Singapore American School Newsflash, September 2007

Volume 2, Issue 2-07/08 - September 2007

MICA (P) 183/08/2007

A Singapore American School community service publication

NewsFlash An auspicious start to the new school year The school year started with bangs and clangs and dancing lions that drove out “evil spirits� and heralded good fortune in traditional Singapore Chinese fashion.

Martial artists clothed as two red lions and accompanied by musicians with cymbals and drums created a loud and colorful spectacle in the front foyer for students, faculty, staff and visitors from other divisions. The lions leaped into the air and grabbed lettuce suspended from the ceiling. This part of the ceremony is called the cai qing and is meant to bring prosperity. The lions presented the high school principal David Norcott with oranges, symbolizing good fortune. They also gave him a scroll with characters signifying peace and harmony. The lions then danced through the high school cafeteria, surprising students with their entertaining antics and bringing joy to the beginning of the new school year.

Photos: Brian Riady, SAS Student

SAS Annual General Meeting Pg. 3

SAS Summer Construction Pg. 4

2007-2008 PTA Calendar Available Now Pg. 6

Content Page

Board of Govornors

Regulars 5 - Calendar Highlights 7 - SAS PTA President Letter 8 - Booster Club News

Garth Sheldon Chairman of the Board

Bart Broadman Vice Chairman of the Board Chairman Trust

SAS Highlights 3 - Board Election 4 - Summer Construction Work 11 - HS Counselors at Conference 12 - Reasons why kids misbehave 13 - Singapore Wildlife Stampede 14 - Dance students perform technatomy

Bob Comstock Chairman Facilities

Carl Stocking Chairman Finance

- “Open Rehearsal“ with SSO

15 - Going Global 16 - Summer trip in Chengdu 18 - 2007/2008 SAS Yearbook 19 - Breaking down the walls of illiteracy

Sheila Wang Chairman Curriculum

Devin Kimble Board Member

Joseph Anderson Board Member

Kirk Hulse Board Member

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 Staff Editor: Junia Baker Layout Design: Joey Lew

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School

Tom Linton Board Member

Bon Soon Koo Board Member

SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Maya Roll Board Member

Marybeth Shay Board Member

October NewsFlash Deadline: September 26, 2007 Publication Date: October 17, 2007 November NewsFlash Deadline: October 24, 2007 Publication Date: November 13, 2007 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

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* Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Alternate Dress Day Grade 1 Photo Day Grade 6A Classroom Without Walls Grade 2 Photo Day Grade 7 & 8 Photo Day SCHOOL HOLIDAY (NO SCHOOL) AP Art Retreat Cross Country Exchange in Manila Dance Exchange in Taipei International Coastal Clean-up 7:30am – 1:00pm Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301) Grade 7 & 8 Photo Day ECC/PS/IS Photo Make-up Day HS Freshmen Parenting Class 7:00pm – 9:00pm (H301) Grade 6B Classroom Without Walls Grade 6C Classroom Without Walls

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HS College & Career Day 8:00am (H301) HS College Fair 10:00am – 11:00am ACSIS Soccer Tournament 8:00am – 1:00pm (UWC) ECC Parent Coffee 8:30am – 9:45am (ECC Grouproom) Alternate Dress Day Students Late Start 10:00am No AM Pre-School due to late start PM Pre-School is in session Classroom Without Walls Grade 7/8 (Evening Departure) Interim Semester Parents Information Evening 7:00pm (Drama Theater) Grade 7/8 Classroom Without Walls Booster Club Race Night 6:00pm – 11:00pm (Turf Club) HS Sadie Hawkins Dance 7:00pm – 10:00pm Cross-Country Exchange in Bangkok

* Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm

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IS Parent Coffee 8:15am – 9:15am (5th Grade Grouproom, I311) MS Parent Coffee 10:00am (M301) 8:00am - 4:00pm SACAC Registration (SACAC Office) Tabitha Sales HS Choir/Dance/Art Performance 7:00pm (Drama Theater) PS UN Day 9:15am – 10:00am (HS Gym) SAT & Subject Tests FALL BREAK (NO SCHOOL)

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Calendar Highlights

September 2007

October 2007

HARI RAYA PUASA HOLIDAY (NO SCHOOl) HS PTA Coffee 10:00am (H301) PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) Pre-Sch Parent Teacher Conference (No School for Pre-Sch; Pre-K – Grade 5 is in session) PSAT/PLAN Testing (AM) Pre-Sch – Grade 5 Parent Teacher Conferences (No School for Pre-Sch – Grade 5) HS Instrumental Concert 7:00pm (Auditorium) SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Message from the Singapore American School Board of Governors

To All Members of The American School Trust Limited and Those Eligible to Join the Trust:

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he Annual General Meeting of The American School Trust Limited will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 7:00 p.m., in High School room H301. The agenda for the AGM includes the following matters: (1) presentation of the audited accounts of the Singapore American School for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007; (2) the appointment of auditors for the year 2007/2008; (3) a report from the Superintendent; and (4) the election of four candidates to fill seats on the Board of Governors for three-year terms.

The Board election, item 4 on the agenda, often generates some questions from members of the Trust which the following paragraphs are meant to address: There are typically two ways that interested parents join the Board. The first, and most common, is by appointment. Parents register interest to serve on the Board, and then are invited in for a series of “get to know you (and us)” discussions. When a Board seat becomes open (typically after someone moves or their children graduate), the Board makes an appointment from the list of interested parties it has met. If you are interested in being considered for appointment to a future opening on the Board, please contact any current Board member or Margaret Yeo in the Central Administration office.

The second way to join the Board is to run in the annual election. Any Trust member who wishes to stand for election to the Board must file with the Board Secretary, Margaret Yeo a written statement of his or her intention to stand for election, supported by the signatures of 30 Trust members. Candidates may also submit to Margaret biographical data and a photograph for use in the October edition of NewsFlash. Margaret can be reached by telephone at 6360-6314; she will be pleased to answer any questions on the electoral process. The deadline for submission of these materials is Tuesday, October 9, 2007.

The Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Trust provide that employees of the school and their spouses are not eligible to serve on the Board.

In order to be a Board member or to vote at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust for candidates standing for election to the Board of Governors, you must be a member of the Trust. If you have not yet joined the Trust or if you are unsure if you are already a member, please contact Margaret Yeo at email Margaret@sas.edu.sg or call 6360-6314 for assistance.

Sincerely,

Garth Sheldon Chairman, Board of Governors

SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Bart Broadman Chairman, Trust Committee of the Board of Governors

Message from the Singapore American School Board of Governors

During summer, the school continues to work

A message from the Board of Governors

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very year SAS completes facility work during the summer, which has been given the highly creative name of “summer works.” The board approves these projects, which typically include routine maintenance, upgrading, replacement and often special construction projects, which for utilization, safety or noise reasons are not feasible during the school year. During the summer of 2006, the school completed the upgrading of the high school gym, a major renovation of the fields, including installing “Astroturf” on the lower fields, and expansion and upgrading of the stadium bleachers. The decision to install artificial turf was debated for several years, and it was finally decided that it would to enable the lower fields to be used frequently, thereby reducing the impact on the main field and allowing the natural grass to better survive.

This past summer was no different, as anyone viewing the construction site surrounding the auxiliary gym can attest. The administration and board both recognize the need to create additional sports opportunities as the school enrolment increases.

Based on a recommendation from the administration, the board agreed to fund the expansion of gym space. After careful design and engineering considerations, it became apparent that placing a new gym on top of the existing auxiliary gyms represented the only feasible alternative. Construction started the day after school finished in June and will be completed in stages, with the expectation that the auxiliary gyms will be completed by early November, and the new gym will be completed by the end of December. Several other enhancements have also been incorporated into the construction project, including a separate exit from the pool to better facilitate the biathlon and a viewing mezzanine above the south end of the pool.

The new facility will increase participation in the junior varsity volleyball, basketball and badminton programs, create more space for high school club activities, including floor hockey, indoor soccer and dodge ball, and expand the middle school and high school PE programs.

Additionally, this past summer SAS enhanced its entrance by widening the approach to the school and relocating the brick wall to allow safer entry and exit. The previous wall restricted a driver’s vision of cars and pedestrians, which caused congestion.

There are also several other major enhancement works that are worth mentioning: construction of a primary school sand pit, refurbishing of 10 intermediate school classrooms and replacement of the intermediate school passenger lift, upgrading the elementary school pedestrian gate and footpaths, including the provision of bicycle parking, replacement of the elementary theater sound system, upgrading of the middle school and high school PE offices and the creation of a high school social studies classroom and a science lab.

Next summer the school intends to enhance the performing arts center, including the construction of a memory garden, which has been funded through a generous donation from the Riady family. The center will be enclosed and refurbished, air conditioning will be added and a new mezzanine level will be constructed. The new facility is expected to be completed by September 2008.

SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

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PTA Calendar The SAS PTA 2007-2008 calendars are now available for sale at the PTA Sales office and Booster Booth. The large calendars are $10 and the pocket calendars are $5.

What a thoughtful gift to send to relatives and friends overseas! Thank you to all who helped with the creation of the calendar and to those who helped with the new distribution system.

All SAS families were given a complimentary copy of the large PTA calendar. If you have not received your calendar, stop by to see Sue, the Central Administration receptionist, and she will give you a calendar.

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjddddsajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajjld Celebration Books One of PTA’s ongoing activities is its Celebration Books program, which provides an opportunity to recognize a special person, occasion or achievement by making a book donation to a school library. Each book donated will have a nameplate inside the book to identify the person or event being honored and the name of the donor.

The person honored will receive a certificate acknowledging the donation made in his or her name. This is a wonderful way to grow the resources for our students in our libraries and to create a lasting memory at SAS.

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjddddsajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajjld pta news PTA Welcoming Committee Welcome Packets and school directories for new families at SAS are available at the PTA Sales office.

Save the Date: On Saturday morning, October 27, you can purchase pumpkins, gourds and decorative corn at the PTA Pumpkin Sale!

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

SAS PTA

PTA President’s Letter

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s I write this letter we are starting the third week of school. When I think of all that the PTA has done already, it is hard to believe it is this early in the school year.

I would like to once again welcome back all returning families and extend a warm welcome to those of you new to the Singapore American School. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many of the new families and hear how they are settling in and the stories of how they came to live in Singapore.

The school year has started out with many individuals volunteering to support the PTA by working at uniform sales, at the Ice Cream Social and on the Welcome Committee. Thank you to all of you who supported us by working at any of these activities. Your dedication is truly appreciated. I say this often, but need to stress once more; all of the activities run by the PTA are totally staffed by volunteers. I talk to many people who find it surprising that we can accomplish our activities with only volunteers. We are very fortunate to have such a generous group of parents in the SAS community.

For those of you new to SAS, we hope you were able to join us at one of the four division New Parent Welcome Coffees, which were held the first week of school. These events provided a wonderful opportunity to meet the newcomers in a smaller and more intimate setting. If you weren’t able to attend any of these coffees, please contact anyone on the Welcome Committee for any assistance we may be able to provide. Their contact information can be found on the SAS website at http://www.sas.edu.sg under Parent Organizations.

By now you should have received your complimentary SAS wall calendar, which was sent home with your youngest child. This was a new way to distribute them. Our goal was to get them to you as soon as possible and save on postage. If you have not received your copy, please pick one up at Central Administration.

A great way to understand the activities in your child’s division is to attend the monthly Division Coffees. During these coffees, news for each division will be provided and you will have the opportunity to meet school staff, counselors and administrators, during which time you will have a chance to raise any questions or concerns. Representatives from the PTA will also meet with you and provide information about up-coming events that we are sponsoring.

By having your children attend SAS you are all members of the PTA. I encourage you to become involved in the school and your child’s education. There are multitudes of ways to become involved, so please find your area of interest and make contact with a representative to find out how to get started. PTA board members wear name tags while on campus to be easily identified. Please stop any one of us if you ever have a question or just need someone to talk to.

Susan Fay PTA President

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

If you have not been receiving the weekly email, probably we do not have your correct email address. Send us an email at communications@sas.edu.sg to give us your current email address.The distribution can include both parents’ email addresses. The weekly What’s Happening at SAS will also be posted on the website at http://www.sas.edu.sg.

SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Singapore American School

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

SAS High School Counselors at Conference in Vancouver

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AS high school counselors Dawn Betts, Frieda Dietrich, Dale Ford and Mario Sylvander joined 150 international high school counselors from 64 countries and nearly 400 college and university admission officers at the University of British Columbia in July for the 14th annual conference of the Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC). Each summer this conference brings together professionals from around the world to network, pick up new ideas and discuss the latest issues concerning college admission for students from international schools.

L-R: Dale Ford, Dawn Betts, Frieda Dietrich, Mario Sylvander

This two and one-half day gathering has become one of the largest conferences of its kind and included forty different workshops. One of the sessions was coordinated by Mario Sylvander, who moderated a “Tricks of the Trade” panel discussion. Frieda Dietrich commented, “This year’s sessions offered an amazing amount of substantive information, which will enhance my work with students.”

In addition to the formal sessions, opportunities for networking were encouraged through the use of both high school and college fairs. These fairs allowed admission officers and secondary school counselors to learn more about their institutions, thus assisting students in their transition to higher education. Representatives from all of the major North American colleges and universities and from the major international schools were present to discuss college admission issues.

Two awards were presented at the annual dinner held on the campus of Simon Fraser University. Dale Ford, SAS counseling department chair and OACAC president in 2004-2005, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his outstanding service to the association. Ford developed the first OACAC website and was instrumental in raising the association’s stature so that it could better fulfill its mission, which is “to facilitate global interaction among counselors and institutions in support of students in their transition from secondary to higher education.” He received a standing ovation in recognition of his contributions to the association.

OACAC’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the association’s highest member tribute, was presented to Nicolas Senecal from Brandeis University. This award is presented to a person who, over a period of years, has performed outstanding service to the profession and the international college counseling community. Senecal has visited SAS many times over the years.

According to Counselor Dawn Betts, “The ability to talk with counseling colleagues from around the world and the admission officers who read our students’ applications makes this conference extremely valuable. The networking opportunities at this conference are tremendous.” Many of the admissions officers attending the conference will be on the SAS campus this school year.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

“Now why did you do that?”

Reasons why kids misbehave

By Jeff Devens, PhD, School Psychologist

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ver the years, I have had the pleasure of working with kids in a number of capacities. Without exception I have yet to meet a child, regardless of age, who intentionally desired to misbehave. Underlying factors often contribute, either individually or collectively, to misbehavior. Four of the most common are attention seeking, power, revenge and feelings of inadequacy.

Attention: Webster’s defines attention as, “A selective narrowing or focusing of consciousness and receptivity.” Selective, narrowing, focusing are words that describe a deliberate undertaking of some sort. Attention is not only desired by children, it’s needed.

Children want to be known and recognized for their efforts; however, when this does not happen, they may resort to acting out inappropriately. Even negative attention is better than no attention. Actively looking for opportunities to validate positive actions and choices is one way to slake a child’s need for attention. Individually and constructively addressing inappropriate behavior is another.

Power: Being in a submissive role to parents, teachers, coaches and friends is overwhelming at times -- even for “good” kids. Even very young children act out roles in which they are the ones principally in charge. Vying for power, however, does not have to be a perpetual struggle. By providing kids with age appropriate opportunities for leadership and self-regulation, parents can help satiate a child’s need for power and control. For example, when your high school son or daughter is considering courses for the coming year, allowing some input and choice are ways of providing him or her with a sense of empowerment and control. Teachers often make leadership roles an embedded part of the curriculum, which not only helps satisfy a child’s need for power but also promotes responsibility.

Revenge: When kids perceive an injustice has occurred, they may lash out at others in an attempt to alleviate the frustration and anger they are experiencing. A 13-year-old student I worked with a number of years ago made it a point to make her parents “pay” for overly controlling her life. The home, rigid and run like a military camp, became unbearable. Raging against this, she habitually neglected her studies, not because she was incapable but because this was the only way she felt she could exact revenge on her parents for overly controlling her life. This resulted in a vicious cycle of arguments and frustration. Resolution came about only after all parties came to the table and agreed on a different course of action for running the home. Sadly, kids (and adults) often exact revenge on those who had little or no involvement in the circumstances that led to the perceived injustices. Acknowledging the child’s feelings of anger and frustration is a first step in seeking resolution. Addressing misperceptions or misunderstood intentions and formulating action plans to resolve them are the next steps.

Inadequacy: Despite the best intentions of parents and teachers to promote self-esteem, kids struggle with measuring up. Grades, rankings and starting positions are embedded aspects of our culture. We live in a competitive world, and kids face these realities daily. For some children, this can be overwhelming. They simply desire to be left alone, accepting the mantra: To NOT try is better than to try and fail. This sense of inadequacy is often manifested in poor academic performance, lack of commitment, apathy and withdrawal. The train of thought that often accompanies feelings of inadequacy can be destructive because kids tend to extend these feelings to all facets of their lives.

Words like “always,” “never,” “nobody,” “everyone” and “all the time” are often the fuel that drives feelings of inadequacy. Listening for and gently confronting sweeping generalizations (i.e., “What do you mean you have no friends? Why do you feel as if nobody likes you? What about…”) are helpful strategies in helping kids recognize that things are not as universally “bad” or “extreme” as they perceive them to be.

Misbehavior doesn’t have to be a hallmark feature of your child’s development. Understanding the emotional needs of your child is the first step in addressing underlying motives for your child’s behavior and actions. Quite often, the overt behavior is a symptom of deeper underlying factors (i.e., attention seeking, power, revenge and feelings of inadequacy) that need to be addressed to promote change in your child’s life.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Singapore Wildlife Stampede

By Martha Began, High School Teacher

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any of us have been inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, environmentalist and humanitarian.

Today, Dr Goodall travels the globe as an environmental advocate and humanitarian. She spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.

The high school SAVE Club and the middle school Eco Club have connections with Dr. Goodall that date back to 1999 when they became members of Roots & Shoots. It is a global youth-driven network under the Jane Goodall Institute that connects “minds, hearts and hands as they promote care and concern for animals, people and the planet.”

Dr. Goodall is returning to Singapore this November to promote Roots & Shoots in the Singapore schools. Within a few weeks, the Jane Goodall Institute Singapore will be an official non-government organization. Its first program will involve raising awareness of the plight of endangered species through the Singapore Wildlife Stampede!

SAS students, via SAVE and Eco Club, and other community members will join with other schools and organizations to march down the streets of Singapore. Each contingent will be distinguished by personalized floats and costumes that will reflect a specific theme related to the aims of the Wildlife Parade. And heading the procession will be Dr Jane Goodall herself.

The Wildlife Parade is about taking the message literally out to the streets! Imagine being dressed in a rhinoceros costume and riding on a giant float decorated to look like the African savanna. The Wildlife Parade hopes to spread the word about the environment and our endangered animals, and we want YOU to be part of the celebration.

Join us as a volunteer with roles ranging from choreography and design to logistics and administration. Join us as a participant. Dress as an endangered animal or plant and celebrate in song and dance as we parade down the road. Or would you like to perform at the finale instead? Or join us an audience member. Admission is free. For more information on the parade, please contact Martha Began (mbegan@sas.edu.sg), Steve Early (searly@sas.edu.sg) or Kate Thome (kthome@sas.edu.sg) to let us know how you want to play a part.

Parade Details: November 2; 4 – 7 p.m.

To register for this event, simply fill in the registration form found on the parade website http://www. wildlifeparade.wordpress. com Then start preparing your costumes and floats for the big day! Please try to only use recycled materials.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

SAS Dance Students to perform technatomy

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s part of the “mydance series” in Kuala Lumpur during the month of September, high school dance students Esha Parikh, Abby Murray, Calli Scheidt, Esther Lukman, Shih-Yiu Liu, Daphnie Pan and Tina Kirwin will be performing a dance work under the direction of SAS dance teachers Heather Rodocker and Tracy van der Linden. technatomy will be performed at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre on September 28-30.

In technatomy, three new contemporary dance works examine the nexus between man and machine, now and in the future. The second work, created and choreographed by Singapore American School dance teachers Tracy van der Linden and Heather Rodocker, is a sly look at contemporary culture -- a fun and energetic romp satirizing the phenomena of MTV Nation, our search for instant celebrity and the incredible shrinking attention span.

The two professional companies performing are Balletbase and LAPAR Lab. Balletbase is a company founded

by ISKL alumni, Bilqis Hijjas (97), to provide young dancers with professional performance opportunities. LAPAR Lab is a nonprofit organization that is aimed at increasing the quality and frequency of visual and performing arts in Malaysia.

For more information, visit the website http://www.balletbase.org Performance and ticket information: September 28 and 29 at 8:30 p.m. and September 30 at 3 p.m.

Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Tickets RM35 general, RM25 students For tickets call KLPac +02-03 4047 9000

HS String Students attend “Open Rehearsal” with the SSO

By Stephen Bonnette, HS Strings Teacher

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igh School students of the SAS String Ensemble were treated to an amazing experience Saturday, September 1. Thanks to teacher Michael Cox’s connections as a “Friend of the Symphony” we received a special invitation to attend an open rehearsal at the Esplanade as the SSO prepared for their Flights of Fantasy concert that evening. Under the baton of European conductor, Thierry Fischer, students witnessed firsthand how a professional orchestra rehearses for a performance. It was fascinating to hear a particular passage played, hear the conductor’s verbal comments and then hear the passage played again with amazing attention to the nuances of the music. Students taking advantage of this rare opportunity included Danielle Szulanski, Genevieve Yip, Helen Knight, Woo Won Jang, Julie Kim, Mary Ann Asai, Michael Kim, Tae Koo Kang, Claire Jun and Hee Soo Chung.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Going Global Photo by Eugene Lim of SingaporeSights

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AS high school students, Richie Skill, Sidarth Shanker, Victor Seet and James Fan, all members of the High School Business Club (sponsored by Tico Oms), participated in the first Go Global Business Case Competition in Singapore in May 2007. The competition brought together students from different schools in Singapore, including JCs, polytechnics, ITE schools and international schools. The goal was for students from diverse backgrounds to tackle a business case study and to learn how to adapt to the working styles of their various team members, capitalizing on individual strengths. They also had a crash course on business through an interactive problem-solving approach. SAS students did not compete as a team, but joined one of the ten different teams.

L-R: Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports-Mr Teo Ser Luck, Team member-En Chou, SAS student-James Fan

The event took place over three weekends in May. It was remarkable that the four SAS students committed the time for this competition during the final weeks of school and final exams.

The first weekend was an opportunity for team-building since the students all came from different schools. On the second weekend, a pre-competition workshop consisted of a seminar on global business and an introduction to the idea of problem-based learning. Students also played a business simulation game called Global Cahoots.

The case, which was centered on globalizing a socially responsible entrepreneurship, was made available online on Thursday, May 24. Each team chose a target company and a favored entry strategy. Their response had to include marketing, operations and finance. The teams got together on the final Friday afternoon, May 25, to prepare their strategies.

Each team was given a classroom in the Republic Polytechnic, and all the teams spent the night at the school. Participants were encouraged to sleep, but of course all worked through the night preparing for the competition.

The presentations began on Saturday and consisted of two parts. The first round was an “elevator pitch.” Each team was given five minutes to present its strategy to the panel of judges. Of the ten teams, three were then selected as finalists.

The final round took place in the auditorium in front of the public, guests and the other competitors. Each of the three remaining teams gave a formal, detailed ten-minute presentation of its strategy. SAS student, James Fan, was a member of the winning team, earning a trophy and a share of the $3,000 prize money.

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjddddsajdsajdajdlksaxxjdkasjdasjdkldjsajjld Personal Accident Insurance The Singapore American School (SAS) maintains insurance for customary insurable risks, including comprehensive liability and coverage for school property. SAS does not carry medical coverage for students. It is the responsibility of parents to provide medical and accident insurance as well as personal property insurance for their children and their possessions.

Families in need of personal accident policies for their children and/or a family with limited medical coverage may want to consider an individual policy through ACE. Applications for a policy with ACE can be obtained from the admissions office, the nurses’ offices or the high school activities/athletics office. The completed application and premium payments must be submitted directly to ACE, and the policy will be an individual policy between your family and ACE. Contact information for ACE and the servicing broker can be found on the back of the enrollment form.

Please note that this is an option for your consideration and there is no obligation or requirement on your part to contact ACE to purchase this policy or any other accident policy.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Summer in Chengdu offers SAS students lessons in language, culture and fun!

By Ellen White, HS Social Studies Teacher

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ten-day visit to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, for intensive Chinese language studies in China was one option SAS students had last summer. This trip was organized by high school teacher Wenhong Zhu. The ten students lived with families, toured the city and surrounding areas, and had fun interacting with the people they met. Teenage children from their host families accompanied them on their many excursions. They wrote about their experiences in their journals.

Sichuan is a popular tourist destination because of its breathtaking scenery. Students traveled by bus and cable car to visit Buddhist temples on Mount Emei. They also hiked to a monkey sanctuary. Wrote Luke Ettensperger: “The monkeys were not afraid of human interaction. We left after one daring monkey stole a lady’s purse.”

Another stop they made was Mount Qing Cheng, which is where the Chinese folk religion Daoism (Taoism) originated. Wrote Aaron Tsai: “When we got to the base of the mountain and looked up, we knew it was going to be a pain to climb. To be honest it wasn’t that bad. We talked on the way so it was fun still. Around half way up a few of us gave up and hired some guys to carry us up.”

Students went to Mount Xiling, a ski resort, for a day of fun and games. Wrote Nick Chang: “We could go anywhere we wanted. There were multiple games, including a massive ball that rolled down the hill with you inside it, archery and pool. Everyone decided to do grass skiing first. A lot of people learned the hard way that there was no way to stop. Many of us crashed but it was still lots of fun.”

Because of its many rivers, the province has a thriving river culture. In fact, “sichuan” translates into English as “four rivers” and refers to the rivers that form the province’s borders. The Du Jiang Yan irrigation system was built in 256 BCE and transformed Sichuan into an agricultural center. It’s still being used today. Students visited the site for a look at this engineering marvel, built before China’s Great Wall. Explained Zhu: “Instead of stopping the river’s flow with a dam, engineer Li Bing divided it into two streams and diverted one into the surrounding farmland. His thinking was very Chinese because he combined principles of science, mathematics and Daoism to accomplish his goal.”

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Students went by ferry to visit the Giant Buddha at Leshan, erected at the confluence of three rivers. Wrote Connor Liu: “It took 90 years for the statue to be completed. The purpose of its construction was to calm the rivers that flowed near it and to stop water vehicle accidents from occurring. Apparently, the rivers that flowed by the statue had previously been very fast flowing and aggressive, causing many fatalities. The creation of the Buddha statue helped slow the fast moving waters because the rocks discarded during the construction fell into the water below and acted to slow the water flow.”

People come to Sichuan to learn more about the giant pandas that make their homes in the province’s bamboo forests. Students visited the Panda Research Center funded by UNESCO. Wrote Gabriel Lee: “The pandas lived up to their reputation as something special. As they are an endangered species we eagerly grasped the chance to observe these animals while they still lived. Their body shape resembled a big ball covered in black and white fur. They didn’t move around a lot and everyone managed to snap a few photos.”

Students spent two days in northern Sichuan. First, they toured scenic Huang Long (Yellow Dragon), a mountainous area famous for its translucent-colored terraced ponds. The altitude is above 3,000 feet and some students stopped at oxygen huts. Julian Goh wrote: “We experienced sucking oxygen from a balloon into our nose. We had a great time.”

Their next stop was Jiuzhaigou (Nine Villages Valley), a part of China so beautiful it’s often compared to the mythical Shangri-la. The people are Tibetan, one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities. Students visited the villages, explored the surrounding the countryside and shopped for souvenirs. After dinner they watched Tibetan dances and participated in a marriage ceremony. Connor Liu was the groom. Wrote Non Okumura: “We went there to experience Tibetan culture. There were places where we could buy Tibetan jewelry and antiques. Because of its natural beauty this place is also known as ‘fairy land.’”

Back in Chengdu, students spent their last day on a city tour. August 3, the morning of their departure many students were sad to leave China. Wrote Tia Iwan: “We said good-bye to our Chinese hosts and some of their kids were in tears.”

Patrick Choi described the task of saying good-bye to his host family as being “quite painful and sorrowful.” He wrote: “I believe most of us felt big losses in our hearts. Personally, I felt as though I was losing a family.”

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

2007/08 Yearbook Editors (L-R): Brian Riady, Kaitlyn Underwood, Carolyn Schmidt

2007/08 SAS Yearbook Editors Named PRESS RELEASE: September 2007 The Islander staff is pleased to announce the appointment of its book editors for 2007/08. Seniors Brian Riady, Kaitlyn Underwood and Carolyn (Caz) Schmidt each bring extensive experience to their new roles.

Brian has been both the chief photographer and the editor of photography on The Islander for the past two years. He says his expectations for the yearbook are high this year, and he is hoping to produce an accurate and insightful account of the school year.

Kaitlyn is also in her third year as a staff member and says being a member of the yearbook team has helped her discover her passion. She is planning a career in advertising.

Carolyn’s talent for publishing runs in her family. As a girl she loved looking through yearbooks her mother produced in high school. That inspired Carolyn to sign up for the grueling hours and deadlines. She is hoping to work in the multimedia industry when she graduates from college.

Over 1,400 copies of The Islander will be published this year, and we want to thank our three editors and the entire yearbook staff for taking on this important job.

Lisa Oake Yearbook Advisor

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjddddsajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajjlddd Jumping the Ocean -- an African Extravaganza!

Thursday, October 4, 7 p.m. - SAS Drama Theater You are invited to join the SAS High School Art, Choir and Dance departments for an event that is too big to be called just a concert or a show -- it is an EXTRAVAGANZA of sight and sound!

The diaspora of African culture and influence, primarily as a result of the slave trade, has influenced art, music and dance worldwide. Journey with us as we explore the visual and performing arts of Africa that “jumped the ocean” to the Caribbean and North America. The spirit of the proud people of Africa is evident in the vibrant color of their art, the exciting and energetic movement in their dance and the rhythmic and vital character of their song.

Your senses will tingle with the color, creativity and charisma provided by the Studio Art classes, Dance III and the SAS Choirs as we collaborate and explore this fascinating continent and its far-reaching influence.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

Breaking down the walls of illiteracy

By Yasika Mody and Chi-Chi Lin, Grade 12

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s one woman described, being illiterate is like drowning in a clear glass of water: she could see the world around her and people performing seemingly simple skills – such as reading and writing – but she was trapped, drowning in her inability to be one of them. Unfortunately, this is not a rare occurrence. Illiteracy is the root of exploitation and underdevelopment, and only by first improving standards of literacy can the world break the poverty cycle.

As the developed world demonstrates, literacy is a powerful means of sustaining development and promoting progress.

The SAS community recognizes this plague of illiteracy and that two-thirds of all illiterate people live in Asia. The SAS Literacy Wall displays over 200 brightly painted tiles decorated with thoughts, solutions for illiteracy, hopes and images relating to literacy. What began as Mr. Adkison’s Modern Asian Perspectives (MAP) class project for the two of us grew to include the entire SAS community.

The initial assignment was to choose a human rights’ issue plaguing Asia and to create a video and a project to promote awareness of the topic. (All videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/group/SASMAP.) Inspired by the privileges SAS has provided, we chose an issue that the school could explore – the problem of illiteracy. Stemming from an idea proposed by the World Wall for Peace (www.wwfp.org), the project was a medium through which students could use their creativity to propose solutions to the problem of illiteracy. We hoped that this project would promote reaction rather than inaction at SAS and it did!

The SAS Literacy Wall did not require any artistic experience, and it was open to all grades. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade designed tiles for the display. All the money raised through selling the tiles will be sent to the Room to Read Foundation (www.roomtoread.org/).

The SAS community has been very receptive in this quest to raise awareness of illiteracy in Asia, and we hope that when International Literacy Day rolls around on September 8, more will be inspired to make a difference. The messages on the tiles truly reflect the power of literacy and how it truly is a vehicle for change.

We also created a video to promote awareness beyond the walls of SAS. Uploaded onto YOUtube, the video garnered over 1,400 views and was “favorited” 18 times. Besides comments from teachers and students at SAS, the video received positive feedback from students in Mexico City, educators who have instituted the same project in America and a documentary film maker. The SAS community can view the video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=NfQEC029caw.

It has been an exciting experience for both of us (and Mr. Adkison!), and we are grateful for this opportunity to make a difference, not only at SAS but worldwide.

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjddddsajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajjlddd Parents of Children with Allergies or Asthma – Community Library Parent Group – Helping your children safely manage their allergies and asthma at school and while participating in after-school and weekend activities can be challenging. Join other parents of children with allergies and asthma to share safety information, resources, allergen free recipes, ideas for helping children cope with being unique and much more.

The Community Library will be hosting this year’s first meeting on Friday, September 28 at 9:00 a.m. The Community Library is located inside the Middle School Library at SAS. If you have questions, please contact Barbra Moran at singmorans@yahoo. com.sg or 6401-0961.

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SAS NewsFlash – September 2007

2007

Bravissimo! Excelente! Delicious!

Whatever your language, you’ll LOVE the Food Fest where you’ll find -

exquisite AROMAS, TASTES AND TEXTURES from around the world!

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enticing THEME BASKET RAFFLE with something for everyone!

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exciting VENDOR FAIR to start your holiday shopping!

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a chance to MEET NEW FRIENDS and visit with your SAS family!

WHY NOT JOIN AS A VOLUNTEER? CALL:

Katie Hamberlin (9029-1471/fax 6369-3121/katie112968@aol.com) Erma Huston (9128-5713/fax6463-3534/e.huston@pacific.net.sg) or Click here