Singapore American School Newsflash, March 2010

Volume 12, Issue 6-09/10 - March 2010

NewsFlash MICA (P) 154/08/2009

A Singapore American School community service publication

Authors visit the campus

More on Festival of Stories

IASAS Sports

Pages 8,19 & 20

Pages 12-13

Pages 21-25

NewsFlash

Bart Broadman

Margrit Benton

Chairman of the Board

Vice Chairman of the Board Co-Chairman Advancement

5

March 2010 Volume 12, Issue 6-09/10

Calendar Highlights

11 Booster Club News 14 PTA News

Ravi Agarwal

Joseph Anderson

Board Member

Chairman Curriculum

3

School-wide initiative for Haiti

20 Dive-a-thon for charity

4

Compassion, a habit of the heart

26 Waste management

6

The two Cs of curriculum

9

Global Giving

27 Harvard Model Congress Asia

18 IS/MS/HS Music Festival

Shailesh Bettadapur

Kirk Hulse

Board Member

Chairman Trust

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

Devin Kimble

Rudolph Muller

Chairman Facilities

Chairman Finance

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School

Editor: Beth Gribbon Staff Editor: Junia Baker Layout: Alfi Dino Photography: Karen Cortezano April NewsFlash Bon Park Co-Chairman Advancement

Catherine Poyen Zemans Board Member

Deadline: March 15, 2010 Publication Date: April 5, 2010

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

Email Community News

Input to bgribbon@sas.edu.sg Sheila Wang Board Member

Maria Warner Wong Board Member

2

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund – Goal $50,000; Successfully Raised $103,290 The SAS campaign to raise funds to support the victims of the earthquake in Haiti was enormously successful. Due to the collective efforts of SAS families, classes, grade-level initiatives, school clubs and SACAC, an impressive $103,290 was raised. Thank you all for your generous support.

Across the school the Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign provided service learning opportunities for students. The Middle School Peer Counsel held an after school bake sale and a pizza sale; the Modern Languages Department donated part of the proceeds from its Language Week t-shirt sales; eighth grade students collected funds as a part of their service learning projects; and cooking classes sold breakfast scones and chocolate mousse. The SACAC Fighting Fish participated in a swim-a-thon, raising over $12,000. A large number of High School clubs contributed funds for the cause, and High School students served on the committee that coordinated the fund-raising efforts and reviewed and selected the recipient relief organizations.

At the conclusion of the campaign a committee of faculty and students met on several occasions to review the aid agencies that are presently active in Haiti and select the recipients of the donations. A number of worthy aid agencies were considered, based on suggestions made by parents, students and members of the SAS staff.

The committee targeted agencies that have a focus on the youth of Haiti and have minimal administrative costs to run their operations. As well, the committee considered the accountability of each organization and the school’s ability to target its donations to specific initiatives.

Two aid agencies were selected as the recipients of our donations. Save the Children, which stood out for its focus on addressing youth, will receive 60% of the donations, and Malteser International will receive 40% of the donations. Their initiatives in Haiti are providing immediate, short-term relief with health care, vaccinations and clean water.

The success of this initiative reflects the commitment and compassion of the SAS community. Our heartfelt thanks to each of you who contributed to this worthy cause.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

3

Compassion, a habit of the heart

By School Psychologist Jeff Devens, Ph.D. The Singapore American School has adopted five core values (honesty, responsibility, fairness, compassion and respect) that it believes form the cornerstones upon which learning occurs. In an effort to better understand the outworkings 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 compassion.

Webster defines compassion as: Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress with a desire to alleviate it. Compassion requires more than empathy (the ability to understand the feelings/emotions of another); it has the added component of alleviating or reducing the suffering of another. Compassion expresses itself both in words and actions. It is by no coincidence that a central feature of most world religions is compassion: •

In the Jewish tradition, God is described as The Compassionate and is invoked as the Father of Compassion.

•

Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed – The Buddha.

•

Christians describe Jesus as the very essence of compassion. His testimony challenges followers to forsake their own desires and to act compassionately toward others.

•

In Islam, paramount among Allah’s attributes are mercy and compassion. Allah is described as more loving and kinder than a mother to her child.

Philosopher Arnold Schopenhauer notes that compassion is the basis of morality. Unfortunately, much of news media focus is not on compassionate acts but on selfish human actions involving hatred, indifference and tyranny. At times, it appears we live in a world where a sense of disorientation results in a kind of moral amnesia. Things are not as they should be, yet we struggle with knowing what they ought to be. Being a person of compassion is one way in which we make “right” what appears to be “wrong” with our world.

Our tendency is to think that our compassionate acts need to be grandiose, but such is not the case. The smallest deeds committed under the banner of compassion are greater than the grandest of intentions; in fact, it is often those seemingly insignificant acts that weigh the most on the scales of humanity.

How does compassion “fit” with our philosophy as a school/community? It is most readily expressed by teachers, support staff and administrators forging relationships with students and parents that are based on honesty, responsibility, fairness and respect. In this sense, compassion encompasses all of the cornerstones of SAS. It is the outworking of what we do with one another that leads us to act compassionately (or not) toward those beyond the walls of SAS. Students are exposed to compassion not only through traditional classroom interactions but also via guidance lessons (primary and intermediate), homebase (middle school), interim semester (high school) and community service experiences (all divisions).

Visitors may be easily drawn in by the glitz and glitter of this cosmopolitan city-state and may even assume, based on appearance, that at SAS our families don’t have to deal with “real” parenting / family issues. However, if they were to spend any appreciable time within the school community, they would come to understand that we have real families with real kids dealing with real issues. Being a compassionate community means that we challenge such assumptions by offering reassurance and support to families who are dealing with difficult family issues. To this end, we have 17 counselors and two school psychologists, not to mention the hundreds of teachers who model compassion daily on the proverbial front lines.

Compassion can also have an edge to it. In learning environments, such as home and school, kids say and do things that require correction (so too do parents). Suppose, for example, a student is caught cheating on an exam. Demonstrating compassion does not mean absolving them from responsibility for their actions. Rather, by walking them through the process of accountability, with the intent to restore their dignity, we model compassion. However, when the infractions are overlooked, rationalized or justified, we do little in the way of cultivating this virtue. Compassion begins by modeling it in both word and deed toward those closest to you. How you model this virtue with your spouse says volumes to your children. Committing time for family service projects is also a good way to demonstrate compassion; however, compassion shouldn’t be a once-a-year event but a habit of the heart.

How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday in life, you will have been all of these – George Washington Carver.

4

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Calendar 1

10:00am MS Parent Coffee (M301)

2

4pm IASAS Cultural Convention Drama/Dance 7pm 8th Grade Parent Night (Drama Theater)

4-6

IASAS Art & Music in Manila Dance/Drama/Debate/ Forensics & Tech in Taipei

8

March 2010 * Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm 15-16 Parent Teacher Conferences for Preschool through Gr.5 .

No school for preschool-grade 5 15-18 Peer Support Wellness Week in HS 15

6pm IS/MS/HS Strings Concert (Auditorium)

10am HS PTA Coffee (H301)

16

10am Booster Club Mtg. (H301)

8-10

3:15pm Asian Film Fest (H301)

17

Parent Teacher Conferences for Preschool No school for preschool

8-12

Visiting Author / Poet Nikki Grimes

9-15

IS/MS/HS Music Festival

18

3rd Quarter Ends 3:15 - 4:15pm NHS Inductions (Drama Theater)

10

Alternate Dress Day

19

Inservice Day (No School for Students)

12

6pm & 7.30pm Music Festival Band Concerts

20-28 Spring Break

13

4pm Music Festival Choral Concert 7pm Star Appeal Dinner, Goodwood Park Hotel

29

4th Quarter Begins

April 2010 1

7pm HS AP Art Opening

2-11

HS Art Show

2

Public Holiday ( Good Friday)

5

8:15am-9:15am IS Parent Coffee 10am HS PTA Coffee (H301)

8-10

IASAS Badminton & Softball in Bangkok IASAS Track & Field in Singapore

8

4:30 & 7pm HS Scenes and Monologues Performances (Drama Theater)

12-16 Visiting RLA Consultant: Janine King 12

10:00am MS Parent Coffee (MS Library)

13

10:00am Booster Club meeting (H301)

14

10:00am Late Start for students AM Preschool is canceled Alternate Dress Day

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

5

-

C

C

THE TWO s OF URRICULUM onsistency in the Reading Language Arts/English Curriculum -

Clarity and C

By Louise Perdana, Director of Curriculum, Office of Learning Photos: Louise Donaghey, Primary Literacy Coach, and Dolly Ngai, grade 5 instructional assistant Twelve months ago the RLA/English committee reported the review findings from their Curriculum Cycle Study Year. Five major recommendations emerged: 1. Essential Agreements and Expectations Refine the RLA/English philosophy and curriculum to clearly reflect essential agreements of what is most important for students to know, understand and be able to do within an exemplary program.

2. Articulation Review and revise the curriculum to ensure appropriate scope, sequence and consistency of learning across grade levels through clear articulation within and between divisions.

3. Academic Rigor Ensure all students are appropriately challenged.

4. Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment OF Learning Consolidate assessment practices to ensure assessment effectively informs learning as well as measures learning.

5. Communication Continue to optimize ways to effectively communicate information relating to RLA/English.

Since the report, progress has been made on all recommendations.

Writing Celebration: A time to share growth in writing with family

In addition to refining the RLA/English philosophy, a graduate profile was created to articulate what students are expected to know, understand and be able to do by the end of grade 12. Literacy agreements have been developed, along with plans for implementing them.

Professional Learning Communities, led by our literacy coaches, department chairs and visiting consultants, have served as avenues for building common understandings and providing professional development to actualize these agreements and plans.

The work done on the first recommendation laid important groundwork for the RLA/English Curriculum Committee to develop a curriculum that ensures appropriate scope, sequence and consistency of learning across grade levels through clear articulation within and between divisions. This has been achieved through:

•

consolidation of the nine existing RLA/English standards into four overarching standards: reading, writing, listening and speaking, and conventions

•

a new curriculum framework with a tight, consistent and clearly organized format

•

identified skills and concepts within the four standards translated into specific learning outcomes

•

collaboration and cross-checking from grade to grade and division to division to ensure appropriate sequencing and articulation of these outcomes preschool - grade 12

•

examples to illustrate and clarify the outcomes where appropriate

Office of Learning

6

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

While academic rigor and assessment will be addressed more fully when the revised curriculum is implemented next fall, the wheels for addressing these recommendations are already in motion. Director of Assessment and Educational Data, Jennifer Sparrow, has been working closely with faculty to promote best practices in assessment specific to RLA/English. This includes optimizing use of available data to inform instruction and developing appropriate measures of achievement. Next steps involve developing schoolwide common rubrics aligned to the RLA/English learning targets. Clear and consistent assessment is a vital step in determining individual student needs and planning appropriate challenge.

The work on the recommendations thus far, particularly the revised curriculum, brings a new level of clarity and consistency to the RLA/English program. What are the benefits to student learning?  The progression and specificity of learning targets consolidate and build on students’ previous learning and provide clear and consistent expectations.  Writing has received particular attention to ensure students experience a consistent approach and have opportunities to write a balanced variety of genre.  Conventions are “spelled” out. Recognized as an area of need, the curriculum promotes both accuracy and understanding of the role conventions play in effective communication.  Behaviors that contribute to effective communication, such as building reading and writing stamina and interacting appropriately in discussions, are clearly articulated in the curriculum to help students build positive habits of mind along with skills and concepts.

Significant program enhancements are underway to ensure recommendations continue to be addressed. These include the addition of six teachers and doubling the time for RLA in grades 7 and 8. The positive impact on student-teacher ratios will significantly benefit learning and assessment, as well as provide greater attention to student writing. To address different academic interests and needs, high school juniors and seniors will have ten course options, including four new courses: Film as Literature, Science Fiction Studies, Winning Contemporary Literature, and Mythology and Ancient Texts. Additionally, AP Language and AP Literature will be offered in both grades.

Building Effective Behaviors: Reading Stamina

The work achieved this year would not be possible without the dedicated members of the RLA/ English Curriculum Committee, and the leadership of Louise Donaghey (Primary School Literacy Coach), Jodi Bonnette (Intermediate School Literacy Coach), Scott Riley (Middle School RLA Department Chair), Amy Zuber Meehan and Jeri Kett (High School English Department Co-Chairs). The Office of Learning extends thanks and congratulations to everyone involved for their exemplary work.

The RLA English Committee collaborates during an inservice day.

Finally, through articles like this the Office of Learning endeavors to address the review recommendation to optimize ways to effectively communicate information relating to RLA/English. The Primary and Intermediate Schools have hosted Parent Coffees on their specific approaches to literacy, and the Middle School will host a Parent Coffee with consultant Janine King on April 12.

Office of Learning SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

7

Research papers with a difference

By Anne Marie Russell, HS English

For many tenth grade students, the last English class before Interim Semester was anything but usual. It was an exciting celebration of their research, writing and publishing skills, as they shared their projects with their equally excited peers, teachers and author-in-residence Candace Fleming.

We were privileged to have Fleming working with ten English classes during the first four weeks of the semester. She guided us in researching, writing and producing projects in the “scrapbook’”style of her appealing historical biographies. As part of our study of the American Dream, some students researched the 1920s in conjunction with their study of The Great Gatsby, while others used Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers as a starting point to examine the roots of their family’s success, the achievement of their American Dreams. All students benefited from Fleming’s expertise, whether it was -•

using her books as models: “I went through her book lots of times to get a better idea of how to organize my project. The way she laid out her sidebars helped me especially.” (Hyo Bin Kang) “Through the research process Mrs. Fleming has been a helping hand, guiding us along and suggesting ways of gathering the information we needed. Although I only had a few conversations with her, I found that the books she wrote; especially the one about Benjamin Franklin, really gave me fantastic insights.” (Jason Li)

•

developing their research skills: “I learned that research involves more than just googling your topic or finding books about it. I learned research is talking to people, trying to find the story behind the story.” (Marc Schaeffer) “I learned that in the research process, it is important to keep asking questions because the more questions you ask the more specific details you will have for the end result.” (Abby Schmidt) “The most difficult factor I came across in the process was going deeper in collecting the information. When one question is answered, it leads to another and could go on.” (Shane Soetaniman) “She [Mrs Fleming] gave a lot of tips on how to have a good interview with people and it worked like a charm on my parents, especially the phrase, ‘Tell me about that’” (Anonymous) “The research project process has taught me a lot about how to organize your time wisely and when to do what. I realized that you don’t just research in the beginning. You’re researching all the time, even at the end when you’re almost finished with the project.” (Amy Yuan) “The most important thing that I learned about the research process is that it takes time, and the answer just doesn’t pop up on Wikipedia. Sometimes you have to search extra hard to find what you want. I learned that if I enjoy doing a project or activity that I can actually spend hours at a time researching or writing about the subject.” (Jack McCabe)

8

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

•

revising their writing: “Through this research project I was able to learn how to …organize the information and write with voice.” (Anonymous) “She told me something I will never forget and will embrace throughout the rest of my writing ‘career,’ I’m not a good writer, I’m a good re-writer.” (Anonymous)

•

learning the importance of layout and presentation: “She taught us how to use sidebars effectively and place pictures in the right positions.” (Seong Hyun Ju)

•

enjoying the process: “Mrs Fleming helped a lot in the research process by being an inspiration. Having published so many books that are very informative and fun to read, we could see that doing a research project can actually be fun. “(Sanuja Bose) “I enjoyed learning more about my parents’ past in this project; I always kind of thought that they were never really young! It was also quite nice to learn more about my father because he travels very often and this project gave us time to sit down and discuss stuff.” (Anonymous) “I learned that when it comes to something I’m very interested in, I’m able to really focus and get everything done on time.” (Nikki Hussey)

•

learning something about themselves: “For me, I have always really wanted to find out about my family, but just never had the time. Now with this project I found out that it wasn’t easy at all for my family to get to where we are today. We worked hard, but at the same time we had a lot of opportunities.” (Irene Rozett)

The tenth grade English team would like to thank the PTA for funding Candace’ visit. We were inspired to try something different and are excited about future opportunities with the author-in-residence program.

Global Giving keeps on giving

By Taylor Baildon, co-vice president

The high school Global Giving club was able to retain its fitting title last year by adding to the list of countries and schools it has aided.Global Giving has been around for seven years and ships out an average of 100 boxes of school supplies each year.

Over the years the club has assisted schools in China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, India, South Africa, and Tanzania.

This past year, Global Giving focused on collecting and boxing up school supplies and raising money to ship these boxes to a school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Students in the Intermediate School made generous donations last winter, which included pencils, crayons, children’s books and coloring books. Many high school teachers donated their old textbooks. Through fundraising events, such as Food Fest and County Fair, Global Giving raised enough money to ship these provisions to Dar es Salaam. This year the club hopes to surpass its 100-box average and aid even more schools around the globe.Thanks to the help of club sponsors Mr. Mark Guggisberg, Mr. Erik Torjesen and Mrs. Yan Shi and the generous SAS community, Global Giving officers are confident that the club will achieve these goals and continue to help schools in need for years to come.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

9

the 2

nd

Annual night at the Park!

SAS Baseball Field Saturday, March 6, 2010

SEAYBST vs. X-MEN Game Time at 7:00pm Pre-Game Fan-Fest kids events begin at 5:00pm

American Style Baseball Fun for the Whole Family!

Home Run Derby and other Fan-Fest Contests for ALL ages!

Tickets:

$10 / person advance purchase *, $12 / person at the gate $30/ Family (for families of 4 or more) advance purchase $35/ Family rate (at the gate)

*Advance tickets available at SACAC Sports Office, SACAC Counseling Office at The American Club, and at the baseball fields at weekend games!

This event is sponsored by Singapore’s 5 SEAYBST (South East Asia Youth Baseball and Softball Tournament) teams and

by SACAC. Funds will be used to support the 5 youth baseball and softball teams who will represent SAS and Singapore at this year’s tournament in Manila, Philippines over Spring Break and to support SACAC community service bowling program. Your support is greatly appreciated!

SACAC basketball hosts the slingers SACAC’s youngest basketball players were thrilled when the Singapore Slingers stopped by the Singapore American School after SACAC’s regularly scheduled Saturday games to shoot hoops with the kids. The Slingers, Singapore’s only professional basketball team, finished second in the 2009/2010 ASEAN Basketball League and took time out from their busy playoff schedule to conduct a training clinic for the SACAC Grades 3 and 4 Basketball League. And this was not the first but the second time they have visited SACAC since the kids started playing in November! These clinics are part of an ongoing grassroots community development program emphasized by the Singapore Slingers organization. The kids were all grins as the clinic was capped off with an autograph signing session and free tickets to the Slingers’ playoff game against third place Satria Muda BritAma (Indonesia) on 31st January. Thank you Slingers for working with SACAC to highlight the COMMUNITY in Singapore American Community Action Council.

Booster Club

Booster Club

Booster Club

Booster Club

Booster Club

From the President

To 8th Grade and High School Parents

The Booster Club has been enjoying another year establishing more of a presence in the High School and supporting and encouraging school spirit. If you have been by the Booster Booth you have seen the many spirit items and SAS logo items for sale with new items added regularly.

For the first time that we know of the Booster Club held a barbeque for the students and staff during the school day. It was held on the same day of the Pep Assembly, as a send off to our IASAS second season athletes. Volunteers grilled hotdogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers along with selling snow cones. The students seemed to really enjoy something different and it added to the celebration. We look forward to doing it again for our third season athletes.

As the year is drawing to a close we are in the process of forming the board for next year. If you would be interested in being on the slate of next year’s Executive Booster Board, which consists of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, please contact Maria Crema, Chair of the Nominating Committee, at gmcrema@aol.com If you are interested in any other Booster volunteer Booster Club opportunities please contact me directly at susanfay@aol.com.

Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, March 16 H301, 10 am Everyone is welcome!

Susan Fay Booster Club President http://booster.sas.edu.sg

Booster Club

Volunteer possibilities seem to decrease as our children get into high school but Boosters is the perfect way to remain involved and in the loop! At SAS, the Booster Club supports not only the high school’s athletic teams but also the visual and performing arts, and extracurricular and scholastic activities. So no matter what your interests or what your student is involved in, we can use your help.

Following up on the terrific success of this program we are looking for volunteers for the committee. If you are interested please contact Janice Chumakov at janicechumakov@yahoo.com.sg or call 9780-6105.

Booster Club

Booster Club's Cookbook Committee

We hope to compile a SAS cookbook in time for next year’s holiday shopping. But many decisions need to be made to make it a reality. If you are interested please contact Janice Chumakov at janicechumakov@yahoo.com.sg or call 9780-6105.

Booster Club

Booster Club

MENTOR FOR A DAY 2010

Booster

Festival of Stories: Reading makes you feel good

By Kirk Palmer, PS librarian

R

eading really does make you feel good, and the Primary Division celebrated just that for two weeks in January.

The festival committee, made up of Sarah Poland, Robyn Schwarz, Gwen Brill, Michelle Morton, Barbara Procida,Trent Williams and Kirk Palmer, decided that Todd Parr’s book Reading Makes You Feel Good would be an excellent theme to reinforce the idea that the skill of reading is important and powerful and that the benefits of reading can indeed make you feel good. Each classroom received a mysterious package with instructions not to open until January 18. Everyone quickly figured out it was a book, but which book?

Beginning the festival with an exciting and entertaining kickoff on January 15 was a Hop-a-long and Shoo-fly show in Mr. Bookman’s bookilicious library (in the Elementary Theater). The newest library assistant, Amelia Bedelia, was introduced with all kinds of mayhem following. Everyone agreed that she needed to learn more about dusting, stamping and especially about taking notes!

To help get the right atmosphere throughout the Primary School, students made READ posters similar to the ones that famous celebrities have done for the American Library Association.

12

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

On January 18 at 8:10 am, Principal David Hoss announced over the central loudspeaker that the Festival of Stories had officially started, and all classrooms should open their packages. All across kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 classrooms, in perceptual motor classes, in the library and other classrooms, students and teachers opened the packages and began to read their copies of Reading Makes You Feel Good. It was a record-setting mass read. With the good feelings that it generated, the festival had began.

Special activities happened everywhere. Parents shared special poems in Poetry Breaks on four different days. Classrooms heard favorite poems by Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky and an entire range of other poets. Some of the Poetry Breakers wore amazing hats or carried interesting items. Second grade teacher David Taylor commented that between Poetry Break and the reading they have been doing in class, many of his students have been inspired to write their own poems and share them in class.

Each grade 1 class chose an author to learn more about. They then wrote and drew pictures about the author, put them all together and decorated classrooms and doors.

Taking advantage of a casual visit to Singapore, Caldecott-winning illustrator Eric Rohmann was invited to share his illustrating skills with the kindergarten classes. Rohmann shared his award winning book My Friend Rabbit and some other tips on illustrating, such has how just a few small lines in an illustration can change the whole story. The good listeners of Lisa Wan’s class put those ideas into action by drawing and then writing their own books.

Grades 1 and 2 held special days, such as Favorite Book Day and Pajama Day, reinforcing the idea that choosing a good book or two is fun and that sharing favorite books introduces them to friends and colleagues. Who doesn’t enjoy curling up with a good book, maybe a soft toy or two and reading?

One of the highlights was BEAR Time (Be Excited About Reading). Deputy Principal Ken Schunk and a very large growly bear, who just happened to be visiting the principal’s office, signaled the kids it was time to Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) for the next ten minutes. And they did! Everyone, wherever they were grabbed a book and snuggled up, enjoyed the break from routine and read just because it felt so good.

Like all good things it had to come to an end. Thirty-six classes gathered on the floor in the courtyard. Librarian Kirk Palmer welcomed them and then turned the mike over to Schunk who read Reading Makes You Feel Good one more time.

Then Principal Hoss officially declared the very successful Festival of Stories closed. The only thing missing was the passing of the torch to return to Mount Olympus until the next festival.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

13

PTA GALA DINNER A

Article by Shelby P Photos by M

The SAS PTA held its annual Gala Dinner Mandarin Hotel. The evening began with g compliments of Brewerkz. In addition, th Blanc and Indian Pale Ale. The Silent Au items ranging from jewelry to househ vouchers, travel packages, sports package home by Brewerkz/Wine Garage! This yea lucky draw cash prizes of $50/100s – who Auction ended.

After the Silent Auction, guests proceeded dinner specially prepared by Chef Han an cially chosen for the evening. The ballroom beige, with subtle oriental touches reflect pared each of the four courses with a spec ster, salmon and scallops was paired with sor Viva Vino. The second course was a po Riesling by Trocken. The main course was accompanied by an Australian Syrah/Gre macadamia pudding with rum raisin ice courtesy of Viva Vino All the wines were Brewerkz. The evening was infused with fu brought humor and cheer to the evening.

The live auction was lively to say the least! auction by Eastern Carpets. The excitem Devins, regional director of the Four Seaso prize of a 5-night stay at their new resort of Four Seasons Resorts, went for an im Harley Davidson started the bike up in the ballroom to lots of noise and applause. Th made for an exciting vignette during the monetary results were fabulous for SAS

The evening ended on a new note! The ba few people remained seated as everyon danced until about 1 am. All in all, it was raisers, the funds from this event will go ba grams and scholarships for our children.

The Gala Dinner Committee wishes to exp and especially major sponsors Santa Fe Re ern Carpets. Without their generous supp have been possible.

AND AUCTION 2010

Pazos, Event Chair Mairead Ross

on Saturday, February 6 at the Meritus glasses of Partida Nectar Agave Margarita, he guests enjoyed a Montes Sauvignon uction featured 119 beautifully displayed hold items, antiques, paintings, dinner es, and a dinner for ten catered in one’s ar we had the novel “Lantern Ladies” with o sold out of their items before the Silent

d to the ballroom to enjoy a four-course nd enjoy the remaining four wines espem tables were attired in elegant shades of ting the Chinese New Year. Chef Han precific Asian element. The first course of loba lovely Vinho Verde from our new sponotato leek broth accompanied by a white a choice of veal or chicken with foie gras enache. Dessert was a black cherry and cream accompanied by a Neiport Port, e carefully chosen by Treys Laredo from un as Terry Johnson, the MC for the event,

! The guests enjoyed the exquisite carpet ment only grew, however, when Susan ons, got up on stage and helped pitch the in the Seychelles! The package, courtesy mpressive $10,000! . Later, Damon from e Silent Auction room and rode it into the he bike went for a bargain at $36,000 and evening. The fun was infectious and the

and, Enigma, started playing at 10:30 and ne was on the dance floor. The guests successful evening. As with all PTA fundack to SAS in the form of equipment, pro-

press its sincerest thanks to all sponsors elocation Services, Wine Garage and Eastport, the success of this event would not

PTA PRESIDENT’S LETTER Let me begin this month’s letter with a huge “Thank You” to the event chairs of two of PTA’s largest events of the school year: PTA Gala Dinner: Shelby Pazos and her dedicated team worked incredibly hard to put on a fabulous evening on February 6 at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel. I would like to thank all Gala Dinner volunteers for their tremendous efforts in pulling off another successful auction and dinner.

PTA County Fair: Arathi Nilakantan, Vidya Sambamurthy and their enthusiastic committee of volunteers organized a wonderful event on February 27, which was successful in bringing the entire SAS community together for a day of fun and enjoyment of an American tradition. Many people may not realize the toll that a large-scale event such as this exacts on volunteers’ time for themselves and their families, and to this end, I’d like to extend my deepest appreciation for everyone who worked at the fair.

When talking about the various PTA events, parents often ask what the PTA does with the funds raised at the County Fair, Food Fest and the Gala Dinner. Let me first provide some examples of how we work with various groups to fund-raise. If you attended the County Fair, you most likely noticed that some of the food and game booths were run

by High School clubs. Prior to the fair, PTA representatives work with these clubs to develop booth ideas and to obtain sponsorships. The students, under the guidance of their teacher sponsors, are responsible for setting up and manning the booths during the event. The PTA provides most of the supplies needed by each club, and the sale proceeds of the booth are split, with 75% going to the club and 25% to the PTA. As clubs often find it difficult to raise funds, events like Food Fest and County Fair provide them an opportunity to garner financial support, which is then typically channeled back into the local charities with which they work.

Funds that are raised by the PTA are allocated through each division’s Fund Spending Requests. At the end of the last school year, the PTA contributed over $340,000 to support these requests. Examples of items purchased through PTA grants include LCD projectors, digital playaways, cameras, art drawing tablets, Lenovo Think Pads, $67,000 worth of books for libraries and classrooms, funding for a $30,000 Ecology Environment (2 gardens and 1 marine aquarium) in the Intermediate Division, $30,000 for an author in residence in the High School, and the list goes on. Each year, we also sponsor class parties, visiting authors, artists and musicians, High School Interim Semester scholarships and High School senior scholarships and underwrite many other SAS programs.

All this would not be possible without the support of the SAS community either by volunteering at events, attending these functions or by offering sponsorships. We have had a great year so far and appreciate all the hard work and support from the PTA membership and greater SAS community.

As always, we encourage you to contact us with questions or suggestions that you may have for the PTA. Mae Anderson PTA President mae.anderson@mac.com

16

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Great Gift Ideas from PTA Sales Hop-A-Long’s Schoolhouse DVD set – Nominated for a Best Children's Video Award, Hop-A-Long's Schoolhouse DVD set, featuring Hop-A-Long Hoss and Shoo-Fly Schunk is now available in the PTA Sales Office. The Hop-A-Long's Schoolhouse DVD set includes three exclusive episodes, a music CD, a fullcolor poster and lyrics to all the Hop-A-Long music and songs. Developed by and featuring SAS Primary School Principal David Hoss and Deputy Principal Ken Schunk, the Hop-A-Long's Schoolhouse DVD set is a great gift idea for children of all ages!! $40.00/Set. A portion of the proceeds from the sale benefits the SAS PTA.

SAS Cardigan Sweater – Beautiful light-weight cotton sweater elegantly embroidered with the SAS logo. Available exclusively at PTA Sales Office. $30.00 each SAS Hooded Sweatshirt – Hooded sweatshirt with zipper – perfect for chilly rides on the bus or cool classrooms – featuring the SAS logo. $30.00 each – only at the PTA Sales Office.

American Girl/18” Plush Toy Apparel – This exclusive apparel matches the SAS traditional uniform as well as the PE outfit and is perfect for boys’ and girls’ 18” doll or plush toys. $25.00/set SAS Backpack Tag – Not only perfect for backpacks but a great identification option for music cases, sports bags, luggage, etc.

Only $5.00 each.

PTA Sales Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm

2010/11 PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS & REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS The PTA Nominating Committee is seeking nominees for 2010/11 PTA executive committee positions: president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. A slate of candidates will be submitted at the PTA Annual General Meeting on May 11, 2010. Nominations will be accepted until April 27, two weeks prior to the election. If you would like to submit your name or nominate someone, please contact one of the following Nominating Committee members: Susan Fay (Committee Chair), susanfay@aol.com; Anne Chan, chanyyanne@yahoo.com; Kim Johnson, johnsonbkc@aol.com.

The PTA is also seeking volunteers for the 2010/11 academic year to chair or work with various committees. Detailed descriptions of the committees are available on the PTA website at http://pta.sas.edu.sg/Board/CommitteeStructure/ tabid/60/Default.asp. To express an interest in volunteering, please contact PTA president Mae Anderson by email at mae.anderson@mac.com .

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

17

11th Annual SAS Music Festival We are delighted to announce that the 13th Annual SAS Music Festival will take place March 9 - 15. Visiting conductors and clinicians will work with all strings, choir and band ensembles in the IS, MS and HS divisions, taking concert repertoire to the next level and working with students to hone their musical crafts. While at SAS, these amazing guest musicians will also provide valuable professional development for the Music Faculty. Two of them will conduct the strings and choir students in a special concert.

Some classes may combine to create larger ensembles, as well as combining cross-divisionally.

Strings •

Conductor: Dr. William LaRue Jones Director/Conductor of the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, Director of Orchestral Studies and Graduate Conducting at the University of Iowa, and the Artistic Director of the Conductors Workshop of America.

Concert - Monday, March 15, 6 pm, SAS Drama Theatre Ensembles Performing: • IS and MS Combined Beginner Strings • Cadet Strings and Grade 6 Advanced Strings • Grade 7/8 Intermediate Strings and Grade 6 Advanced Strings • Grade 7/8 Advanced strings

• • •

MS/HS Cello Choir and Vocal Soloist HS Concert Strings HS String Ensemble

Choir •

Conductor: Stephen Leek

Teacher of Composition and Improvisation at the Queensland ConservatoriumGriffith University, Board Member of the International Federation of Choral Music, Joint founder of The Australian Voices, Composer in Residence at the Marktoberdorf Musik Akademy, Germany.

Concert - Saturday, March 13 4:00 PM, SAS HS Auditorium: Ensembles Performing: • IS Treble Makers • Chanterie • MS Tiger Choirs • Chorale • SAS Singers

Band Clinicians: • •

• •

Laurence Gargan - Principal Trumpet with the SSO Carolyn Sonderegger - Oboe section member of the SSO

•

•

Scott Jones - Director of Bands at Concordia University Dr. Jun Qian - Asst. Professor of Clarinet at St. Olaf University Noah Abdul - Local professional musician on Saxophone and Clarinet David Smith - Associate Principal Trumpet of the SSO

•

Jonathan Lim - Saxophone player in the Singapore Armed Forces Band Larissa Tupitsina - Flute Specialist

•

Jamie Hersch - Associate Principal Horn of the SSO

•

Kevin Steward - Conductor of Brass Bands, United Kingdom

•

Concert - March 12, 6 pm, SAS Auditorium

Concert - March 12, 7:30 pm, SAS Auditorium

Ensembles Performing:

Ensembles Performing: Grade 6 Intermediate Band Grade 7/8 Advanced Band HS Concert Band HS Wind Ensemble

IS and MS Combined Beginning Bands Grade 7/8 Intermediate Band High School Symphonic Band

Concert admissions are free and all are welcome! We hope you’ll enjoy the performances! SAS Music Faculty

18

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Lessons from Loung

By David Hevey, MS journalism teacher

T

his past December, the SAS PTA sponsored a visit from author Loung Ung. For those who are not familiar with her, Loung is an American author of Cambodian descent. Her novels, First They Killed My Father and Lucky Child, are autobiographical accounts of her escape from Cambodia during the rise to power of the notorious Khmer Rouge and her eventual immigration to the United States. She spent three days with students, teachers and parents discussing her experiences in Cambodia and explaining her insights into the political landscape of the country then and now. She also shared her expertise as a community service leader with school community service club sponsors.

I found Loung to be a most captivating person and enduring soul. After reading her novels and spending some time with her, I was particularly moved by the recurring theme in her life: Do not take for granted the oneness that you have with your family. For children, such as the young Loung, who are torn from their homes, who witness atrocities and are abandoned, the loss of this oneness becomes the defining event in their lives.

While most succumb to the demons that follow, a few are able to overcome and make something from their loss. Loung is one of those survivors.

Her message of the importance of oneness is a theme that is worth checking and rechecking in our own lives.

As adults we are painfully aware that there are so many ways this oneness with family can be broken: disease and death, addiction, work and socio-politics. Loung and other victims of these tragedies speak with one voice not only to remind us to cherish the unity that we have with our families, but also to do everything to preserve the strength of this bond. Perhaps we can also extend ourselves to the families who, for whatever reason, are not together. With this in mind, it is particularly heartening to see the SAS community’s enthusiastic response to the Haiti earthquake relief. The selfless efforts of the people who organized and participated in this relief will undoubtedly work to restore the unity in some homes.

Insurance Coverage The school maintains commercial insurance coverage for customary risks, including comprehensive liability, loss of school-owned property and fire insurance. The school does not maintain medical or accident insurance for students, parents or guests or for theft or loss of personal property, such as laptops and mobile phones. Parents are encouraged to arrange such insurance with one of the many carriers in Singapore.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

19

Local author visits fifth graders

By Jennifer Koltutsky, grade 5 teacher

On January 29, the fifth graders at SAS were treated to a special visit from Singaporean author Adeline Foo. Students enjoyed a 30-minute session with the author at which she spoke candidly about being a published author. Adeline shared with students where her ideas for her books come from and also the process a book goes through before it is published. Foo is a mother of three, so she gets a lot of book ideas from her kids.

Adeline Foo has written several children’s books. Her Diary of Amos Lee books are popular among this age group. No wonder: the main character keeps a journal while going to the toilet! The humor in these books has indeed captured the attention of our fifth graders.

The students were invited to purchase the first two books in the series, which Foo then autographed.

Diary of Amos Lee has been nominated by the International School Libraries Network for the “Red Dot Award.” This is a children’s choice award. Winners will be announced in March.

HS Scuba Club Dive-a-thon

Scuba Club members (from left to right) Matt Rees, Josh Choe, Jessica Schult, Cian Leow, and Andrew Farrell. Photo by Kim Schult.

By Kim Schult, HS math teacher Coral reefs are sometimes called the “rainforests of the sea” because they contain some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. In addition to supporting an astonishing diversity of fish and plant species, coral reefs play a vital role in water filtration, shore line protection, and erosion prevention.

Unfortunately, the world’s reefs are in a crisis situation. By some accounts, over 25% of the world’s coral reefs have already been destroyed. Almost 90% of the coral reefs in Southeast Asia are at risk, and approximately 65% of the coral reefs worldwide are at risk. Threats to coral reefs include pollution, over-fishing, dynamite and cyanide fishing, bleaching, disease and sedimentation. Through sponsorship of underwater clean-ups, coral reef conservation and data collection efforts, reef management advocacy and many other initiatives, Project Aware is working to save our coral reefs.

On April 29 – 30, the High School Scuba Club will be sponsoring a 24-hour Dive-a-Thon to raise money for Project Aware.

The Dive-a-Thon will take place in the MS/HS pool, starting at 8 pm on April 29, and ending at 8 pm on April 30. The goal is to have at least 4 divers underwater for the entire duration of the Dive-a-Thon. All faculty, staff, students and family members who have diving certification are welcome to participate.

Food, movies, music and underwater games and competitions will provide entertainment for both divers and spectators. Divers who are diving in an overnight slot are strongly encouraged to sleep at the pool. Parents of Scuba Club members will be on-site throughout the Dive-a-Thon to supervise activities on the pool deck, and divers will be monitored by dive masters, instructors and faculty at all times. To raise money, divers will be asked to obtain sponsors who will make pledges based on the length of time the diver is underwater. The Scuba Club will also be soliciting corporate donations. T-shirts will be available for purchase, and there will be prizes for the winners of the underwater competitions.

More details will be coming out in March, but mark your calendar now and plan to join the Scuba Club to raise money for this important cause while having a great time diving with your friends and family!

20

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Boys Varsity Tennis

By Roy Tomlinson, HS teacher

The SAS Boys Varsity Tennis team completed a successful season with a fourth place finish at IASAS. Team captains Sid Shanker and Neil Parekh provided great leadership throughout the season. In the final match of the tournament, Sid and Aaditya Chowdhry had a thrilling 3-set win over Manila, to complete a team victory over the defending champions. With parents, the girls team and fans cheering them on, Sid and Aaditya fought off a match point before emerging victorious. Kartik Das also won a 3-set thriller in the Manila match, to contribute to the positive finish by the Eagles. Freshman Sasha Kingsley had a strong IASAS tournament, finishing with a 3-2 record, including a victory over the all-tournament player in his division.

The Boys Team won the UWCSEA Invitational Tournament (pictured above) and placed second in the ACSIS (Singapore schools) Tournament. Singles player Rohan Bharvani and the doubles team of Shawn Teng and Spencer Koh had particularly strong outings during ACSIS. The boys will lose only three seniors from this year’s tough team, so the future is certainly bright for these Eagles.

Varsity Girls Tennis

By Tim Thompson, HS teacher

Jakarta International School and a host facility at a nearby school were the setting for the IASAS 2010 Tennis tournament. SAS brought four 9th graders to this final event in high hopes of competing evenly with the other IASAS schools. Together with the senior co-captains Caroline Hui and Arshia Ahuja, and juniors Vaishnavi Krishnan and Sophia Cheng, the entire team battled to a 3-1 record with the only loss to the undefeated TAS team who played (almost) the entire 2009 returning team. Playing for the silver against ISB and being 2-2 with wins from 3rd singles Lianne Adamopoulos and 2nd singles Sonia Parehk, it all came down to 1st singles and SAS’s Margaret-Anne Smith against a junior ranked “IFT” player from ISB. After a close two sets, the silver medal went to the ISB team, and SAS earning the bronze for 3rd place. A great effort by the entire team against strong competition.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

21

SAS IASAS report

By David Dickson Photos by Anthony Selley

In a repeat of last year’s IASAS final, SAS played JIS for the coveted Rugby gold medal. It was expected to be a fascinating game of rugby. The JIS team was formidable and had steam-rolled the opposition using their massive size and weight. SAS had won their round robin games, but in nowhere near a convincing manner as JIS; both team had come to the final undefeated, having played a 12-12 draw in their pool match.

The game started at a fast pace with the huge JIS team attempting to beat the smaller and faster SAS team with brute force. SAS literally tackled everything that JIS threw at them, with the SAS team attempting to play a fast open game. JIS scored first, and SAS replied with Max Shaulis scoring after a blistering 40-metre run up the right sideline to equal the score 5-5, when the teams went to half time.

Shortly after the break the JIS scored a converted try, the score now 5-12.

Once again SAS came back at JIS forcing an error as the JIS backline

22

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

dropped the ball. Andrew Milne, who had tackled everything in sight, showed he could also score tries, swooping onto the loose ball to sprint to the try line and score. The score was 10-12 and was anybody’s game.

JIS went on the offensive and kept SAS pinned into their own half with SAS defending grimly. Eventually, the relentless pressure of JIS caused SAS’s defence to break. JIS scored twice in the last three minutes to give a final score of 10-24 – a score that was not at all indicative of just how close the game had been.

Throughout the tournament, the captain, Austin Cox, led from the front. The vice captains - Harry Fischer, Max Shaulis, Connor Murray and Brandon Lay (who played every minute of every game)- also led by example. Seniors James Bowers, Ed Sperling, Dylan Howell, Todd Shell and Nico Daily gave everything they had --and then found something extra. Sophomores Ciarin Ross, Stephen Nowak, Scott Rozen-Levy, Will Pazos and Andrew Milne, showed that they were ready to not only step up to Varsity but to show

they were capable at IASAS and played with heart and maturity.

The All-IASAS players were Max Shaulis, Austin Cox and Harry Fischer. Max Shaulis had topped the scoring at IASAS two years running.

Congratulations must go to the entire Varsity team, not just the IASAS players. SAS had a very successful season, not only finishing with the silver medal at IASAS, but also receiving silver medals at the Singapore International 7s and the Centaurs U18 10s.

Thanks must go to Mimi Molchan, Tomo Tanabe, all the parents who supported the rugby team throughout the season, and a special thanks to the lady Eagles touch team and the tennis players who came along to cheer at Jakarta!

At the second season awards night, Max Shaulis was named MVP, Connor Murray received the Coaches’ Award and Andrew Milne was named as captain of varsity rugby for 2010-2011.

Touch rugby

By Bill Hanagan

Touch Rugby is a high energy and fluid game that involves non-stop running and the need for constant substitutions, which are done on the fly (as in ice hockey). This year over 70 girls tried out for touch rugby, and 36 players were selected. The program consists of three squads with some movement between levels. The more experienced players were assigned to the varsity A or B side. The junior varsity team consisted of all freshmen. During the season the touch teams competed against other international schools, local universities/junior colleges and women’s club teams.

The 2009-10 girls touch rugby team (A-side) finished with 23 wins, 12 losses and 2 ties. In December they were runner ups in the AllAsian Schools Tournament, losing to UWC 2-1. They earned the bronze medal at the IASAS Tournament held in Jakarta in January 30. The varsity B side experienced a good level of success in local competitions, often making it to the final rounds.

Some noteworthy individual accomplishments of this year’s team were the All-IASAS selection of Erika Farias (co-captain) and Becky Kruetter. Lauren Felice (co-captain) was Most Valuable Player and was the leading point scorer with 34 tries and 13 assists. Farias and Isabella Shaulis tied for second leading scorer with a total of 36 offensive points each. Junior Kristen Skill was Most Improved Player.

Touch rugby continues to grow as a sport at SAS. This year the Middle School entered three teams in local competitions, girls grade 6 and a grade 7/8 A and B squad. Additional playing opportunities are available year round with leagues run by Touch Singapore and through Centaurs and Tangling Rugby Clubs.

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

23

EAGLES VARSITY SWIM TEAM

by Peter Clark, MS teacher

The SAS Varsity Swim Team has recently completed its season with gold and bronze medal success at the IASAS Swim Meet held at SAS. The boys’ team placed third, and the girls won the gold for the 12th successive time, a wonderful achievement.

There were many outstanding performances from the girls’ team, which contained 4 freshmen swimmers. Team captain Therese Vainius once again proved to be our top performer with 4 golds in the 50m and 200m freestyle, the 4x100 freestyle and the medley relay. Maya Kale had an outstanding meet, winning a bronze, 3 silvers (including an IASAS record swim in the preliminary round of the 50 fly) and a gold medal in the record breaking medley relay.

The girls’ 4x100m medley relay team of Jenny Alberts, Carolyn Koh, Therese and Maya not only won the event, but for the second year in a row, for an SAS team, also broke the IASAS record. The girls’ 4x50 freestyle relay team also won, which was a marvelous achievement for team captain Roxy Hesh and 3 freshmen, Tanvi Ahuja, Amanda Alberts and Monica Chritton. The girls once again proved too strong overall and have much to be proud of. The reign of the mighty lady eagles continues.

The boys’ team had what could best be described as a rebuilding season with only 4 swimmers remaining from the team that took the gold at IASAS last year. The vast number of personal best swims by the boys at IASAS was a testament to their hard work and team spirit. The SAS boys were led admirably by senior swimmers Ted Chritton, Dennis Chu, Dominic Wong, Alex Rossinsky and Duncan Clydes Dale with outstanding swims in all of their events.

Ted was simply outstanding at IASAS, both as a team leader and as a competitor. He had a great win in the 800m freestyle and then won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle. Ted’s performances this season were of a very high standard, and he set a new record in the SAS biathlon with a sub 20 minute performance, which ensured that he will be long remembered as one of the all time greats of the Eagles swim team.

This year’s seniors have all been great role models for the SAS swim team. Our team next year will sorely miss those swimmers who are leaving for college or other schools. Many thanks the dedication, hard work and inspiring swims.

March 1 Re-enrollment deadline has passed!

Summer Program 2010

The March 1 deadline for returning students to re-enroll for the 2010-2011 school year has now passed. If you have not informed the school of your intention to re-enroll or withdraw for 2010-2011, we encourage you to do so immediately.

The SAS summer program will offer an enriching and fun program, providing a blend of academics, arts and sports. A stimulating educational experience combined with a lighthearted attitude sets the summer pace.

The school accords returning students with first priority for enrollment for the upcoming year, provided that they responded by the deadline. SAS respects the opportunity for all families, returning and new, to make timely decisions in regard to their child’s education. Now that the re-enrollment deadline has passed, SAS is beginning the process of admitting new students for August 2010.

• Dates – June 14 to July 16 • Class times – Monday to Friday, 9 am – 1 pm • Five week program divided into two sessions o Session I June 14 to July 2 – 3 weeks o Session II July 5 to July 16 – 2 weeks

If you have questions regarding admissions or withdrawal, procedures please contact the Admissions Office at 6363-3403.

Questions regarding fees and deposits should be directed to the Finance Office at 6360-6324.

24

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Activities and classes are yet to be finalized but will likely include swimming, dance, gym sports, art, music, language arts, drama, math, technology, science and digital photography. We are also planning a language immersion trip, possibly to Taiwan. The program and class offerings will be posted on the SAS website in early April.

Eagles Win Gold!

By Mike Norman , HS teacher Photo by Emily Cremer

In a tense, hard-fought game that went down to the final minute, the SAS Eagles defeated Taipei American School 82-75 to win the 2010 IASAS Boys Basketball Championship.

After TAS had twice fought back from nine point deficits, the Eagles scored a key basket when Gabe Lee fed Rauson Clower off a set in-bounds play to widen the margin to three points. Clutch free throws by Clower and Dustin Sodano in the waning moments allowed the Eagles to widen the final score to 82-75.

Clower had a monster game with 29 points and 12 rebounds. He was helped by Trevor Peters with 15 points, Ian Bryson with 14 and Sodano with 12.

The Eagles had progressed to the championship game with victories over ISB ((76-58), ISKL (58-42), JIS (84-23), ISM (6938) and TAS (66-49). Bryson, Sodano and Clower were named to the All-IASAS team.

The depth of the team was a major factor in this year’s championship run as it was able to play the entire ten man roster in each game. Key minutes were contributed by Blake Peters, Andrew Farrell, Lucas Chiang, Ben Scieszka and Marc Wilson.

SAS concluded the season with a record of 27-6, which included a third place finish in the Hong Kong Holiday Tournament.

Eagles and Tigers head to head

By Chad Brekke, MS teacher

The girls varsity basketball team completed a very successful season by going 5-1 at the IASAS tournament in Kuala Lumpur last month. Team captains Rachel McCabe and Hannah Goodealong with Belinda Eg were instrumental in bringing home the gold medal. For a second straight year, the Eagles were matched against the Tigers from Taipei in the championship game. The Eagles came out with a vengeance and took an early lead 17-1, which set the stage for the rest of the game. The Eagles accomplished something that has not been done in 11 years and that was back-to-back championships at IASAS. All-tournament IASAS selections were Rachel McCabe, Michelle Bywater and Celeste Marsh.

At the end-of-season awards’ night, special trophies were presented to Belinda Eg and Rachel McCabe, who took home CoMVP hardware and were true leaders on and off the court. Coaches Chad Brekke and Rick Bisset would like to thank all the parents and players for memories that will last a lifetime. A special thanks to Kate McCabe and Julie Goode for being wonderful team moms! It was a pleasure ladies…congratulations SAS Eagles!

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

25

The dirt on waste management at SAS

By the Facilities and Services Office

With a daily population of over 4,800 students, staff, parents and visitors — occupying a sprawling property that can fit three White Houses with room to spare — SAS generates significant amounts of waste. For example: from August to December 2009, we disposed of over 162,000 kilograms of waste. That’s the weight of nearly 60 adult female Asian elephants!

August

Landfill waste Paper/carton Plastic Aluminum Total

September

October

November

December

Total

Kg

%

Kg

%

Kg

%

Kg

%

Kg

%

Kg

%

38,300

100

28,000

95.86

28,000

90.86

31,000

91.15

29,000

96.66

154,300

95.05

No data

0

1,200

4.11

2,800

9.09

3,000

8.82

1,000

3.33

8,000

4.93

No data

0

4

0.01

8

0.03

8

0.02

1

0.00

21

0.01

No data

0

5

0.02

10

0.03

2

0.01

1

0.00

18

0.01

38,300

100

29,209

100

30,818

100

34,010

100

30,002

100

162,339

100

SAS waste generation, August-December 2009. Source: Cleanway Disposal Services.

Our per capita waste generation — 0.2 kg per person per day — is small if we compare it to the United States (2 kg in 2008) or Singapore (3.3 kg). However, the U.S. recycled 33 percent of its waste in 2008, while Singapore recycled 56 percent. As for SAS, even though our recycling bins often overflow, in terms of weight we recycled only 5 percent of our waste from August to December.

Bin there, done that We have the activism and leadership of our students and faculty to thank for the recycling bins in the school. At the High School, for example, Steve Early coordinates aluminum can recycling while Fred Crawford focuses on paper waste. The SAVE Club collects printer cartridges. At the Middle School, ECO Club members regularly collect recyclables.

Inspired by these grassroots efforts, the Facilities and Services Office is aiming to improve and streamline waste management at SAS. To extend recycling efforts beyond the divisions, we have set up a recycling point just outside the PTA Office. A shed — itself made of reclaimed materials — houses bins for paper, aluminum and plastic.

Catching the composting bug Service Manager Henry Seow launched a school-wide composting initiative in January to help reduce the estimated 75 kg of food waste that our cafeterias accumulate daily. Six 220-liter Tumbleweed bins were filled with garden waste and vegetable/fruit scraps.

For an even closer look at composting, pop by the Primary School to see Wendy Liddell’s Can-o-Worms “worm condo” or head over to the Middle School to see Kate Thome’s worms churning out nutrient-rich “compost tea.”

Using compost at SAS will help us cut down on landfill waste, chemical use and landscaping expenses.

Sources

Cleanway Disposal Services (2010), SAS Tonnage Report, e-mail.

Environmental Protection Agency (2009), Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008, <http:// www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2008rpt.pdf> Helse Enterprise (2009), SAS Food Waste Report, e-mail.

National Environment Agency (2009), NEA Annual Report 2008/09, <http://web1.env.gov.sg/cms/ar2009/content/clean-land.html#sub4>

26

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

Harvard Model Congress shows Washington the way

By Eric Torjesen, HS teacher

Bucking the trend toward increased party polarization and gridlock in Washington, more than 200 students showed that bipartisan compromise is possible as they participated in the inaugural Harvard Model Congress Asia, which was held in Singapore, January 15-17.

Senior Alex Bakshi, representing Senator Max Baucus, demonstrated this ability to cross the aisle as he steered a public option containing health care bill successfully through the Senate with support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Sixteen SAS students participated in this excellent government simulation run by Harvard undergraduates. Small committee sizes and much interaction between committees allowed extensive participation by all delegates. SAS was a very active delegation, passing bills in both the House and the Senate, and leading debate and discussion in the Supreme Court and the Cabinet.

In addition to these U.S. government institutions, delegates represented OPEC, the WTO, lobbyist organizations and the press corps were present.

In Congress senators or representatives were Alex Bakshi, Dan Davis, Wei Li, Preeti Varathan and Monica Xie. Serving on the Supreme Court were Sejal Singh and Claudia Thieme. Members of the Presidential Cabinet were Barbara Hoffer and Marcin Kedziera. Karel Abdi, Lily Devins and Arriel Vaz were lobbyists. Elaine Chiu and Anna Kook served on the WTO. Sharmishta Sivaramakrishnan represented OPEC, and Kayla Utama covered all the committees on the press corps.

The Law Club looks forward to even more successful participation next year. Sponsored by Rick Bisset, Jack Fee and Erik Torjesen, the Law Club looks for students from U.S. Government and U.S. History courses interested in politics and in develop-

Grade 9 basketball team wins 7 out of 8

By Craig Derksen, grade 7 social studies teacher

From top: Coach Chris Bok, Ray Honensee, Tim Ng, Kwang Oh, Reylan Margono, Chris Gen, Jake Derksen, Matt Conklin, Vikas Rajopal, Albert Chen, Kyle Jo, Jessie Baicy, John Roberts (Pramana Sansui not pictured).

In its second year, the grade 9 Eagles basketball team took its game to a new level and looks to becoming a permanent fixture of the high school sports program. The Eagles had seven wins and only one loss during the season. In the championship game against St. Joseph’s, the boys lost a heartbreaker in overtime and ended up second place in the league. Coach Bok said, “This was a great defensively minded team. They brought great team defense and used it to propel themselves into an outstanding season. Their season was even more impressive considering that they were competing in an under-19 league, which meant that our 14 and 15 year old boys were routinely playing against 17 and 18 year olds.”

Congratulations to all the boys and to Coach Bok on an excellent season!

SAS NewsFlash – March 2010

27

The Singapore American School Visual Arts Department and National Art Honor Society present

w e a v e exhibition and

Silent Auction

A p r i l 8 - 9 , 2 010 The silent auction will take place on April 9, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

All proceeds to benefit Caring for Cambodia.

FILL

YOUR

WALL S

21 Tanjong Pagar #04-02 ,Singapore 088444