Singapore American School Newsflash, February 2007 by Singapore American School

MICA (P) 195/08/2006

Volume 9, Issue 6-06/07 - February 2007

A Singapore American School community service publication

NewsFlash SAS Teachers Build Homes for Tabitha Foundation in Cambodia

Content Page

Board of Govornors

Shelly DeFord Chairman of the Board

Garth Sheldon Vice Chairman of the Board Chairman Facilities

Sally Greene Chairman Curriculum

Carl Stocking Chairman Finance

Bart Broadman Richard Borsuk Chairman Trust Board Member

Melanie Ng Chew Board Member

William Ball Board Member

Bob Comstock Board Member

REGULARS 3 - Calendar Highlights 8 - Booster News 7 - SAS PTA President Letter SAS HIGHLIGHTS 4 - SAS Teachers Build Homes 6 - Guest Conductor Leads MS Band Students - MS Band Students Head to Paris 7 - SAS String Students Accepted Into A.M.I.S Int’l Honors Orchestra - SAS Jazz Night 12 - Fostering Responsibility & Independence in Children’s Live 14 - SAS Speaker Series: The Community Library Welcomes Freedom from Chemical Dependence 15 - Nobel Prize Exhibition Field Trip 16 - Knowledge Masters - Restaurant Grand Opening 17 - Speaking French in Singapore 18 - ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ 19 - Bernice Bobs Her Hair 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: Ms. Beth Gribbon Staff Editor: Mr. Scott Duncan Layout Design: Ms. Joey Lew

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School

Kirk Hulse Board Member

Tom Linton Board Member

MARCH NEWSFLASH Deadline: March 2, 2007 Publication Date: March 19, 2007 APRIL NEWSFLASH Deadline: April 5, 2007 Publication Date: April 23, 2007

Maya Roll Board Member

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Sheila Wang Board Member

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

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

ECC-PS Parent Coffee 8:30am – 9:30am (PS Faculty Lounge, Room P220) 13 PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) 14 Alternate Dress Day PS/IS Valentine’s Day Parties 1:30pm MS Parent Teacher Conference 16 No School for Grade 6 – 8 18-20 PUBLIC HOLIDAY – CHINESE NEW YEAR (NO SCHOOL) 21 HS Development Tennis Season Begins 22 Booster Bake Sale

23 24 26 28

PS/IS 2nd Semester New Student Photo Day PTA County Fair 10:45am - 4:00pm Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301) College Search: Special Needs Program 7:00pm (H301) Alternate Dress Day Interim Semester Presentation Night 7:15pm – 8:15pm MS Drama Dress Matinee “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” 3:00pm (Drama Theater)

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

1 1-2 2 2-3 3

5 5-6 5-15 6 8

Cultural Convention Previews 3:30pm – 6:00pm MS Drama Performance ”Bernice Bobs Her Hair” 7:00pm (Drama Theater) HS AP Fees Due Early Dismissal for Students 12:45pm No PM Preschool Bintan Service Cultural Trip 1:00pm Cub Scout Pinewood Derby 8:00am – 2:00pm (HS Gym) Badminton/Softball Exchanges in Jakarta Track & Field Exchange in Bangkok IS Parent Coffee 8:15am – 9:15am (5th Grade Grouproom, I311) MS Parent Coffee 10:00am (M301) HS Cultural Convention Previews 3:30pm – 6:00pm (Auditorium) Grade 4 Swim-a-Thon Grade 8 Parents Registration Information Night 7:00pm (Drama Theater) K-Grade 1 Career Day

Calendar Highlights

February 2007

March 2007

8-10

IASAS Art/Music in Singapore IASAS Dance/Drama/Debate/Forensics in Jakarta 9 HS Senior Memories for Yearbook Due 10 ACSIS Climbing Tournament 8:00am – 6:00pm (UWC) ACSIS Track & Field Meet 8:00am – 6:00pm (Singapore Poly) 12 HS PTA Coffee 10:00am (H301) 13 PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) MS Band Concert 7:00pm (Auditorium) 14 Alternate Dress Day 2007-2008 HS Online Course Requests Due 16 MS Report Cards Mailed Home 16-17 IASAS Invitational Golf Tournament in Bangkok 16-18 BEIMUN in Beijing 17 Girls Softball Exchange in Bangkok Climbing/Track & Field Exchanges in Kuala Lumpur HS Art Show 7:00pm (American Club) 19 Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301) SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

SAS Teachers Build Homes for Tabitha Foundation in Cambodia By Gregory J. Reynen, MS Spanish Teacher

ver Thanksgiving 2006, about 20 teachers and other community members volunteered their time and energy building homes in Cambodia with the Tabitha Foundation. Arriving in Phnom Penh on Thursday evening, we soon saw how much we have for which to be thankful. Thanksgiving Day started off with a visit to the Tabitha home where we met the founder, Janne Ritskes. Janne gave an amazing orientation talk and opened our eyes to many of the sad reasons why much of Cambodia is in its current impoverished state. We learned about Pol Pot’s regime, the Khmer Rouge, and the devastating impact of his atrocities. Some of Janne’s stories come directly from survivors of the Khmer Rouge who work with her at the Tabitha Foundation. In the afternoon, we visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where we saw innumerable faces of men, women and children who were imprisoned and tortured in this high-school-turned-prison. As we quietly moved past cells, sad pictures and artwork, we learned the stories of some the prisoners and survivors of the Khmer Rouge. That afternoon we continued on to the Killing Fields where many mass graves have been uncovered. This was just one location used by Pol Pot’s regime to commit genocide. It has become a memorial, and previously flooded mass graves are still being excavated. Without question, both the prison and the Killing Fields were very sad and sobering because they reveal the evil that can lie within the hearts of mankind. I realized, however, that both places have an atmosphere of hope. Hope that, through education and remembrance, such evil might be prevented from occurring again. Hope that, even as we face an era of fear of terrorism, we might seek the good in people and call for an end of the violence that plagues our generation. To that end, our group spent the next day of our trip undoing what we could of Pol Pot’s damage. We spent the day helping build homes for six families that would otherwise live in tiny huts with dirt floors and leaky roofs. The homes we built would be a major step-down from the standards of living with which so many of us are privileged in Singapore. They are smaller than many bedrooms, consisting of one door and window, tin roofs and no electricity or running water. But as big of a step-down as we would consider them, for those families, they are an even bigger step-up. No more worries about pests or snakes slipping in at night, four sturdy walls and a rainproof roof, but most of all, the knowledge that there are still good people out there who care enough to donate their resources to help improve the lives of others. In addition to building homes, a number of us were lucky enough to play with the children of the village. Without so much as a ball to play with, let alone a PSP or an iPod, these children were some of the happiest I have ever seen. They were completely content to just be with their friends and were very entertained by goofy faces and learning how to play Duck Duck Goose. The smiles on their faces and the laughter of their voices are the most beautiful memories I could take home from any trip.

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

SAS Teachers Build Homes for Tabitha Foundation in Cambodia By Gregory J. Reynen, MS Spanish Teacher (Cont’)

Far more important than the houses we built, I believe it is the sense of community we established through hard work, smiles, and the laughter of children that made the biggest difference in the lives of those affected by the Khmer Rouge. I encourage you and your families to participate in this perspective-changing and even life-changing opportunity, it won’t be one soon forgotten. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us fortunate enough to participate thank the friends and families of the Tabitha Foundation who helped make our trip the tremendous success it was! Thank you so much for your contributions of thoughts, prayers, encouragement, and finances! Without your support, much of what we accomplished would not have been possible. Thank you! -The Thanksgiving ’06 Tabitha House-Building Team http://www.tabithasingapore.com

Tabitha Employees

Work in progress

House-Building Team

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Guest Conductor Leads MS Band Students By Brian White, MS Band Director

n December 11th, students in the middle school advanced band had the honor of working with Dr. John Lynch the Director of Bands at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lynch was in Singapore to work with several local schools as well as the Singapore Philharmonic Winds. He was able to fit SAS into his busy schedule and spent an afternoon with our students. One of the pieces the advanced band was preparing for their December concert was “First Suite in E flat” by Gustav Holst; a cornerstone in wind band literature. Dr. Lynch used his expertise to help the students achieve their best. After 90 minutes he had to be reminded that the rehearsal was about to end. He said, “WHAT...these students are so good, our time together went by too fast!”

Dr. Lynch with several section leaders from Advanced band from left to right: Min Jae Kim, Rauson Clower, Linda Kim, Thomas Wobby, Tamami Niwa, Dr. Lynch, Brian White

Dr. Lynch has received numerous awards in education and conducting. His work with the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble earned him a recording contract with NAXOS, a prestigious classical music record company. Dr. Lynch’s album, “Redline Tango” is now available on at the itunes music store as well as major US retailers Borders, Best Buy, and others.

MS Band Students Head to Paris in March By Brian White, MS Band Director

his November, six students from the SAS middle school bands were selected to attend the AMIS (Association for Music in International Schools) Middle School Honor Band Festival. Approximately 300 students from international schools throughout Europe and Asia submitted audition tapes. From these, a panel of judges selected 70 students. Competition was fierce in some sections; 45 audition tapes were sent in for just 12 flute openings. The festival will be held in Paris France from March 1-3 and the following SAS students were selected to attend:

Linda Kim - Flute

Henry Hong - Clarinet

Ved Rajkumar - Tenor Sax

Amish Parikh - Percussion

Jimmy Yoon - Oboe was selected as an alternate. Jennie Park - Clarinet was selected but is unable to attend.

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Beijing Bound SAS String Students Accepted Into A.M.I.S. International Honors Orchestra By Stephen Bonnette, HS Orchestra Director

nternational School Beijing will be playing host to the 18th annual International Honors Orchestra during the second week of February. The festival will be under the organizational “umbrella” of the Association for Music in International Schools (A.M.I.S.). Three of our talented High School string students will rendezvous with equally gifted international students from schools throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia to form an ensemble of the highest caliber. Students digitally recorded a rigorous audition consisting of scales and orchestral excerpts. The finished product was then burned onto a CD (thank you to Mr. Paul Koebnick for his tech. support on this project) and mailed to London where it received a “blind” review by an impartial audition committee. The following students have accepted a chair and will participate in the 2007 Senior International Honors Orchestra: Violin: Catalina Hwang, Isaac Ng

Cello: Francis Yang

Congratulations to talented student-musicians and a big thank you to their parents for supporting an opportunity of a lifetime!

25th Anniversary IASAS IASAS Cultural Convention – Music and Art hosted at SAS All SAS families are invited to join the IASAS Cultural Convention students for the following events during the conference. All are welcome. Admission is free. IASAS Festival Concert Saturday, March 10th 2:00pm to 4:00pm In the HS Auditorium Performances by Vocal, Band and Orchestra

IASAS Art Opening Thursday, March 8th 6:00pm to 7:00pm In the HS Gallery The art show continues through the weekend

IASAS Drama and Dance - Preview Performances Thursday, March 1st 3:15pm – 5:30pm In the HS Auditorium Cultural Convention Dance – “Numb” Cultural Convention Drama – “Isn’t It Romantic”

SAS Jazz Night Friday the 13th can’t be ALL bad…

n Friday, April 13, the SAS Jazz Ensemble and SAS Singers will present their annual Jazz Night at the American Club. At 7:00 p.m. all thoughts of “Yesterday” will fade as people begin to “Trickle, Trickle” into the Colonial Room where they will “Mambo” and jive all the way to “Nutville.” However, “Don’t Get Sassy” on this inauspicious date or you may be sent to the “Bone Yard”! Please join us for a night of hot, cool and classic jazz. We promise that no one will “…Beep instead of Bop”! Tickets for this “adults only” evening will be available March 2nd at the American Club. Be quick, they have sold out in a day the last couple of years.

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Gong Xi Fa Cai Honor Roll Brunch The Booster Club will recognize all High School students who made the third quarter Honor Roll with a lunch on April 12, in the walkway between the High School theaters. If your child made the Honor Roll and you can help or donate food for the event, please contact Sandy Kobylarz at 9836-6944 or sandykob@singnet.com.sg or Mary Theisen at 9011-0146 or theisen@starhub.net.sg Booster Meetings 2007 (9:30am in H301) February 26 March 19 April 16 May 21 - General Meeting

Many items at the Bo

Booster Bake Sale February 22 9:30am (HS Cafe - Both Levels) Bake goods/Korean Food/Sweets - $1.00

Booster Booth Closed February 12 -20 Booth Open at County Fair February 24 10:45am - 4:00pm

oster

Boo th

for

you

If you would like to donate baked goods (cupcakes, cookies, rice krispie treats, brownies are favorites) for the bake sale, please individually wrap the items (i.e. two cookies in a zip lock bag or two brownies in saran wrap, etc.) and deliver to the Booster Booth or High School Office by 9:00am. Questions on bake sale donations, call Anne Stocking at 9062-4788. Bake Sale During Cultural Convention March 10 11:00am - 1:00pm (HS Cafe)

to e oos ch

Booster Bake Sale April 13 9:30am (HS Cafe) Includes Japanese foods and sweets

C m. fro

om et

ake

IASAS Bake Sale April 21 11:00am - 1:00pm (HS Cafe)

a l oo k!!

Home Tour again thanks our hostesses, sponsors, vendors and our wonderful volunteers. A lovely afternoon was had by all. With all the Christmas decorations it surely put us all in the festive mood. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Happy New Year!

SAS PTA

PTA President Letter

et me start this month’s note with wishes for a Happy New Year and hope that everyone had a relaxing and joyful holiday break. Let me also say Gong Xi Fa Cai, to those who celebrate the Chinese New Year, including those of us who celebrate while living here in Singapore. One of the many benefits of living overseas is the opportunity to learn and experience the holiday traditions of other cultures. On January 19th we held our second mid-year “Newcomer Coffee” in the PTA Office. If you are new to SAS, we hope that you were able to join us to find out more about the SAS PTA and to continue to increase your connections within the SAS community. If you were unable to attend the Newcomer Coffee, please be sure to stop by the PTA Sales window or High School Booster Booth to pick up your PTA “Welcome Packet.” You will receive a complimentary copy of the SAS PTA Directory, a SAS school calendar and some information about PTA. With a school as large as SAS, it is sometimes easy to feel lost in the crowd. If you ever have a question that we can potentially help you answer, please contact anyone on the PTA Board or Welcoming Committee and we will do our best to help you find an answer. We are always here to assist in any way we can and to hopefully help you adjust to your new community. Our contact information is listed within the PTA section of the SAS website at http://www.sas.edu.sg. By the time this Newsflash is distributed, we will have held our annual “Gala Wine Dinner.” This event was held on February 10th at the Regent Hotel. Delaine Whitehead and her dedicated team worked diligently to put on a fabulous evening. I would like to thank Delaine for her efforts in arranging this event, along with Phil DeFord and Mr. Tan Ying Hsien who supported us with their wine expertise and Lindsey Iacovino (PTA Vice President) who was instrumental in seeing that every detail of the hotel arrangements and menu was done to perfection! We now turn our efforts to PTA’s largest annual fundraiser and the single event in which the entire school comes together to enjoy a day of fun for the whole family. Get ready to enjoy an old fashioned American tradition, County Fair, to be held on Saturday, February 24th. It is the one family day that you should not miss. Preparations for this day began in September. We promise you a fun filled day with food, games, rides, vendor booths, entertainment, a Used Book Sale, Silent Auction and much more. For those of you who want the double benefit of cleaning out some book space in your home and helping the PTA, it is not too late to donate your used books. Our goal is to have over 15,000 books for everyone to choose from at the Fair. If you have books to donate, you can drop them off at the PTA Office anytime. As with any large event, we always need volunteers to make the day a success. For those of you not yet involved, we can use help in preparing decorations and setting up for the Fair. If you have an hour or two that you can spare on the day of the Fair, selling tickets, helping to run a game booth, selling used books, or keeping cool and getting a work out by selling cold drinks and many more opportunities, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please contact Ann Martino at martinogirls@hotmail.com, our County Fair Chairperson and she will be more than happy to find somewhere for you to volunteer. February is an unusually busy month for PTA as we hold two of our major fundraisers. We hope to be able to see most of you at one or both of these events. As mentioned earlier, SAS is a big school and we want to do our best to include everyone and make them feel welcome within the SAS community. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Susan Fay PTA President

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjksdsoaidoiodsjdsajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdklsajdjsajjld PTA DIRECTORY SUPPLEMENTS The PTA Directory supplements have been mailed to all SAS Families. If you have not received your PTA directory supplement, please stop by to see Jo-Ann Lee in the Central Administration office, and she will hand you a complimentary copy.

isoaisjkjkjkjkjkjkjkdsdsddsssssssssajdsajdajdlksajdkasjdasjdklsajdjsaldkk SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Fostering Responsibility and Independence in Children’s Live

Fostering Responsibility and Independence In Children’s Lives By Jeﬀ Devens, Ph.D., SAS Psychologist and Counselor

aring for and raising kids can be one of the most rewarding…and demanding endeavors adults undertake. The parenting techniques employed during the early years of children’s lives tend to have a compounding effect. Think back for a moment to your childhood experiences. How would you describe your parents parenting styles? Responses to this question tend to fall within the three general, but broad, categories of: Permissive, Authoritarian, and Authoritative Parenting.

Permissive Parents typically avoid confrontations with their children, don’t address inappropriate behaviors, and tend not place age appropriate demands and expectations on their kids. Some parents in this category go so far as to compensate for their child’s shortcomings by taking on many of the roles the children themselves should be handing (doing their homework for them, cleaning their rooms, etc). Kids raised with this model of parenting tend to not take responsibility for self or choices they make later in life. Childhood for such kids can extend well into the twenties…and beyond. On the other end of the continuum are Authoritarian Parents. These parents tend to not allow for a great deal of verbal give and take. “It’s my way or the expressway!” Or, “if I want your opinion, I’ll ask!” might be common slogans in such homes. Authoritarian parents can be demanding and directive, highly intrusive, and at times overly involved in kids lives. Kids from such homes tend to have a Works-Based Love Relationship with parents. The perception kids take from such a home is that, mom and dad’s love for me is contingent on how well I do academically, musically, or athletically. In the last general type of parenting style, Authoritative Parenting, parents tend to be more democratic in their approach with their children. A good deal of verbal give and take occurs between child and parents regarding rules and consequences. Authoritative parents tend to be age appropriately proactive in their children’s lives, but not overly intrusive and demanding. Kids raised in such homes tend to be assertive, confident in abilities, and willing to take age appropriate academic and social risks. In addition, these kids tend to have a strong sense of self and a healthy dose of self-confidence. Fostering responsibility and independence in your children’s lives begins by recognizing yours and your spouse’s primary parenting style(s). Ultimately, how you parent your children will affect the way they handle rules and consequences. Parents, are you on the same parenting page with respect to your parenting style(s)? Parenting inherently presents with conflicts along the way; however, these conflicts can be exacerbated when parents are at opposite ends of the parenting continuum, or when one parent takes on all or most of the parenting responsibilities. The first step in this process then is to find common ground between you and your spouse on this issue. Some Rules about Rules: Four Guidelines 1) Major on the Majors not the minors: Rules should be as few as possible. Dr. Gary Chapman notes, “The objective of rules is not to regulate every movement of your child’s life, but rather to provide boundaries within which your child can make age appropriate choices, demonstrate responsibility, and gain increasing independence.” Your rules then should point the way toward these objectives. 2) Make rules as clear as possible: Confusing rules make for confusion for both parents and kids. When a rule is clearly delineated, your child is aware when they have broken it. They may try to cover it up, argue it didn’t happen, or rationalize why it happened, but they know the rule was broken. When in doubt clarify your expectations with examples. “Be at home by 8:00 PM, according to the clock in the living room” is more clearly stated than “Be home at a reasonable hour.”

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

3) Try to seek common ground: By establishing open dialogue with kids, parents can formulate a set of rules that both parties, in most cases, can agree upon. Bringing kids on board in this process provides them with a sense of ownership for rules that will govern their actions.

4) The Buck Stops with You! Harry Truman, the 33 president of the United States, realized that ultimate responsibility of “parenting” the Executive Branch rested with him. To this end, he made some difficult but needed decisions to direct his large family. On his presidential desk sat the above placard incase anyone wondered who had the final say on matters. So too for parents, “The Buck Stops” with you! When kids and parents can’t seem to come to consencous on rules, it’s the parents decision that must be followed. Kids today

The other side of the proverbal coin regarding rules is the issue of consequences. Of the two, this is perhaps the most difficult for parents to follow through with; however, rules without consequences are worthless. Simply put, if you are not prepared to follow through with cosequences don’t mert out rules. When parents don’t stick with agreed upon consequences the entire process of fostering responsibility erodes. Kids know that its only a matter of manipulation and mom and dad will buckle. Not only this, kids perceive mom and dad as wimps. The motivation for following rules is knowing that their will be consistent consequences. This is why it is so fundamentally important for parents to be on the same parenting page. Because kids employ a host of techniques to extract themselves from consequences (badgering, intimidation, threat, martydom, buttering up, physical tactics), parents need to have an agreed upon set of consequences that they adhere to…regardless of what measures kids employ to avoid them.

Four Guidelines For Formulating and Enforcing Consequences 1) Establish Consequences at the time the rules are made: Discussing with your child age / developmentally appropriate expectations and consequences simultaneously is a good way for kids to develop ownership for the choices they make. The value of agreeing upon predetermined consequences is that when rules are broken (and they will be☺) the parents and children already know what is going to happen. Parents don’t have to yell and kids don’t have to cry “not-fair.” Lawrence Steinberg, professor of psychology at Temple University notes, “What causes children to rebel is not the assertion of authority but the arbitrary use of power, with little explanation of the rules and no involvement in decision making.” Parents, allow for kids to be a part of this process, but keep in mind that the final decision regarding the consequences rest with you and not your child. 2) Consistency, consistency, consistency: Once rules and consequences have been established reality happens. Parents, you’re tired at the end of a long day of work. The last thing you want to do is contend with potential conflicts; however, this is precisely what will be called of you should you chose to help your children develop age appropriate responsibility. It is not our emotional state (or our child’s) that dictate’s whether or not we carry out consequences, but

rather a commitment to see this process through. As with every facet of life, there should always be room for exceptions to consequences, but parents should be the ones who determine what constitutes this and not the kids. 3) Carry out consequences privately: Your children will need correction and reproof, but this should not be thought of as a “lesson for the other kids” or something to be done in front of your child’s peers. Some of you may have had, or currently have, bosses who are pugnacious and use shame based tactics as a means of employee reproof. How do you respond to this form of discipline? The likely unpleasant emotional responses you note are similar to the ones your children will experience if this is the primary method employed in the home to carry out consequences. Remember the purpose of carrying out consequences is not to humiliate or shame, but rather to redirect in a loving fashion. 4) Administer consequences with Love: It is the love that you have for your child that motivates you to take action. It’s natural to become angry and frustrated when kids break rules, but this should not be the primary emotion that compels action. Kids will likely experience resentment when parents seem to take pleasure in administering consequences. If your child does not feel loved, if they view rules and consequences as arbitrary and self-serving, they will often rebel against you and your spouse as the rule enforcers. In some cases, parents may feel like they have tried, several times, to incorporate the steps noted above but have experienced limited success. If this is the case, I encourage you to speak with your child’s counselor, school psychologist, or teachers. Bringing on board an objective 3rd party can be helpful in sorting out these difficult parenting issues. The process of fostering independence and responsibility in kid’s lives is an ongoing and evolving one. As you children grow and mature, your rules and consequences for them should evolve as well. By demonstrating age appropriate responsibility kids should be given additional independence. This process is circular, one feeds into the other.

Fostering Responsibility and Independence in Children’s Live

need parents who are assertive enough to make tough decisions and follow through with the consequences. Sometimes I have parents tell me that feel like they are not being their child’s friend by making strict demands on them. With such tough issues to grapple with as premarital sex, alcohol, and drug use, your kids don’t need you to be their friend, they need to you be their parent. I would go so far to say that, if you want your kids to be your friend when they are older, make the tough calls today and stand united by them. It is in these difficult parenting areas where the true measure of your parenting is put to the test(s).

Fostering responsibility and independence, it all begins with you…the parents. The content in this article was taken, in part, from a presentation given to the intermediate parent community on February 5th. SAS recognizes the importance of addressing parenting issues and providing support to the parent community. To this end, we will continue offering such services. More to come… SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

The Community Library Welcomes Freedom from Chemical Dependence

ll SAS parents are invited to attend the next SAS Speaker Series event on March 14, 2007 at 7:00 pm in the Drama Theater. Our guest speakers are coming from FCD Educational Services in Boston, Massachusetts. FCD has served schools around the world for the past 30 years. The organization bases its approach on some core

beliefs:

•

Substance abuse prevention in schools is not a program, it is a climate.

•

Prevention should be approached from a health perspective.

•

Drug education is not a one-time inoculation; it must be long-term, ongoing and responsive to the changing cognitive, emotional, and social worlds of the growing child.

•

Children and adolescents are most likely to make responsible choices about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use when they are: Presented with accurate information Respected and heard Given clear, consistent expectations for behavior Exposed to positive role models Rewarded for choosing to live drug-free

FCD representatives will be meeting with all students in grade nine as well as faculty and administration during the March visit. Parents will have a chance to hear a presentation on how communities, schools and families, can work together to create the healthy climate for teenage life. Reservations are not required but please email ssuyot@sas.edu.sg if you know you will be coming so we can plan refreshments and adequate seating. The SAS Speaker Series is in its inaugural year; the FCD event will be the fifth program offered during the 2006-2007 school year. Previous programs include, Positive Parenting, Developing Resilience in Our Children, All Kinds of Minds and Cyber Safety. The Speaker Series is sponsored by the SAS Community Library and is funded by the SAS Educational Foundation. Raising children is a wonderful privilege but it is also a challenge to most parents. The SAS Community Library is a resource facility for everyone in the SAS family. There is an impressive collection of books and magazines on topics as varied as coping with illness and grief to understanding self-esteem. The library has grown steadily with the introduction of school sponsored book groups. This year, the Community Library has sponsored two groups, Raising Your Spirited Child and Guiding the Gifted Child; both groups have been led by Dr. Maureen Neihart. The SAS Community Library exists to support parents in raising children in Singapore as part of the Singapore American School community. The library is located within the Middle School Library facility but in a quiet, private corner. It is also home to a lovely collection of art which is rotated about every 8 weeks. Please visit the Library when you are next on campus. If you would like to make suggestions for Book Groups or Speaker Series events kindly email communitylibrary@sas.edu.sg. Bob Gross SAS Superintendent

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Nobel Prize Exhibition Field Trip By Isabel Perucho, Winston Yoo, Meg Oikawa and Oliver Jung, IS Students

GATE Math students at the Nobel Prize Exhibition Back row (l to r): Isabel Perucho, Jonathan Hsun, Serena Sung-Clarke, Ankita Chowdry, Kirin Bettadapur, Craig Broadman, Meg Oikawa, Susan Shaw (teacher), Winston Yoo. Front row (l to r): Anish Rao, Jane Gardner, Rohan Singh, Sophia Eristoﬀ, Kitty Lalwani, Wilson Li, Derek Cho, Oliver Jung.

re you a person who is dying to know a lot about the Nobel Prize? Are you a person who wants to know what great things people have done to change the world? Well, you should have been with the 4th and 5th graders of the Intermediate School’s Gifted and Talented Education Math class when we went to the Nobel Prize Exhibition at the National University of Singapore. As you may know, the Nobel Prize is an award created by Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. He ended up being a rich man who patented more than 300 inventions and owned about 90 companies around the globe. This is the way it all started: sometime after Nobel had invented dynamite, the newspaper mistakenly reported that he had died and labeled him “The Merchant of Death.” Nobel didn’t want people to think of him as a bad person, so his will stated that he would divide his vast fortune among those who “contribute the most to mankind,” therefore resulting in the six categories of Nobel Prizes: peace, medicine, economics, literature, physics and chemistry. The Nobel Prize Exhibition featured highlights of each decade of the Nobel Prize along with interactive games and movies as well as a giant rotating display featuring all 744 Nobel Prize winners. The Discovery Tables were also fun where we got to learn about x-rays, DNA, and how the brain works. The exhibition has been traveling the world since 2001 celebrating 100 years of the Nobel Prize and was in Singapore until January 21. If you want to learn more about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize go to http://www.nobelprize.org. Other interesting information about the Nobel Prize: □ Each Nobel Prize consists of a gold medal, a diploma and a cash award □ 10 million kroners (S$2.2m) was given with each Nobel Prize in 2006 □ Nobel Prizes are presented on 10 December every year which is the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel □ Nobel Prizes have been awarded to 766 individuals and 19 organizations □ 33 women Laureates have been honored in all categories except Economics

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Knowledge Masters By KMO coaches, Jennifer Koltutsky and Susan Shaw

nowledge Masters is a challenging academic competition in which teams of students compete internationally without leaving their own schools. The KMO began in 1983 with 72 schools and it now annually attracts up to 4,000 schools and 60,000 participants from the U.S. and several other countries. The 2007 Grade 5 Knowledge Masters team was dedicated from the start and deserves to be commended for giving up so many recesses. They were well prepared for their competition on Wednesday January 24, 2007 because they practiced two weeks prior to the competition during lunchtimes and once after school. Students also practiced at home using a practice disk with questions from previous KMO competitions.

The Knowledge Masters team: Rahul Kaul, Andrew Gong, Melinda Lim, Anne Sophie (Kiara) Bine, Arjun Gill, Jong Pil Yoon, Kevin Maedomari, Tim Swingle, Vritti Sethi, Annie Tsay, Robert Havas, Winston Yoo, Jack Lin, Jeonie Woo, Isabel Percho, Susan You, Isabelle Chan, Jong Ha Lee, Joo Yeon Oh, Klin Rothenberger and Sylvia Levy.

KMO coaches, Jennifer Koltutsky and Susan Shaw, helped students prepare to compete against students from other International schools as well as schools in the U.S. SAS has traditionally done very well in the competition, scoring in the top ten percent of the approximately 300 schools entering the competition. The team scores for this year were 92 for the number of questions correct and 654 for the total points scored. One KMO team member, Isabel Perucho, wrote the following about the KMO competition: “KMO is one of the many great things to do in the Intermediate School and I feel very lucky to be part of my school team. We are asked many different kinds of questions about subjects such as Christopher Columbus and Princess Diana. It feels great when you get the questions right especially since most of the questions are really tough.” Another KMO team member, Susan You, wrote: “Our team always tries their best and never gives up. Our captains, Isabel and Arjun encourage us to do our best and always support us even if we get an answer wrong. The most important thing is that we are always having fun.” Congratulations to all the students that participated in the January Knowledge Masters competition. The next Knowledge Masters competition will be held on March 20, 2007 and more information about the next competition will be available soon.

Restaurant Grand Opening By Angel Kumala, Chinese III Student

uring second quarter of the school year, students from Mrs. Mar’s Chinese III classes participated in a project that helped students not only practice their communication skills but also to understand the Chinese language. Students were placed in groups of fours or fives, with each group assigned to open a restaurant serving any type of cuisine. In creating this restaurant, each team had to create a menu with a main course, beverages and dessert. Parents, teachers and students were then invited to dine at the restaurants. Each diner was given a twenty dollar coupon (Mrs. Mar’s currency) to spend at the restaurant of their choice. The only language permitted in the restaurants was Chinese. Overall, this activity was a fun way to interact with other Chinese speaking students and to become more comfortable with using the language not only in class work but in daily life.

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Outside the Classroom – Speaking French in Singapore NATIONAL FRENCH WEEK at the SAS HS was in part celebrated with a visit from students of the German-European School

By HS French Teacher, Laurence Patrick and HS Student, Rhoda Severino

he past few months have provided the HS French students with numerous opportunities to practice their French. “Notre Dame de Paris,” the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” came to Singapore on November 3rd for an extensive season at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It stayed faithful to Victor Hugo’s work which chronicles the story of a doomed gypsy girl and the three men who fell in love with her and ultimately brought about her downfall. More than 30 SAS students, mainly members of the High School French Club, and a few faculty members attended the November 5, 2006 matinee. It was a great way to kick off the National French Week. The spectacular show, choreographed by a former acrobatic choreographer for the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, was entirely in French however even a non-French speaker could appreciate the story told in the dance and the beautiful songs. Many of the SAS students who attended were able to put their language skills to good use by not having to read the subtitles projected on the large screens next to the stage. All who attended agreed that the show was visually stunning and moving. In addition to a crêpe sale and French film showing organized by the HS French Club, yet another highlight of National French Week was a visit from students of the German-European School on November 8th. French 2 students had the opportunity to spend 85 minutes interacting in French with the visitors. The main topic of discussion was a comparison of the European and American school systems. It was a positive and exciting opportunity to meet and enlarge the students’ vision of the world. The visit ended with SAS students treating their guests to French Waffles topped with a choice of eight types of French jams (Myrtilles d’Archèche, Mirabelles, Rhubarbe, Clémentines de Corse, Fraises du Périgord…) On December 7 Madame Patrick’s French classes were pleased to welcome two young Frenchmen currently in the process of returning to France from Singapore on their bicycles. Seven students from Nanyang Technology University (NTU) also attended the presentation held on the SAS campus along with their teacher Isabelle Lacoste, current president of the Association of French Teachers in Singapore. The young, adventurous cyclists showed off their bicycles to students and then explained how they had planned for their return journey to France as well as their planned itinerary from Singapore. The cyclists’ visit was not only a great opportunity for SAS and NTU students to practice their French, but also an inspirational opportunity as well. Students are keeping in touch with the cyclists and following their progress through their blog and website. On January 10 2007, thirty-five HS French level 2 students attended a French Fun Fair at NTU. The French faculty of NTU organized the fair in order to give high school students an insight into the life of a university student in Singapore and to also introduce the French Program at NTU. A campus tour was given in which SAS students learned that local students spend most of their time on the campus studying, socializing and working together. Students also learned that many services are offered on the campus of NTU such as banking, dental and General Practitioner offices. The Fun Fair was held next to the cafeteria where SAS students discovered the French book exchange program at NTU, and learned about the eight different families of French cheeses in addition to other general facts about France. The Fun Fair ended with students partaking in the French tradition of the Twelfth Night Cake. Songs were sung in French together with the students from the European school who visited the SAS campus in November and then students enjoyed a slice of the Twelfth Night Cake which commemorates the arrival in Bethlehem of the three wise men on January 6th. SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ By Tracy Van Der Linden, HS Dance Teacher

he High School and Middle School dance students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops with two guest choreographers from the United States in late December. Melody Lacayanga and Ryan Conferido, who were first season finalists on the American TV dance show, “So You Think You Can Dance” taught ten different dance classes. The students found the workshops both exciting and challenging. Esther Lukman and Evelyn Toh were especially keen to do as many workshops as they could. These two juniors are currently competing in the Singapore version of the TV competition called ‘The Dance Floor.’ They made it through the first rounds of the competition and are in the top 32. Keep an eye out for E2 (Esther and Evelyn) I’m sure they would love your vote!

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007

Bernice Bobs Her Hair (Does She or Doesn’t She?)

his wonderful story was written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald as the fourth installment of articles he’d promised the (then) well-known magazine, The Saturday Evening Post. Although composed in 1920 as the Jazz Age was getting underway, it cleverly depicts the sometimes dicey aspects of friendships and relationships still occurring today, only the setting and the cultural norms of the day differ. We hope you’ll make a point of coming out to support the 38 Middle School students who make up the cast of this engaging, funny show. For the first time ever, we have three middle school techies behind the scenes led by our HS stage manager – and there are at least 30 adult volunteers already involved. In short, this show is too much fun to miss: Take your choice, matinee or evening performance: Wednesday, February 28th: 3:15 p.m. Thursday, March 1st: 7:00 p.m. See you in the Drama Theatre! Ms. Meyer

SAS NewsFlash – February 2007