Singapore American School Newsflash, August 2008

Volume 11, Issue 1-08/09 - August 2008

MICA (P) 183/08/2007

A Singapore American School community service publication

NewsFlash Welcome Back to SAS!

Letter from Superintendent of Schools Pg. 3

Meet the Board of Governors

Pg. 4

Supporting the SAS Education Foundation

Pg. 6

Content Page

Brent Mutsch Superintendent of Schools

David Hoss Principal Primary School

Mark Boyer Asst. Superintendent for Learning

Marian DeGroot Principal Intermediate School

Rhonda Norris Asst. Superintendent for Human Resources

Devin Pratt Principal Middle School

William Scarborough Director of Finance and Business Operations

David Norcott Principal High School

NEWSFLASH is published monthly by the Communications Office of the Singapore American School.

It is distributed free of charge to 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 SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

23 26 25 28 -

Regulars PTA News SACAC Sports Booster Club News Calendar Highlights

3 4 6 11 - 12 -

13 14 18 27 30 -

SAS Highlights Superintendent’s Message Board of Governors Supporting the SAS Education Foundation Kids CAN make a difference!

New directors joining SAS Kindergarteners Go for Gold Lemonade stand raises funds for cyclone and earthquake victims MS math student competes in the national competition in Denver HS learning poised for transformation Moving in, setting up and settling down EASA and EASA Language Program SAS Open House 2008

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.

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School September NewsFlash Deadline: August 25, 2008 Publication Date: September 15, 2008 October NewsFlash Deadline: September 22, 2008 Publication Date: October 13, 2008 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

Superintendent’s Message “The future is not someplace we are going to but one we are creating…

The paths are not to be found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.”

John H. Schaar

W

elcome to the Singapore American School and the beginning of a wonderful journey through the 2008-2009 school year. The mission of the Singapore American School is to provide each student with an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective. The week of August 4 will mark the return of all staff to prepare for that exemplary educational experience. The first student-parent-teacher event will be the annual SAS Open House on Saturday, August 9. Because August 9 is Singapore’s National Day, the hours for Open House will be 8:00am to noon to allow the community the opportunity to attend and participate in the many activities that accompany this special holiday.

SAS Open House represents a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to meet the teachers, for families to become familiar with the campus, for the broader SAS community to reconnect after a summer break, and for new families to be welcomed into the community and to begin to develop the network of relationships that will enrich their lives. School will begin on Monday, August 11 for students in grades 3-12.

Individual student/parent conferences will be conducted on August 11-13 for students in Preschool – grade 2 and these students will begin school on Thursday, August 14.

The school year will begin with approximately 3,800 students. This is close to capacity enrollment for SAS. We have waiting lists at a number of grade levels as the Board of Governors has reaffirmed its commitment to

not compromise the “Vital Few” – academic rigor, extraordinary care for the welfare of each child and professional excellence – by increasing class sizes. The Board of Governors and administration continue to work on the potential expansion of SAS, and further information will be forthcoming early in the new school year.

The vision of the Singapore American School is to inspire a passion for learning, encourage emotional and intellectual vitality and empower students with the confidence and courage to contribute to the global community and to achieve their dreams. This vision can best be accomplished when parents, faculty, staff and administrators work closely with students to effectively and successfully promote their learning.

As the journey associated with the new school year commences, please don’t hesitate to contact teachers or administrators if you have questions or if you are in need of specific assistance.

The commitment to educational excellence that has long been a trademark of SAS is only accomplished through a strong partnership between home and school.

We look forward to working together to promote the learning of our students so that they are able to contribute to the global community and achieve their dreams!

Respectfully,

“The mission of the Singapore American School is to provide each student with an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective. The week of August 4 will mark the return of all staff to prepare for that exemplary educational experience.”

“The vision of the Singapore American School is to inspire a passion for learning, encourage emotional and intellectual vitality and empower students with the confidence and courage to contribute to the global community and to achieve their dreams. This vision can best be accomplished when parents, faculty, staff and administrators work closely with students to effectively and successfully promote their learning.”

Brent Mutsch, Ed.D. Superintendent Singapore American School

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Board of Governors About the Board

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he Singapore American School Board of Governors is made up of twelve elected volunteers who serve three year terms and are on a minimum of two board committees. All board members are parents of current students and members of the Trust. The board operates through its working committees: Facilities, Finance, Curriculum, Trust, Foundation and Executive Compensation.

Are you a member of the American School Trust?

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he American School Trust Limited is the legal entity under which the Singapore American School operates. Members of the Trust participate in the governance of the school by electing twelve fellow Trust members to the Board of Governors, which oversees the operation of the school.

In order to vote at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust, to be held this year on October 28, and to vote for the candidates standing for election to the Board of Governors, you must be a member of the Trust.

To become a member of the Trust, you must apply directly; membership is not automatic. However, families new to SAS are members of the Trust because the Student Admissions Form now includes a section for Trust application. Any parent or legal guardian of an SAS student or any employee is eligible and is encouraged to join the Trust. There is no fee to join the Trust.

If you have not previously joined the American School Trust or are unsure of whether you are a member, please call Board Secretary Margaret Yeo at 6360-6314 for assistance.

Board of Governors elections to be held on October 28, 2008

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s a part of the American School Trust’s Annual General Meeting, to be held this year at 7:00pm, October 28, at High School Room H301, Trust members will elect four governors to the board.

The Board of Governors is charged with the responsibility of establishing and maintaining policies governing the operations of the school and providing guidance in the school’s administration. Each governor is elected to a three-year term, and while obligated to retire after completing his or her term, a retiring governor may choose to stand for re-election. Four governors will be retiring at this year’s AGM. Trust members who wish to serve on the board and stand for election will do so in the following manner: Each candidate must file a written statement of his or her intention to stand for election, supported by the signatures of 30 Trust members in good standing, by October 7, 2008. Filings should be made with Board Secretary Margaret Yeo. Forms for this purpose are available from Margaret, who is located in the Central Administration office and can be reached at 6360-6314. Margaret will be pleased to answer any questions on the electoral process.

Candidates who would like to have biographical data and a photograph included in the school’s October monthly newsletter will need to submit this material to Margaret by Tuesday, October 7.

More information about the SAS Board of Governors is available on the SAS website at http://www.sas.edu.sg/board/index.html

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Meet the Board

Garth Sheldon

Board Member since 1999 Term ending 2008 Board Chairman Member, Executive Compensation Committee Member, Facilities Committee Member, Trust Committee Chairman, Executive Committee

Sheila Wang

Bart Broadman

Board Member since 2005 Term ending 2009 Vice-Chairman Chairman, Trust Committee Member, Finance Committee Member, Executive Committee Member, Executive Compensation Committee

Joseph Anderson

Board Member since 2004 Term ending 2010 Chairman, Curriculum Committee Member, Finance Committee Member, Executive Committee

Board Member since 2007 Term ending 2008 Member, Facilities Committee Member, Curriculum Committee

Kirk Hulse

Catherine Poyen Zemans

Board Member since 2006 Term ending 2010 Member, Curriculum Committee Member, Finance Committee

Bon Park

Board Member since 2007 Term ending 2009 Member, Finance Committee Member, Trust Committee

Board Member since 2008 Term ending 2009 Member, Finance Committee Member, Trust Committee

Bob Comstock

Board Member since 2002 Term ending 2008 Chairman, Facilities Committee Member, Curriculum Committee Member, Executive Committee

Devin Kimble

Board Member since 2007 Term ending 2010 Member, Curriculum Committee Member, Facilities Committee

Rudolph Muller

Board Member since 2008 Term ending 2008 Member, Curriculum Committee Member, Facilities Committee

Marybeth Shay

Board Member since 2007 Term ending 2010 Member, Trust Committee Member, Facilities Committee SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Supporting the SAS Education Foundation Education Foundation The SAS Education Foundation was launched three years ago to expand and enhance educational and enrichment opportunities for students and to secure the financial future of the school. The 2007-08 annual fund campaign raised over S$900,000, nearly twice the amount raised in the previous year. Thank you to the parents and corporate donors that helped to make the campaign so successful.

“...to expand and enhance educational and enrichment opportunities for students and to secure the financial future of the school”

“...support student learning by providing additional funding for academic, athletic and extra-curricular programs”

Parents support a culture of giving Adding substantially to the total amount contributed to the foundation, $500,000 was raised at the annual Star Appeal Dinner in March. Again this year, the Khoo family and the Khoo Foundation underwrote the entire cost of the dinner, ensuring that all the donated funds went directly to the foundation. The dinner continues to provide a significant fundraising opportunity, as well as an evening to celebrate as a community.

In April, families of Indian origin gathered in support of the foundation, raising $23,000. The dinner, hosted in the home of Vijay and Sujata Parekh and organized by a dedicated group of parents, was well attended and well received. The evening provided an opportunity for parents, board members and administrators to socialize and share ideas about the school. By underwriting the cost of the dinner, the hosts ensured that all the donations went directly to the school’s foundation.

Putting donations to work for students Donations to the SAS Education Foundation support student learning by providing additional funding for academic, athletic and extra-curricular programs. The foundation also provides professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, financial assistance for students in need and a scholarship for a student from a developing country. Each year a portion of the money is placed in the school endowment fund, helping to ensure the long-term financial health of the school.

This past year, donated funds supported expanded intramural programs in the intermediate, middle and high schools, visiting musicians, artists and authors.

Community service matching funds enabled students do more charity work and helped empower them in making a difference in the lives of others. Helping at orphanages, installing computers in schools in developing countries and encouraging recycling on campus are just a few of the student-led initiatives that received support from the foundation.

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Riady Performing Arts Center The newly constructed Riady Performing Arts Center, scheduled for completion in October, provides an additional performance and reception venue outside the theaters, greatly enhancing the usability and ambiance of the performing arts area. The Memory Garden, built as a part of this project in the outdoor area adjacent to the performing arts center, will provide a reflective place on campus that recognizes and celebrates significant milestones in the history of the school and acknowledges the untimely deaths of students and faculty. A very generous donation of $4 million by the Stephen Riady family underwrote a substantial portion of this project and is the largest single donation ever received by SAS. We are so truly appreciative of the family’s kindness and its commitment to the school.

PTA donations, in partnership with the annual fund Parent organizations at SAS provide a wealth of volunteer support for the school. The activities and programs supported by the PTA, Booster Club and Arts Council enrich the educational experiences of students and provide opportunities for parents to be engaged in the life of the school. As well as hosting a variety of activities and events, these organizations raise money to support school programs. Requests from faculty and administrators determine how funds are spent, and each organization shares its fund spending with the community.

The PTA has partnered with the SAS Education Foundation since its inception, making the founding donation of $100,000 three years ago and contributing each subsequent year. This year the PTA donated $70,000 to support academic, professional development and athletic programs. This was in addition to $262,000 donated to the school for PTA Fund Spending requests and $30,000 for senior scholarships.

Making a donation For more information about the SAS Education Foundation or to make a donation, please go to www.sas.edu.sg and click on “Giving to SAS” on the main menu.

Beth Gribbon Director of Communications and Development

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

SAS Educational Foundation Donations – 2007/2008 1956 Circle

S$50,000 and above

SAS Parent Teacher Association

Eagle Circle William & Jamie Amelio Khoo Teck Puat Foundation

S$20,000 - S$49,000

Ah Wah Chan & Cheok Kee Lim Stephen Riady & Shincee Leonardi Sukma Widjaja & Hano Maeloa

Tiger Circle David Ban & Irene Lim DHL Express Pte Ltd William & Lois Lydens Edan & Bon Sun Park Brent & Sandra Smith Peter Yan & Siew Yen Chua

Michael & Eva DeNoma Billy Siu & Marianne Chua

S$10,000-S$19,999

Fanny Barki Collin & Clair Holdstock John & Paula McCarvel Richard & Jacqueline Seow Jeff & Cindy Tay Xu Quan & Xue Qiong Yao

Gecko Circle Joe & Mae Anderson Carl & Anne Stocking

Jonathan & Jessika Auerbach Bart & Valerie Broadman Bob & Monika Comstock Johny Djuhar & Lilies Irawan Edward Gaffney Ajai & Abha Kaul Devin Kimble & Amy Sittler Seung Hee Lee & Ki Ran Rho Lim Meng Keng Department Store Natarajan Minakshisundar & Arudhati Mehta Janie Ooi Deepa Pasumarty Nam Uh & Youn Soo Rhee Iwan Sarjono & Ingrid Prasatya Rajagopalan & Vidya Shyamusunder Radhakrishnanan & Saraswati Sreenivas

Crocs Asia Pte Ltd Hae Jin & Young Rim Lee Brent & Maggie Mutsch In Jun Song & Joo Hyun Lee Rohet & Arshna Tolani Ee Chao & Jennifer Wee

S$5,000-S$9,999

Ragnar & Joey Horn Kelly Randall

Orchid Circle

Harrison & Sheila Wang Jun Won & Yoon Hee Choi Howard & Beth Yao

Yonggi Tanuwidjaja & Melina Tanusaputra

Keum Shik Shin & Seung Hee Lim Steven & Maya Roll

S$1,000-S$4,999

Richard & Ashley Barry John & Janine Byrne Jeff & Vicki Crocker Hussein Nabil El-Lessy Jim & Beth Gribbon Rini Keim Wisanggeni & Evi Lauw Norman & Bee Bee Lem Thomas & Cheryl Linton David & Christy Miller Neil & Mika Parekh Adrian & Susan Peh Katherine Rybicki-Justo Steven & Raju Shaulis Helman Sitohang & Maria Praptani Yulies Tan Rayanusin Widjaja & Diana Harkono

Clement & Una Wang Raymond & Kaori Zage

Al & Clarissa Bautista Dong Woo Chang & Ah Jung Lee Belinda Chua Grace Fan Kirk & Janice Hulse Chris & Elyse Khang Joo Bae & Eun Hee Lee Kevin & Deborah Leong Shahryar Mahbub & Shazia Khawaja

Rudy & Andrea Muller Vijay & Sujata Parekh Raj & Mary Rajkumar Stephen & Stephanie Russell Garth & Roxana Sheldon Ajay & Sukeshi Sondhi Soejono Varinata & Fae Sugiharto Jonathan Wilson & Cindy Leake Kwan Nga & Rosa Wong David Zemans & Catherine Poyen

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajssjld Where are the “pink sheets”?

Trading Post is now published exclusively on the SAS website This school year the Trading Post will be published online to minimize the use of paper. To find Trading Post, go to “School Publications” on the main menu of the SAS website, www.sas.edu.sg. The August Trading Post will be online by Monday, August 4. We welcome your feedback. Write to communications@sas.edu.sg.

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajssjld SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

SAS Educational Foundation Donations – 2007/2008 Traveler’s Palm Circle Vivek & Sadhana Ahuja Jai & Rohini Arya Chetan & Deepali Bhatia Vimanl & Priti Chandaria Rakesh & Abha Das Naresh & Kalindi Desai Scott & Shivi Graham Ganesh Iyer & Anju Jain Atim & Himali Kabra Vikas Kalia & Sarita Talwar Amit & Ritika Khatter Ranga Krishnan & Sripriya Chithamoor

Ashok & Garima Ashok Tarun & Bhavani Mahrotri Ved & Shubha Narayan Neel & Arathi Nilakantan Rajesh & Chanda Piplani Bharat & Vinika Rao Devendra & Sangeeta Sharma Edmund Sim Srini & Malini Srinivasan Alan & Akashnee Thompson Rajeev & Shailaja Vaidaya Sundeep & Sunita Vira

S$100-S$999

Mike & Julie Allen Todd & Mary Avery Varun & Ruchi Bhatia Vijay & Shalini Chopra Phil & Shelley DeFord Dinesh & Manju Gang Gary & Sally Greene Raghupati Iyer & Padmaja Natarajan

Rahul & Shalini Kale Prakash Kalra & Anita Kapur Satish & Sandhya Khatu Rajat & Teena Kumar Ayaz & Shamina Lavingia Apurva & Rashmi Mathur Samba Natarajan & Vidya Sambamuthy

Bhaskar & Hemagini Bhaskar Raghu Rajagopalan & Lakshmi Venkatesan Veldanda & Aparna Rao Susan Shaw Sam & Usha Sivaskandan Anup & Neeta Suri Doug Thurman Sunil & Sabeena Varkey Naresh & Alpa Vyas

Anil & Sangeeta Amin Lola Bernal De Pizarro Sandeep & Anuradha Chalke Sanjay & Neeta Chowdhry Janak & Seema Desai Sandeep & Kiran Gill Sheetal &Ruchi Gulati Shailesh & Sankhya Jejurikar Dhanesh & Sonu Kalia Sunil & Binifer Kaushal Albert Koh Prem & Sridevi Lakshmanan Manish & Anu Madan Sanjiv & Devika Misra Nilesh & Anu Navlakha Deepak & Enaxi parikh Ramachandran & Jess Rajamanickam

Rahul & Smita Shah William & Marybeth Shay Mahesh & Mala Sivaswamy Russ & Michelle Suri Rohet & Arshna Tolani Harish & Jay Vasudevan Amy Young

Below S$100 June Moore

Jennifer Tsai

Land’s End

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajssjld Richard Hogan - Food services Coordinator Richard Hogan was recently appointed Food Services Coordinator at SAS. Richard will work with Karen Wright, the nutritional consultant with The Food Clinic who worked with SAS in 07/08, the Hoe family, which operates the three cafeterias on campus, and the operators of the other food outlets in the high school to ensure SAS provides students and staff with appealing, good tasting and healthy food choices.

Additional healthy food choices, modifications to the cafeteria layout to help students select and purchase meals in a timely fashion and enhancements to the food offerings will be some of the issues he will address early in the school year. He will work with the guidelines and recommendations from The Food Clinic and the Food Services Committee to move SAS forward with the school’s food service goals. The progress of his work will be shared with the community throughout the school year.

Richard joins SAS from Sodexho Singapore Pte. Ltd., where he has worked since 1996 as the operations manager for educators. At Sodexho he was responsible for cafeteria and banquet services for an international school and a large multinational corporation. Richard has also worked as banquet operations manager for two large Singapore hotels. A long time resident of Singapore, he began his food services career in as a wait person at the American Club.

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajssjld SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Cause for Concern or Reason to Celebrate?

The Social and Emotional Lives of Children of High Ability Singapore American School Speaker Series

Parents are invited to attend the first in a series of presentations to be offered this school year which advance the “extraordinary care for the welfare of each child.” The speaker series is funded by the SAS Education Foundation in conjunction with the Community Library.

Dr. Maureen Neihart, Child Psychologist Wednesday, August 27, 2008 7:00pm - 8:30pm Venue: TBA RSVP: sascomlib@gmail.com

When a child has high ability, is that cause for concern, or reason to celebrate?

A common concern among parents and teachers is that children's high ability in some area(s) will cause them social or emotional difficulties — that they will have a harder time in life as a result of their high ability. What do we know about this? When is a child's high ability an asset and under what conditions is it a liability?

Join us for an entertaining and illuminating review of the recent research on the social and emotional lives of children with high ability by child psychologist, Dr. Maureen Neihart. This presentation is geared towards parents of children of all ages with high potential in academics, athletics, leadership or the arts. A question and answer period will conclude the evening.

All parents are welcome to attend this presentation on Wednesday, August 27 (venue to be announced).

Kindly RSVP to Denise Knight at sascomlib@gmail.com with “speaker series” in the subject line so that we can plan accordingly. However, if you forget to make a reservation, please come anyway!

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Kids CAN Make a Difference!

By Barb Osterhout, grade two teacher

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fter our first Walk-AThon attempt was rained out on April 11, we listened to the sage advice of Ann Tan. “Put some garlic and chilies on the field for good weather,” Ann said. It worked!

Our second Walk-A-Thon attempt on Friday, April 25 was a rousing success. All grade two students put on their walking shoes and celebrated the 2nd annual Second Grade Walk-AThon on the SAS High School track from 8.00am - 9.30am.

This community service project was hosted by all grade two teachers and parent volunteers as well as Principal David Hoss and Deputy Principal Ken Schunk. Many of the students’ younger siblings walked with us. The students ran, hopped, skipped and walked with friends,

parents and teachers to make a difference. The monies raised (a whopping $35,000), will help support underprivileged school children in Jakarta, Indonesia (www.kampungkids. org), and orphaned elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand (www. elephantnaturefoundation. org).

Thank you to everyone who put on their walking shoes and helped to create the success of our 2nd annual Second Grade Walk-AThon. A big thank you also goes to the SAS Education Foundation for contributing $2,000 in matching funds.

We definitely found a new way to walk that CAN make a difference!

Grade 2 student (L-R): Caitlin, Bailey and Delane

Dr. Mutsch is proud of you!

Director of Finance and Business Operations W i l l i a m Scarborough has been appointed as the Director of Finance and Business Operations.

Scarborough joins SAS with over 25 years of experience in business operations management at U.S. universities and international schools. Most recently he worked as the Director of Finance and Operations at the American International School of Bucharest, Romania.

Scarborough is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in business administration.

Accompanying Scarborough to Singapore are his wife, Martha, and his son, Jesse, a high school junior at SAS.

New Directors Joining SAS Director of Admissions Ellen White has been appointed as the new Director of Admissions effective June 9, 2008, to fill the vacancy created with the resignation of Laurie Thompson. White has worked as a teacher at SAS since 1997. She was instrumental in launching the elementary Mandarin program in 2000. Since 2001 she has worked in the high school as a social studies teacher and served as the chair of the social studies department for the past two school years.

White is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and received her master’s degree at Michigan State University. Her son Luke is a 2008 graduate of SAS. Laurie Thomson leaves SAS after serving as the Director of Admissions for seven years. Thompson is currently on a leave of absence and intends to return to SAS in another capacity at a later date. She moved to Singapore in 1998 with her husband Tim, a high school physical education teacher at SAS, and her daughter Kisara, currently a student in the sixth grade. Thompson worked as a high school guidance counselor at SAS from 1998 to 2001.

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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Kindergarteners Go For Gold

By Kaye Bach, Kindergarten Teacher

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or two weeks during the month of May, kindergarten students at SAS participated in a community project to support young children in Cambodia. The kindergarten children used their early reading skills in a fundraiser to supply instructional readers for elementary students in the Caring for Cambodia schools in Siem Reap.

Each night the children would go home and read, read, read. For every two books they read to a family member, they earned one gold coin (a Singapore dollar).

They brought the dollars to school and exchanged them for book tokens. The words on the tokens were “I helped to buy two books for the children of Cambodia.”

The tokens were then placed on a supersized bookshelf designed and produced by Pam Steele. The bookcase was displayed in the kindergarten courtyard.

Excitement mounted as the bookshelf became covered with hundreds of tokens. An additional three bookcases were hurriedly prepared and mounted on the hallway walls in order to cope with the extra tokens collected. The tokens represented over $1,300 raised by the kindergarten children. Liz King, a member of the board of Caring for Cambodia, came to accept the laden

bags of gold coins.

The money raised from this fundraiser will go toward the printing of thousands of books from the website “Reading A – Z.” These books will be gratefully received and read by the young students in the Caring for Cambodia schools. It is hoped that each of the junior classes will have sets of leveled reading books translated

from English into Khmer by the beginning of the new school year.

Thank you kindergarten kids and teachers for helping make a difference for students in schools less fortunate than ours.

If you wish to know more about this project please contact SAS parent, Christy Machulski.

Lemonade stand raises funds for cyclone and earthquake victims

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hree families got together in late May to help the cyclone victims in Myanmar and the earthquake victims in China. They set up a stand at the gate of the school and sold lemonade, cookies and brownies. The photo is of the children depositing $600 in the collection box in the Primary School office. In the front row are Ella Wessel (grade 1), Owen Coughlin (grade 2), Sonja Wessel (pre-K), Siena Coughlin (preK), Michaela Coughlin (grade 4). In the back row are Ken Schunk, Donna

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Coughlin, David Hoss and Lisa Wessel. The Hearn family also helped with the fundraising effort but were not able be there on the day the funds were donated. They are Veronica Hearne (pre-K), Erin Hearne (grade 3), Frankie Hearne (grade 5).

The lemonade stand fundraising project was part of a school-wide fundraising effort, which raised over $100,000 in support of the cyclone victims in Myanmar and the earthquake victims in China.

The donations were contributed to relief organizations assisting people who were affected by these two tragedies.

Middle School math student competes in the national competition in Denver

By Alex Schindele-Murayama the question incorrectly. The sixth grader from Washington swooped in with the correct answer, causing the room to explode in applause. It was the first time that a sixth grader had won the competition.

My experience at the MATHCOUNTS competition is something I will not forget, and hopefully I will be able to use this experience to help me in the future.

This paragraph is taken directly from the MATHCOUNTS website: http://mathcounts. org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page. aspx?pid=207&srcid=202.

Alex Schindele-Murayama is second from left, along with his teammates (all standing), MATHCOUNTS heightens Coach Millette (third from left and seated), and Ms. Dubke from the U.S. State Department. student interest in mathematics by making math achievement exciting and Attending the MATHCOUNTS competition was an challenging, prestigious.

Teachers and amazing experience that I will certainly remember. volunteers use a variety of I made some new friends and got to meet a wide activities to coach student variety of people from a varied selection of places.

Mathletes®, as part of inclass instruction or as an Our team, the State Department, to read the question before extracurricular activity. After tested students from over 50 someone buzzed in with the several months of coaching, schools to choose the four best correct answer. participating schools select math students. Other people students to compete individually in the State Department team The best part of MATHCOUNTS or as part of a team in one of included a person each from was by far the oral competition, more than 500 written and oral Manila, Jakarta and Taipei. called the Countdown Round. competitions held nationwide This year, our group score was Most people, including me, and in U.S. schools overseas. approximately 25 points, earning thought an extremely smart The first competitions are held at us 44th place out of 57 teams. boy from Texas would win. In the local level in February with This was an improvement, the final part of the Countdown winners progressing to state considering we were 47th last Round, the young Texan boy competitions in March. Results year. was pitted against a sixth at the state level determine grader from Washington, while the top four individuals and One of the most profound effects hundreds of people looked on top coach who earn the honor the competition had on me was in anticipation. Questions were of representing their state or the astounding ability of the asked and rapidly answered, overseas team at the national students there. I was stunned leading to a tie and the final finals. by the speed with which some question. The whole room was of the competitors answered the tense as the problem was stated; To watch this year’s National questions in the spoken round. the tension turned to surprise Competition, go to www.

Sometimes, I barely had time when the Texan boy answered mathcounts.org.

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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By Jerry Szombathy, HS Technology Coordinator

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As many in the SAS community may already be aware, the High School implemented WiFi connectivity in selected areas last year. During this pilot phase, there was support for school-owned laptops in the foyer/ town center area, the Khoo Teck Puat Library and the science and modern language classrooms. By the 4th quarter, students were invited to bring in laptops to be configured for use on the WiFi network.

During this summer 2008, WiFi coverage was increased to provide access to roughly 90 percent of the instructional spaces in the High School.

Laptop Purchases and Support Details

High School Learning Poised for Transformation

In early May 2008, SAS vendor partner Lenovo hosted a sales road show featuring a select line of laptops and a desktop PC. Promotional information about the models can be found on the school’s website (http://www.sas. edu.sg/main/lenovo.html).

The Lenovo sales team will host another road show during Open House. Following that, sales will handled out of the new Lenovo Service Center, located beside the Tech Help Center on the 3rd floor directly above the Library (H307K and H308).

All service and support for Lenovo hardware purchased on campus is covered by a 4-year on-site warranty, with a promised 4-hour turn-around time. Coupled with the competitive pricing and the great reputation of the ThinkPad line, we hope that SAS community members will find the offerings exciting and attractive.

Although students won’t be required to own their own laptops until the 2010-2011 school year, many teachers will be asking

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

students to use them in class this school year. We encourage students to acquire laptops. In order to assist with the transition, the school will have laptops available for teachers to sign out for their students.

Parents will be allowed “guest” access to the SAS network after September 1, which will allow time in August to configure the students’ laptops. Priority must be placed on the educational needs of the students, but we do want to support parents who wish to utilize this valuable resource.

FAQs about the HS Wireless Technologies Initiative – Transforming the Traditional Classroom 1. Why is SAS transitioning to a one-to-one laptop wireless environment?

To best prepare students for the world they will face after graduation, one-to-one access to wireless technology is essential.

Our students are digital natives, and technology is part of their everyday routine. Mobile technology has the potential to make learning engaging, interactive and relevant.

Wireless technology will be part of their future, and we endeavor to help students become capable, responsible and creative with digital media.

2. Will introduction of laptops totally overhaul our current curriculum?

All technology at SAS is viewed as a tool to support and enhance learning in the classroom. We are not adopting a program to deliver via the laptops; rather laptops will be used when and as appropriate to support the learning outcomes already specified in the various subject curriculums.

3. What are the benefits of a oneto-one program for our students?

• Students today live in a mediarich world, where access to information is ubiquitous

and instantaneous. They are more motivated and engaged in learning when these technologies are embedded in the classroom. Laptops in their learning environments: o Promote authentic writing.

Students can compose for real purposes, such as book/music/film/product reviews online, blog entries, creation of wiki content and a variety of other publishing projects. o Provide authentic audiences from which students can receive feedback not only from their teachers but from their peers, subjectarea professionals around the world, students at other schools and general audiences.

• The Internet promotes authentic learning opportunities. o For example, language students can visit foreign language websites to gather news and current information in a realworld context for content creation and authentic communication purposes.

Additionally, students can access rich media (audio, video and interactive content) to support their learning.

• It increases collaboration among students and teachers. o New productivity tools and Web 2.0 technologies, such as calendars, wikis, graphic organizers, presentation software and note-taking tools, enable students to create shared documents and collaborate on projects and content creation. For example, students can develop a shared study guide for a course to add and review content from lectures, outside readings, personal reflections and interactive discussions.

• Provides access to online information and learning

resources. o Anytime, anywhere learning – education is not limited by the walls of the classroom. Students have 24/7 access to vast amounts of information.

Such access breaks down barriers to knowledge, promotes cross-curricular connections and facilitates life-long learning.

• Facilitates differentiated learning. o Research shows that students learn in many different ways.

Each person has an individual learning style. Traditional classrooms tend to cater to only one or two types of learners. Technology provides a wide variety of learning styles and work modalities, while facilitating independence and autonomy in learning.

• Promotes risk taking. o In a typical classroom, which is frequently teacher-centered, students compete with 20 or more other voices. Personal technologies even the playing field and allow all students to contribute in a wide variety of ways – speaking, writing, creating content, contributing to discussion forums, wikis, blogging, etc. Observations from classrooms using laptops demonstrate that when given opportunities to communicate online, even the most reserved students tend to contribute profusely and often “shine” in that context.

• Promotes higher-level thinking skills. o Technology can remove mundane time-consuming tasks and calculations, allowing students and teachers to access higherlevel thinking quickly and easily. Less time is spent SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

15

on menial tasks, and more time is spent analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, communicating and collaborating.

• Promotes communication and presentation skills. o Most work environments require effective communication and presentation skills.

Effective communicators must leverage powerful media aids in their presentations.

Laptops in the classroom provide students with opportunities to sharpen and practice their communication and presentation skills.

• Creates more autonomous and self-directed learners. o Technology provides opportunities to shift from teacher-centered to student-centered learning, eliciting students’ discovery and construction of knowledge.

• Prepares students for life in the 21st century workplace. o The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learners will have had 10-14 jobs by their 38th birthdays. These students must be able to use technology to learn content and skills so that they know how to learn, think critically, solve problems, use information, communicate, innovate and collaborate. o Students need to acquire the ability to adapt to be globally interconnected in a flatter and rapidly changing world in which technology is embedded.

As much as students need to learn academic content, they also need to know how to continue learning and make effective and innovative use of what they know throughout their lives.

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

o Information is doubling every two years. By 2010, it will double every 72 hours. It is vital that students learn the skills to manage, sort and evaluate the validity and usefulness of data. Ubiquitous access to information is key to promoting and teaching media literacy skills. o With laptops, students will learn to leverage the power of new tools for organizing and managing their time, thoughts, workflow, to-do lists and creative endeavors.

These are tools they will use in future studies and workplaces. o Additionally, students need to learn the vital life skills of managing and maintaining computers. These include maintenance, security, virus/spyware scanning and backup tasks.

4. How much will the laptops be used?

Laptops in the classroom will be used as much as the individual teacher deems appropriate to accomplish the learning goals for that lesson. There will be many cases where teachers adapt current practices to the digital platform, but there will also be cases where the teacher can best accomplish these desired outcomes with a traditional practice.

5. Will test scores increase as a result of laptops in school?

Most discussions about student achievement focus on standardized test scores. Such tests are important, however they do not measure students’ abilities to apply knowledge in complex situations, find and evaluate information, use multiple media in their communications, create and revise writing or work collaboratively. These are all skills that are increasingly important in the 21st century. We believe that the laptop program provides

opportunities and resources for master teachers to incorporate these and other important skills into student learning.

Both quantitative and qualitative research shows that students with routine access to laptops score higher in writing assessments, demonstrate better analytical skills, collaborate more and have lower absenteeism and dropout rates.

6. Will my child be permitted to use his/her laptop in every class?

A laptop is just one of the tools available to support student learning. While we encourage their use, at times it will be inappropriate or unnecessary.

7. Will servicing be available for my child’s laptop?

As noted above, Lenovo will have on-site service available. The school will not service other brands of laptops. A Lenovo laptop model purchased from a local distributor can be serviced at SAS. However, the service level will be based on the warranty. The SAS service level will be 4 hours; most other service levels will be the next business day. Service will only be performed on computers covered by a valid warranty.

8. Can my child use another brand of laptop like Dell, Mac, Toshiba, etc.?

Your child may use any brand of

laptop on our wireless system.

However, SAS will only provide on-site servicing for those purchased through Lenovo. All student-owned laptops must be registered with the Tech Help Center (H307K) and an Acceptable Use Policy form must be signed by the student.

9. How will SAS ensure that my child’s laptop is safe?

SAS provides each student with a locker and lock at the beginning of the school year. We encourage students to lock all valuable items in their lockers. Each student is responsible for his/her belongings, and SAS cannot take responsibility if items are lost, stolen or damaged.

10. What are the behavioral expectations surrounding the use of laptops?

All students are expected to comply with our Acceptable Use Policy whenever they are using a computer at school. Violations or misuse of technology will not be tolerated.

11. How will my child keep his/ her laptop powered?

All classrooms will be supplied with extra power bars, and students will be permitted to charge their batteries during class.

If you have questions not addressed here, please contact the HS Admin Team or the HS Tech Coordinator.

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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Moving in, setting up and settling down

By Jeff Devens, PhD / High School Psychologist

A

According to your circadian rhythm you should be wide awake and alert. The only problem, it’s 2:30am in the morning! As you sit on the floor trying to assemble that IKEA bookshelf, with the semi-functional tools provided, excessive perspiration pools along your brow. You wonder aloud, “Is this really home?”

...there are generally a series of stages that kids and parents go through as they integrate into a new culture. Having an awareness of these stages can go a long way in reassuring families that what they are feeling and experiencing is indeed “normal.”

SAS has 15 counselors and 3 school psychologists who are trained to deal with transition issues and can provide support and direction throughout the transition process.

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

I still remember those first weeks of our arrival in Singapore: locating a house, unpacking boxes, trying to acclimate to the change in temperature from North Dakota (still struggling with this one ) and settling into a routine. I took solace in knowing that the school had done a great job preparing our family for the transition. Months before our arrival the staff at SAS told us about the school, culture and community. We were provided with “buddies” already working at the school who helped answer our numerous questions about work and life in Singapore. However, even with this helpful support we still had cultural adjustments.

For some, Singapore may be their first international posting. In fact, I suspect a few had to look it up on a map. Singapore, humorously dubbed “Asia Light,” is a great posting to begin international adventures. For seasoned veterans of the international circuit, Singapore is but one of several countries called “home” over the years. In either case, there are generally a series of stages that kids and parents go through as they integrate into a new culture.

Having an awareness of these stages can go a long way in reassuring families that what they are feeling and experiencing is indeed “normal.”

Stage 1: Settled: This describes your status prior to your move.

Your children were attending a school, had a predictable routine with a peer group in place and were involved in the community.

Generally, they were responsible and responsive.

Stage 2: Leaving: At some point a decision was made to move. This may have come with many months of prior notice and preparation, or this may have happened in the last five weeks. Leaving is time of saying “goodbye,” withdrawing and disengaging from the community. Kids and adults alike experience a range of emotional responses during this time, including excitement, joy, anticipation, denial, anger, resentment, bargaining and for some sadness and loss. What is important to note is that kids and adults often enter a new environment the way they leave the previous one.

Stage 3: Honeymoon: Upon arriving in an unfamiliar cultural context the common tendency is to look first for what is familiar and attempt to establish a routine. This is also a time when others often extending themselves to welcome new families. Kids tend to feel pretty good and generally function at a high level. This “honeymoon” typically lasts anywhere from 10 minutes to three months .

Stage 4: Disorientation: As some kids begin to interact with their new environment, they begin to notice how much is really so very, very different. The more they interact, the more they become disoriented. The reason for this is often due to the loss of friends and their social support system.

They may experience a number of emotional responses, including

mourning the loss of friends, feeling isolated, exaggerating problems and behavior, feeling tired and grumpy, judging the host culture negatively and refusing to “connect.” It is not uncommon during this time for kids to want to stay connected to friends in their previous environment and not want to make new friends. Holding up in their bedrooms, they may spend significant amounts of time communicating with their “old” friends via the Internet. Kids may also initially struggle academically.

During this stage parents and kids often encounter the most difficulty related to the move. Each child will go through these stages in slightly different time sequences.

A particular holiday, time of year, birthday or other significant event will trigger an emotional response.

This period typically lasts from one to six months, and sometimes flares up anew when parents return “home” for that first long holiday break.

Stage 5: Recovery and Adjustment: As kids continue to interact with their new culture, they begin to incorporate their understanding of themselves, school, friends, etc. and begin to feel “at home.” Their level of premove functioning typically returns to normal levels, sometimes even to higher than normal levels because of all that they have learned about themselves and the world. The benefits of this generally include increased social maturity, a broader worldview, less prejudice and greater cultural and religious tolerance. One teen described her experience this way:

“My home does not seem to be about concrete walls, a specific spot of land, or a street address.

Rather, it is every country I have visited and lived in, and every culture and sensory experience these travels have wrought…

If growing up overseas has taught me anything, it is that An important point to keep in mind conventional concepts should is that during transitions, such always be closely examined and as a move to a new country, kids their frames expanded upon. Yes, often mimic the emotional states I am an American, but I cannot of their parents. While one of the reasonably limit myself to one spouses, typically the father, has nationality at an emotional and a job and quickly settles into the intellectual level. If the United routine of work, the trailing spouse may find considerable difficulty States is my “home,” then in establishing a support system. It is the broader sense, so is the rest not uncommon for their negative of the planet.” feelings to be transmitted to their kids. If you are an accompanying spouse you need the community just as much as your children.

To this end, I encourage you to become involved with the parent organizations at the school (the Parent Teacher Association, the Booster Club and the Arts Council). This is a great way to make contact with other parents and can help foster a feeling of community.

the developmental norms of the new culture. For example, they may initially perform slightly below their academic potential and may not want to connect with others immediately.

They may be excessively critical of the school, home, teachers, etc.

• Be patient with them when they seem “out of sync.”

Most kids adjust in a few months; however, some struggle beyond the end of the first quarter. Staying in contact with your child’s teacher or counselor is a good way of providing additional support.

For more information on adjustment issues, I encourage you to contact your child’s grade level counselor. SAS has 15 counselors and 3 school psychologists who are trained to deal with transition issues and can provide support and direction throughout the transition process.

Welcome to the Singapore American School… Let the learning begin!

How can parents help with these adjustment issues?

1) Recognize common reactions: • Delayed child / adolescent behaviors • Emotional extremes 2) Recognize and validate their identity with their former as well as new cultures: • Don’t try to make your children precisely follow SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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Le Grand Concours

By Christina Popowski, HS French Teacher

L

ast March, high school students studying French levels 1–4 competed in the 73rd annual Le Grand Concours, a 60 minute national test designed, written, financed and disseminated by the members of the American Association of Teachers of French.

Its purpose is to help stimulate interest in the teaching and learning of French and to help identify and reward achievement on the part of both students and teachers. The majority of the test evaluates the student’s reading and listening comprehension; however about one third of the questions also evaluates the student’s knowledge of grammar mechanics.

Just over 100,000 students in the United States and international schools in Singapore, England, Tunisia and Israel competed in this year’s contest. The results were recently sent to the French teachers at SAS, and they were pleased to learn that there was an increase in the number of SAS students who were in the top 10 percent of students in the United States and at three international

schools. This year a total of 25 SAS students were in the top 10 percent in their respective levels of French.

Level 1: National rank out of 16,633 level 1 students

French teachers Christina Popowski and Laurence Patrick were pleased that more than half of SAS students in French levels 1–3 and over 80 percent of the French 4 students scored at or above the national average.

All of the participating students and their teachers are to be congratulated for their achievements. Many members of the American Association of Teachers of French feel that the students who rank nationally in this competition reflect well on the schools and French programs from which they come. Students at SAS who ranked nationally will be awarded a certificate of achievement as well as a prize to inspire them to continue to study French. There will always be a need for world citizens with multilingual capabilities who can work and interact successfully in a global community.

Stephanie Anderson Rank: 9th

Level 2: National rank out of 18,249 level 2 students

Kevin Lancon Rank: 5th

Ana Crivorot Rank: 8th

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From L-R: Anna Kargl (Rank: 8th), Katherina Feng (Rank: 7th), Rebecca Kreutter (Rank: 6th), Raphael Grissemann (Rank: 7th) SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

Olivia Ding Rank: 9th

National Winners Level 3: National rank out of 16,259 level 3 students

Level 4: National rank out of 10,935 level 4 students

From L-R: Natasha Anthony (Rank: 6th), Lourdes Santos (Rank: 9th), Vivian Yang (Rank: 2nd), Yuvika Tolani (Rank: 7th)

Sanskriti Ayyar (Rank: 10th)

From L-R: Esha Sondhi (Rank: 9th), Natalie Muller (Rank: 6th), Priscilla Kang (Rank: 8th)

From L-R: Adam Jatho (Rank: 9th), Natalia Umeoka (Rank: 9th)

From L-R: Sarah Mountjoy (Rank: 3rd), Sophia Tinger (Rank: 10th), Alexander Kua (Rank: 3rd), Dennis Chu (Rank: 9th)

From L-R: Alyssa Reinoso (Rank: 8th), John Kim (Rank: 4th), Mila Rusafova (Rank: 8th) SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

SAS PTA

President’s Letter Dear SAS parents, Welcome to the new school year. To those of you who have just joined SAS, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome to our community. I hope you and your family will enjoy a rewarding experience throughout the time you are with us.

By having your child enrolled at SAS, you are automatically a member of the PTA. We are fortunate to be part of a community where effective parental involvement in our school enriches the day-to-day educational experience of our children.

You are an important partner in the success of SAS, and I hope you will consider volunteering for one of the many service or event committees that the PTA operates. Aside from raising funds that go toward supporting numerous academic, athletic and extracurricular programs, the PTA also focuses on supporting and organizing events that bring the SAS community together. Becoming active as a PTA volunteer will establish you in a network of information and afford you the opportunity to be meaningfully involved in your child’s school life.

SAS Open House & PTA Ice-Cream Social: Saturday August 9 To kick off the year, I would like to invite you to attend the PTA Ice-Cream Social during Open House on Saturday, August 9 from 9:00am until noon, at the Intermediate/Middle School Cafeteria. If you are new to SAS, please also stop by the PTA office, located just after the main entrance to the school, in the glassed-in, half-moon area on the ground floor, to pick up your Welcome Pack and meet some PTA Board Members. We will be on hand to answer questions or just say hello. Included in the packet is last year’s SAS PTA Directory along with other information to help you settle in.

We will also be holding divisional new parent Welcome Coffees during the first week of school. These sessions provide the opportunity to meet other new parents and get to know the school and PTA better. Please check this issue of NewsFlash or posters around the school for dates and times.

PTA Welcome Back Coffee & General Meeting: Friday, August 22 I would also like to invite all of you to the PTA Welcome Back Coffee and General Meeting, which will be held at 8:30am on Friday, August 22, at the Elementary Theatre. At this event, SAS Superintendent Brent Mutsch will introduce the SAS administration team. There will also be an overview of plans for this school year, and you will have the opportunity to sign up for various volunteer activities in your child’s classroom and with the PTA. The following organizations will also have signups at the event: Boosters, Arts Council, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Tabitha and Caring for Cambodia.

I would like to offer our assistance in addressing any concerns or answering questions you might have about the school or community. During the first few weeks of school, you’ll see many members of the PTA Board wearing badges. PTA’s Welcome Committee Chair, Erma Huston, and our team of PTA Division Representatives are ready to help. Please feel free to stop any of us to introduce yourself or ask questions.

You can also contact us at PTA@sas.edu.sg or call any member of the Board. PTA information and contacts can be found at our website: http://pta.sas.edu.sg/ I look forward to seeing you around campus, and I wish everyone a happy and healthy school year.

Mae Anderson PTA President mae.anderson@mac.com

SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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Calendar Highlights

August 2008 6-7

Preschool-Grade 8 PTA Uniform Sales 10:00am – 2:00pm (Elementary Gym)

Grades 9-12 PTA Uniform Sales 10:00am – 2:00pm (Booster Booth)

Lim’s Uniform Sales 10:00am – 2:00pm (Elementary Theater) 8 SCHOOL HOLIDAY 9 NATIONAL DAY

Open House and PTA Ice-cream Social 8:00am – 12:00nn

New Family Welcome Pack Pick Up 8:00am – 12:00nn (PTA Office)

Preschool-Grade 8 PTA Uniform Sales 8:00am – 12:00nn (Elementary Gym)

Grades 9-12 PTA Uniform Sales 8:00am – 12:00nn (Booster Booth)

Lim’s Uniform Sales 10:00am – 2:00pm (Elementary Theater)

HS Orientation for Parents/Students New to SAS 8:30am – 11:00am (HS Gym) 11 1st Quarter Begins

1st Day of School for Grade 3-12 11-12 Parent Conference for Preschool-Grade 2 11-15 SACAC Registration 8:00am – 4:00pm (SACAC Office) 13 1st Day of School for Pre-K-Grade 2

HS Class Polo Dress Day

PTA MS New Parent Welcome Coffee 8:30am (PTA Office)

PTA HS New Parent Welcome Coffee 10:30am – 12:00nn (PTA Office) 13-14 1st Day of School for Preschool 14 PTA ECC/PS New Parent Welcome Coffee 8:30am – 10:00am (PTA Office)

PTA IS New Parent Welcome Coffee 10:30am – 12:00nn (PTA Office) 16 SACAC Registration 9:00am – 12:00nn (HS Cafe) 18 Grade 3 Photo Day 19 Grade 4 Photo Day

Boy Scout Registration 6:00pm – 7:30pm (H301)

MS Classroom Without Walls Parent Night 6:00pm (Elementary Theater, HS Gym, MS Gym)

MS Back to School Night 7:00pm 20 HS Class Polo Dress Day

Grade 5 Photo Day

Preschool-Pre-K Parent Night Open House 6:30pm – 8:30pm 21 K-Grade 2 Parent Night Open House 6:00pm – 8:30pm 22 PTA Welcome Back Coffee/General meeting 8:30am – 11:00am (Elementary Theater)

HS Welcome Back Dance 7:00pm – 10:00pm (Theater Studio) 23 Girl Scout Registration 9:00am – 1:00pm (OFS) 25 ECC (Preschool/Pre-K) Photo Day 26 Kindergarten Photo Day

Booster Welcome Coffee 10:00am (H301)

HS Back-To-School Night 7:00pm 27 Alternate Dress Day

Grade 1 Photo Day 28 Grade 2 Photo Day 29 ECC/PS/IS Make-Up Day * Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

September 2008 1

2

3

3-4 4-5 5 6

8 8-9 9 10

11 12 13 15

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

IS Parent Coffee 8:15am – 9:15am Grade 6A Classroom Without Walls Boy Scout Parents Meeting 6:00pm – 7:30pm (H301) Grade 6A Classroom Without Walls HS Class Polo Dress Day Student Early Release 12:45pm (Not applicable for HS); No PM Preschool Grades 6B/7B/8A Classroom Without Walls Trips Jostens on campus Grades 7B/8A Classroom Without Wall HS Choir Exchange in KL HS Jazz Band Exchange in Bangkok HS Soccer Exchange in Jakarta HS Dance, Cross Country and Volleyball Exchanges in S’pore HS PTA Coffee 10:00am (H301) Grades 6C/7C/8B Classroom Without Walls PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) Alternate Dress Day Grades 7A/7C/8B/8C Classroom Without Walls Grades 7A/8C Classroom Without Walls Grades 7A/8C Classroom Without Walls SACAC Opening Ceremonies/Football Games IS Parent Coffee on ITBS 8:15am – 9:15am MS Parent Coffee 10:00am (MS Library) HS College & Careers Day 8:00am

16 17 19 20

HS Booster Club Meeting 10:00am (H301) HS Class Polo Dress Day School Holiday (No School) ACSIS Soccer Tournament 8:00am – 1:00pm (UWC) International Coastal Clean-up 8:00am – 1:00pm (Sungei Buloh) 22-23 HS Alternate Dress Day 22-23 Grades 9-11 Individual Yearbook Portraits 8:10am – 3:00pm 22-26 Homecoming Week 23 Super 7’s U-16 Boys Soccer Tournament 4:45pm (Stadium) 24 Alternate Dress Day

Senior Class Picture 8:10am (on front steps) 24-26 MS Photo Day 25 ACSIS Cross Country Meet 4:00pm – 6:00pm (Campus/Fields) 26 Homecoming Football Game 6:30pm (Stadium)

Booster Bake Sale

MS Dance Technique Show 3:00pm – 6:00pm 29-30 SACAC Registration 8:00am – 4:00pm (SACAC Office)

Tabitha Sale 30 HS Instrument Concert 7:00pm (Auditorium)

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadss0l 2008-2009 Vehicle Permits A current 2008-2009 Vehicle Permit is required to drive a car onto the SAS campus.

Permits are available at all division offices and Central Administration and must be collected in person. This year the vehicle IU ID must be noted on the application.

Plan to get your permit the next time you are at school. Permits may be picked up during Open House on August 9. 2007-2008 permits will no longer be valid after September 15 and should be returned when collecting the new permit.

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdssss0ajsssjlddddddddddddddd PTA Directory Update family information in August Each year the PTA publishes a directory of SAS families for the convenience of the school community. Using address, telephone and e-mail information from student records, the directory is published and distributed to all SAS families during the first quarter.

At the beginning of the school year, SAS will be asking for updated information from all SAS families (address, e-mail and phone number). Kindly revise and return the Family Information Form, distributed at Open House and during the first week of school, no later than August 15. The updated information will be provided to the PTA for the directory. Changes made after August 15 will not be reflected in the directory.

If you do not want your family’s contact information included in the PTA directory, please notify the PTA directly by e-mail at pta@sas.edu.sg or by fax at 6363-6452. The request to exclude information from the directory must be made annually. Because of the volunteer nature of the PTA, requests to exclude family information from the PTA Directory cannot be tracked from year to year.

An SAS family directory is also available on the SAS website. A user ID and password to access the directory will be e-mailed to your family early in the school year. The online directory is updated regularly.

oaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkddSsdsoaidoiodsjddddsadsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdkldjsajssjld SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

SAS Open House 2008 Saturday August 9, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Climbing

Auxiliary Gym

Running Track & Stadium Field

Swimming Pool

Drama Theater

Auditorium

MS Gym

I

HS Gym

J Basement Parking

Swimming Pools Elementary Gym C D Primary Cafeteria

Elementary Theater

IS/MS F Cafeteria

Elementary Art/Music

HS Library

Middle School

Admissions

G

E

M HS Cafeteria P

High School

L

H K

Booster Booth

Bus Office

A

Primary School

Intermediate School

B

P

P

P

P

Early Childhood Center N

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

PTA Office

MS School Pedestrian Gate

P

Blk 426A

HDB Parking Lot

SAS Main Gate

SAS Rear Gate

E

Bus Office

IS Foyer/Office

F

MS/IS Cafeteria

C

Elementary Gym

G

MS Foyer/Office

D

H

Room M109

Elementary Gym

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HS Gym (8:30 am - 11:00 am)

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HS Athletics & Activities Office - HS S100D

K

HS Foyer/Office

L

Booster Booth

M

High School 2nd Floor Cafeteria

N

ECC Foyer/Office

A

PS Foyer/Office

B

PS Classroom Assignments IS Classroom Assignments PTA Uniform Sales PS-Grade 8 Uniform Shirts and PE Uniforms American Association American Chamber of Commerce American Club American Womens’ Association ANZA Soccer Boosters Boy Scouts Canadian Association Junior Hockey Program Caring for Cambodia Cub Scouts Democrats Abroad Elementary After School Activities (EASA) FastBreak Basketball Girl Scouts Navy League SACAC SAVE Club Savitar Tennis Tabitha US Embassy Young Life

O

Bus Information PTA Ice Cream Social MS Homebase Assignments MS Athletics & Activities HS New Student & Parent Orientation

HS Homebase Assignments Uniform Sales, HS Uniform Shirts and PE Uniforms Subway & Nourish & The Eagle’s Zone ECC Classroom Assignments

Elementary Theater

Lim’s Uniform Sales - Uniform Bottoms for All Students

P

On Campus Parking

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Vehicle Pass/Decal - Available at PS/IS/MS/HS/Central Admin office SAS NewsFlash – August 2008

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SAS Open HOuSe 2008 SAturdAy AuguSt 9, 2008 8:00Am - 12:00pm

food & driNks HS Cafe IS/MS Cafe Subway Nourish The Eagle Zone

ice-creAm sociAl comPlimeNts of PtA IS/MS Cafe

elemeNtAry Gym

clAssroom/ homebAse ECC - ECC Foyer/Office PS - PS Foyer/Office IS - IS Foyer/Offce MS - MS Foyer/Office HS - HS Foyer/Office

American Association American Chamber of Commerce American Club American Women’s Association ANZA Soccer Boosters Boy Scouts Canadian Association Junior Hockey Program Caring for Cambodia Cub Scouts Democrats Abroad Elementary After School Activities (EASA) FastBreak Basketball Girl Scouts Navy League SACAC SAVE Club Savitar Tennis Tabitha US Embassy Young Life

Athletics & Activities MS - Room M109 HS - Room S100D

bus office Bus Information

PtA office

hs New studeNt & PAreNt orieNtAtioN

New Family Welcome Packets

HS Gym

vehicle PAss/decAl PS Office IS Office MS Office HS Office Central Admin Office

uNiform sAles For Grades 9-12 Booster Booth (HS Lobby) For Preschool - Grade 8 PTA Sales (Elementary gym) Uniform Bottoms - All Grades Lim’s Uniform Sale

(Elementary Theater)