Volume 12, Issue 5-09/10 - February 2010
MICA (P) 154/08/2009
A Singapore American School community service publication
NewsFlash
Chinese language program Pages 8-9
Star Appeal Dinner supports the SAS Foundation Page 10
Cabaret – Vast student talents in a small club setting Pages 14-15
NEWSFLASH
DAVID HOSS
BRENT MUTSCH
Principal Primary School
Superintendent of Schools
February 2010 Volume 12, Issue 5-09/10
11 Calendar Highlights 18 Booster Club News 26 PTA President’s Letter
MARK BOYER
Asst. Superintendent for Learning
Marian Graham Principal Intermediate School
4
Fairness: A Core Value
5
Changes in HS Counselling
6
Learning French outside the classroom
7
MS RLA
21 HS debate program grows in force
22 Teachers teaching teachers 26 Knowledge Bowl 27 Model United Nations
12 HS golf program takes off 17 Eagles & Fish join forces Rhonda Norris
Devin Pratt
Asst. Superintendent for Human Resources
William Scarborough
Director of Finance and Business Operations
Principal Middle School
David Norcott Principal High School
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. 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:Alfi Dino
2
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School March NewsFlash Deadline: February 8, 2010 Publication Date: March 1, 2010 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
Environmental activism at SAS
By the Facilities and Services Office
Beyond red, white and blue, the Singapore American School’s true colors include a bright, bold shade of green. Of course, this is hardly a revelation. Every day, we are surrounded by proof that grassroots environmental activism thrives at SAS. The gardens, recycling bins, compostable CornWare bioplastic cutlery and reusable water containers grew “organically” as it were, conceived and lovingly nurtured by faculty, such as Martha Began and Kate Thome, and students. Simon Bright’s Energy Science laboratory is a living showcase of green tech: LED tubes, solar panels, a wind turbine, a biodiesel plant. In June 2009, SAS hosted the first-ever Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) Youth Symposium. Environmental features were built into the school, much in the same way that environmental awareness is built into the SAS community’s DNA. We have sun shades and double-glazed glass to protect us from the sun and ease the burden on air-conditioning systems. The materials we use for construction are getting greener and greener with every project we undertake. New low-carb diet Now, more than ever, SAS is prepared to make strong statements for the environment. Reducing our carbon footprint is a potent driving force for the Facilities and Services Office. The aggressive measures taken by the office, coupled with enthusiastic support from the SAS community, have resulted in significant savings in energy and water consumption. From July to October 2009, the school consumed 19 percent less energy and 16 percent less water compared to the same period in 2008. These savings are on top of the 9.5 percent and the whopping 47 percent decrease in energy and water consumption, respectively, that were achieved in 2008-2009 and 2007-2008. Corporate leadership and responsibility SAS is committed to broader sustainability goals as a founding member of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), which was formally launched in October at the first International Green Building Conference. SGBC facilitates the collaboration of the public and private sectors in green building development and supports the government’s goal of “greening” 80 percent of Singapore’s buildings by 2030. It is an emerging member of the World Green Building Council, an international business-led coalition that works with the Clinton Climate Initiative, the United Nations Environment Program and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. In-house advocate SAS now has a full-time Energy Conservation Engineer to coordinate our energy efficiency and conservation efforts. Jamie Alarcon comes to SAS with a master’s degree in environment and sustainability from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Her current projects include coordinating our application for Green Mark certification (the Singapore equivalent of LEED in the U.S.), daily monitoring and analysis of the school’s energy consumption, investigating potential avenues for further energy savings and spearheading the Facilities and Services Office’s green projects. She is also in the early stages of developing a website for the school’s sustainability efforts and helping brainstorm a unified sustainability policy for SAS.
Re-enrollment for the 2010 - 2011 School Year The 2010/11 re-enrollment notice was emailed to all SAS families on January 22. The deadline for re-enrollment is March 1, after which admission of new students will begin. If you did not receive the notice, please write to schoolfees@sas.edu.sg. Alternatively, you may visit the SAS website to download the form or to re-enroll or withdraw online.
Changes in Tuition and Fees Billing Procedures In October 2009, SAS announced changes in its tuition and fee billing practices for 2010-2011 to decrease financial risk and reduce upward pressure on tuition and fees. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, invoices for tuition and fees will be issued for the full academic year rather than on a semester basis and will be due on June 1, 2010. These changes will improve SAS’s ability to offer timely admission to applicants on the waiting list, while also improving the school’s financial stability.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
3
Fairness: A core value
By School Psychologist Jeff Devens, Ph.D.
Singapore American School has adopted five core values (honesty, responsibility, fairness, compassion and respect) that form the cornerstones upon which learning occurs. In an effort to better understand the outworking of these character qualities and to offer parents strategies for helping foster development of these in their children’s lives, we have been making our way through each of these cornerstones. This month’s featured cornerstone is fairness. Spend any appreciable time around primary- and intermediate-school students and you know the frequency with which they chant: “That’s not fair!” These kids tend to view fairness in stark contrasts: peers don’t share, others cut in line and someone keeps taking their snacks! As they mature, their understanding of unfairness broadens, and they come to appreciate just how unfair life can be: those who do wrong go unpunished, children get sick and die, people starve while corrupt government officials prosper. Webster’s notes several nouns that are ascribed to fairness, including just, impartial, unbiased, dispassionate and objective. Fairness implies an elimination of personal feelings, interests or prejudice so as to achieve a balance of conflicting needs, rights or demands. Sometimes fairness requires a precise following of a particular standard, while at other times it may involve less precision, that is, what is fair may not always be what is equal. Fairness has the connotation of both law and proportionality. Helping children understand the ways of fairness is not something to be left to the media, society or even academic institutions. While it is helpful to draw relevant examples of fairness from culture, without a moral filter to gauge fairness we do little more than barrage kids with feelings-based values. What this essentially means is that the standard for behavior becomes what “feels right.” The difficulty with this philosophy is that feelings change, and children’s feelings change often. Parents are the primary moral filters in their children’s lives. Author Jackson Brown encourages parents to “live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity they think of you.” Below are three suggestions for cultivating fairness in children’s lives. 1) Have kids take the initiative when it comes to being fair: Don’t wait for others to be fair before demonstrating fairness. This principle is embodied in the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is a proactive response, one that counteracts the tendency to apply different standards of fairness based on preferential treatment. Sadly, some view fairness as a commodity, believing: “If I demonstrate fairness, then so should others.” When we keep score of who is and isn’t being fair we place ourselves and others on a competitive, comparative, point keeping treadmill, choosing to demonstrate fairness only to those who return fairness in kind. Or, worse still, deeming that we have been “fair-enough” and now we have the right to act unfairly. This does not mean that we don’t seek justice, or that we simply “take it” when others are acting unfairly, but rather that we hold one another accountable, focusing on the infraction and not the feelings. Treating others how we want to be treated is not only a demonstration of fairness, but also of compassion, honesty, respect, and responsibility, all SAS core values. 2) Be consistent: One aspect of fairness means that we aim for consistency in both our words and deeds. There should be coherence between what we do and what we say. Our goal should be that of modeling a consistent practice of demonstrated fairness. For example, when your child violates rules and you follow up with consequences (I hope you do), are those consequences consistently fair? That is, were the consequences carefully thought out at the time the rules were established, or are you being emotionally reactive when rules are violated? When we respond emotionally to broken rules we run the risk of being overly punitive, or we may mitigate the seriousness of the violation, both of which result in parent’s authority being undermined. In either case, a sense of fairness is lost. When it comes to rules violations being consistent translates into being fair. In the high school, one way the administration demonstrates fairness is by handling similar infractions consistently. For example, when students choose to drink during out of country school sponsored events, even after being told of the repercussions ahead of time, the consequences are consistently the same (i.e. loss of interim semester). This is regardless of a student’s class rank, social status, athleticism or artistic ability. To treat students differently on this particular issue would result in a loss of administrative integrity. Parents may “feel” that the penalty for first time offenders is severe; however, it is the consistency of expectations that creates an environment of predictability, which contributes significantly to school stability and student safety when traveling in foreign countries. 3) Teach kids to own up for their actions: From an early age we encourage our children to apologize for hurting another or violating a rule, but how often do we follow up with teaching and modeling by asking “Why are you sorry?” In fairness to the person the infraction was committed against, parents have a responsibility to help their children understand what owning up for their actions means. For example, when kids apologize it may not be because they are sorry for committing the infraction, but rather that they are sorry because they got caught! There is a marked difference between these two types of apologies. In fairness to fairness it’s important for parents to understand the “why” behind their child’s apologies. Doing so helps kids take ownership of their choices and actions and cultivates a richer appreciation of fairness.
4
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
The Idea Is To Do It Better By Sue Nesbitt, grades 9/10 counselor Schools have reputations for remaining ageless – great for the beauty industry, not so great for education. Throughout time, schools have maintained some steadfast principles: rules, sports, debate, mathematics, writing and reading. Within their walls, the generational divide recycles the teen belief that grown-ups just don’t understand. As adults, we’ve done our own complaining. Just listen to Socrates, “Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.” Can you relate? Yet, schools and their residents have changed. Just last month I mentioned a dunce cap to a student. The student looked perplexed and asked, “What is a dunce cap?” The explanation resulted in laughter and later had me happily reflecting on the positive changes in teacher and student relationships. Change is all about doing something differently and the plan is to do it better. This year, the high school counseling center embarked on an initiative to enhance its student contact time while addressing the developmental needs at each grade level. Three counselors are assigned to freshman and sophomore students. To meet our objectives, four freshman seminars were designed to expand the skills that 9th graders need to successfully move through high school. In addition, freshmen met in small groups in January to review their PLAN results and discuss next year’s course selections. 1. Time Management and Goal Setting (Sept. 3/4): Activities included a discussion of shifting from middle school to high school, procrastination, setting academic goals and the balance between social and homework. 2. Relationships (Sept. 24/25): Social issues with an emphasis on Facebook etiquette and a focus on students thinking about their own behavior, concluding with the challenge to be “kind” to one another. 3. Choice and Consequence (Oct. 8 /9): Focus on the idea that all choices have consequences and choices seldom affect only you. 4. Habits of Highly Effective Teens (Nov 19/20): Discussion of semester exam preparation and a summary of past seminars. The sophomores also played an important role in our planning. Sometimes the sophomore year is referred to as a slump year, when they may feel that they no longer receive the attention they had as freshmen. To increase the support, this October we met with sophomores in small groups to review the value and meaning of an official transcript and the importance of building a resume through Family Connections. Individual meetings began the third week of January with an emphasis on four year planning, course selections, participation in extracurricular activities and PSAT results. Our counseling center has received more than just a facelift. While we continue to tweak the program, there is an indelible truth that cannot be altered. We see it in all of the initiatives: freshmen seminars, Understanding by Design, health and wellness and positive discipline. The lingo all boils down to one thing: educating our students with heart and head. You see and feel it each and every day at SAS. The kids just won’t go home and neither do the teachers.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
5
Learning French outside the classroom
AP French class visits Lycee Francais By Ryan Chan, grade 12
Passing students greeted us with salut and ca va as our AP French class roamed the halls of the Lycee Francais on December 4. Surrounded by a constant flow of bonjour and bien venue, we participated in a mock trial of the OJ Simpson case. Though surprised that the trial was conducted in English, AP students, serving as the jury, were more than confident that the day would remain an emersion experience. After hearing witness statements and cross examinations, the SAS jury reached a verdict. Jamie Lim expressed confidently, “We the members of the jury find OJ Simpson guilty of first degree murder.” The room went silent, though soft whispers echoed across the quiet hall. “Very well,” replied the Judge. “I hereby sentence Mr. Simpson to death by lethal injection... or the electric chair, in accordance with the penalties spelled out by the state of California.” After the trial, we spent the day learning advanced calculus, engaging in philosophical debates and conceptualizing chemical theories – all in uninterrupted French. The cultural differences, both in the mode of instruction and in the student body, brought us closer to the heart of our study, and the exposure to a constant flow of dialogue made us all better French speakers. After lunch, SAS students convened in a quiet library, where Mme. Patrick had set up an interactive activity mirroring the mock trial. We answered questions on flash cards and spoke entirely in French. The excursion to the French school was worthwhile. We were placed under circumstances where we needed to express ourselves fluidly in French. Being outside the classroom allowed us to experience the value of our learning. Simply studying the language in school is not enough. The AP French class warmly thanks Mme. Patrick, whose broad thinking and creativity enlivened our course study.
E
Looking for French “Treasures” in Singapore By Christina Popowski, HS French teacher
ighty students of French, 25 of them from SAS, went on a jeu de piste (treasure hunt) on Orchard Road last November. The objectives were to discover the French influences in Singapore while having a good time with teammates. Teams of 4-6 students were given eight destinations to locate. At each destination, APFS members checked their answers before handing over the clue needed to locate the next destination. The destinations included the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, Clemenceau Avenue, Carrefour in Plaza Singapura, the Cathay building, French restaurants and shops, the Rendezvous Hotel and the Singapore Art Museum. Teams celebrated their newly acquired knowledge of French influences in Singapore with French pastries at the Delifrance near the Art Museum! Marietta Tanudisastro said: “I really liked the experience, especially when we met people we knew because it would get pretty competitive. At one point it actually felt like the Amazing Race. I learned a lot more about French influences in Singapore instead of thinking that the streets were named randomly or according to what the prime minister thought was a good name.” Fang Yang added: “The jeu de piste opened me up to the mysterious French world in Singapore! I never realized how the French culture had merged with the local culture. I didn’t realize that French is used every now and then all around Singapore (or at least all around Dhoby Ghaut).”
6
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Making significant strides in MS RLA By Scott Riley, grade 6 RLA/SS
I
n November, a familiar face was back on campus, roaming the halls of the Middle School, participating in teacher planning sessions, instructing students during Writing Workshop and providing teachers with valuable feedback after they implemented their lessons. It was none other than Janine King, our RLA consultant. As a literacy coach from the Seattle public school system with years of practical experience and professional collaboration alongside experts in the field (including Bonnie Campbell Hill, Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth and Nancy Johnson), Janine is a renowned international consultant for literacy education at the middle school level.
What is Writing Workshop? • • • • • • • •
10-15 minute mini-lessons Students gathered in meeting area Teacher directing and modeling (no questions) Teacher demonstrates strategies and “think aloud” while they work Mentor texts may be referred to Followed by independent work (20-30 min.) Teacher confers one-on-one or with small groups during this time Students complete page-long entries after every minilesson
On previous visits, Janine led us through valuable workshops on understanding Writing Workshop. Our professional development work with her has enabled us to develop a common understanding and methodology when teaching writing. We have implemented common assessments based on the Six Traits language, and we have articulated a scope and sequence of the writing units’ skills and strategies across the grade levels, ensuring appropriate rigor and skill progression. On this visit, her third of five scheduled, Janine hit the ground running and continued to guide us in all aspects of curriculum development. At each step, Janine provided us with sound philosophical foundations on the teaching of writing along with hands-on application on how best to help student writers. In departmental pullout sessions and in-class workshops, Janine also modeled mini-lessons and provided valuable feedback on instruction and conferring techniques in a “lab site” model. Through our continued professional development with Janine and practical application in our classrooms, we are using our time effectively to move each writer forward. We are also drawing from ongoing assessment to inform our instruction. The good news is we’re already seeing results with our student writers. During the first units of this year, teachers and students compared the “on demand” pieces that students wrote before and after the units were taught. Although these assessments are mere “snapshots” of what a writer is capable of doing independently, students demonstrated strong skill development and greater understanding of the genres at hand. As our week with Janine came to a close, we took a step back to reflect on our collective growth. Through our continued work with Janine as well as other on-going initiatives, such as grade level bookrooms, we are making significant strides in Middle School RLA. We are addressing many of the major recommendations from last year’s review process. At the same time, there is still important work to be done. For Janine’s next visit in February, we plan to focus on incorporating effective grammar instruction within the workshop model as well as writing unit plans that emphasize a rigorous scope and sequence across the grades. Then in April, Janine will provide a workshop for parents at the Parent Coffee and continue to work with our department by making connections between the instruction of writing and the instruction of reading. In the meantime, we are realizing the plans set during our review year. We appreciate having a consultant like Janine with whom we can collaborate over the course of our curriculum development process. As a result, our ongoing curriculum work is keeping us grounded, focused and continually moving toward providing an exemplary literacy program for our students.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
7
Chinese Language at SAS By Mark Boyer, Assistant Superintendent for Learning
You have probably noticed the numerous articles in The Straits Times and perhaps the recent Internet blogs about how the Singapore schools are conflicted about instructional approaches to Chinese language and are looking at ways to create greater impact on learning. This is a complicated issue because of four significant factors: 1. Chinese language is considered a category 4 language (most difficult category for language learning) and often takes twice as much time to learn as many other languages. While fun and interactive approaches are important to pursue, there will always be a significant element of rigor required for learning this language. 2. Chinese language is frequently not reinforced in the home or in the Singapore community. 3. Traditional approaches to teaching Chinese language are frequently not compatible with the learning styles and needs of second language learners. An entirely different pedagogy is necessary for second language learners, particularly for western culture kids. 4. Standardized assessments tend to support traditional approaches, and therefore a new system of assessment needs to be developed. While Singapore has attracted some headlines on this topic, other international schools in the region also report that Chinese is a challenging language. SAS has made progress in some areas and is in league with other schools that are in pursuit of greater improvements. Current progress includes: • • • • • • • •
Standards-based curriculum aligned to the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards, which is recognized by The College Board in the U.S. and the Chinese Language Council International at Hanban. The curriculum is supported by topical units. Established authentic communication (listening and speaking in real life) as the #1 objective for language learning Established character lists (high frequency word lists for reading and writing). Developed multiple levels to support different levels of student ability and motivation. Established placement exams and procedures to support appropriate placement of students within levels. Placement exams are showing continual increases in higher level placements. Provided significant professional development opportunities within and outside the school for faculty to become familiar with current practices. Significantly increased use of target language within classrooms. Increased teacher-parent communications about student learning through newsletters, updates, parent-teacher conferences, etc. This year’s middle school arena conferencing between parents and teachers substantially increased communications about student learning.
While these advancements have yielded some positive results, the following are directions being pursued this school year to further enhance student learning: 1. Administrators have reviewed Parent Climate Survey responses, checked progress in various areas of development and referred to consultant feedback and various sources of demographic and program data. 2. Administrators have engaged in dialogue with the Board of Governors about current strengths, areas for growth and possible directions for the program. 3. All Chinese language faculty have submitted suggestions on diverse ways to advance student learning. 4. Opportunities were provided for a delegation of faculty across divisions to attend ACTFL to identify best practices promoted in U.S. schools.
8
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
5. Approved hiring of a Chinese Language Director (common position in large international schools in Asia) to start in fall of 2010. 6. By the end of January, administrators will have identified a few different scenarios for improved student learning, which will incorporate input from the parent survey and faculty suggestions. 7. Viable scenarios for increasing student learning will then pose possible considerations for parent feedback in a February/March survey. 8. Demographic, program, student learning and perceptual data will be comprehensively collected by the end of this school year to serve as baseline data on the current program. 9. The recent partnership with the new Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL) will focus on mutual benefits between SCCL and SAS related to improved pedagogical approaches for second language learners and research on effective practices. This partnership will also provide opportunities for interaction with local schools, as well as a deeper review of curriculum, assessment and instruction. 10. Based on information collected this year from faculty, parents, administrators, students and Board members, a series of recommendations for moving forward will be collaboratively reviewed with the incoming Director of Chinese Language. Final recommendations will be shared within the school community at the start of the 2010-2011 school year and will serve as the basis for improvements. The Director of Chinese Language at SAS will have responsibilities in the following areas: • • • • • • • • •
Collaborate with the HR Department in recruiting and screening exemplary candidates for teaching positions; Assume a primary role in collaboration with administration in making employment decisions with Chinese language teachers; Collaborate with division principals in teaching assignments, schedules and division expectations for Chinese language faculty; Provide and coordinate ongoing professional development; Coordinate curriculum development, UbD unit planning and purchase of resource materials for all grades and levels in collaboration with the Director of Curriculum; Coordinate development of quality assessment practices in collaboration with the Director of Assessment; Assume direct supervision and evaluation of all Chinese language teachers; Provide effective communications about programs and learning with the parent community; Coordinate out-of-school programs and partnerships that further enhance faculty and student learning, as well as increase the school’s profile as an exemplary school for Chinese language and culture.
Twelve years ago the administration and Board recommended that Chinese language be taught pre-school through high school and required in pre-school through fifth grade. This decision was made because Chinese is the predominant language of Singapore and the region and learning it would be a way to develop common ground in language and culture. Today, Chinese is the fastest growing language in the world, including the United States, and its value has appreciated as China has become a major world player. While SAS values the importance of all language learning and is fully committed to supporting the language options in middle school and high school, there is a recognition that the complexity of the Chinese language and the number of faculty who are involved as instructors (19) deserve added attention. In moving forward, it also needs to be recognized that SAS is fortunate to have highly dedicated and skilled language teachers in Chinese, French, Spanish and Japanese, and all improvements are made possible through their ongoing commitment to student learning. These are the people who are helping to shape the global citizens of today and tomorrow. SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
9
STAR APPEAL ~ 5TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER in support of the SAS Foundation
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010 Goodwood Park Hotel Windsor Ballroom Invitations were mailed in January. To book a seat or a table, or for more information, contact Beth Gribbon, bgribbon@sas.edu.sg or 6360-6303. To find out more about the SAS Foundation or the Star Appeal Dinner go to “Giving to SAS” on the website.
Mu Alpha Theta
By John Widjaja, Mu Alpha Theta president A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems. Paul Erdos’s quote encapsulates the two qualities of a Mu Alpha Theta inductee: an innate drive to concoct theorems and an aptitude for higher mathematics. The national high school mathematics honor society brings together students who demonstrate passion for mathematics and excellence in the subject. Chosen by a committee chaired by math teachers Dr. Kett and Ms. Goode, the new inductees are juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA and an A average in at least four semesters of college-preparatory mathematics. Beyond the classroom, the new members participate in the Mandelbrot Competition and present real-world applications of mathematics at the weekly Math Club meetings.
Front row: Sam Park, Neil Parekh, Minjae Lee, Gu Hyug Kwon, Wook Her, Phillip Lee. Back row: Dr. Kett, Claudia Thieme, Mizuha Ogawa, Helen Sohn, Tanya Zachowich, Aisling Leow, Samantha Koh, Ji Sun Yu, Katherine Feng, Mrs. Goode.
The induction ceremony began with a student presentation by Mizuha Ogawa about the relationship between Pascal’s and Sierpinski’s triangles. Then, Kendrick Wang presented the game theory behind a hypothetical situation in which an omniscient alien presents two boxes – which do you choose? To conclude the ceremony, new inductees accepted the challenge of membership and committed to the lifelong pursuit of mathematics.
10
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
February 2010 * Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm 1
10:00am MS Parent Coffee (M301)
19
3
12:45pm Students’ Early Release P.M. Preschool canceled
10:00am HS PTA Coffee (H301) Booster Bake Sale
22
4
11:20am Booster Honor Roll Luncheon (Aux A Gym) 7pm 2nd Season Awards Night (Aud/Drama Th./Th. Studio/H301/S204/M301)
MS New Student/Parent Invitational Conferences No School for MS Students
23
HS 7pm Interim Semester Parent Presentation Night (Singapore & Non-Asia Countries)
6-13 HS Interim Semester
24-25 4:00pm MS Musical Matinee (Drama Theater)
6
8am - 4pm ACSIS U-14 Basketball Tournament (MS/ HS/Aux C/D Gym) 6:30pm PTA Gala Dinner
24
8
Combined ECC & PS Principal’s Coffee
9
11:30am Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (MS Conference Room)
10
Alternate Dress Day
12
Chinese New Year Special Dress Day IS Awesome Ape Final - 7.30am-7.55am
Alternate Dress Day 8 - 10am IASAS Math Exam (Auditorium) 7pm Interim Semester Parent Presentation Night (Asia Countries)
26-27 SEA Math Competition, HongKong 26
7 - 10pm Paufest (Memory Garden) 7:00pm MS Musical (Drama Theater)
27
10:45am - 4pm PTA County Fair (MS/HS/Aux A/B/ Auditorium/Playfield)
15-16 Public Holiday
March 2010 1
10:00am MS Parent Coffee (M301)
8
10am PTA Coffee (H301)
2
4pm Cultural Convention Drama/Dance 7pm 8th Grade Parent Night (Drama Theater)
10
Alternate Dress Day
4-6
IASAS Art & Music in Manila Dance/Drama/Debate/ Forensics & Tech in Taipei
11
8am New Student / Parent Orientation 10:00am Students’ Late Start Music Festival Strings Concert (HS Auditorium)
8-10
3:15pm Asian Film Fest (H301)
12
6pm Music Festival Band Concerts
8-12
Visiting Author / Poet Nikki Grimes
13
8-13
IS/MS/HS Music Festival
4pm Music Festival Choral Concert 7pm Star Appeal Dinner, Goodwood Park Hotel
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
11
Golf at SAS
By Scott Hutchison, coach
“Asia is undoubtedly the future of world golf,” said Singapore-based World Sport Group chairman Seamus O’Brien. Could golf become a sport in the Olympics? Is Asia the future of world golf? Could golf become an IASAS sport? Yes, yes and yes. Steps are in place for all of these possibilities to become realities. First, the 2016 Olympics will include golf. Second, the multi-year and multi-million dollar contracts coupled with the desire to host a comparable professional tour in this vast and varied hemisphere will see more world golf staged in Asia. Finally, the look of competition on faces and sportsmanship at this year’s IASAS Invitational speak volumes to SAS developing its program and players at the IASAS level. The SAS 2009 team includes Celine Kwon, Lena Jung, Pia Wong, Jeffrey Qui, Matthew Ooi, Varun Sharat, Nicholas Sarjono, Daniel Lyons. These students competed in the 5th IASAS Golf Invitational hosted by Jakarta (JIS) on November 13-14. The format for the two-day team event combines the best four gross scores of six boys and best two scores of four girls to determine which school wins top honors. This year every IASAS school had a full team. Jagorawi Golf and Country Club boasts two 18-hole championship courses. The old course was played on the first day, and on the second day we played on the infamous Z-nine and front nine of the new course. Each of the 36 holes demands skill, nerve and patience. Each hole is carved independently out of the lush jungle and is flanked on either side by outof-bounds or water. Our girls’ team just missed finishing third with Celine Kwon battling to a top ten finish for the girls overall. And our boys team managed two top 20 place spots, gaining valuable experience for tournaments on the horizon. After the last putt, stories of shots missed and drivers crushed were regaled, and an appreciation for the event as a whole came to light. The potential to develop a team and play in an international event formatted like a Ryder Cup is there to be seized. The future of IASAS Golf looks bright as it rests on the players of this year. SAS will do well to mirror the development of this sport and its young players in Asia. This was the first golf tournament for SAS students participating as a team in an international event. I would like to thank Mimi Molchan for her unwavering support of this sport, club and event. In addition I would like to thank the parents for their support. To the players, my hat goes off to you. Thank you for showing your best both on and off the course. Swing hard, swing true...
12
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Booster Club
Booster Club
Booster Club
Booster Club
Booster Club
From the President As I write this we are still on Winter Break, in January. Hopefully you had a restful holiday and the transition back went well. I have heard so many people say that the first half of the school year just flew by. I have to agree and the scary part is I know the second half always seems to go faster. Boosters would like to welcome the new incoming High School families. We have about 46 new students who joined us in the HS in January. It can be very hard to get connected when you arrive midyear. We would love to help you in any way we can. Our Booster board meetings are open and we welcome you to attend and find out more about what the Booster Club is about. The next meeting is February 23 and the rest of the dates are on the SAS calendar. It may seem early but we are already planning for next year and we always need new board and committee members. If you are interested please contact me and we can find something for you to get involved with. Susan Fay Booster President 9657-0691 http://booster.sas.edu.sg susanfay@aol.com
Booster Club Monthly Meeting Tuesday, February 23 H301, 10 am
Booster Club
SAS Booster Club is proud of announce the Second Quarter Honor Roll Luncheon to be held on T h u r s d a y, F e b r u a r y 4 at 11:20 am in the Auxiliary Gym A
Booster Club
Booster Club
Friday, February 19
The next Booster Bake Sale is Friday, February 19 on both levels of the high school cafeteria from 9 am - 12 pm. Donations of individually wrapped brownies, rice krispie treats, cookies and cupcakes can be left at the high school office. This sale will include delicious Japanese food prepared by our Japanese mothers. I will be looking for volunteers from our Japanese mothers and friends. The contributions can also be left at the high school office Friday morning as well. Thank you again for your help and support. Please let me know if you have any questions. Cynthia B. Fuller fulcynbea@yahoo.com
Booster Club
Booster Bake Sale
Booster Club SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
13
CABARET Green, Director of HS Choirs By Phillip
The first day I saw the Riadi Performing Arts Center at SAS I thought that it was a wonderful space in which to mount a variety of performances. The High School already has two excellent spaces, the Auditorium and the Drama Theatre, but neither venue offers the special flexibility of this space. Could we design a performance event that, on one hand, would be “now “ in character and on the other, provide an outlet for student performances that perhaps did not sit so comfortably within the existing events? Our challenge became one of designing a new show that combined the talents and forces of music, drama and dance, yet allowed for individual creativity from the performers. Cabaret was born, at least in concept. Cabaret probably originated in France in the 1880s as small clubs in which the audience was grouped around a platform. The entertainment at first consisted of a series of acts linked together by a master of ceremonies; its coarse humor was often directed at the conventions of bourgeois society. Today in America, cabaret has evolved into lavish, glitzy Las Vegas productions. I aimed to retain the small venue intimacy between the MC or host and the audience in the original French tradition. In place of the coarse humor, I hoped to show the funnier aspects of music, songs poetry, skits and the like. My objective was to expand our students’ musical horizons and to expose them to an art form with which they had very little acquaintance.
14
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Photos by Carson DeBerry, Danielle Courteney, Yuvika Tolani
“Something familiar and something peculiar,� illustrating the duality of our daily lives between fun and at times not so fun moments was the original idea behind this initiative. Armed with this theme the next step was to program the content, which, when I looked around at the outstanding talents of SAS students, became a pleasurable task. We had the choice of three choirs, solo singers, solo pianists, extraordinarily talented actors, instrumentalists, orchestras and dancers, thus reflecting the entire Performing Arts Department. The repertoire explored for the occasion included compositions by master composers, such as Bartok, Chopin and Rossini, together with more contemporary composers, such as Robert Jason Brown and rock group Nirvana. Drama students had the opportunity to write humorous introductions and links and to perform texts from American poet Dorothy Parker. I must thank my colleagues from the Music Department, especially Mr Bonnette and parent accompanist Mrs Susan Lieberman, but also Ms Myers and Ms van der Linden for their contributions, feedback and commitment to a show that was evolving by the day. Fortunately, those responsible for the design and planning for the renovation allowed for audio and lighting cabling throughout the space; thus anything was possible. Without the almost daily reality checks and technical assistance provided by Mrs Silverman and Mr Koebnick, Cabaret could not have been a success.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
15
IS Basketball Shoot
By Jim Goode, Elementary PE
ut
The annual SAS intermediate School Basketball Shoot Out competition was held in the Elementary School gyms on December 8-11. The goal for grades 3-5 boys and girls was to make as many baskets from 1, 2 or 3 point spots as possible in a one-minute time period. Each student was encouraged to participate and do her or his best as the goal was to use the skills acquired in the basketball portion of their PE units. There were approximately 350 students who participated in the event, and the top three boys and top three girls from each grade level were invited to the finals on Friday morning. There was great support from parents, fellow participants, students, teachers and administrators. The students performed well under pressure in a close and competitive competition. The PE staff congratulate all the competitors and finalists. The top three finalists in order of finish are below. The Elementary PE staff is proud of each of them and thanks them again for doing a great job and for participating in this event! Keep shooting! Grade 3 finalists: Jackson Carmicheal, Oscar Garcia Velasco, Aditya Kalra, Ally Abeles, Morgan Hall, Ali Waters. Grade 4 finalists: Garrett Chambers, John (Jong Hoon) Hahn, Derek Duerheimer, Maya Denzel, Elise Nechelput, Hannah Bradshaw. Grade 5 finalists: William Dibiagio, Jack Laurent, Andrew Phan, Kayla Kawasaki, Caleigh Johnson, Freddie Shanel.
14th Annual Kendra Payne Memorial Biathlon On Saturday, December 5, 20 girls and 23 boys from the SAS swim team participated in the Kendra Payne Memorial Biathlon. They swam 40 lengths and then ran 2 kilometers under the direction of coaches Peter Clark and Aaron Couch. Placing first were Ted Chritton at 19:49, who broke his own record of 20:05 from last year, and Therese Vainius at 22:53. She is the record holder in the women’s division at 22:45. In second were Dan Yamamoto (21:06) and Maya Kale (24:03). And third were Clint Walling (21:40) and Jenny Alberts (24:18). Biathlon winners Clint Walling, Dan Yamamoto, Ted Chritton, Therese Vainius, Maya Kale and Jenny Alberts. Photo by Phillip Chritton.
16
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Eagles and Fish swim together at Santa Claus Meet By Helen Sweeney and Amy Huber Photos by Jill Danielson and Wende Salyards
The SAS Eagles and the SACAC Fighting Fish joined forces on the Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 at the Annual Santa Claus Meet. A total of 500 swimmers from around the region competed in the event. SAS Shanghai and Beijing brought strong teams who gave 177 Fighting Fish swimmers some great competition. Team standing were close on day one and even closer at the conclusion of the meet. Many congratulations to all swimmers, especially those who gained personal best times. Top age group point winners from the Fighting Fish and Eagles were: Emilia Guilfoyle (Girls under 6); Thor Olafson (Boys under 6); Kai Olafson (Boys 7-8); Ji-Ho Lee (Boys 11-12); Maya Kale (Girls 13-14 – Eagle); Carolyn Koh and Jenny Alberts (Girls over 15 – Eagles);Ted Chritton (Boys over 15 – Eagle). New team records were set by: Ellie Guilfoyle (Girls 7-8 100IM & 50 Fly); Mackenzie Hirsch (Girls 1112 100 Back); Maya Kale (Girls 13-14 200IM , 400 Free, 100 Fly); Kai Olafson (Boys 7-8 50 Breast); Thor Olafson (Boys under 6 25 Fly); Nathalie Rotenberg (Girls 7-8 50 Breast); Fighting Fish (Boys under 6 100 Freestyle A Relay & Medley A Relay). Many thanks to all our parent volunteers who helped run a very successful meet. We are now looking forward to the February Invitational on February 20.
Final Team Scores Dulwich College Beijing
185
JIS Aquadragons
205
Brent International School Manila
231
ISB Panther Swim Club
387
ISKL Piranhas
468
ISB Dragons
621.5
Shanghai American School
857
Fighting Fish
890.5
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
17
PTA PRESIDENT’S LETTER I hope everyone has enjoyed a good start to 2010. Let me also say “Gong Xi Fa Cai” to those who celebrate Chinese New Year. On January 22, we held our mid-year Newcomer Coffee at the Riady Performing Arts Center. If you are new to SAS, we hope that you were able to join us to find out more about the SAS PTA and enjoy meeting new friends and settling into the SAS community. If you were unable to attend the Newcomer Coffee, please be sure to stop by the PTA Sales window, during sales hours, and pick up a PTA Welcome Packet. Each packet contains a complimentary copy of the SAS PTA Directory, a SAS wall calendar and some information about the PTA. With a school as large as SAS, it is sometimes easy to feel lost in the crowd. We are here to assist in any way we can and to help you adjust to your new community. Our contact information is listed in the PTA section of the SAS website at http://pta.sas.edu.sg. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions about school life. We will try to point you in the right direction. This month features two of the PTA’s most anticipated annual events: The PTA Gala Dinner will be held on February 6 at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel. PTA Vice Presient Shelby Pazos and her dedicated team are working hard to put on a fabulous evening. The event features a lovely gourmet dinner, a live band and the popular silent auction. I would like to thank Shelby for her efforts in organizing this event. If you’d like to attend the dinner, please contact Shelby for tickets: shelbypazos@yahoo.com / 8118-7912. The PTA County Fair brings our entire community together to enjoy a day of fun for the whole family. The Fair will be held on Saturday, February 27. It is the one family day that you should not miss. We promise a fun filled day with food, games, rides, vendor booths, entertainment, a Used Book Sale, Silent Auction and much more. Coupons are on sale at the PTA Office. Please contact our County Fair Chairs if you’d like more information or if you’d like to jump in and help out: Arathi Nilakantan: arathi.neel@gmail.com or Vidya Sambamurthy: vidyakrish@gmail.com As we begin the second half of the school year, we look forward to working with each of you to further develop the sense of community within SAS and to support the school in its mission. Mae Anderson PTA President mae.anderson@mac.com
18
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
SEE YOU AT COUNTY FAIR! SATURDAY, 27 FEBRUARY, 2010, 10:45AM
TILL
4:00PM
DRUM ROLLS PLEASE!! The countdown to SAS’s most fun and anticipated event has begun! There are only a few more days to the County Fair. Come with family and friends to enjoy a day full of fun, food, games, shopping, entertainment and more…. This year’s County Fair offers a very exciting range of events: INDOOR & OUTDOOR GAMES: Ring Toss , Bungee Trampoline, Kiddy-Train, Face Painting, Dunk Tank. Bouncy Castle, etc. Lots of fun for all kids !! New this year: H2O Walker,: Experience being in a huge ball rolling on water!
USED BOOK
SALE:
Great Value!!! Bargain prices!!! Over 10,000 used books, magazines and DVDs in the Auxiliary Gym!! Unbelievable prices! Come early for the best selection!!
SILENT AUCTION: COUPONS
VS.
CASH:
County Fair coupons are sold in booklets of $10 each . With the exception of the Used Books Sale, Silent Auction and the Vendor Fair, only coupons are to be used at the fair. Only Cash and Checks can be used at those other places where coupons are not accepted. Sorry no credit cards or NETS please!! A DBS ATM machine is located at the High School Foyer for your convenience.
PARKING
IS VERY LIMITED!!
Please consider parking off campus, at the HDB multi-story carpark. URA parking coupons are required to park in HDB parking lots .
COUNTY FAIR T-SHIRTS: This year’s T-Shirts are sponsored by Harley Davidson! Purchase your T-Shirt for $15 from PTA Sales or at the MS Foyer on the 27th. Wear your T-shirt on the 26th (County Fair Free Dress Day - for CF T-shirts only!).
HUGE ATTRACTION THIS YEAR: Two Harley Davidson bikes will be on display at Central Admin and MS Foyer. Get photographed on a Harley Davidson bike!
Come to the High School Library and bid for lovely artworks and craft projects created by our talented kids. You can also bid on the generous service items donated by SAS Faculty, Staff and SAS parents.
COUNTY FAIR SHOPPING: Come to the Middle School Foyer and indulge in some retail therapy. Shop for jewelry, toys, home décor and many more exciting things.. Look out for new vendors bringing variety to the Vendor Fair!
ENTERTAINMENT: County Fair Entertainment begins at 10.45 am with the opening ceremony. Enjoy music at the beautiful Memory Garden. Come and be enthralled by the dazzling talent of the students from all Divisions of SAS at the HS/MS Auditorium.
LOTS
TO
EAT & DRINK:
The High School Gym will feature delicious food from High School Clubs and local restaurants. Outback Steakhouse, American Club, Coffee Bean and Viking Hotdogs are some of the restaurants offering mouth-watering, lip-smacking food! Quench your thirst with smoothies, juices, and ice-blended drinks. Fresh popcorn and cotton candy will also be available throughout the fairgrounds.
WE’D LOVE TO SEE YOU AT THE SAS PTA COUNTY FAIR 2010 !!! February 2010 SAS NewsFlash –
19
Books from Down Under
Compiled by John Johnson, HS Librarian
These books are recent additions to the Khoo Teck Puat High School Library. All are by Australian or New Zealand (Fleur Beale) writiers. Suitable for any secondary school reader, they fall neatly into the “high interest for reluctant readers” category.
End of the Alphabet by Fleur Beale
Ruby Yarrow is a 14 year old who lives in a busy, loving chaotic family with her mum, stepdad, brother and two little stepbrothers. Ruby feels a bit like a doormat – she has to help out a lot while her brother doesn’t. To add to this, her surname Yarrow is at the end of the alphabet and when the roll gets called she’s always at the end, and she hates it. She feels she’s always at the end of the line. Not that she’s a misery bag at all. She has great friends and loves clothes, fashion magazines and sewing. She’s keen to go on a school trip to Brazil and so gets a job to earn the money to go – works in a supermarket for an old grump, learns a bit of Portuguese, meets exchange students, doesn’t get to go on the trip but stands up to her parents (gets some backbone) and starts to see herself in a much better light. There’s even a bit of romance thrown in. It’s about having a dream and aiming for it. It’s a great read, very real and it has a lovely upbeat tone. – from booktopia.com.au
This year’s PTA Book Fair and Bookmark contest theme was “One World, Many Stories” and with it brought MANY successes. From November 23-25, the Elementary Gym was transformed into a bookstore showcasing a sea of books. Students, teachers, parents and other visitors had a huge selection of fiction, non-fiction and activities to choose from, including items from our SAS teacher authors and our returning local visiting author, Shamini Flint. Over 8,000 books were sold in just 3 days, setting a new book fair record!
Congratulations! In October, students from the Primary and Intermediate schools had the opportunity to participate in the annual Bookmark Contest. 198 bookmarks across grades K-5 were submitted. The judging was difficult, but 3 winners were selected from each division. The principals joined us in the classrooms to help make the surprise announcement of their wins. All entries were on display at the Book Fair with printed copies of the winning bookmarks available to all Book Fair customers. A big thank you goes out to Julie Allen and Piu Lahiri for their extreme organization in co-chairing this year’s contest!
Thank You! The success of this event is due to the more than 50 volunteers who donated their time over the 3-day event, as well as leading up to the fair, helping with everything from book inventory to sorting and cashiering. We could not have done it without you!
20
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Riding the Black Cockatoo by John Danalis
“This is the compelling story of how the skull of an Aboriginal man, found on the banks of the Murray River over 40 years ago, came to be returned to his Wamba Wamba descendants. It is a story of awakening, atonement, forgiveness and friendship. ‘It is as if a whole window into Indigenous culture has blown open, not just the window, but every door in the house,’ says John Danalis.” – from the publisher
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard
“A captivating story about two young boys, an old tramp, a beautiful lost dancer and her sweet baby Sixpence – rag-tag survivors of a sudden war, holding together in the remnants of a fun fair until violence shatters their fragile world. For thoughtful readers 11-14 yrs. This is a vivid, poetic story about life in the margins and the power of empathy.” – from booktopia.com.au
Primary Division Winners
Intermediate Division Winners
HS debate program draws in kids
By Jim Baker and Devin Kay, HS teachers The addition of a second debate advisor, Devin Kay, has made it possible to increase the number of participants in High School Debate. This year a total of 14 participated in parliamentary debate: Doug Waterson, Sonia Parekh, Ayesha Agarwal, Surya Giri, Sonia Mirchandani, Tamara Lam, Tara Sivaskandan, Perrin Pierson, Elizabeth Creech, Maggie Abeles, Celine Kwon, Rohan Desai, Sylvia Shim, and Nancy Li. And 8 students worked toward the IASAS tournament: Sid Shanker, Ava Mehta, Monica Xie, Emily Lin, Ann Lee, Sejal Singh, Aarti Sreenivas and Amith Ravindar. Two coaches have made it possible to expand beyond the traditional emphasis on IASAS Debate at the Cultural Convention. Fall semester saw two groups meeting twice a week. One was formed on the type of team debate utilized in the IASAS tournament – team values. Eight students competed for the four positions, which were awarded to Shanker, Ravindar, Mehta and Singh. They were coached by Jim Baker and will travel to the IASAS tournament in Taipei in March. The topic is: “Resolved that the right to develop for lesser developed countries ought to take priority over their obligations to the environment.” The other group participated in parliamentary debate under the direction of Devin Kay. This form of debate is used by schools in Singapore and probably will become the format in future IASAS competitions. Sivaskandan, Kwon, Creech and Desai represented SAS in a debate at the Google Asia Pacific Conference held at the Bintan Lagoon Resort, where they took on Methodist Girls School, one of Singapore’s top debating teams. They debated the future of the Internet through the motion “Is the future of the Internet safe in the hands of today’s teenagers?” Except for the IASAS teams, the debaters will compete for places on the SAS teams that will participate in the Singapore Schools debate championships later this year. One team of five will compete in the 9th and 10th grade division and another will compete in the junior college division. Given the numbers and extensive preparation of all the debaters this school year, there are high hopes for IASAS and the other competitions.
ovember Mayhem By Mark Davidson & Mike Hardinge
IS and MS teachers raise awareness of men’s health issues with a moustache competition. During the month of November some of the male faculty members were looking even more dapper than usual. Impossible you say! Well, they were sprouting moustaches in order to help raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues. Movember is a worldwide movement that has spread internationally and has been growing right here at SAS. This year 25 Mo-Bros from the Intermediate and Middle schools chose to forsake the razor for a month. Some friendly interdivisional fund-raising rivalry developed with strategies such as donation boxes at social events, an online auction to win a Mo-Bro for a day and teachers and students voting for the best Mo-grower. Competition was fierce and this year’s “Golden Razor” awards went to Mr. Missing Link Carroll and Mr. Sasquatch Raymaakers for their respective divisions. At the end of the month the men from Intermediate won the bragging rights by a whisker, and well over $2,500 was donated to the Movember organization. All the Mo-Bros would like to thank everyone who joined in the fun and supported this worthy charity and encourage everyone to find out more by visiting www.movember.com.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
21
T
wenty SAS teachers and three faculty children visited Caring for Cambodia schools in Siem Reap last Thanksgiving to conduct teacher training for 40 Cambodian teachers. Many SAS students contributed to the visit by making hygiene kits and playtime parachutes See the stories below.
A Lesson in Thanksgiving By Fabiola Lopez, grade 5 teacher, with words from Mary Bisset, grade 3 teacher As an Australian unaccustomed to celebrating Thanksgiving I was fortunate enough to learn the true meaning last year. I have always been thankful for the volunteer opportunities that organizations connected to SAS have given me to help local communities in Southeast Asia. Thanks to Caring for Cambodia (CFC) I was able to be part of a group of teachers involved in a Teacher Mentoring Program coordinated by Kaye Bach, Sarah Farris and Jenny Redlin. Last Thanksgiving I was thankful for Kaye Bach and her tireless work, the Cambodian school community, students, parents and teachers for allowing us to work side by side with them as well as my fellow professional and enthusiastic SAS colleagues. Prior to the trip Sarah Farris and Jenny Redlin guided us in developing big books, posters and lesson plans, which were incorporated into our teacher training on open and closed questioning techniques. The lessons on the environment focused on reduce, reuse and recycle concepts. To be honest as a first timer I was slightly nervous about facing 50 children in a classroom; however, after being greeted with friendly enthusiasm, my nervousness turned to excitement. Our first meeting with our Cambodian colleagues included demonstrating the lesson and modeling correct techniques, reading the big books effectively and using open and closed questioning. This was followed by more questioning techniques
22
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
using posters made from areas in the local community. Each Cambodian teacher had a chance to practice the lesson using colleagues as students. The following day, they returned to their classrooms and delivered the lesson to their own students under the guidance of an SAS mentor teacher. They quickly absorbed the skills and delivered their lessons effectively and enthusiastically. Yes, I was thankful for organizations like CFC, dedicated colleagues and the world becoming smaller.
Everyone can help in some way – even small things matter By Jodi Bonnette, IS literacy coach
L
ast semester students in the Primary and Intermediate schools worked together to make over 1,000 hygiene kits for families in Cambodia. Each kit included a handmade card with a tip about personal hygiene and an illustration. Not only did our students donate the bars of soap, tubes of toothpaste, combs, washcloths and toothbrushes, but they also worked collaboratively to assemble them. On the last day in Siem Reap, a community presentation was held in the school courtyard. Over 600 village people attended: parents, grandparents, babies, school children – all ages. The focus for this meeting was, “Keeping Our Environment Clean.” At the end of the meeting, the SAS and Cambodian teachers meandered through the crowds and distributed the hygiene kits. It was evident by the appreciative smiles on everyone’s faces that this gift truly made a difference. Small things do matter. Thank you SAS students!
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
23
Parachutes that dance and sing: A story of friendship By Matthew Steuer and Jennifer Maher, ECC teachers
One Friday morning, the preschool children at the Singapore American School found a parachute in their playroom. They opened the parachute into a huge circle. It was colorful and beautiful. They found it was great fun to play with the parachute! The children and their teachers held the parachute in their hands and made it dance and sing. Then they shook it with their hands and made it jump! They made the sad rains fall, the angry clouds thunder, and the silly winds blow. Then, they made the beautiful, round parachute shine happy. While the children, teachers and parachute rested at the Singapore American School, they talked about their new preschool friends in Cambodia. The children thought their friends in Cambodia would like to play with a parachute too. So the preschoolers from the Singapore American School decided to make some parachutes to share with their new friends. Each child brought a colorful bed sheet to school. The teachers knew that their friend, the seamstress May Sing, could make a parachute from the children’s sheets, and she did! First, May Sing drew a plan for the parachute. Then, she measured the pattern, cut the children’s sheets into triangles and sewed the triangles together to make a parachute for the preschool children in Cambodia! In fact, May Sing had so many sheets, she made three more parachutes! The preschool children in Singapore opened the four parachutes into huge circles. They were colorful and beautiful. The children and their teachers held the parachutes in their hands and made them dance and sing. They shook the parachutes with their hands and made them jump! They made the sad rains fall, the angry clouds thunder, and the silly winds blow. Then, they made the beautiful parachute shine happy. The children were excited about these special new gifts for their preschool friends in Cambodia! They packed up the parachutes and gave them to their teacher, Mr. Matthew. Mr. Matthew flew in an airplane from Singapore and brought the four parachutes to their new preschool friends in Cambodia. He played with the children as they made the parachutes dance and sing and shine like the sun. The children in Singapore imagined their preschool friends in Cambodia playing with their new parachutes. They imagined the children and the parachutes dancing and singing and shining like the sun. The children in Singapore knew they had found new friends in Cambodia.
24
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
Taking Rohingya children to the Zoo: A charity project by MAP students By Virginia Cucchi and Rohana Radhakrishnan, grade 12 students
It was our senior year, and as customary on the first day of school, Virginia and I raced to meet each other and compare schedules as we’d done for the past seven years. We discovered that we shared a free period and a Modern Asian Perspectives (MAP) course. Excited at the possibility of doing our homework and studying for tests together, we headed off to our classes to see what our final year in school had in store for us. In MAP, Mr. Adkison explained that our main project was to choose a human rights topic in Asia, write a term paper to be put online and then create an accompanying youtube video. Being a technophobe, my heart started to sink and I contemplated the various ways I could transfer out of the class. Just as I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Mr. Adkison added that we had the to create an awareness project to accompany our human rights issue. Contrary to what I’d expected, MAP intrigued me. I chose to research gay rights in Singapore while Virginia decided to do her project on prostitution in Malaysia. The semester went by quickly. We spent most free periods viewing our video footage and studying furiously for tests. One warm October afternoon as I was struggling to stay awake, Virginia tentatively piped up with “Rohana, do you want to do a project together?” After choking on my drink, I calmed down enough to realize that taking off some of the studying pressure combined with doing a project with a close friend was appealing. We came up with the idea of taking a group of Rohingya children to the zoo. In order to raise funds, we created postcards from Virginia’s photos of zoo animals and sold them. We figured that people would like to buy something that was a workable product and spread the message to the recipient. It took quite a lot of teamwork to figure this out, but it happened and was well received. The project came about after a conversation with Virginia’s parents’ friends who were outraged at the suffering of a group of Burmese in Malaysia. They are the Rohingya, recognized by the United Nations as refugees and accepted by the Malaysian government but treated as illegal immigrates. Abused, even by the police, poorly paid and oppressed, they live a miserable existence. A small school has been created by a group of volunteers for taking the children off the streets, where they are often abused and forced to do heavy labor. We spent a morning together at the school, and with the help of a simple story by Rodari, easily had their passionate involvement and enthusiastic participation. The few words of basic English were not an impediment to communicating through gestures and drawings. They paid so much attention and were so respectful that we were deeply moved. They asked to us to visit every day, which we cannot do, but we promised to realize a small wish of theirs: to spend a day at the zoo. We hope to sell enough postcards to pay for a bus and small gifts for the children.
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
25
HS Knowledge team competes for fall glory By Paul Welsh, HS teacher
Members of the 2009/2010 HS Knowledge Bowl Club pose in front of their final score screen after a grueling 2 hours of mental madness. Pictured from left to right are Chris Che, Michael Hsun, Victor Tan, Young Won Kim, Sam Park, Nihal Krishan, Prakhar Mehrotra, Oliver Kim, Bei-Er Cheok, Shreshth Mehrotra, Alex Bakshi, Anthony Widjaja.
T
he package arrived, the team gathered and once the disk was loaded, the members got down to some serious competition. High school students in the Knowledge Bowl Club had just under two hours to correctly answer 200 brain stumping questions. Geology, world history, literature, math and biology were just some of the 15 fields contained in the secret question bank. With no more than cookies for fuel and pads of scratch paper, 15 veteran and newbie players from across the grade spectrum faced off against 678 teams from the United States and around the world in the Fall 2009 Knowledge Master’s Open. Name the soil conservation technique by which farmers plow sideways across hillsides instead of up and down the slopes. Click. What parasitic shrub is one of the pagan symbols that survives in modern Christmas celebrations? Click. What term relating to seasons literally means “sun stop”? Click. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are the only two American citizens ever executed for what crime? Click. After two time-outs, the temperature in the computer lab started to climb. Everyone had to focus to keep up the pace and reach 1500 points by the game’s end. As the number of questions dwindled, tensions rose and bonuses for answering quickly became rare. Would this
26
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
year’s score be better than last year? Would we beat our traditional rivals from Shanghai? Ambergris, a dark, waxy substance produced by sperm whales, is most similar to: A. lymph, B. plasma, C. cholesterol, D. synovial fluid, E. cerebrospinal fluid Click. Who said the force between two charged bodies is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them? A. Watt, B. Boyle, C. Pauli, D. Coulomb, E. Torricelli Click. With a few laughs and a tinge of disappointment, the SAS students sent their score of 1403 to the judges and waited. 185 correct answers out of 200 – would it be enough? Four days later the news arrived. SAS had placed 125th overall and come second in the international division after…Korea. Shanghai had fallen to third and we had handily beaten former sponsor Bill Rives’ new team in Rhode Island. Full standings are available at http://www. greatauk.com/kmoh.pdf. The Knowledge Master Open web site is http://www.greatauk.com New club president Nihal Krishan and cosponsor teachers Erik Torjesen and Paul Welsh are busy preparing the team for the next round of this competition, which occurs in April. Awk and roll! Sequential answers to above questions: contour farming; mistletoe; solstice; espionage; cholesterol; Coulomb.
Model United Nations By Rebecca Roberson Clark, MUN Director
The Model United Nations team traveled to Bangkok for the annual IASAS conference November 18-21. The conference, hosted by ISB, was held in the United Nations Conference Center at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in the historic district. The team of 16 students had prepared with research and weekly debate practice to act as delegates of countries with diverse economic, social and political backgrounds. Students also met with Joel Ehrendreich, an SAS parent and counselor on economic and social affairs from the U.S. Embassy, who gave an insider’s perspective on the international diplomatic process. Debating in the grand General Assembly Hall, the students were exposed to an environment that fostered spirited debate. In the smaller committees, they developed relationships with other students that extended their diplomatic skills through resolution writing while portraying views that may not necessarily have coincided with their own. Timely issues included strategic resources such as oil and energy, human rights violations, terrorism, rights of indigenous and minority populations, the environment, UN reform and epidemic disease. Participating schools were from IASAS, local schools in Bangkok and others from as far away as Japan. SAS will host the 2010 convention, with an anticipated number of 180 students.
Co-Secretary General: Ryan Chan (12) Co-Parliamentarian: Leonel de Velez (11) Security Council Human Rights Committee Japan: Ishan Gupta (12) Chad: Aarti Sreenivas (12) Ethiopia: Alex Bakshi (12) Cuba: Aisling Leow (12) Economic and Social Committee Kazhakstan: Stanton Yuwono (12) Japan: Nick Zulkoski (12) Ethiopia: Samantha Koh (12)
Environment Committee Netherlands: Nihal Krishan (12) Japan: Ji Su Lee (11) Chad: Kriti Agarwal (11) UAE: Ann Lee (12)
Political Committee Netherlands: Oliver Kim (10) Cuba: DJ Hartman (12) Kazhakstan: Sejal Singh (11) Alternate: Arshia Ahuja (12)
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010
27
SACAC Spring Sports Registration SACAC Office Monday, February 1 – Friday, February 5 8 am – 4 pm See details at www.sacac.com SACAC Sports programs are in the midst of their winter season. Current team sports season are Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Pee Wee Soccer and Kickball. Check out the SACAC webpage (www.sacac.com) for practice and game schedules. The SACAC baseball and softball programs are in full swing! We have fielded 13 baseball teams across three recreational leagues and 8 softball teams in two recreational leagues. Our volunteer coaches have done an awesome job training these young ballplayers at weekly practices and games. In addition to the recreational leagues, the SEAYBST (Southeast Asia Youth Baseball and Softball Tournament) teams are busy training in preparation for the 2010 tournament in Jakarta on March 21-27. Come see the SEAYBST Seniors baseball team in action at “A Night at the Park” on Saturday, March 6. This annual event offers American-style baseball fun for the whole family complete with an exhibition game pitting the SEABYST Seniors against an adult men’s team, ballpark food concessions, a home run derby, carnival games and prizes. Tickets are available in the SACAC Sports office. SACAC basketball players were thrilled to train with the Singapore Slingers on December 5 in the SAS Elementary Gym. The Slingers sponsored an on-site clinic emphasizing basic court skills. The clinic was such a hit with our youngest players that discussions are underway to schedule another one later in the season. The SACAC Wrestling program, in association with the Wrestling Federation of Singapore, is well underway with more than 25 students training under Olympic gold medalist Sergei Beleglazov . It is gearing up for another intake of students during SACAC’s Spring Sports Registration, January 11 thru February 5. For a complete schedule of SACAC sports on offer for the spring season registration, please refer to the SACAC website (www.sacac.com).
SEAYBST and SACAC present
A Night at the Park
American Style Baseball Fun for the Whole Family!
28
SAS NewsFlash – February 2010