continued to be involved in the classroom and extra-curricular activities of my children. Through this I have developed meaningful relationships with teaching, administrative and support staff at the school and gained some insights into some of the strengths and weaknesses of SAS. I believe that my professional and personal experience, combined with the past six years of service on the Board, can benefit the SAS community in the specific areas of responsive policy development, effective facilities management and expansion and fiscal responsibility and planning.”

SAS WEBSITE Parent resource for up to date information Looking for information about SAS and don’t know where to turn? Check our website first. Go to the SAS Home Page at http://www.sas.edu.sg. There you will find links to video and photo galleries, parent organizations, the Board of Governors, and information for visitors, teachers, alumni and current parents. As you will find links to the individual division websites.

The Parent Home Page (click Parents) has information on a variety of events and topics. You will find the latest news and events including the current week’s What’s Happening at SAS, and links to curriculum, calendars, recent publications, contact information and the websites of other community organizations in Singapore.

Every division also maintains its own website. You will find links to those websites from the SAS Home Page and from the Parent Home Page. While the division website may vary, they all include specific programs information, division contact information, and information about the library, counseling and special services as well as teacher websites, news and photo galleries.

We hope that you find the school website useful and encourage you to check often for updates on the Parent Home Page, division websites and parent organization websites. We welcome your comments and suggestions to communications@sas.edu.sg.

IASAS

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SAS Hosts IASAS Soccer Tournament Come out and support our teams!

Singapore American School will host the IASAS Soccer Tournament, Thursday to Saturday, October 13th to 15th. Parents are welcome to join us in cheering for our Teams. The schedule of games is included on page 20. You may also want to check our website at http://www.sas.edu.sg for the most up to date information on game schedules, game results and team standings and to view the photo galleries that will be posted each day.

SAS Cross-Country and Volleyball teams will travel to Bangkok to participate in their IASAS tournaments. Volleyball teams will play October 13th to 15th and Cross-Country teams will run on October 14th and 15th. IASAS websites will also be available for those tournaments. Check our website during the tournament dates for more information.

In each tournament SAS athletes will compete against the other ďŹ ve IASAS schools; International School of Bangkok, International School of Kuala Lumpur, International School of Jakarta, Taipei American School and International School of Manila.

Good luck to all our SAS IASAS teams!

Varsity Soccer Girls

Varsity Soccer Boys

Varsity Volleyball Girls

Varsity Volleyball Boys

IASAS

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Cross-Country Girls

Cross-Country Boys

SAS Travel Dress Code Reminder All high school students traveling with an SAS group (sponsored by the Activities OfďŹ ce) must wear an SAS travel shirt. Students will receive their ďŹ rst travel shirt free, courtesy of the Booster Club. Required travel dress also includes khaki pants that are hemmed and do not drag on the ground, or a khaki skirt that is knee length. Boys are expected to wear dress shoes or tennis shoes.

Girls are expected to wear dress shoes, tennis shoes or sandals. All shoes must have an enclosed back or back strap. This travel dress code applies for the trips to and from the destination and at all awards presentations.

IASAS

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JV First Season Sports JV Volleyball teams wrapped up their seasons after playing 12 matches against local teams from Singapore. Both teams have shown strong improvement this year in terms of skill development and played with a great deal of team spirit. The JV Soccer teams have had very successful seasons. The boy’s team is poised to win the Under 16 Division of the Super Soccer League consisting of SAS, UWC, OFS and Tanglin Trust School. The girl’s team has also improved dramatically throughout the eight week season and has played very well against mainly older competition in the FAS Young Women’s League. The combined Varsity and JV Cross-Country teams competed in a series of inter-squad meets this season. Unfortunately, no local schools run cross-country this time of the year so they were not able to compete against any local teams. The Cross-Country teams had the opportunity to travel to exchanges throughout the season. This year they traveled to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to compete against ISB, ISKL and JIS, where both the girls and boys teams did very well and look forward to a successful IASAS meet in Bangkok October 15th.

JV Volleyball Girls

JV Volleyball Boys

JV Soccer Girls

JV Soccer Boys

ICCS 2005

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International Coastal Cleanup - Singapore Contributed by Evelyn Lo, SAVE Club Secretary The International Coastal Clean up is an annual event that takes place in roughly one hundred countries. Its purpose: to remove, categorize, weigh and record marine debris. The data gathered from the exercise is used in public education on marine pollution and to encourage participation in reducing marine garbage. It’s a good cause, and SAS has been sending students to participate ever since the event was introduced in Singapore in 1992.

There are five designated clean-up areas in Singapore: the Kallang River, the East Coast Beach, the Changi area, the Northeast area, and the Sungei Buloh/Kranji wetlands. The Sungei Buloh wetland reserve plays host to SAS garbageclearing efforts. Every year SAS volunteers, along with participants from the Anderson Secondary School, Beatty Secondary School, National University of Singapore, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve and Victoria Junior College, filter into the quicksandlike shores of the reserve to pick the marshes clean.

This year, on the tenth of September, 120 SAS students gathered at the high school at roughly eight in the morning (on a Saturday, no less), with the prospect of not returning from trash-picking until noon. The volunteer group consisted of high school students from the SAVE Club and Ms. Began’s AP Environmental Science class, and middle school students from ECO Club. The students were headed by teachers Martha Began, Steve Early, and Kate Thome, along with a tremendous assistance group consisting of Zeeb McNicol, Paul Koebnick, Paul Chmelik, Lynn Arnold, Mike Molly, Paul Welsh, and Bonnie Book. Everybody was equipped with a bag of snacks and a bottle of water; the day would be hot, and food could not be delivered over soft, sludgy, trashlittered shoreline.

Volunteers were told to be ready for sweltering heat, humidity and the hunger of the resident mosquitoes, but the warning did not keep them from sinking into the voracious sandy sludge of the beach, being bitten by mosquitoes or getting overwhelmed by the pre-afternoon temperatures amplified by still, humid air. Dorie Dugard, sophomore, who had fallen into the mud fifteen minutes into garbage gathering duty and received a knee-deep coat of slime, laughed ruefully and commented, “We woke up at six in the morning to pick up trash, and look at what happens…but it was worth it.”

And, indeed, how so. Sungei Buloh gave up a treasure trove of 1,148.5 kg of filth this year. Most of the garbage was in the form of plastic bags, with plastic straws and stirrers in second place for most abundant trash. The rest came in the form of styrofoam, plastic sheeting, glass, bottles of various materials, clothing and miscellaneous debris.

Though comfort wasn’t exactly the greatest thing in abundance that came out of the clean-up (“I think the guck we picked up

SAS contingency arrives at our clean up site

Recording Debris

Like Father like Son Chris and Mr. Fussner

The data card holders converge to compile their data at the end of the clean-up

ICCS 2005

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International Coastal Cleanup - Singapore (cont’) Contributed by Evelyn Lo, SAVE Club Secretary

was all that mattered,” grinned one participant cheekily), there are a great many uses to be garnered from the data. SAVE Club’s will use the data to promote usage of non-plastic material through the introduction of a plastic recycling program to SAS, a school ban on plastic straws and the production of cloth tote bags (managed by Kim Hartung, long-standing member and officer of SAVE). The data will also be used in the ECO Ed program (ecological education), and possibly by the Global Issues class on the topic of marine debris and global pollution. On a grandeur scale, the data collected will be utilized by the Ocean Conservancy, an organization that sets laws on marine pollution. The laws are set and decided upon the data picked up from the debris littered beaches of the ICC program.

Everyone headed to the bathrooms at the end of the day. There, muddy shoes, feet and legs were washed and long-sleeved anti-mosquito shirts were discarded for more user-friendly short-sleeved ones. Then students and teachers boarded the waiting buses that would take them back to school, leaving Sungei Buloh (somewhat cleaner) behind in an ironic cloud of vehicle exhaust.

SECOND SEMESTER SCHOOL FEES SAS will be mailing the 2005/06 second semester invoices the third week of October 2005. Please note that second semester school fees are due by December 1, 2005. If you do not receive an invoice by the first week of November, please contact Debra Chee at 6360-6324.

All parents of high school students should note that all second semester fees must be paid in full by the due date in order for your child to participate in the Interim Semester.

For families who may still have an outstanding balance for first semester school fees, please note that all outstanding balances must be paid in full in order for students to attend school for the second semester.

Special Highlights

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Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration To celebrate Mid-Autumn festival this year, Primary Mandarin staged a puppet show starring their world famous friends, Lisa and Harry. Lisa helped Harry learn all about this festival which is traditionally celebrated during harvest time when the moon is at its fullest. Our puppets even gave a guided tour of their very own trip to Chinatown where they bought lanterns, mooncakes and pomelos. The play ended with Mr. Pearson reading the folk tale, Chang Er: The lady on the Moon, which was especially requested by Harry the puppet!

1,050 Paper Cranes

Remembering our past and a wish for the future Contributed by Alice Early ince we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of SAS this year, to make our mark in history my fourth grade class is folding 1,050 paper cranes.

There are 21 students in my class and each of them is folding one crane per day for the first fifty days of school! They’ve enjoyed learning a little bit of SAS history through this endeavor and through my sharing of the time I have spent here.

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I came to Singapore in 1992 with my husband, who teaches high school science. I taught fourth grade at our small Baytree campus before the move up to Woodlands in 1996. I loved to read “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” with my students every year. One year the author of the book, Eleanor Coer came to our campus to tell us about spending some of her youth in Japan and then about meeting Sadako’s family so that she could write the book about a little girl affected by the atom bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. That year, my fourth graders folded 1,000 paper cranes for our assembly and then sent them to the peace memorial in Japan. Another year we learned that our Principal, Dr. Pete Larson had stomach cancer, so we decided to fold 1,000 paper cranes for him. Before we put our cranes in the ‘stringing basket’ we made a wish, “I hope Dr. Larson will get better.” Joyfully he had a two year remission.

He treasured our paper cranes and I fondly think of him when I pass his favorite tree, planted at the base of the elementary parking lot.

Last year my students folded another 1,000 cranes and hoped for peace. They hung cheerfully in our classroom until they were auctioned off at the end of the year and paid for with our classroom economy money. The students took them home and it’s my hope some of them have them hanging in their rooms at home!

This year I taught the children to fold cranes within the first week of school so that we could try and keep up with the colorful banners that mark our count up to 50 years! We’ve just read about Sadako, so my students have decided again this year to make our wish for PEACE.

Special Highlights

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Special Olympics Singapore National Games 2005

SACAC Bowling Team ACAC bowling is one of the Community Service Clubs at the high school. Faculty sponsors Christina Popowski and Bill Berg take about 15 SAS high school students each week to the American Club. There, they help a group of mentally challenged students to bowl. More importantly it gives them a chance to hang out with these students and be their “friend” for one hour each week. It is a great program and we are fortunate that the American Club allows us to use the Club’s bowling facilities, SACAC foots the weekly bowling bill and SAS pays for the transport of our students via bus to and from the American Club.

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Last June some these bowlers participated in the Special Olympics bowling competition held in Singapore. Eight students from Genesis, Montfort and Joo Chiat schools were lucky enough to participate in Ten Pin Bowling at the 6th Special Olympics Singapore National Games 2005. Over 800 athletes and 200 coaches from Singapore and 7 other Asia-Pacific countries (Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar and Philippines) participated in the Games.

The athletes trained for 3 months with Mr. Koh (recruited by one of the member¹s parents), who’s cheerful and constructive coaching certainly helped them to excel at the competition. In the Team events the two teams (of 4 bowlers) earned silver and bronze medals. Bowlers also earned an impressive collection of gold, silver and bronze medals in the individual events. Apart from winning medals, which the winners wore proudly, it was obvious that all the bowlers (and the spectators) had a wonderful time. It was wonderful to see all the athletes really enjoying themselves as true competitors at these Games.

SAS National Merit Semifinalist Named

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AS senior Joshua Velson has been named as a Semifinalist in the Annual National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC). Each year approximately 50,000 academically able high school students are honored as Commended students, but only some 16,000 of them are named Semifinalists. Semifinalists must earn a “selection index” of 222. Only 72 students living outside the US have received the distinction this year.

In addition to our Semifinalist, the following seniors were recognized as Commended Students: Ethan Bates, Christine Byrne, Douglas Chu, Priyanka Dev, Kimberly Hartung, Theodore Ho, Anita Kao, Alexander Lloyd, Michael Lyngaas, Mark Rivett-Carnac, Joanna Tu and Ashley Xu. These students earned a “selection index” of between 202 and 221.

A selection index is arrived at by adding the critical reading, math and writing scores of the PSAT. The scores on the PSAT range from 20 to 80, which parallel the SAT scale of 200 to 800. Since this competition is only open US citizens, just 53% of our seniors were eligible to be considered for these awards.

The recognition cutoff scores vary widely from state to state and range from a low of 204 in Mississippi and Wyoming to a high of 222 for US citizens living outside the country. According to NMSC, they vary scores by state so that “... able students from all parts of the nation will be included in the Semifinalist talent pool.” The number of Semifinalists named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of high school graduating seniors.

In the SAS senior class, 53% of the students (118 out of 208 seniors) identified themselves as US citizens and were eligible for National Merit consideration. Twelve percent of these students were Commended. This compares favorable to the approximately 4% of the students in the US who are Commended each year.

Special Highlights

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AP Art History – Student Artists at Work Contributed by Ellen White

e

very year when AP Art History studies Greek architecture, the students are asked to draw columns in the Doric and Ionic orders. They make the columns life size to gain an appreciation for how tall these columns are and also to help them get a visual understanding of the architecture. Students draw the columns and label them. In the process they learn, for example, that the entablature of a building includes the architrave, frieze and cornice.

The assignment takes a couple hours and is much harder work than the students imagined. Students who approach art from an intellectual stand point appreciate the challenges artists face putting an image in a two-dimensional form and making it convincing. From a teacher’s perspective, it’s important to assess students from many different vantage points. “I’ve got students who don’t write well but are superb artists. This year’s students outdid themselves in terms of time spent and creativity. I’m so impressed with their work.”

Students Letitia Devlin and Michelle Worth are also enrolled in AP Studio Art.

Grade 8 Mural Paintings Contributed by Jeff Koltutsky

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ne of the most famous of modern artists, Keith Haring produced a tremendous body of work in his signature graffiti style. Haring’s figures are renowned for their strong color, outline borders, and simple form that appeal to people from both genders and all cultures.

Our Grade 8 students studied Keith Haring and then worked collaboratively to make several murals, all exploring the theme of “World Peace, and our school’s 50th Anniversary.”

The objective of the assignment was for students to appreciate Keith Haring’s art, and focus on his use of design elements; Line, Color, and Shape. After showing the students some reproductions of Haring’s work and discussing how he made some pieces and what they might mean to him as well as to others, we practiced drawing some Haring-inspired images on colored paper. The students then created plans for a Mural painting. The next step was to enlarge the drawings to suit the glass panels in the Middle School foyer. These murals are painted as semi - permanent, site-specific murals. We used bright colors, thick outlines (painted last), and movement lines to convey action, all characteristic of Haring’s work. This painting unit contained many different components and processes, the students did a magnificent job of cooperating and collaborating as a team to produce an outstanding final art piece. The Grade 8’s “Haring” Murals will be up for the next few months in the Middle School lobby.

Enjoy their work!

Special Highlights

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Students take advantage of the latest in fitness technology in P.E. Contributed by Helen Knight

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nyone who peered through the window into Ms. Pong’s Fitness for the Body and Mind class might be confronted with an unusual sight. Approximately 20 high school students bouncing on metallic blue half-spheres, following Ms. Pong to up-beat music.

Students in the Fitness for the Body and Mind classes have been using the latest exercise fad, the BOSU Balance Trainer. Short for “both sides up” or “both sides utilized,” the BOSU provides a challenging workout. The great advantage of the BOSU is that it is a piece of equipment that can be used in different ways to provide just about every type of exercise. Strength training is provided through different exercises targeting different parts of the body, like squats, lunges, and push-ups. Don’t like running? Various hops, leaps, jumps, and step-ups provide ample cardio exercise.

The BOSU can also be used to increase flexibility, balance, agility and body symmetry and alignment awareness.

When BOSUs are used in class, Ms. Pong takes students through a demanding workout, incorporating exercises for all different areas of the body and different aspects of fitness.

Modifications can be made to exercises so that the class is challenging for all students, but also customized for their personal fitness levels and limitations. Students incorporate principles of traditional yoga they learned earlier in the course, such as concentrating on breathing, to push their limits. Besides getting a great workout, students also have fun on the BOSU. After all, who doesn’t enjoy bouncing up and down occasionally?

The class is lively and fun with upbeat music and encouragement. Because of modifications for people with strengths and weaknesses in different areas of fitness, there is no sense of competition between students. Instead, each student focuses on challenging themselves and improving their personal strength, agility, and balance.

High School Music Concerts Our high school music department will present a series of concerts over the school year that you will not want to miss. The caliber of the performers make these concerts well worth attending. Especially for younger, budding musicians, the concerts provide an opportunity to hear the results of many years of hard work.

The first of these concerts is the High School Instrumental Concert on Tuesday evening October 18th at 7:00pm in the Auditorium. Musical highlights from these talented string and band students will include Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide”, the vibrant “Jig” from Gustav Holst’s St. Paul Suite, J.S. Bach’s Art of Fugue and Elsa’s Processional to the Cathedral (Wagner fans will of course recognize this from Lohengrin). Select wind and percussion students will join forces with the strings to perform the timely “Danse Macabre”

by Camille Saint Saëns. This programmatic work paints a ghoulish picture of “things that go bump in the night” and is guaranteed to fill you with trepidation for the upcoming Halloween season. Adding an element of “COOL” to the festivities, the ever-popular SAS Jazz Ensemble will also be in attendance.

Weather Report’s “Birdland” will be a featured chart from their play list. All SAS families are welcome and are encouraged to attend.

On Friday evening October 21st at 7:00pm in the Drama Theater, the High School Choir will present their first concert of the year. This year’s program is entitled “If Music Be the Food of Love…” SAS Choir, Chanterie, and the SAS Singers will perform songs about love including Accidently in Love, Love Potion #9, Fa una Canzona and Dance on My Heart. The Homecoming Football Game is also scheduled that evening creating the perfect opportunity for a fun family evening. There is ample time during the evening for families to attend both events.

Many of these talented student-musicians are also preparing for our first annual Solo/ Ensemble Festival which will take place on Saturday, October 29th. They will perform solo and chamber works for a stable of professional musicians. Each participant will receive a detailed critique of their playing, and gain invaluable performance experience. Look for more details in a future “What’s Happening at SAS” mailing. The SAS Music Faculty is very excited about this new opportunity for our students and hope that it will become a permanent part of our curriculum.

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Adolescent Depression What we know and what we can do to help Contributed by Jeff Devens (School Psychologist Intern / Counselor) M o o d disorders have a grip on people’s interest, in part because so many famous peoplehave suffered from them. For example, Queen Victoria of England, Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh, and Marylyn Monroe appeared to have reoccurring bouts with depression. Depression has plagued such writers as Ernest Hemingway and Virginia Wolf. Irrespective of social economic status, ethnicity, gender, or age, depression permeates society. In recent years, the area of adolescent depression has seen an increase in study, as researchers attempt to better understanding the underlying mechanisms and treatment options available to those who struggle with depression and those providing treatment.

What we know from the literature It is estimated that depression affects the lives of more than 120 million persons worldwide. Of this number, some two million or more are children. Depression among children can manifest itself in a number of ways, from the doldrums to severe debilitating periods marked by excessive grief, sadness, and even a desire to end ones life. Childhood depression has increased from an estimated prevalence rate of 2% in the 1960 to almost 25% by the late 1990’s. Between 20% to 35% of boys and 25% to 40% of girls have been identified as having experienced a depressed mood.

Considerable progress has been made in understanding underlying factors associated with childhood depression the past two decades; however, it still remains difficult to precisely determine prevalence rates.

This is particularly true among international students where no research to date had been undertaken exploring rates of depression among this unique population.

Depression rates among students at SAS As part of my graduate studies, in the fall of 2005, I received permission from administration, parents and students in the middle school division of SAS to investigate rates of depression among 375 middle school students, ages 11-14. Using a 20 item inventory known as The Beck Depression Inventory –Youth (BDI-Y), and demographic information collected from students, I analyzed factors that might effect depression BDI-Y Scores.

The results of the study indicated that 80% of student BDI-Y scores were in the average range for both male and female participants.

These findings suggest that students attending international schools have lower depression rates than those who do not attend international schools; however, a note of caution is in order when interpreting these findings as no previous studies using the BDI-Y have been undertaken among other international school populations for comparative purposes. In addition, Female students did have statistically significant higher BDI-Y scores compared to males in the sample. Also, both male and female participants had statistically significantly higher rates of depression with each additional school attended.

Higher rates of depression among females have been supported in the literature. Researchers have found that little differences were noted in rates of depression in boys and girls before the age of eleven, but by age eighteen girls were twice as likely to be depressed. Male and female students in this study at age eleven were found to have the same BDI-Y mean scores; however, by age twelve females indicated higher rates of depression. At age thirteen, BDI-Y scores among female students are statistically significant from those of males.

What factors might account for differences in BDI-Y scores among students from international schools, based on this variable?

Given the transitional experiences that are commonplace among international students, perhaps these social adjustments more adversely affect females than males resulting in higher rates of depression. Researchers note the importance for female adolescence to have a sense of connectedness to other females and particularly those who are more popular. Female adolescents perceive significantly more support from friends than male adolescents do, while males perceive significantly more support from their parents and teachers. A sense of cohesiveness and connectedness to peers may be increasingly difficult for females who transition between several different environments throughout the course of their teen years. Adolescent females often attribute their feelings of worthlessness to other people in their social environments that make them feel inadequate, leading to feelings of low self-esteem and depression.

In addition to statistically significant differences in rates of depression based on gender, I also found that the total number of schools attended by both males and females had a statistically significant influence on depression scores. The average number of schools attended by students in the sample was 3.5. This figure is not surprising given the high mobility that is commonly found among international students. As often is the case among this population, the moves to other schools often involve moves to other countries as well. Indeed, the average number of countries lived the past three years by

participants in this study was 3.5. While the total number of countries lived the past three years was not found to be statistically significant, it does indicate that these students are exposed to various cultural influences. Psychologists differ on how they view the importance of culture upon development. For adolescents’, cultural norms and forms may be of increasing importance as they move towards adulthood.

Researches Pollock and Van Reken note that the two major challenges that international students face as a result of this high mobility are: developing a sense of identity in the face of rootlessness, and resolving the grief from relationships disrupted as a result of high mobility.

What can Parents do to help?

1) Recognize the signs and symptoms commonly associated with adolescent depression • Problems with sleep including chronic insomnia, excessive sleepiness, or disturbed sleep • Eating problems such as decreased or increased appetite with weight change • An increase in energy level including agitation, restlessness, or pacing • Lethargy, such as slow body movements or slow speech • Fatigue, loss of energy, or lack of energy • Feelings of worthlessness, low selfesteem, or lack of self-confidence • Feelings of guilt • Inability to concentrate • Depressed mood including crying frequently, brooding, or sadness • Feelings of hopelessness or emptiness in life • Preoccupation with death or suicide • Loss of interest in things, people, or activities It is important to note that adolescents may experience many of the above symptoms; however duration and intensity are key considerations. Typically, five of the above symptoms must be present for two weeks or more.

2) Stay involved with your adolescents life Keeping connected to our teens when they desire increasing independence can be a difficult undertaking; however, parents who remain committed to the process often find it rewarding. Our inclination, at times, may be to respond to our child’s signs of independence as an indication that they no longer want us involved in their lives. Generally, this is not the case.

As our children grow and change so to must our approach to connecting with them. Staying involved in your child’s life affords parents a richer opportunity to appreciate the unique factors that may be

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Adolescent Depression (cont’) What we know and what we can do to help Contributed by Jeff Devens (School Psychologist Intern / Counselor) affecting their lives and contributing to possible mood related difficulties.

3) Support positive relationships Teens need to feel like they belong and peer relationships are one important arena for them to do this. Parents can help their teen find interests and activities that provide opportunities to connect with other teens.

Mom / Dad, give them opportunities to spend time with friends. Encourage this to happen in your home as well as this will afford you an opportunity to understand your child in relation to his / her peers.

Teens need to also be exposed to other caring adults they can trust. Contact with

these adults should be encouraged in order to help shape the direction of their lives and provide stability. This contact may come in the form of a coach, dance instructor, Scout leader, etc.

4) Listen Parents, be available so your child can talk about the problems they are facing. Asking them about their life and listening to the answer is important. Often, the questions teens pose provide glimpse into areas of their lives they are most concerned about. Listen to their questions, concerns, and help them find solutions to their problems. Lastly, be able to recognize the warning signs of depression and seek help if needed.

5) Seek Help Perhaps the most significant question parents face as they address the issue of depression with their child is “where do I turn for help?”

Here at SAS there are thirteen counselors, two school psychologists and four school nurses that have the knowledge and understanding to help parents address questions, issues and concerns regarding depression and a host of other social emotional concerns. Parents are encouraged to stop in and schedule an appointment to meet with your child’s counselor or the school psychologists. If needed, these professionals can recommend additional services within the Singapore community.

Running for a Cure

...continued from page 1 (cover page) Inspiration and hope were definitely on the minds of the 800 Middle School students as they gathered in front of the school on September 9th. The middle school run was held in honour of Mrs. Geri Hickman, a homeliving teacher who battled breast cancer for five years before passing away in April 2005. As tribute to Mrs. Hickman, students and faculty raised over $3500, through lunch time donations, for the Singapore Terry Fox Run. These donations were presented, with the help of Mr. Joe Hickman, to the Singapore Cancer Society in a short ceremony before the run.

Ms. Hwee Ping, a representative from the cancer society, was impressed by the spirit and commitment of the middle school students and was “honoured to be the proud recipient of the donation.” Mr. Joe Hickman was also moved by the tribute to his late wife as well as the enthusiasm of the students. After the run he said that, “once again, he was awed by the spirit of SAS.” The SAS spirit was very much present as approximately 90 high school faculty and students joined together in the “Terry Fox 100 Run.” For this non-competitive relay- style run and walk participants were grouped into teams and assigned a lane on the track. Two runners set off from each lane and travelled for 200 meters along the track before handing off to the next runner.

Ian Page, a physics teacher and supporter of the run described the purpose of the run. “The whole idea is to inspire people to think about cancer research, to take part in the Terry Fox Run and to get involved.” The SAS run also caught the attention of the International Terry Fox Foundation. Breeda McClew, director of the international foundation, sent the following message to students, “During Terry’s Marathon of Hope, he visited many schools to ask students for their help in finding a cure for cancer. He would be so proud of each and every one of you for accepting the challenge to raise funds for cancer research so that his dream of finding a cure for cancer will become a reality.” SAS students accepted the challenge with both feet and on September 8th and 9th we moved one step closer to finding a cure.

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Gregory Burns

Encouraging SAS students to pursue their dreams On September 14th and 15th Gregory Burns visited SAS to speak to selected Visual Arts, P.E. & Health and Psychology classes. Gregory Burns is an artist and author, motivational speaker and athlete. Gregory, a paraplegic since contracting polio at a young age, has manage to lead a rich and full life. He is a gold-medal winning Paralympics swimmer; he has trekked in the Himalayas, completed the Honolulu Marathon, authored a new book of his paintings and drawings and served as a public relations person for Pepsico. In brief, he is an interesting gentleman with a message about overcoming adversity, making the most of life and offering encouragement to budding athletes and artists.

Gregory spent most of his life living overseas. Athletics became a part of his life at an early age. He swam because it was good therapy and also because it was a way for him to be on an even playing field. Although he has a successful career in business, he realized that he missed working on his art. So, he made time for his art; trekking all over the world to do research for his paintings and to exhibit his work. While he spoke, he encouraged our students to step beyond their obstacles; as he said “we all have them – mine are just a bit more obvious.” The audience was clearly touched by his message.

On September 26th Gregory Burns spent another day leading 26 AP Art students through the sensory trail on Pulau Ubin. Under Gregory’s guidance, the students experimented with various art forms to capture the essence of the island. It was an inspirational day for the students, teachers and visitors.

A Special Gift from Jane Goodall Contributed by Radhika Kalra About a year back I did a biography on Jane Goodall. I got inspired by her and I wrote her a letter. If you want to know if she wrote back or not, keep reading…

Last year in fourth grade, I had to do a biography on Jane Goodall. I was struck by how patient and kind-loving she was to animals. A few months later I saw her speak on TV because she visited SAS. By what she said in her speech I was amazed by how she changed the way the world saw chimpanzees. Jane Goodall set up a chimp adoption project that saved thousands of millions of chimps that were going to be killed by hunters. Our class adopted a chimp and we got an informational booklet. It had all the information for how to get in touch with Jane Goodall, but I didn’t look at it until I got in fifth grade.

By studying about Jane Goodall I learned to be kinder to animals and I had a goal to go to Africa and see the chimps. Since I was so interested in her I decided to write her a letter. In my letter I said “Dear Dr. Jane Goodall, you are a complete inspiration for me and I hope I will some day meet you.” Soon after that (one week later!) Jane Goodall replied to my letter.

The day I got it I was thrilled, crying with joy that someone famous had actually handwritten a letter to me! I think that Jane was kind of sad because Fifi – a chimp Jane had known since her first visit to Gombe – died. But still, I finally got a letter from my hero.

So if you thought getting famous people write back to you was impossible, think again…

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“There’s No Place Like Home” Elementary P.E and third grade teachers, Craig and Beth Karnitz, joined 48 other new teachers at the start of the school year. What made Craig and Beth want to move to Singapore and work at SAS? After all, they were quite happy where they were; living in Brainerd, Minnesota and working in one of the small, friendly, elementary schools in the Brainerd system. It was an ideal setting. Yet, even with all the positive things going on in their lives, they felt ready for a change. They had begun thinking about teaching overseas, when they saw an article about SAS Superintendent, Bob Gross, in a national school administrator’s magazine. Bob had been the Superintendent in Brainerd when Beth attended school there, so she immediately felt a connection to SAS. Craig quickly got on the SAS website and found that there were job openings that suited both their teaching experiences. They contacted the school, quickly put together an application, resumes and letters of reference and ended up with an opportunity to interview that ultimately let to job offerings. Within a matter of days they had gone from thinking about a change of pace, to a job offer at SAS and were making plans to move. After making a commitment to SAS, they worked up the courage to share the news with their parents.

What’s their impression after just over two months at SAS? Both Craig and Beth agree that they are thrilled to be here. They enjoy their students and coworkers and love living in Singapore. What is making this such a positive experience right from the start? For Craig it’s the wonderful, collaborative working environment. While at SAS there is a team of 6 elementary P.E. teachers, in Brainerd Craig was on his own; the only P.E. teacher in a school of 250 students. The opportunity to share experiences has helped him learn more in a couple of months than he learned the entire time he was working in Brainerd. As he said, “you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.” The other thing they both enjoy about working at SAS is that “everyone is willing to listen.” What has made working at SAS such a positive experience for Beth is the respect that is shown for teachers

by SAS students and families. She says she “feels more appreciated and respected.” Craig agrees, “The challenge is greater here, but I’m more respected for what I do.”

What do they miss? Beth and Craig miss their families. Much of their life in Brainerd involved spending time with their families. The distance has been hard. But they are making up for the lack of family time by planning for a great deal of travel in the region, and are finding it enlightening and just plain fun.

When they left Brainerd in August they figured they would give this job a couple of years, before heading back home.

However, they are rethinking their plan. SAS might just end up being a place to spend a bit more time. They may, in fact, just find that they are already home.

Career Day at the High School

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n Wednesday, September 20 at 8:00am the usual high school morning chaos of students disembarking from buses and heading to home bases had an additional hundred people added to the mix. It was time for our annual College/Career Day. This year the fair featured 62 career speakers, 30 US colleges making up the CIS (Council of International Schools) College Tour, the International College of Hotel Management in Adelaide, Australia and three institutions in Singapore - the Centre for American Education, Raffles Design Institute and the LaSalle SIA College of the Arts.

After listening to the keynote speaker, Matthew Chapman, the “Desert Runner” from Hudson Global Resources, our students attended the first of three previously selected thirty minute career sessions. Each year the students comment on how helpful they found the seminar in shaping some of their career possibilities.

Many thanks go to two of our PTA parents, Michelle Brunoehler and Marie Small, for their help in arranging for our speakers. If you would like to take part in our next College/Career Day on September 21, 2006, please contact Mark Swarstad in the high school counseling office at 6360-6507.