Impact Report
SAS FOUNDATION
S A S O f f i c e o f A d v a n c e m e n t • 4 0 W o o d l a n d s S t r e e t 4 1 S i n g a p o r e • + 6 5 6 3 6 0 6 3 3 4 • s a s f o u n d a t i o n @ s a s . e d u . s g • s a s . e d u . s g / g i v i n g
6.1% Professional
Thank you for making a gift to Singapore American School. You have made a difference. The SAS Foundation is grateful to our donor community who contributed more than S$2.3 million in gifts between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 to support programs and projects in the 2017-18 school year. As you will read in this report, philanthropy funds day-to-day “extras” as well as strategic, big picture opportunities. Because of this, philanthropy is vitally important to SAS and allows us to strengthen our position as a world leader in international education. Thank you, again, for your generosity.
7.0% Support services
development
28.5%
4.4%
Academic and experiential learning
Personalized learning
1% Performing
arts and other
The Impact of Your Giving
1.9%
Community service
July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
7.4%
Activities and clubs
28.8% Capital projects
13.3% Advisory programs /
1.7% Awards and
social emotional learning
scholarships
College Counseling, Advisory, and Student Life Center With support from the SAS Foundation, our counselors tripled their college visits last year. Funding also enabled SAS to send additional counselors to three conferences, including our first-ever attendance at the annual College Board Forum. These initiatives enabled college counselors to stay current with best practices and college admissions processes, while further strengthening relationships with admissions office teams worldwide. Giving also supported the advisory program, which strives to create an atmosphere of trust where students feel safe in discussing a wide range of academic and personal matters, helping them balance the rigorous academic demands of the SAS experience. The SAS Foundation also supported the brand new Student Life Center: a multi-purpose ‘living room of the school’.
Professional Development The SAS community champions the power of learning to bring about positive change: the generous support of our donors enables us to extend the transformational benefits of education to our staff. SAS supports our exceptional faculty in their pursuit of excellence by supporting their professional development. Last year, your generous support provided many opportunities. Gifts funded training for our instructional assistants: helping them to better understand and support the Responsive Classroom approach, which emphasizes practical strategies for social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. Foundation support also enabled teacher leaders to attend Responsive Classroom training and facilitated teacher attendance at workshops and conferences. SAS’s robust professional development program is a major factor in drawing and retaining our world-class faculty.
Chinese Immersion Generous foundation funds enabled SAS to launch our first Chinese language immersion program in kindergarten, supporting two Chinese teachers in moving from teaching Chinese as a daily language option to Chinese immersion instruction of all kindergarten subjects. Additionally, two first grade Chinese immersion class teachers were pre-hired to make guided observations of the kindergarten classes; learn how classroom teachers manage learning in a self-contained environment; read research on the teaching of reading, language arts, and math in the mainstream kindergarten classrooms; create the Chinese curriculum for math and Chinese language arts; and translate the first grade English curriculum into Chinese. Funds were also used to provide a library with a wide range of books for students within the classroom, giving students access to appropriately leveled stories in Chinese.
Middle School Experiential Learning Classrooms Without Walls extends student learning beyond their school experiences through trips to Indonesia, Malaysia, and islands around Singapore. This signature SAS program helps students build positive relationships and community with their homebase classmates: challenging them to grow through their experiences, set goals, develop resilience, and build self-esteem. Gifts to the SAS Foundation allowed SAS to improve existing CWW programs and investigate alternative destinations for students. Faculty and students went on two research trips, reviewing venue options and activity additions and investigating and securing a new trip venue. Additionally, funds raised helped support field trip enhancements including support for programmatic changes, materials for itineraries, and helping SAS provide additional nursing support for CWW programs.
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
Early Learning Center Playground Improvements The school playground is a vital part of the holistic development of a child. Play is critically important for children’s physical health and social and emotional well-being. Generous support from the SAS Foundations allowed us to renovate the early learning center playground last year. A high, concrete-block wall was removed and the addition of movable fencing and planters has increased access, security, visibility, and community within the Early Learning Center.
Dance Funding provided middle school dance students the opportunity to work with Nikki SnelsonCavanaugh, a professional Broadway dancer, director, and choreographer, across all curricular dance classes. In addition, your gifts funded a portable marley dance floor, allowing students to practice and perform safely in alternate spaces. Funds also went toward purchasing the ‘extras’— things like sets of costumes and props.
Catalyst The SAS Foundation supported students’ Catalyst project development and personalized learning opportunities, through project materials, researchattachment opportunities, and applications to support digital projects. Funds also supported the studentled Impact Fellowship; helping students by building a mentoring network, publishing media to celebrate achievements, and supporting a student-led workshop on student agency in collaboration with other regional international schools.
Other notable SAS Foundation-funded initiatives in elementary school in 2017-18 were: • Common reading curriculum (Leveled Literacy Intervention), tools, and training for all teachers from kindergarten through eighth grade for Response to Intervention (RtI) • Kindermusik program in the early learning center • Recreational specialist for the playground • Play Day expenses including additional equipment, supplies, and popsicles for every student • Second grade AsiaFest celebration expenses including performances and supplies • T-shirts for Marathon Club and water bottles for the basketball shootout • Lunar New Year’s celebration performances • School psychologists attendance at the National Association of Psychologists conference • Kindergarten service learning visit to Adventist Rehabilitation Centre • Walkathon by second grade students, raising money for Food from the Heart
Other notable SAS Foundation-funded initiatives in middle school in 2017-18 were: • Entry fees for Junior Model United Nations and Global Initiative conferences • Awards for inaugural ‘Tip & Rip’ Middle School Invitational Basketball Tournament • Provided new team uniforms for boys and girls volleyball and basketball • iPad Pros as a powerful digital tool that supports more interactive and innovative teaching practices • Common reading curriculum (Leveled Literacy Intervention), tools, and training for all teachers from kindergarten through eighth grade for Response to Intervention (RtI) • Interactive Display for Innovative Practices Expansion • Adobe Creative Suite licensing for all students and teachers • Wireless face microphones for Shrek The Musical Jr. and other musical performances • Dodgeball (Gaga) court • Robotics equipment and entry fee into a local competition • National History Day expenses related to shipping projects abroad and travel expenses for students and advisors • Makerspace materials and resources • Innovation interns in the middle school library
Other notable SAS Foundation-funded initiatives in high school in 2017-18 were: • Funding the Executive Service Council allowing students to focus on service, rather than fundraising • Registration fees for EARCOS Global Issues Network (GIN) Conference • Adobe Creative Suite licensing for all students and teachers • Travel scholarships for service, service learning trips, conferences, or other volunteerism programs • Resources and materials for Advanced Topic program support • Project Foundry licenses to support personalized learning for Quest students • Athletic Conference Singapore International Schools (ACSIS) dues enabling 30 SAS teams to participate in a variety of sports • Registration fee for Model United Nations (MUN) conventions • Equipment for rugby, volleyball, softball, badminton, and track and field • Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS) music scores • Officials for IASAS volleyball, debate, and forensics • TEDxYouth conference expenses to expand audiences at SAS
Visitors-in-Residence The PTA and SAS Foundation-funded signature academic visitors-in-residence program brings internationally recognized authors, visual artists, illustrators, musicians, playwrights, directors, and other professionals to work side by side with faculty and students throughout the year. The program allows students to deeply understand the craft and work of professional artists and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts. In 2017-18 our visitors-inresidence included Maria Frazee, Tadd Hills, Patricia McCormick, and Paul Stickland.