Alumni Newsletter #4

AAS 50th anniversary/ london reunion/ AAS HOSTED THE CEESA CONFERENCE/ JESSICA SWANN ON AEROSPACE ENGINEERING/ ТEDxYOUTH AT AAS/ AAS NEW BUILDING PROJECT/ SCOTT MACDONALD: A ROCK-STAR TEACHER

AAS 02 C ONTE NTS

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

CONTENTS

06 <<

LONDON REUNION

24

28

ТEDxYOUTH

AAS

AT AAS

NEW BUILDING

>>

>>

PROJECT

04

CONTENTS

03

<<

AAS 50th ANNIVERSARY!

12

22

AAS HOSTED

JESSICA SWANN

THE CEESA

ON AEROSPACE

CONFERENCE

ENGINEERING

<<

<<

30

>>

SCOTT MACDONALD: A ROCK-STAR TEACHER

04 AAS 50th ANNIVERSARY

AAS

50

th Annive r s ar y !

AAS 50th ANNIVERSARY

05

THE ANGLO - AMERICAN SCHOOL OF SOFIA WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1967 WHICH MAKES THE 2017-18 ACADEMIC YEAR ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY! We have developed a special logo for the

occasion and have many ideas for how to celebrate. We’ll keep you posted on Facebook, etc. about up and coming happenings to which you will be invited but here is a summary of what is planned so far:

15th September will be our ‘official’ birthday - in the absence of any records of when the first day of school was in 1967! On this day we will also ‘break ground’ for the new Phase IV building project (see article on page 28)

A celebration gala to be held at the Hilton hotel on Saturday 20th January 2018 Various specially logo’d merchandise available to buy as mementos at school events An all school photograph We hope we see you at some of the events and that you will be able to support us in celebrating this momentous, golden occasion!

0 6 A LUMNI

REUNIONS

A LUMNI REUNI ON S

07

08 A LUMNI REUNI ON S

Having had our very first AAS reunion in 2016, the 2017 London reunion already felt like a tradition. People coming from all parts of London and the UK but also The Netherlands, Germany and, of course, Sofia, to meet up with old and new faces.

For one of the staff, Ms Sam Rissel (now Mrs Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary), it was a chance to catch up with both former students and colleagues.

A LUMNI REUNI ON S

09

From the beginning, as people gathered around the lobby bar, one could feel the amazing atmosphere, which then continued on throughout the whole night.

Firstly, people tentatively talking with their former classmates but as time went on introducing themselves to other alumni and making new friends. After the initial drinks and catching up, the group moved to a private dining room where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and the wine and chatter flowed.

10 A LUMNI REUNI ON S

Next, we had our surprise guest speaker, the former British ambassador of Sofia, Jonathan Allen, who gave an entertaining and inspiring speech about the importance of being involved in the issues of our community and respecting the laws of the world. This was then followed by the current school director, Jim Urquhart,

toasting

the

former

AAS

students

in

appreciation

of

being

involved in the AAS Alumni Reunions. In the end the alumni group moved back to the lobby bar to enjoy final moments together before the night ended.

A LUMNI REUNI ON S

11

I BELIEVE THAT THE MAGIC OF AN ALUMNI REUNION IS MEETING UP WITH PEOPLE WHO YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IN MANY YEARS AND FEELING AS IF IT WAS JUST THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU WERE CHATTING TO THEM IN THE HALLWAYS OF AAS. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as if nothing had changed, yet

binds us together and gives us the feeling that we have known them for longer than we actually have.

ing with new people, the familiar experiences, stories and love for AAS

York this summer. This is one of the most prestigious posts in the British diplomatic corps. Congratulations Jonathan.

Personally, I loved the energizing and refreshing feeling which the reunion leaves you with!

Estelle Koehler Class of 2013

when you talk to them you are amazed H OT OF F T H E P RE S S at how fast the time has gone by, how much each individual has developed Jonathan has just been appointed Ambassador and how much they have achieved since and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United leaving the school. Even when interact- Nations and will be moving with his family to New

12 CEESA CONFERENCE

A A S hosted th e C EE SA C o nf ere n c e

CEESA CONFERENCE 13

14 CEESA CONFERENCE

AAS PROUDLY HOSTED THE 27TH CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPEAN SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION (CEESA) CONFERENCE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME (16TH - 18TH MARCH 2017).

T

he pre-conference was held at the school campus and was attended by more than 250 delegates. This was a landmark on two fronts. ● It was the first time that the pre-conference had ever been held in a school (or a venue which wasn’t the same as the venue of the main conference). ● It had the biggest number of attendees to a pre-conference in the history of the event.

CEESA CONFERENCE 15

ON THURSDAY THE PRE-CONFERENCE DAY - IT WAS QUITE A LOGISTICAL FEAT TO TURN THE SCHOOL INTO A CONFERENCE CENTRE OVERNIGHT

but in the end everything ran very smoothly, with our facilities, procurement and ICT teams working closely together.

Nearly two thirds of the delegates were bussed in from the hotel in Sofia to the school and back, thanks to the efficiency of our transport manager Zhivko. Peter and his team from our caterers shone with their lunch and all day refreshments that kept everyone well

satisfied.

Our student ambassadors did a wonderful job showing presenters and delegates around and helping clear tables.

Friday is when the main conference at the hotel Marinela started, which was attended by presenters, exhibitors, sponsors and delegates totalling more than 400 people. As the hosts we had been determined to introduce subtle touches of Bulgarian culture to the event.

Therefore everyone was met on that morning by seven members of our staff dressed in Bulgarian costumes offering the traditional bread and salt and honey. Later on, delegates were shown how to make martenitsi by some of our younger students.

16 CEESA CONFERENCE

During the opening ceremony everyone was treated to the fabulous dancing of the Bulgare Ensemble.

CEESA CONFERENCE 17

18 CEESA CONFERENCE

This was followed by an awesome TEDx talk by two AAS students, Grade 12 Georgi and Grade 5 Liam, which was entertaining, confidently presented and was very well received by an audience of more than 350 adults.

CEESA CONFERENCE 19

Finally, after the three days of workshops, presentations and conference meetings were finished, we celebrated with a gala on Saturday evening. We listened to our guest speaker the former President of Bulgaria, The Honourable Mr Rosen Plevneliev - himself the son of two teachers - who received a standing ovation. Then we joined with a Bulgarian dancing troupe to lead a giant Horo around the room and finished by dancing to our very own staff band â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Nice Drivewaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; until the early hours.

20 CEESA CONFERENCE Well done AAS, the sense of community and of those working together to create something amazing was tangible and fitted brilliantly into the conference theme: Transforming Education Through Communities.

A A S 1 0 - Y E A R A C C R E D I T AT I O N V I S I T 2 1

PHEW, WHAT A BUSY TIME IT’S BEEN AT AAS! Hard on the heels of the

CEESA conference we had the 10-year accreditation visit from the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), which was the culmination of 18 months work and self study. A survey to our Alumni Association formed part of our review.

Based on our work a 230 page report was sent to the team prior to their arrival.

The visit went very well with all aspects of school life looked at by the 9 visitors.

Representatives from every department, educational and otherwise, were observed or had interviews, and conversations were had with all parts of the school community.

Everyone that wanted to meet the team and talk with them or voice an opinion was given the opportunity.

The accreditation team were very friendly, while at the same time being professional and taking their important role in our school’s future very seriously. It was a tiring week for them and for us!

The final report with the the CIS and NEASC visiting team’s comments has not been sent yet but the feedback and the finishing talk the staff had with the visiting team was very positive.They told us that they had found an excellent school and that would be reflected in their report to the accrediting bodies. Many thanks to those alumni who contributed by filling in surveys or giving us feedback.

22 A LUMNI NE WS

Jessica Swann:

Aerospace Engineering is so much fun What do you study at University?

I am studying aerospace engineering with a focus in aeronautical - or anything within the atmosphere - engineering. I will also graduate with a mathematics minor.

What are some of the most interesting parts about your Bachelor?

but still different. College culture is more different still and is a bit like living in a large bubble.

I cannot fully describe living in the US yet because university life is

There are lots of cool things about Aerospace engineering. I find the non-conventional thrusters for space missions fascinating. The Cannae drive - the fuel-less thruster, solar sails, electromagnetic thrusters, and I recently sat in on a talk about how an anti-matter propelled spacecraft would work.

I am also interested in hypersonic aerodynamics. Hypersonic aerodynamics is the strange, introverted brother of sub and supersonic aerodynamics that just does not

nearly all I know.

act right. Suddenly, chemistry is required to describe the

I miss Bulgarian food. Screw 100% humidity,

interaction between the air particles and the vehicle, flow fields are increasingly harder if not impossible to predict, and the propulsion system might be the aircraft in and of itself. It is ridiculously complicated and I want to know more.

How did you choose what you wanted to study?

especially on a campus as large as Mississippi Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and sudden downpours that will soak you and your belongings completely. I still hate country music, which is unfortunately semi popular all over the US. On a positive note, the people have been great, and even at a state college (and having come from an international school), they are very diverse whether they are from

I knew I wanted to do engineering sometime during my

a different country or state or if it is simply their taste or

sophomore year of high school, but the question was,

lifestyle.

what kind? There is aerospace, mechanical, biological, biomedical, civil, electrical, chemical, systems, industrial, computer, software, nuclear engineering and more.

Among the large list to choose from, aerospace engineering stood out the most. Airplanes, rockets, helicopters, space probes, space in general, I have yet to find something outside of my field more awesome than what is in it.

How is it living in the US? The south has a very different culture that took some getting used to. Strangers will randomly say hello while walking by just to be friendly. Service people will ask you how your day is going while they are helping you and expect a nontrivial answer. It is a social and friendly atmosphere,

How was it working at NASA Ames Research Center?

Working at Ames Research Center was awesome. I was mostly writing Python scripts, not what I want to do with my life, but I still learned a great deal from the entire experience. It helped that my intern group had to take a test on helicopters, but there were also presentations on the latest research in tilt rotors or sound reduction for both helicopters and supersonic aircraft and the tours of the many facilities like Armstrong Flight Research Center.

I was also able to explore some of northern California and try new things like sailing and skydiving.

Do you have ideas of what you would

Do you think that AAS prepared you for

like to do in the future?

University?

I plan on going to graduate school and am currently

The IB program definitely prepared me for the rigor and

researching different university programs and concen-

workload of university classes, especially engineering

trations to find something that interests me. I have not

classes. Freshman year was a breeze – I only had one

yet decided on anything specific within aerospace that

engineering class a semester – and while classes have

I want to work on or research, but that is why I am trying

since increased in difficulty – and I increased my work-

to learn and experience as much as possible before

load by getting a job – it has never been more than I

graduation.

could handle.

What do you miss about AAS?

Is there something you wish you had

I miss my friends and all of the space I took over for

known before you went off to

painting. I have yet to find the appropriate sized and purposed space to paint my large oil paintings.

University?

I would have liked to have known how to code.

Programming is becoming an essential skill, especially in STEM fields, and I had no prior experience when I was

introduced to Matlab in my second intro to aerospace class.

What do you enjoy most about your University life?

My best life decision so far has been joining Space Cowboys, Mississippi State’s rocket team. The team members consist of my best friends and basically a second family. Also, we design, build, and launch high powered rockets. Maybe I’m just a nerd, but there is nothing like watching a rocket you have put countless hours of work into successfully take off the stand (and return in one piece). It has provided a great deal of invaluable experience I would never have gotten in a classroom.

Beyond my awesome design team, I am enjoying most of my classes, and I have especially enjoyed my optional classes. I had the option of taking international relations or aesthetics instead of a history class, history of rock and roll instead of history of art. I have not taken too many crazy classes, history of rock and roll was unavailable when I did my art elective, but it is fun having the option.

What types of people would Mississippi State University be a best fit for?

Mississippi State University has good engineering programs that balance engineering science and engineering in practice. Some universities will teach you engineering science which is nearly worthless in the industry but great for research. Engineering in practice is exactly what it sounds like - this is what would happen in real life and this is how you should approach the problem - and is exactly what companies want. There are also many design teams to provide practical, out of the classroom experience, like my rocket team, and research opportunities to explore new industry ideas.

While I have focused on the designs teams, there are clubs for just about everything like scuba diving, rock climbing, anime, video games, Disney, running, improv comedy, theater, politics, public speaking, music, food, and more.

MSU loves sports. American football is big - bring your cowbell, basketball is big - women’s and men’s, baseball is big, and they have track, tennis, volleyball, normal football, and golf.

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TED ED TALKS

helps students transform their ideas into action On April 2, 2017 AAS held it first ever TEDxYouth event with the theme “Transforming communities. 15 students delivered their talks in front of an audience of parents and friends. You can see more about the speakers and their topics at: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/20974 Here is an interview with Josefino Rivera, AAS High School English teacher and main organizer of the TEDx event.

Tell us more about the TEDx Concept?

There is two parts to TED at our school: the TEDx @ AAS Sofia, the X signifying an “independently organized event”. We also have a TED-Ed club. Essentially the difference is that the TEDx gives the students the platform to deliver a talk, whereas the TED Ed club helps them prepare for the talk.

The club meets after school to prepare the presentation. So in a way – the TEDx is the final product.

How did you decide to start a TED Ed club at AAS and what is your vision for the future?

I started my work with TED in 2013 when I was in Bonn, Germany and I saw the power of TED Ed to support kids and their ideas.

After moving from Germany to Buenos Aires I started my own TED Ed club and TEDx event and was very successful. When I applied for a job in Sofia, it was a part of

the conversation to get a TED Ed and TEDx started at AAS, so we can become leaders in the CEESA region.

Right now there are grades 6 to 10 students in the TEDx@AAS Sofia club, I am hoping to expand it from grade 4 till grade 12. I would also like to expand to Bulgarian talks in other schools.

How did your own experience with TED start?

Like many other people, my experience started with watching TED Talks.

One of my favorites is “The danger of a single story” by Chimamanda Adiche. She takes the idea of how dangerous it is to stereotype people and look at things just from one single point of view. I remember saying to myself “This is a perfect talk for one of my lesson units”. Then I started putting more and more TED talks in my curriculum.

When I went to Germany I got

involved in TED as a speaker coach. So when I moved to Buenos Aires, I knew I wanted to develop the idea. The first year we started the TED Ed club with 18 kids and by the second year it was wildly popular – about 52 kids from grades 4 to 12 joined.

Three of these kids made it to the TEDxYouth stage in the TED headquarters. Who thought that what was just an idea at one point can get amplified so much and reach thousands of people in other parts of the world?

What’s your most memorable TED experience?

Probably the TED Ed Weekends - about two-three times per year they bring students from all over the world to the TED Ed Headquarters. Last December I had the opportunity to bring three students. One gave a talk on feminism, one about the importance of failure and the last one on language and thought.

TED ED TALKS

What are the benefits for a student to be part of the TED Ed and TEDxYouth?

The first benefit I can think of is the multi-divisional collaboration. In International schools we are often separated in Primary & Secondary and the TED Ed Clubs can help overcome this division. I saw in my previous school it is possible for a High school student to cooperate with an Elementary kid, support them, give ideas and so on.

The second benefit is developing the authentic student voice. As an English teacher this is very important for me, as I believe students often already have great ideas that we can use in the classroom.

TED Ed is a great platform for them to share what they can do.

The skills to present in front of an audience, to connect globally are also among the benefits from the TED Ed Clubs.

25

What makes a TED talk a great one?

I think it is very important to understand that all the TED and TEDx talks need to be centered around an idea, not a story or an anecdote. Of course it is better if it is an innovative idea and the person should be passionate about it. Also, the idea should call the audience to think about something differently or change something in their behaviour.

What’s your idea worth spreading?

I am always an organizer and not a speaker at the TEDx. However if I were to give a talk, it would be around “The power of sub-text”. There is so many layers of subtext in my life: as an English teacher I am constantly reading texts and interpreting what they mean. As an international educator, there are a lot of hidden cultural rules when you move to another country, so you need to navigate through those rules, which has been fascinating for my development. Personally, as an Asian and a gay man, there are a lot of unspoken rules I need to follow. So, all this subtext has been central to my life so far.

26 TED ED TALKS

TED ED TA LKS 27

28 PHASE IV

Phase IV! ААS has for some considerable time

been planning to further expand its buildings and facilities and the project that is collectively known as ‘phase IV’ started to take shape 2 years ago. The new building is to include performance and rehearsal spaces for drama and music, including a two-storey theatre, and new art-workshops.

The original architects drawings were meant for the space alongside the gym in the secondary school building (the Vitosha wing) but then, unexpectedly, the opportunity to buy some extra land arose. Everything was put on hold while the school went through the process of purchasing

the piece of land and then the plans were adapted to fit the area. Because of the extra available space, the building will now be bigger than originally thought and will also include a visitors centre for prospective families and offices for the admissions, marketing and communications department.

The official breaking ground ceremony will take place on September 15th 2017 - which is also when the school’s 50th Anniversary will be marked. If all goes to plan then it is hoped that the building will be complete by the summer of 2018 and it will be fully equipped and ready to be officially opened and occupied by November of that year.

An aerial view of AAS with the newly acquired land marked in yellow

PHASE IV 29

Exciting New Times

30

INTERVIEW

Scott MacDonald:

A ROCK-STAR

TEACHER

Many teachers had other lives before switching gears and getting into education.

It would be hard to argue that there is a former career more enviable than that of 6th-grade math and science teacher Scott MacDonald. Back in the 1980’s, Scott was keyboardist with the popular Canadian New Wave band, the Spoons.

The band recorded with legendary producer Nile Rodgers (Chic, David Bowie, Daft Punk) and engineer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan), and they toured with mighty 80’s bands such as The Police, Culture Club and Simple Minds. The Spoons also scored a number of Canadian hits, including the smash “Nova Heart”.

Scott later earned his teaching degree at Kingston University in Ontario, and he has since taught in Canada, the Philippines, China and Singapore. This is Scott’s first year in Bulgaria, where he is accompanied by his wife Marianne (Director of Learning & Curriculum) and daughter, 10thgrader Kiana. Scott and Marianne’s son, Malcolm, is in his first year of university in Canada.

High School Counselor David Stephenson required little coaxing to put aside his schoolwork in order to ask Scott some questions about his time in the Spoons.

Scott, I referred to the Spoons as a New Wave band. How would you describe the group and its music?

It is often difficult and illadvised to label your band.

However, I would certainly say the the band began as a synth-pop new wave band with a nice dose of guitar. The guitar became a bit more prominent.

You joined the Spoons after they were established and had released a couple of albums. Were you a fan before you joined? Did you already have a relationship with or connection to the band?

INTERVIEW 31 To be honest, I was not a huge fan, but I also had not really given the a band a good listen. I certainly knew who they were, as they had been very successful. I was working in a music store in Hamilton, Ontario at the time, when a producer friend of mine informed me that the Spoons keyboard player had left the band, and they were looking for a replacement. I had an audition the next day. I went out, bought some of their albums, and worked through a bunch of tunes that night.

During the audition, before I had played a note, I successfully dropped both my keyboard and theirs to the ground. It was one of those events in life that occur in slow motion; I watched one keyboard slide off the upper stand onto the other then both onto the floor. No damage, and audition went fairly well.

As a Canadian band, is there anything about the music that makes the Spoons particularly “Canadian”?

Yes, I think so, but I would be hard pressed to put my finger on it.

When did you begin learning to play music? What instruments do you play?

My first instrument was a ukulele, which I got when I was 7. There was always a piano in the house, as well. I did learn to play the ukulele and began singing at the same time. At 11, I began piano lessons, but hated practicing and ended up quitting after about a year. At 16, I found a jazz piano teacher and learned a great deal about chording and improv.

I hear stories of musicians who grow up spending warm sunny days indoors, putting in hours mastering their skills while other kids are out playing, doing sports, etc. Was this you?

No, I did play often, but also played sports pretty much everyday. Clearly, little time was dedicated to my studies at school. I was never a player who spent hours working on riffs, scales and things like that.

Because of that, I relied on a good ear, but often felt like a fraud. Despite these shortcomings, I always felt that I had much to offer a band.

Bill Bruford, the drummer for Yes and one of the most talented drummers in rock history, once stated that to be a good musician one must be a good mathematician. You are a good musician and a good math teacher. Are you living proof that Mr. Bruford’s theory is correct?

To be honest, I try to separate these two. I find that looking at music with a mathematical lens can be very limiting. A grade 6 student just learning fractions would be very confused that both a ¾ and 4/4 bar equal one. Both disciplines have beauty, but they don’t need to be put together. I did, however, create a short piano piece that began with the digits of pi. (pi and pied out - note I got pied out after 30 seconds and ad libbed from there out)

32

INTERVIEW ers have What bands or perform to you? particularly influential

been

brothers were Growing up, my older w music into the constantly bringing ne re played often, and house. The Beatles we nce my music. David they continue to influe m the most influential fro Bowie was probably ssing was a huge the 70’s onward. His pa his music is large part blow to our family, as so, I should mention a of our family history. Al el; great songwriting British folk group, Blond and singing.

Club Band rn to Run Bruce Springsteen - Bo David Bowie - Heroes ds Beach Boys - Pet Soun r Billy Joel - The Strange

That’s a lot of B’s.

alt-rock band called There is an American good press. AccordSpoon that gets pretty name ‘Spoon’ was ing to Wikipedia, the 70s German avantchosen to honor the 19 ose song “Spoon” garde band Can, wh the 1985 movie Das was the theme song to gy! How at’s impressive etymolo Th r. se es M yer ev s that you think ir name?

What are a few album did the Spoons get the n? ow ld ou view sh one reading this inter I joined the band. It This happened before g lunch where soup No particular order: was determined durin David Bowie - Low was served so, …….. ts ar He ly ne Lo ’s er pp Beatles - Sgt Pe

What is a memorable story that you can relate from your days in the Spoons?

Recording in Monmouth, Wales was an extraordinary time.

The landscape was beautiful, the town was quaint and the people were delightful. The studio [Rockfield Studios] was amazing, where more amazing bands than you could shake a stick at have recorded. (e.g., Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, XTC, George Michael, The Pixies, Queen) So, I played the same Bosendorfer that Freddie Mercury played; I like that.

While being in a band that records and tours is a fantasy that many have, I imagine that being in a successful band isn’t all glitz and fun, is it? What is a downside that the fans might not be aware of?

No, it’s pretty much a good time!

If our readers were interested in seeing a video of you performing on the internet, where would you direct them? What should they google?

join them when I am back in the summers. Fingers crossed that I can share the stage with them again this summer.

You have performed a couple of well-attended shows at Kanaal Bar here in Sofia, supported by a crack AAS backing band: Dominic “English Teacher” Carrillo on drums; Do you continue to create muMark “3rd Grade Teacher” sic now?

Bryan-Edmond on bass; and Stowe “Parent” Blankenship Yes, I still write, pretty much pop on guitar and harmonica. For music with some other stuff. those interested in checking I have always struggled with you out at a future date, what lyrics, so I have lots of wordless kind of setlist will they get to tunes lying around. enjoy?

I did a few videos with the group. Some can be listened to at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Cpeav3qd5wM

The Spoons still perform over 20 years after their founding.

Do you ever join them onstage or in the studio when you are back in Canada?

I have been fortunate to remain good friends with Gord (guitar & vocals) and Sandy (bass & vocals), and they have been kind enough to let me

You will need to get ahold of our manager, Dominic, for this information. We recently played at the CEESA conference gala and did a gig in Studio 5, donating 50% of the proceedings to support Syrian refugees in Sofia. Hopefully, [Kanaal owner] Lyubo will have us back at Kanaal.

INTERVIEW 33

3 4 W H AT ` S H A P P E N I N G AT A A S ?

Elementary School Spring Concert

High School Musical 2017

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