Singapore American School Newsflash, June 2004

NEWSFLASH A Singapore American School community service publication Volume 6, Issue 7-03/04 - Fourth Quarter 2004

SAS Receives $2 Million Contribution from Khoo Foundation

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n March, Singapore American School received notification from the Khoo Foundation that it was making a $2 million donation to the school to assist in the completion of the new high school library.

The Khoo Foundation is a charitable organization created by the late Khoo Teck Puat, a prominent Singaporean business tycoon and philanthropist who passed away in late February.

The SAS relationship with the Khoo family began when Khoo Teck Puat’s daughter Elizabeth enrolled her daughter Lauren in eighth grade. This May Lauren graduated from SAS and plans to attend Brown University.

SAS received the donation from the Khoo Foundation to a large extent because of the positive educational experience that Elizabeth Khoo believes her daughter has had in the school. Besides Lauren, four younger grandchildren of Khoo Teck Puat are currently attending SAS in primary and intermediate divisions.

The library will be a focal point of the new high school building, due to open in August.

Besides incorporating stunning architectural detail, the library will be able to house a 50,000-volume book collection and will be equipped with high-tech multi-media facilities for use by students, staff and parents.

When the new library opens in August there will be a plaque at the main entrance acknowledging Khoo Teck Puat’s generous contribution.

Ron Starker, high school librarian, and Bob Gross, SAS superintendent, holding the architect’s drawing of the new library

“ These funds will be a tremendous boost to our library, which we consider to be the heart and soul of our school,” said Ron Starker, high school librarian and media specialist. In voicing his gratitude to the Khoo Family, Ron stated, “ You are creating a lasting legacy in honor of your family. Future generations of learners will reap the benefits, and will be reminded of your family’s contribution to SAS. “ We have ambitious goals for this new library: we hope it will become the standard to which all international schools aspire. The new SAS High School Library will be a state-of-the-art facility. It will double our current space, and will eventually house over 50,000 books. Facilities will include: a multimedia theatre to broadcast films and online applications in all formats; a mini College and Career Library; a mini Modern Languages Library; and a computer lab with a mini Multimedia Computer Applications Room. The library will also offer remote access to our online databases, which contain full text articles from over 3,000 journals, magazines, and books. The new library will be a dramatic symbol of the school’s commitment to learning and knowledge. This beautiful setting will attract students and parents to our numerous resources, and will offer a dramatic venue for school events and displays.”

The new high school library will house over 50,000 books

2 Curriculum Committee

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Sally Greene (C) Richard Borsuk Edison Liu Maya Roll Garth Sheldon Mary Witkewicz

Chairman Shelley DeFord Vice-Chairman Garth Sheldon Members Richard M. Borsuk Melanie Chew Robert L. Comstock Sally G. Greene Lowell J. Gruman Edison Liu John Medeiros Maya Roll Carl Stocking Mary Witkewicz

Facilities Committee Garth Sheldon (C) Melanie Chew Robert Comstock Sally Greene Lowell Gruman John Medeiros

Finance Committee Carl Stocking(C) Richard Borsuk Robert Comstock Shelley DeFord Lowell Gruman Edison Liu

Board of Governors

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oard Member Michael Dee, appointed in January to the Board position vacated by Haywood Blakemore, has resigned his Board position.

The Dees are moving to Houston Texas where Mr. Dee will head the Houston office of Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Dee served on the Curriculum and Finance Committees of the Board of Governors.

Trust Committee John Medeiros(C) Melanie Chew Shelley DeFord Maya Roll Carl Stocking Mary Witkewicz

NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH is published bimonthly in October, December, February, April and June, by the Communications Office of the Singapore American School. It is circulated free of charge to the parents, faculty members and organizations served by the school. Inquiries and comments should be addressed to: COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Singapore American School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738547 6360-6303 email: ghan@sas.edu.sg SAS Home Page: http://www.sas.edu.sg Chairman of the Board Mrs. Shelley DeFord Superintendent Mr. Robert Gross Director of Business Affairs Mrs. Rhonda Norris

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rofessor Edison T. Liu has been appointed to take Michael Dee’s place on the Board of Governors.

Professor Liu, who arrived in Singapore with his family in 2001, is Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore. He and his wife Margaret have three children: Ashton (SAS ‘04), Connor, 8th grade, and Summitt, 3rd grade. Professor Liu is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Medical School. He was previously a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is currently a professor at the National University of Singapore. He also recently served on the Singapore Ministry of Education Committee to Restructure Secondary Schools.

As a volunteer in Singapore, Professor Liu has also participated on the External Advisory Committee of Singapore Polytechnic and the Bioethics Advisory Committee. In the U.S. he was on the Advisory Board of the Susan G. Komen (Breast Cancer Research) Foundation, the Board of Governors of the American Association for Cancer Research, and the General Motors Cancer Research Awards Committee.

Among Professor Liu’s many interests are jazz and classical piano, music composition, writing and public speaking. He also has a particular educational interest in science and technology, in language, and in a school environment that fosters a global perspective.

SAS Open House Saturday August 14 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Classes Start Monday August 16

From the Superintendent

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very school year starts with a spirited optimism about the growth, happiness and satisfaction that awaits us as the school year progresses.

Admittedly, in this code-orange world there are also concerns about terrorism, SARS or some other calamity that we hope won’t raise its ugly head during the school year. I am reminded of Mark Twain’s admonition: “ Worry is interest paid in advance on trouble that never happens.” It seems a waste to worry about something that likely will not happen, and if it does happen, there is only a minimal chance of changing the outcome.

With the end of this school year, we can report that the optimism in which we entered the year has certainly manifested itself in numerous and, often, spectacular ways during the school year. Our seniors, despite the occasional interruptions from the construction project, had an unusually successful year gaining acceptance into the top tier universities in the United States and, more importantly, gaining acceptance into the college or university of their choice.

Our students distinguished themselves through their participation in dozens of community service projects, IASAS competitions and performances in the visual and performing arts. The curriculum has been strengthened through the addition of more elective and advanced placement opportunities.

We continue to become more diverse as students from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities have enrolled at SAS and have been challenged to do their best. The percentage of students with US passports has gradually decreased from a high of 81% seven years ago to 63% this school year. Our enrollment at the end of this school year stood at 2975 students, which is 30 fewer students than we ended with last year.

Mark Boyer, the new Director of Staff Development and Curriculum, has led us through some major studies in reviewing the Reading/Language Arts Program, implementing the Six Traits Writing Program, beginning preliminary work on the review of the Visual and Performing Arts Program and the Computer, Technology and Business Programs. The comments that we received from parents through surveys, individual contacts and ad hoc committees were very helpful in preparing the respective program recommendations.

The Board of Governors approved the implementation of a Development/Endowment program effective August, 2004.

Lisa Kamemoto, previously employed at the American School in Japan, has been hired as the Development Director. The foundation established for this purpose will be soliciting funds to enhance our support of: 1) the visual and performing arts program 2) the athletics program 3) financial aid to assist with tuition payments, 4) student scholarships 5) community service projects 6) general operations Construction has taken place throughout the school year on the new high school and early childhood center scheduled to open at the start of the new school year in August.

During the summer we are also adding some classrooms to the intermediate school and doing an extensive renovation of the middle school. The final phase of the construction project is scheduled for the summer of 2005 with the addition of classrooms to the primary division and the renovation of central administration offices and the admissions office.

While it is difficult to capture all the laughter and learning that occurs in the classrooms, theaters and playing fields, it is important for you to know that SAS is committed to providing an exceptional educational experience for our students. It is a place that pays attention to the mind and heart and nurtures in its students such qualities as integrity, honesty, initiative, self-discipline and service to others.

The staff at SAS joins me in thanking you for sending us such delightful children.

Robert L. Gross Superintendent of Schools

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Lisa Kleintjes Kamemoto Appointed Director of Development

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isa Kleintjes Kamemoto (Lisa KK) has recently been appointed as the Director of Development for Singapore American School, a new position established to help create a school advancement program.

A native of southern California, Lisa KK has lived and worked in Japan for over 16 years in both the academic and corporate worlds and has traveled throughout Southeast Asia. While she began her career in human resources/intercultural training, marketing and public relations, she has worked with independent schools for the past seven years in admissions and development.

She served as Director of Admissions and Development Officer at the American School in Japan and most recently has worked as the Director of Admission and Enrollment Management at the Evergreen School in Seattle, WA. In her free time, Lisa enjoys hunting for Asian antiques, playing volleyball and walking her “big dog�, a German Shepherd. Lisa is moving to Singapore this summer with her daughter, Emi Kamemoto, who will be entering 9th grade.

Middle and High School Yearbooks Achieve contributed by Mark Clemens, high school publications teacher

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he 2003 SAS high school and middle school yearbooks were two of fifteen yearbooks to receive Gold Crown awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association of Columbia's Journalism School in their annual awards ceremonies in late March. Of the 1,810 current CSPA members eligible to enter the Crown Awards, 1,514 submitted copies of their magazines, newspapers and yearbooks for this competition.

Judging took place at Columbia University in December, 2003. Publications were judged on writing/editing, design, content, concept, photography, art and graphics. The Gold Crown is Columbia's highest award. There were five middle school books among the fifteen given Gold Crowns, and ten high school books. Besides SAS, the other Gold Crown Awards were all awarded to U.S. schools. The Islander (SAS high school yearbook) previously received a Silver Crown for the 2001 edition. Islander 2003 book editors were Tate Sonnack and Marisse Reyes, with Mark Clemens as faculty sponsor. The Middle School yearbook is edited by Jo Ann Clemens with assistance from students in the middle school yearbook club.

GOLD

Pictured holding the middle school Gold Crown award are the three returning 8th graders that worked on last year's winning yearbook: Daksha Rajagopalan, Ang Jun Seow, and Jack Pitfield. There were about 25 additional students who contributed to the yearbook.

From the Director of Staff Development and Curriculum

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tremendous amount of work was accomplished this year in curriculum enhancements and student resource purchases for English/Reading Language Arts.

A group of teacher leaders who agreed to serve as grade level/division representatives for this subject area took on the task of significantly upgrading the school’s curriculum for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and media, and also took on the task of a major review of publisher materials to support a $1 million purchase of new materials for student use next school year. The curriculum went to the Curriculum Committee and Governing Board for adoption in May, and can now be viewed on the SAS web site (www.sas.edu.sg under the red button About SAS).

In addition to numerous rounds of collaborations with staff, Diane Murphy, an external reviewer who has considerable experience and expertise with this curriculum area, engaged the Curriculum Team in a teleconference in February on what everyone had produced. Diane provided some specific points for the team to incorporate in their revisions, and then proceeded to congratulate the group for developing a clear and exemplary curriculum for students in preschool through 12th grade. Discussions then followed on how to best provide support for the implementation of this curriculum and resource materials for next school year.

In looking at “best hopes” in the early phases of the curriculum development, the teacher leaders articulated the interests that they wanted to incorporate into this curriculum.

All of our work as teachers, parents, students, and administrators is collaborative effort, and we are continually trying to make things smarter and better for everyone. If we can continue to keep these “best hopes” alive in our interactions and implementation processes, then everyone will be very well served.

In closing, I asked representatives from each of the divisions to share their insights on this curriculum process.

Mark Boyer Director of Staff Development and Curriculum

The “best hopes” and the divisional comments about the RLA Curriculum process are summarized in the following 2 pages.

English/Reading Language Arts Representatives on the Curriculum Writing Team: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Matthew Steuer, Preschool Teacher Karen Kwee, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Debra Woodfield, Kindergarten Teacher Lance Kershner, Kindergarten Teacher Sarah Absolom-Coole, First Grade Teacher Kristi Diebly, First Grade Teacher Cathy Berg, Second Grade Teacher Barbara Procida, Second Grade Teacher John Larson, Second Grade Teacher Louise Perdana, Third Grade Teacher Ian Woodfield, Third Grade Teacher Jennifer Hopkins, Fourth Grade Teacher Larry Burk, Fourth Grade Teacher John Kimzey, Fifth Grade Teacher Beth Burnett, Fifth Grade Teacher Julie Bredy, Sixth Grade Teacher Stacey Jensen, Seventh Grade Teacher Linda Xuereb, Eighth Grade Teacher Kathy Stefanides, High School English Co-Chair Jeri Kett, High School English Co-Chair Mark Boyer, Director of Staff Development and Curriculum

6 Best Hopes for How the Curriculum Can Support Teachers The Curriculum: • is useful, practical, and meaningful • is a working document that we continue to develop/refine as we learn more • offers good support for new teachers • is helpful in the development of classroom units and assessments • is a useful guide in conferencing with parents • establishes clarity across grade levels for a continuum of learning without • • • • • • • • • •

gaps or unnecessary redundancy provides support for teachers to discuss issues and to plan together helps to establish agreements on areas of focus within grade levels is user-friendly incorporates what is known about best practices in language arts provides direction in working with students at their optimum levels is clear for all users provides realistic goals guides teaching, rather than books guiding teaching lowers teacher stress because of clear expectations and support allows ESL to become more aligned with grade levels

Best Hopes for How the Curriculum Can Support Students The Curriculum: • establishes clear expectations for learning • supports quality rubrics • supports learning on a continuum vs. fragmentation, redundancy, gaps • provides greater opportunities for depth and application • lowers student stress because of clear expectations and support • creates equity for learning opportunities • strengthens and supports each student’s gifts • provides a variety of rich experiences • offers a sense of direction • allows students to be able to apply what is taught, rather than just cover a subject • helps students find their learning to be relevant and meaningful • allows skills developed in the language arts (e.g., writing, reading, listening, • • • •

speaking) to be applied successfully across all subject areas develops similar expectations for research provides an engaging experience provides an opportunity to toss out the old and tired stuff supports a feeling of more ownership for their own learning

Best Hopes for How the Curriculum Can Support Parents The Curriculum: • provides clear expectations • provides the best possible programs for all students • provides high levels of quality and consistency across classrooms • encourages equity • provides continuity for parents who have children at SAS for several years • increases understanding for where reinforcement is important and where to build on prior learning • addresses the needs of all children • does not confine students, but rather provides the opportunity to reach out to wherever the student is • supports student individuality • increases confidence in the educational experiences for SAS students • shows parents that their children are appropriately challenged • shows parents that the curriculum and the learning opportunities for SAS students are current with • • •

what is known about best practices shows parents how to connect and interact with the curriculum and the school allows parents to feel that the learning needs of their children are well-supported enhances communication and support

7 Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten The revised RLA curriculum document is far more practical then the one previously used. In regards to early childhood, it is more developmentally appropriate, and it provides a clearer, easier to read guideline for new and returning teachers. The smooth and easily understandable transitions from Preschool to Pre-K, and then from Pre-K to Kindergarten, with just enough overlap to allow for the individual differences in children, makes this document an exceptional foundation for our Reading Language Arts program. The early childhood resources ordered to support the new RLA curriculum, selected to be practical, flexible, and as rich and inspiring as possible, will make a profound impact at the Early Childhood Center.

Primary The new RLA curriculum provides teachers and parents with a clear statement of what is to be taught and how it will be assessed. It shows continuity through the Grades, building skills in a logical sequence. We worked together as a whole division for cohesiveness to encourage better readers and writers K through 2.

Adding the Six Traits to the writing section of our curriculum gives teachers and students across all grades and divisions a common language.

We have purchased excellent resources and enriched our literature selection to support the curriculum.

We feel that Primary students at SAS will be much better served by this new RLA curriculum.

Intermediate Clarity, continuity, consistency and convenience in both format and content distinguish the new RLA curriculum document from its predecessor.

Clear and measurable learner outcomes for all curriculum standards indicate the content of the RLA program and degree of mastery expected at each grade level. The revised format conveniently presents the third, fourth and fifth grade learner outcomes for each standard, side by side on the same page. In addition to providing an immediate overview of skills and content being taught for each standard across the entire division, this approach facilitates consistency in terminology and promotes continuity of skills development from grade to grade. Specific content, such as designated genre studies for reading and writing, and the implementation of the Six Traits for writing are further enhancements. Continuity and consistency are also fostered within each grade level with the identification of common resources and assessment instruments pertaining to each standard.

The new RLA curriculum document serves our school community more effectively, by providing new and returning teachers, parents and students, an explicit and comprehensive picture of what is being taught and assessed in the Reading Language Arts program.

Middle School In designing the RLA curriculum during the 2003/2004 school year, three priorities became evident. First, a change in the organization of the document was needed.

The previous curriculum was organized around teaching units: Independent Reading, Novel Study, and Biographies. The new document is structured around nationally recognized standards and benchmarks. The standards are consistent from the preschool through 12th grade curriculum, providing the opportunity for consistent support at all grade levels for what is most important.

It was a stated goal of the curriculum team to compare our grade level objectives with models outside of our organization. Like an instrument that consistently tunes off itself, without outside comparison, the entire sequence can become skewed. The curriculum team looked at many exemplary curriculum models and selected learner outcomes we believed to best fit our student population.

We have confidence that the new curriculum is well suited to SAS, and it also correlates with the best curriculum thinking and practices in the United States.

Finally, once the standards, benchmarks, and learner outcomes were delineated, we had the opportunity to engage in the fine-tuning work of vertical articulation throughout all of the grade levels. We first established sequencing agreements within divisions and then pursued checks with neighboring grade levels. When we finally met with teachers from all of the divisions, it was affirming for our division to see the progressions leading up to middle school and then to see how our high school colleagues were extending the work with our students. It builds teaching confidence when one is part of a thoughtfully designed sequence.

High School Since the whole department has been involved in the process of reviewing and refining the curriculum, articulation across the levels has increased and sharing/ refinement of ideas will continue to transpire. As a High School English Team, we have had the opportunity to clarify skills taught at the various areas, and in doing so, have also identified areas which we need to continue to strengthen. This process has also given us the opportunity to effectively provide an enhanced cross-subject transition from English 9 to English 10 by offering American Literature at the 10th grade level, and adding a World Literature course the following year. Furthermore, the opportunity to update texts and to order supplemental materials will assist us in the delivery of the content and the building of skills to meet the various needs of our students and the ever-changing challenges that they face.

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e d a r G d 3r contributed by Susan Youngman third grade teacher

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uring February, all the third graders took part in a watermelon seed-spitting contest. The contest was held as an extension of the Everyday Math program focusing on predicting and measuring distances, collecting, graphing, and organizing data and observing and communicating with team members.

In groups of three, students took turns being the spitter, the measurer and the recorder. The spitters had to spit seeds as far as they could, trying to spit the seed further than the other students. The spitters had to stand at the end of a long sheet of paper that was marked off in centimeter intervals and spit the seed.

The measurers marked the paper at the place where each seed hit the ground and measured the farthest spit. The recorders had to listen to the measurers and record the distance in centimeters.

All the results were displayed on bar graphs in the third grade group room and presentations based on the event were featured in the following third grade assembly. The top boy and top girl spitters from each class competed in the finals.

On February 27th the entire third grade gathered in the Drama Theater for the finals. First the teachers had a seed-spitting contest, with Mr. L’Heureux emerging as the champion. Each student finalist had 3 spits, which were measured and recorded. The boy champion of the third grade Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest was Evan Nessim from Mr. Hinton’s class. The girl champion of the third grade Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest was Isabella Speciale from Mrs. Banks’ class.

Afterwards all the third graders met in the cafeteria to feast on watermelon.

Congratulations to our champions Evan and Isabella and to all the third graders who took part in this fun, educational activity!

Ev

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Splendor of Greece Glory of Rome at SAS contributed by Akane Otani and Ellen Urhein, sixth grade students

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oman ‘slaves’ milled around the courtyard, walking barefoot and carrying trays of bread, olives, and a variety of savory dips.

Well-known historical characters from ancient Greece and Rome also walked amidst SAS sixth grade students. Meanwhile, works of fine art such as pots, masks, plates, and mosaics (made by students) were marveled at where they sat on display in the group rooms.

These were only a few of the scenes you could witness that day. There were the aqueducts, plays, masks, mosaics, weaving, sculptures, architecture, famous Greeks and Romans, and even Food and Fashion, the most popular activity by far. All sixth grade students participated in one of these activities for Greek and Roman Day held in March.

Some highlights of the day were the plays in the Drama Theater, in which the solemn stories of Echo and Narcissus and Perseus and the Gorgon were acted out with a bit more spice and modernization. A Fashion Show was also hosted in the Drama Theatre, and boasted tremendously fashionable models, such as ‘da beggas’, Medusa, Hades, and even Pegasus! In the Aqueducts Competition, several teams of two to five students tested out their aqueducts, or long series of tunnellike, half open pipes, which were built to efficiently carry the water out. (At least, that’s what they were supposed to do.)

However exciting these events might have been, the Olympic Games were still more exciting.

In the heat of the day, each city-state marched into the stadium, cheering and holding their chariot high. Each E-period class had been working on decorating its chariot with symbols and the color that represented its city-state. (The students had also decorated themselves with symbols, colors, and writing.) When the torchbearer ran into the stadium, the Olympic Games began! The girls and boys had separate games for the throws, jumps and runs. In each category, there were three events.

However, for the chariot-races, it was a fierce fight between city-state teams. In the end, Athens won the clash of the city-states and emerged victorious as the Olympic winner, followed by Olympia for second place, and Thebes, Cydonia, and Argos tied for third.

Everyone was tired out and ready to go home by the end of the school day. Greek and Roman Day was a truly unforgettable event for the Sixth Grade, filled with memories of Mr. Haas’ lame jokes, and cheering and screaming kids. A big thanks to all of the teachers for organizing it!

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kye Casey, an SAS 5th grader, and Brittany Lau, an SAS 4th grader, both won Silver Medals at the Singapore National Figure Skating Championships a few months ago. In the stiff competition, Skye missed her gold medal by only .2% points.

Skye, who was 10 at the time of the competition, began her skating in Singapore when she was six, and manages to fit it in along with other interests in playing double bass, singing, ballet and writing.

Skye says she loves skating. “ I love skating because I love trying new things and love having a challenge. My Skye Casey, 5th grade most favorite part of skating is listening to different pieces of music and getting to interpret the music.

Whether it’s sad, happy, or even angry music, I love getting to move my arms, body and feet. My free program this year is to West Side Story and it’s very dramatic. Part of it is sad, and part of it is really fast and lively. I have to try to share those feelings with the people watching me skate. I watched the movie several times to help me understand the music. We emailed the music to the lady in the US who made my dress. She sent me 8 sketches and I picked one and she added some of my ideas. This is the easy, really fun part of skating.”

Skating isn’t all fun, however, and some things are very difficult. “This is the tough thing about skating, you have to have courage and you must always stay with it. I hope that someday in skating, I will go to the Olympics and win the gold medal. If I accomplish that goal, I plan to become an international skating judge, and someday judge at the Olympics. I would also like to be a choreographer, designing programs for skaters all over the world.”

For 9 year old Brittany Lau, this was her first year competing. She began her skating in San Francisco over three years ago and currently spends up to 8 hours a week skating. Brittany also has a skating future in mind.

“What I like about skating is the feeling of gliding on the ice fast enough to feel like I’m flying. I also like those beautiful costumes. It’s my dream to skate with Disney on Ice and of course the Olympics.”

Brittany Lau, 4th grade Besides skating, Brittany spends a lot of time at gymnastics and ballet.

Congratulations to both Skye and Brittany!

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Arts ARTS at SAS

High School IASAS Cultural Convention, March

Debate, Forensics, Dance and Drama were held at International School Bangkok; Music and Art were held at Interntional School Kuala Lumpur. Besides SAS, ISB, and ISKL, other participating schools were Taipei American School, International School Manila, and Jakarta International School

IASAS Cultural Convention Instrumental Delegates Excel in K.L.

By Stephen Bonnette

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ongratulations to all the instrumental musicians who were selected for this year’s convention in Kuala Lumpur.

There were many marvelous performances, and the consistently high level of musicianship was most impressive. The competition was awesome, and each delegate should feel extremely proud!

The panel of adjudicators wrote some glowing remarks as they listened to the solo/small ensemble phase of the Festival. Our Brass Trio (Hatim Thaker, Jonathan Lee and Rezan Amiruddin) and Eagle String Quartet (June Hyun Hwang, Danny Wen, Joanna Tu and Wesley Tillu) were selected to perform at the prestigious Honors Recital.

Special kudos to the following students who represented SAS so admirably: Strings: Joanna Tu, Sam Indyawan, Erin Chu, Paul Kang, Danny Wen, Wesley Tillu, June Hyun Hwang, Akshay Balsubramani (Alternates: C.T. Chen, Angela Chan) Wind Ensemble: Barney Lin, Kathleen Sun, Rezan Amiruddin, You Bean Oak, Jonathan Lee, Josh Velson, David Castillo, Hatim Thaker, (Alternates: Jared Newton, Ben Spalter)

Drama - Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night A 45-minute adaptation of Twelfth Night presented by the SAS drama delegation was very well received . Cast included Chris Chmelik, Calla Videt, Erin Han, Jessica Felt, Eric Fisher, Sarah Gundle, Jason Chin, Tiffany Lin, Kathy Lin, Will Reid, and Stephanie Train. Erich Bussing was the Technical Assistant for both the Drama and Dance productions.

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Marisa Hale Katherine Lung Ali Perry Olivia Kelly Heather Wigmore Olivia Cain Hannah Nichols Kate LeSueur and alternates Cordelia Ross Tiffany Too

Dance “A Closer Look�

Vocal Music Lauren Gaylord Ming Vandenberg Christine Byrne Meg Kalbag Chris Wong Tadashi Soma Andrew Padgett Whun Oh and alternates Terrence Leung Jane Lee

Art Cultural Convention Art entries included works of drawing, painting, mixed media, ceramics, and photography. Many of the submitted pieces were also on display during the May high school Arts Festival

Forensics Original Oratory: Libby Henessey (Silver Medal), Stephanie Tang (Finalist) Oral Interpretation: Chris Chmelik (Gold Medal), Sal Sciandra (Bronze Medal), Tiffany Lin (Finalist) Impromptu: Kathy Lin, Penn Bullock (Finalists) Extemporaneous: Jason Chin (Bronze Medal), Alex McCabe (Finalist)

Debate Stephanie Tang and Stephanie Train: A-Team (Gold Medal), Alex McCabe and Priyanka Dev: B-Team (Bronze Medal)

Piano Stephanie Quach Jason Tsai Chelsea Park

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High School ARTS Festival, April/May It is doubtful that Carl Orff knew the stir that this work would cause when he Carmina Burana set these secular medieval poems to music in 1937. Although there may be

Victoria Concert Hall May 15 contributed by Nanette Devens

those who do not know this work by name, it is rare to find anyone who is unfamiliar with its most well known piece “O Fortuna,� which has been widely used in numerous action films and commercials.

Written by pseudo monks/intellectuals/ vagabonds in the 12th century, the poetry of Carmina Burana encompasses the topics of fate, tavern life and love.

The Singapore American School Choirs, Orchestra and select winds performed this exciting work on Saturday, May 15 at the beautiful Victoria Concert Hall.

Jazz Night April 2

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Ad nt Dr vanc Pag am e e Pro a Cl d as d Ma uction s y7 -8

Art Show April 16-23

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Middle School Choir Concert May 6

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April 1

Honor Choir London Trip

contributed by Pat Brown, photos Mary Gruman

International Honor Choir Wows London Audience!

Six SAS Middle School students were selected by audition to attend the International Honor Choir Festival in London. The festival was hosted by theAmerican School in London, and our delegates participated in rehearsals and a culminating concert along with 90 of the best MS singers from international schools in Europe and the Middle East. The SAS delegation consisted of Callie Gruman, Abby Murray, Tiffanie Widjaja, Renuka Agarwal, Luke Ettensperger, and Matthew Long, accompanied by MS deputy principal Rob Godley and MS Choir Director Pat Brown. Mrs. Brown also conducted sectional rehearsals at the festival. The group spent time sightseeing in London and Paris along the way. It was an exciting and challenging time for everyone involved. Next year's festival will be in eitherWarsaw, Poland or Ankara, Turkey.

MS II y s a t e Danc ril Ap

ol scho ed e l d id at 160 m s particp ent stud in April’s I I tasy e c n Da

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As We See It 8th Grade Drama April 22-23 contributed by Tracy Meyer The Middle School Drama production, As We See It, had pizzazz, panache, and style! This year’s double-cast shows dished up a refreshing series of parodies on a huge variety of themes – from the SAS dress code, true love, wannabes and the art of advertising, to the psychology of superheroes. There were cheesy salesmen, pony-loving children, misguided mothers, Barbie, flirtatious teen-agers and secret agents.

The following quandaries were solved: When you buy an albatross, do you get wafers with it? Just how trying is the life of an advice columnist? What’s a “Rembrandt Doll?” And finally, just how far is a school willing to go to defend its dress code? Presented by 87 students in grade 8 drama classes, this was a collection of comedic vignettes, “30 plays in 90 minutes!”

Elementary School

Jenifer Anderson’s elementary art classes created an “Art Feast”

Fourth Grade art students glazing their ceramic creations

Fourth Grade classes learn to play the intricate Indonesian Gamelan

Kaleidoscope 5th Grade Art Show May 7-14

5th Grade Music IS Variety Show May 8

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Shakespeare? Elementary, my dear!

tudents from Ed Sheerin’s kindergarten class and Polly Doyle’s second grade class performed A Hasty Honeymoon, adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, for their peers, proud parents, and other members of the SAS community in March. Sheerin and Doyle’s collaborative productions in previous years have included adaptations of The Hobbit (2003) and Hamlet (2002).

Working from a 22-page, 12-scene script adapted by the teachers, the students spent approximately two months, including a month in scene rehearsals, preparing for the performance. At the beginning, time was spent in telling the story and in discussion about the plot and what the characters might be feeling.

Not only was the project exciting and interesting for the students, but there were many opportunities for improved writing (using six traits elements such as word choice, ideas, and especially voice) as students worked on their journals; improved reading, speaking and memorization skills; as well as social studies tie-ins, team-building and improved selfconfidence.

While audiences clearly enjoyed the performances, the kids cherished the entire process - and saw the performance as simply the final reward of a priceless experience.

A Hasty Honeymoon (Romeo and Juliet) Kindergarten and 2nd Grade

Lafcadio The Lion Who Shot Back (adapted from the book by Shel Silverstein)

Kindergarten and 3rd Grade

19 International Friendship Day contributed by Debra Eason, second grade teacher

E

arlier this year, Madam Nur Ashikin, a teacher from the Nan Chiu Primary School contacted me asking if my second grade class would be willing to be pen pals with her class. I readily agreed and have never regretted a moment of my decision! We have exchanged letters and the children in both schools have

been so excited to send and receive the letters! In fact, Madam Nur had initially said she would only be able to send one round of letters but her students loved it so much that we have kept going!

We then received invitations from her class to come to their school to meet them and help them celebrate International Friendship Day. We were able to work everything out and on Friday, April 16, my class of 21 went to meet her class of 42. We had a wonderful time! First we met our pen pals and went to the gym to play some ice-breaking games. The kids played hopscotch, and a ball game called monkey in the middle, and kicked around a shuttlecock. By that time, we were all hot and thirsty. We were treated to a

very nice snack and had a chance to sit and chat. Next on the schedule was a school-wide assembly to watch a show called The Flying Carpet. We got to sit with our new friends while watching the show. After the show we went to our pen pals’ classroom, and we made and exchanged friendship bracelets.

They did a reader’s theater for us just before we had to leave.

Before leaving they gave us a class autobiographical poem book they had made for us, key chains for each of us, and a school yearbook for each child! They went with us to our bus, and with regret we said our goodbyes and waved to them until they were out of sight.

It was a wonderful experience for all of us. We came right back and wrote thank you notes to them. We all agreed that we really want to see them again and hope to invite them to our school soon to return the wonderful hospitality we received.

It Was Out of This World

PTA COUNTY FAIR 2004

How do we begin to thank the hundreds of people who helped make the 2004 County Fair one of the best!

We would love to personally thank each person who worked a booth, ran a game, entertained us, set up equipment, donated or made something but that would take forever. So please accept this heartfelt THANK YOU for helping us make it all possible. The County Fair is a great example of what we can accomplish when we all work together.

It was truly a BLAST!

Susan Fay PTA County Fair Chair

22

“Thank You” to Teachers Leaving SAS

Farideh Mallal Retiring after 32 Years at SAS FARIDEH MALLAL, Grade 1 (32 years at SAS) “ For 32 years I have gotten up before dawn to teach at SAS, on three different campuses, and each day has been an exciting new adventure and challenge. Now it is time to have some different adventures and challenges. So I thank every one of the “Emilys, Matthews, Huey Jins and Kellys” who have given me as much or more than I could ever give them. I have had the best colleagues and administration in the world. As a young girl growing up in Singapore I never would have thought then that I would have met such interesting people who would challenge me to become the best professional I could be. Thank you for making these years such a joy and pleasure. I will miss seeing all my friends and colleagues, but since I will be in Singapore I will not be a stranger to SAS.” My years at SAS were ever so blessed because of the Below are excerpts from some of the dedicated educator and truly caring person, known by messages that have come in to express congratulations and thanks to Farideh Mallal many thousands of students, parents and teachers as Ms The Teacher Over thirty years ago she began teaching young children; she didn't know much about children at first, but over time learned more and more.

She gave them hugs and wiped their tears, and never left them alone; she guided them through the small things, which often turned out to be milestones.

Her first students are all grown now, and she waves to them when they pass; there's a banker, a writer, a lawyer, an artist, and parents with children in her class.

To those who ask if she plays all day, she says with a gleam in her eye that she teachers bankers to add and subtract, and artists the color of the sky.

She teaches the alphabet to writers, and lawyers what it means to be fair; she teaches politicians to take their turn, and executives how to share.

She knows that what's learned in the sandbox will influence them for years to come; it's the little things that shape them, so impressionable are the young.

Edited By: Pat Quick for Ms. Mallal Original by Tim Bet Dear Ms. Mallal: I found this poem and I thought of you instantly! You gave 100% to all your students and they in turn learned many valuable tools that will last them their entire lifetime! Thank you for all you did for Abby when she was in your first grade class. Not only didAbby get a great teacher but I made a friend as well! Best wishes on your retirement! Pat &Abby Quick

Mallal.Farideh is a gentle person with a quiet voice and a huge heart. She really cared about every one of her students and colleagues. Her focus each day was finding the best in people and the best in every situation. For years she has been my inspiration and my beacon of strength! Thank you Ms Mallal for all you gave to the students and teachers at SAS over these 32 years. We are so very much better educators and more caring people having been touch by our time with you.

Love you and God bless, Joan Adams Thank you for giving me such a strong foundation. I recognize that I am only a product of those who have taught me. So, thank you!! o think T of your contributions in the lives of so many is overwhelming, I could only aspire to leave such a legacy behind! Allyson Tippie (your grade 1 class of 1989) You are now, and always have been, an inspiration to other teachers at SAS. I remember your supportive smile, your kind comments, your thoughtful suggestions, and the hugs you shared with everyone. Just thinking of you brings back such warm feelings of Singapore. You represent the spirit of friendship and professionalism that makes SAS the great school that it is. I know there are hundreds of children all over the world that can look back at their time with you and smile. Cherie Larson

It's hard to believe so many years have gone by. I can still remember our days together at Ulu Pandan like it was yesterday. I wish you all the best in your retirement." With warmest regards, Ursula Pong Hello Mrs. Mallal, I hope you remember me, the little girl who used to bring you kerupuk udang from Indonesia. You were my first grade teacher, and now I'm 26 and married! I just wanted to say what a wonderful teacher you were to me, and I'm sure you have passed on your kindness, generosity, and wisdom to many other students. Y ou inspired us to follow our dreams, and I especially remember how much you encouraged my writing. Now I am aspiring to be a screenwriter, and I know that your words of encouragement were a factor to that. Thank you for all the wonderful memories. I wish you all the best in the future.

Margaret Tranggono-Kerrison

I was Mrs. Mallal’s student in 1989 I believe, and I would like to thank her once again for all the wonderful work she does! I will always remember her We love you Mrs. Mallal!! -Eric Pan Mrs. Mallal - SAS will not be the same without you! I am getting married in October, and I am stopping in Singapore and I was looking forward to coming to SAS and seeing you! It was such a treat last time to be able to see you and Ms. Ashness. Congratulations on your retirement, and just know that you are remembered fondly, I'm sure, by all of your students. Especially ME!! Love Always Jessica Wilgus (SAS ‘99)

PS Librarian Kirk Palmer accepts book donation honoring Farideh Mallal from PTA President Susan Murray

David Smith Retiring after 8 Years at SAS and 44 years Teaching DAVE SMITH Grade 5 (8 years at SAS) “ I came to SAS in the fall of 1996 to teach at the newly opened Woodlands campus. My career in education began in 1959 in a small country school in Northern Alberta, Canada, and I have enjoyed it for the past 44 years. It’s now time to ‘hang up my skates.’ I’m looking forward to spending more time with family and friends and will continue to remain in Singapore. Finishing my career at SAS has been a super bonus.”

IS Librarian Tim Ramsey accepts book donation honoring David Smith from PTA President Susan Murray

23 MARY MCDONALD high school counselor (9 years at SAS) Mary will be moving to Kent, Connecticut where she has accepted a job as a college counselor at Kent School. “ SAS has been a wonderful place to work. I enjoy our students very much - such a variety of types and cultures and values, talents and personalities, but all great to work with. I have had the privilege of working with many intelligent, caring and supportive administrators. And I currently work in the Best Counseling Office in the World (as described by more than one college admissions officer). I’ll never again be so lucky.

My colleagues are intelligent, knowledgeable, hard working, caring, amazingly supportive, and very funny. But, sad though it makes me in many ways, my move is very exciting as I will be close to my daughter, son-in-law, two-year-old granddaughter Molly, and the soon-to-arrive second granddaughter.”

JEFF OVERLIE 5th Grade Social Studies & RLA and JULIE KIVELL OVERLIE IS/PS Music (5 years at SAS) Jeff and Julie are moving back to Minnesota. While Julie changes careers to be a stay-at-home mom, Jeff plans to continue teaching intermediate-aged students. “ SAS is a difficult place to leave because of the many friends made and the positive teaching environment. It has allowed us the opportunity to see the world together while doing what we both love, teaching children. We will always have fond memories of the five years we spent here!

LINDA VAN SICKLE 7th grade Social Studies and RICHARD KOLODSICK High School Computer Science (4 years at SAS) Linda and Rich plan to spend time with family and friends in the U.S. “ Living in Singapore and teaching at SAS has been a great experience. We have both thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the SAS community during the last four years. We will certainly miss all of our wonderful friends, colleagues, and students. We wish to thank everyone for all the fond memories we take with us.”

JOY KOLLER Primary Resource (3 years at SAS) Joy will be completing further training in Italy this fall and will be involved in a literacy project in Croatia. “ SAS has provided me with many opportunities both professionally and personally. Thank you David and Ken for your support during my three years and a special thank you to all of my colleagues. I am grateful to have worked with a group of very dedicated, committed teachers. To my students, parents and friends, I will miss you!”

BRIAN MILBURN Grade 5 (3 years at SAS) “ My time at SAS has been a wonder. I will fondly remember the students, parents and staff in the SAS community. I am excited to be heading for Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I will teach fourth grade at the Lincoln School. Thanks to all for an excellent experience.”

SUZANNE BORDEAU, MS Spanish and electives (3 years at SAS) and JOSHUA ASHTON Primary Academic Support (2 years at SAS) Josh and Suzy plan to head back to their hometown: Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota. “ We have enjoyed working with the great students, parents, teachers and support staff here at SAS. Thanks to everyone for the great experience here. We will miss SAS!” ANN WHITTON 8th Grade Math/Science, (2 years at SAS) Ann will be moving to Houston, Texas

STACIE STEPANOV MS French (substituting for Karen McDowell), previously HS French (3 years at SAS) Stacie will be moving to Boston, Massachusetts.

KAREN BENJAMIN Grade 5 (2 years at SAS) Karen and her daughter Cassandra will be repatriating after ten years in Asia. Karen will join her husband in their home north of Seattle and hopes to continue teaching, while Cassandra will begin her college career. “ Life at SAS has been all I had hoped for prior to arriving. Thank you, Mr. Gross and Ms. DeGroot, for the opportunity to work with a staff committed well beyond the call of duty in their devotion to students.

Thank you parents, for the privilege of spending each day with your remarkable children. Students, remember that you have the power to ensure your success. Dream LARGE.” “ Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.”

LISA FIRST grade 5 RLA/Math (2 years at SAS) Lisa is returning home to upstate New York where she will be planning a December wedding to her fiance, Andrew. “ I may return to a former elementary position, but I am currently exploring other professional options. I am also considering taking some time off to pursue writing and art interests, perhaps some courses in both. Two years has not been long enough for me, but I have been so grateful for the experience of being part of SAS. I have grown so much professionally, and it has been so rewarding to work with such motivated and dedicated colleagues and administrators. I will especially miss the the humor and support of my 5th grade colleagues. To my dear friends, thank you for the wonderful experiences and memories. To my amazing students and their parents, thank you for two great years! You will always be remembered. Hope to see everyone overseas again someday.”

SUZANNE AMES Intermediate Academic Support (2 years at SAS) Suzanne is moving to Dubai in the Untied Arab Emirates. She will teach elementary special education at the American School of Dubai and is looking forward to returning to the Middle East. “I have enjoyed teaching at SAS. All my students were wonderful and are very special to me. I will miss them very much and carry lots of fond memories with me to Dubai.”

Also leaving SAS are high school language teachers JAVIER BUGARIN and AMELIA HERRAN. Both will be staying on in Singapore.

24

By: Jessica Yoshimura

We’ve got spirit, yes we do, the Middle School has spirit, how about you?

O

reos!

Punk Rock! Sport Jersey! Wacky Tacky! To some these may just seem like random words or phrases, but to Singapore American Middle Schoolers, they’re the most fun words of April.

That’s because these were the four themes for April’s Spirit Month. The last day of every week in April, SAS MS students were encouraged to dress in the theme of the day to show their school spirit. This month was a fun time for students to get creative in their alternate dress. It was an occasion that allowed students to go all out, riffle through their closets, and pick out their best-suited outfit for the spirit day.

To start Spirit Month off, there was a Pep Rally on Wednesday March 31st. With a dance from our SAS student

cheerleaders, a spectacular fashion show, and funny entertainment from our SAS faculty football and cheerleading squad, the pep rally was tons of fun.

Leading off Spirit Month was Wacky Tacky Day. Students were given the opportunity to be - well - wacky and tacky.

Get out those icky old plaid shorts and a bright pink polka-dot

shirt, pair it with green hair and mismatched socks and sneakers, and you’ve got one very wacky tacky outfit. During the lunch periods on Wacky Tacky Day, middle schoolers got even wackier by showing off weird talents. Crossing only one eye, mooing like a cow, doing funky dances, and many more odd abilities were shown off.

The second week of Spirit Month was Oreo Day, where students were only allowed to wear black and/or white. Lunch periods on this day were filled with fun activities, all of them involving oreos! Oreo-stacking contests; who can make their stack the highest? And oreo-transfer; who can get the most oreos from one bowl to the other with…chopsticks!

Following Oreo Day was Punk Rock Day. On this day, we had a Punk Rock Salon in the Middle School/Intermediate School Cafeteria. At the Punk Rock Salon, students got their hair dyed, make-up done, nails painted, and all sorts of other cool “punk-ish” salon type things.

Last, but certainly not least, was Sport Jersey Day, where students got to wear their favorite sport jersey to school. For Jersey Day, since it was Sport Jersey Day, there was a Student versus Faculty basketball game during the lunch periods.

So now, you can obviously tell that Oreo, Punk Rock, Sport Jersey, and Wacky Tacky are not just words - they’re Spirit Days!

Eco-Ed 2004 - Butterfly Garden

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Contributed by Kathleen Sun, high school sophomore

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ear the end of the fourth quarter, the SAS Primary Library, SAVE club members, parent volunteers, and art and science teachers helped to organize this year’s Eco-Ed program. The 2004 theme was The Local Butterflies of Singapore, especially apt as the Blair Sonnenberg Memorial Butterfly Garden near the High School cafeteria was being restored. In April, high school students from grades 9 to 12 helped with Eco-Ed, an interdisciplinary environmental and conservation education program. They used 45 minutes of their free period to interactively instruct primary school students from kindergarten to grade two, mainly about the top ten local butterfly species in Singapore. The curriculum encompassed anatomy, life cycle, feeding habits, symmetry, planting butterflyattracting plants, and the impact of humans on their population in the world. Not only did the primary students enjoy the activities and crafts while learning about local butterflies, but the high school students got a wonderful opportunity to improve their teaching and management skills.

Based on SAVE Club’s CoPresidents Jennifer Ong’s and Stephanie Tang’s grant proposal, Booster Club generously donated funds to support the restoration of the Blair Sonnenberg Memorial Butterfly Garden. Restoration consisted of a new garden design, garden construction, and buying, planting, watering, and caring for new plants that will attract butterfly species, especially the ten endemic butterfly and moth species. On Earth Day, April 22, the official opening of the butterfly garden was held, with participation by the four school principals, symbolizing the entire community’s ownership of the garden, as each school had donated $300 towards its restoration. High school students also continued to use their free periods during April and May to become nature guides and conduct tours of the butterfly garden to primary students.

Eco-Ed and the restoration of the butterfly garden were fun, student-driven service projects, in which students took the initiative to write the Eco-Ed curriculum, plan the various activities, as well as design the butterfly garden, acquire funding, research plants, and then plant and care for the garden themselves.

Since education and resource management are both important in shaping the future environment, Eco-Ed and the restoration of the butterfly garden strives to impart to young and older students alike, the value of the Earth’s land and natural resources and wildlife, and the need for conservation and

preservation of the ecosystem.

Through this awareness and knowledge, students will hopefully realize how much power they hold in their choices that affect people and the environment. They may be motivated to make responsible and informed decisions about their actions and additionally further their interest and seek other opportunities in environmental service.

Numerous people contributed to the organization of Eco-Ed and the restoration of the new butterfly garden. Special thanks to an incredibly hardworking and committed group of people consisting of Kirk Palmer, Nature Society Singapore volunteers Andrew Tay and Vilma D’Rozario, parent volunteers, High School and Middle School students, Martha Began, Steve Early, and Kate Thome, all who have contributed their valuable time and effort to do something important for children, as well as the environment, now and for the future.

26 Mrs. Bredy’s sixth grade RLA Classes

The butterfly lives in a plant In the middle of a hot sunny island About the size of a small leaf Circular in shape Orange in color Free like me I would fly in the hot summer sun To cool myself down It is fast and crazy like a tornado If the Danaus Chrysippus Chrysiapus lands on you You will have good luck Carrying the souls of children Who died before baptism A blur of butterflies

Fluttering in the wind This darting insect flies Around flowers Through the meadows Under the bright sun It never grows tired, The lovely butterfly The pod of colors on its wings Black, white, and brown.

This is a Danus Gentia A common Tiger Butterfly Natalie Flens

Chelsea Leonard

First, I am an egg, Then, I am a caterpillar, Then, I am a cocoon, Now, I am a butterfly!

I am Orange, White, and Black, I am light and soft as a leaf, I drink nectar from flower to flower.

I fly way up high, Day and Night, Through the air, Soaring through the sky.

I can fly away from you, Softly formed yet graceful, I may be fragile, But beautiful to look at, I bring good luck if I land on your shoulder.

Ryan Sawyer

Fluttering away There goes the Leopard Through the pitter pattering Of the rain Light as a feather It soars through the skies Mysterious black spots Lepidoptera Quite compassionate and calm Cheering up people’s lives So why do I feel Intimidated By the Leopard Butterfly

The Branded Imperial

Happiness yellow Sadness black Pure white Hyperactive Orange Colors of a butterfly That can make a rainbow of a person.

I am beautiful, Inside and out, Flying high, Then gently landing on a flower or leaf, With neither a worry or care, I am a Branded Imperial, Eooxylides Tharis Distanti, Or you can call me butterfly.

By Michael Chang

Abby Oliver

The plain tiger Lives in the crown flower.

The size of my thumb, The weight of a feather Always soft, Inside or outside And the color of salad.

Always flying Around, trying To get away Always uncomfortable, For it can be caught.

Always like sweet Things, as well as Milk, just like me If I had those wings, I would Fly around, Looking at the world As a picture.

If I was a baby butterfly I would sleep All winter.

Sometimes, they are the weather Before it rains: Gloomy, dark, cloudy, windy, And gothic.

They enjoy Milk, as well as butter, and of course, Flower nectar.

Bringing good luck To your shoulder The mix of colors.

Yun Hoi Koo

A bundle, a bunch, a barricade So many of them Like they’re on parade Dipping, diving,’dancing, driving As I look, I can’t help smiling The butterflies up in the air Up so high without a care And when I see them I think to myself They’re living.

27

Hanna Dijkstra

Flittering ,fluttering, With velvet wings.

Mysterious, Like a breezy autumn day.

Calm and quiet In the gardens.

Sitting on your shoulder.

Whisper your secret And they’ll fly to the heavens And grant it.

The best insect of all The butterfly.

Savannah Geiger

Butterflies fluttering around, In their garden of beautiful flowers they live.

The size of a battery, The weight of a paperclip, The colorful white butterflies flutter around.

The butterfly relates to me through color: I am a very light white and the butterfly is also white.

If I was this butterfly, I would flutter around, And land on people’s hands.

I would hide when it rains.

I would fly around when it is sunny.

This butterfly is like the rainy weather, This butterfly is white, It is almost transparent.

All butterflies are named Lepidoptera in scientific naming.

The cascade of butterflies flutters around everywhere.

They must feel like everywhere is their home.

During the 4th Century B.C. Butterflies were believed to be formed from people.

They said that the souls of people would depart at night Out of people’s mouths And would form into butterflies, The white butterfly is a Physce Josh Davies

28 By: Kelsey Roll and Tom and Katie Eliot, 4th Grade Did you know there was an Atlas Moth at SAS?! The news spread like wildfire three months ago Of course that’s old news now Now Mr Zielinski’s class is going to bring you the new news Hot off the press!

You see this moth wasn’t doing normal moth things Nope it was laying eggs all over the school wall Mr Z took some of the eggs off the wall before… well who knows’what would have happened When Mr Z broke the news to us we all went bananas knowing the largest moth in the world would be raised by us Once the caterpillars hatched they were no larger than a grain of rice Everyone started taking turns cleaning the container and getting food for them It was a surprise because only about out of eggs hatched and only eight caterpillars made it to the big inch

came out of his cocoon on the th of April His name was Uno for being our first moth out of his cocoon Uno flew over our desks in the classroom We let him go on the st of May The next moth out was Dice another male The moths were popping up like dandelions!

Dice left on the nd of May We’ve got to admit they were pretty bad flyers Both of them retreated to the tree near our class room And then a female moth was born! We named her Lily She came out of her cocoon on the th of May She was pretty big for being bred in captivity As a matter of fact she was the biggest moth yet She was let go on the th of May

We named her Eagle Eye after the pattern she had on her wings Eagle Eye was let go in the Eliot’s rambutan tree A male moth came from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and mated with Eagle Eye The next day they were gone Yikes! Another moth had hatched!

The place was going mad! The smallest moth so far had been born We named him Shrimp because of his small size We still had one cocoon left which we brought to school To our surprise this last cocoon hatched the following morning! It wasn’t a normal moth though with flat regular wings It had square bumps pressed into the wings Mr Z thought it wouldn’t fly so at the end of the day Katie and Tom took it home to see what would happen The next day it had flown from its place on a branch to a bookshelf It hadn’t mated but it could still lay eggs The eggs weren’t fertilized though so they all would turn out to be males We noticed that it liked laying eggs on things that were white After it laid its eggs it flew out the window and disappeared

Mr Z asked Katie and Tom to bring the remaining cocoons home for the weekend Kelsey got invited for a sleepover We all stayed up late that weekend to see if any more moths hatched Finally at midnight we went to bed So now if anyone in our class steps but we set the alarm for on even the smallest kind of moth it’s : a m and woke up on a BIG crime in Mr Zielinski’s class! the dot! To be honest it was a little boring doing the night shift Young caterpillar two weeks after We were egg hatching almost asleep when one long inch wide stage Our biggest of the cocoons caterpillar drowned in the water of started rattling! the plants they were eating from Then right before Another caterpillar was found dead our eyes we Mature caterpillar close to inches the next day and shriveled up to watched a moth long a voracious eater will soon nothing The fat ones that were left slowly wedging itself spin a cocoon went into cocoons and we were very out of its cocoon fortunate to see two out of the six Another moth had caterpillars making their cocoons hatched!

Bibliography It happened! It really It wasn’t until the next day that happened! Our first moth had we noticed the moth was a female http://www szgdocent org/ff/f lep htm hatched! It was a large male He http://en wikipedia org/wiki/Atlas_moth

The background photo is of the mother moth just before she laid her eggs in January Her wingspan was about cm

Lifecycle Egg – weeks Caterpillar – weeks The cocoon is securely attached to the underside of a leaf

A caterpillar in the process of spinning a cocoon

Moth – weeks

Students in Mr Zielinski’s classroom gather round to see the cocoons

Students

A remaining caterpillar continues to eat leaves surrounding the cocoon until it is time to spin its own cocoon

The first moth emerges from its cocoon in May

Pupae (Cocoon) – weeks

Tom and Katie Eliot‘s photos below show one young moth mating and the other laying its eggs in their house These unfertilized eggs will develop into males

measure the new moth Its size indicates this one is a male

Facts about the Atlas Moth One of the biggest moths in the world Up to cm wingspan Name derived from map or Greek Mythology Scientific name: Attacus atlas

The released female secretes a pheromone to attract a male from the nearby nature reserve

Eats the leaves of Japanese cherry (muntingia) soursop cinnamon lime pomelo rambutan guava citrus fruits Adult Atlas Moths do not eat because they don’t have a digestive system Moths raised in captivity are smaller than those raised in the wild

30

S

taff were tremendously honored with the fabulous display of all-day food provided by parents at all divisions. Thank you PTA and all parents!

The Tea was held at the lovely home of Ambassador and Mrs. Frank Lavin

T

he PTA Volunteer Appreciation Tea and AGM was held in May at the home of Ambassador and Mrs. Frank Lavin. All SAS parents were invited to participate. During the Tea, the PTA generously donated over $150,000 to the four school divisions raised during this year’s PTA fundraising activities.

oard

-4 PTA B

The 2003

The four school principals gratefully accepted the PTA donations at the Tea

Taking a Step Forward:

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Migrant Construction Workers contributed by Andrew Chin, grade 11 Global Issues student

S

uddenly overnight, there is a newly paved sidewalk outside, a new set of lights in the hallway, a brand new school next door. Who was responsible? When did the construction even start? These are just a couple of questions that have yet to be asked. A careful observer might notice the hundreds of construction workers that arrive early in the morning and work into the night on the construction of our new school building every day.

With recent news of deaths, improper reporting, and the poor living conditions of migrant workers not only in Singapore, but around the world, we are made more and more aware of the lives these individuals live. Danger abounds in the everyday life of a migrant worker and cases of underpayment only worsen the situation. Not only are migrant workers treated as third-class individuals everywhere, but they are also bonded to their employers, which may create another multitude of difficulties. Foreign labor is also a major source of income for the government due to established levies, making migrant work something that is definitely not frowned upon by the authorities and, honestly, an age-old institution that is here to stay, everywhere.

However, every step counts, and this has encouraged me to initiate my event.For the project, I set up a series of tables at the entrance to the construction site where plastic bags and t-shirts were given out as the workers arrived. By providing a bag filled with snacks such as a fruit, nuts, a piece of cake, and a box of juice, I aimed to show the workers at our own school that they are appreciated and their efforts have been acknowledged. Simply by watching their expressions and speaking briefly with them, it was clear that they appreciated the gesture. Many of the workers had left families behind in order to work abroad and many of these were being relied on to support those very families with the pay they earned. While it was a small token of appreciation, it was a significant one nonetheless- perhaps one which others will see and emulate.

Global Issues Projects Global Issues is a high school semester class taught by Dr. Roopa Dewan. It is self-directed, offering a project-based curriculum using investigative research. Students work on an area of personal interest. Below are projects other students have worked on during the past semester.

Breanne and Marcia Waggott: We have continued with our project on learning differences by adding to the Blackbaud system. We have been working on forming a support group for parents of LD students.

Kate LeSueur: I have created awareness, organized a forum, and helped those concerned about eating disorders.

I have devised a model for helping students with eating disorders.

Isaac Allen: I have been working on bringing dogs together with old folks and other needy people, in an attempt to make a difference in peoples’ lives through the use of pet therapy.

Urvashi Mathur: I have been working on music therapy as my project for this class. It has been an amazing experience to research a topic I am so passionate about. I have been working on helping students reduce stress with the use of music.

Tara John and Vihari Sheth: We aim for the health classes to change their curriculum to give a bigger emphasis on the importance of safe sex.

Bryan Wong: For my project I have been working to enact change in the Singaporean Education System.

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SAS Student Elise Castillo – Winner of the Margaret Sanders Foundation International Schools Scholarship

(originally published in EARCOS Magazine) lise Castillo is a passionate and committed person who genuinely cares about other people.

Her high school counselor, Mark Swarstad, describes Elise as a–“compassionate, intelligent person willing to get involved in what matters,” and that is what impresses one about her, beyond the excellence of her many achievements, talents and awards.

The Margaret Sanders Foundation was established to fund educational opportunities for members of the overseas schools community and awards up to four seniors annually with $5000. Any international school may submit only one student portfolio for the award and then each region must choose only one student to nominate of those submitted. The scholarship “is awarded to students who demonstrate character strengths such as persistence and motivation, resourcefulness, and acceptance of other cultures and points of view… [who] display a genuine interest in, and sustained commitment to, the welfare of others.” This year, besides Elise, who was the EARCOS nominee, winners came from the International School of Islamabad, the American International School of Budapest and Lincoln Community School in Ghana.

Elise will be attending Barnard College in New York, where she will undoubtedly continue to make a difference in people’s lives, while pursuing her love of English and writing. Although she has participated in numerous community service initiatives, four dedicated years with SAS’s Peace Initiative, reputedly Singapore’s only human rights organization, has instilled in Elise a desire to work for the Peace Corps after college. After that, who knows? One way or another, this is one individual who is destined to change lives.

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Ming Vandenberg and Rou Huey Stephanie Tang Win Singapore BS-PhD Scholarships

Senior Awards

Valedictorian - Elisabeth Hennessy Salutatorian - Rou Huey Stephanie Tang Blair Sonnenberg Memorial Award - Joanne Lonergan Burdell-Wood Memorial Award- Scott Greene ing Vandenberg, a student at SAS since preschool, and Stephanie Tang, a student Don Bergman Leadership Award - Rou Huey Stephanie Tang at SAS since 5th grade, have been named K Sunil Abraham award- Joshua Kao recipients of Singapore's prestigious A*STAR BSOutstanding senior Girl Award- Elisabth Hennessy PhD Science Scholarship. This National Science Outstanding Senior Boy Award - Jason Chin scholarship offers support for undergraduate through postgraduate studies up to the PhD level at Scott Seator Scholarship Award - Nicole DeFord Humanities Award - Elise Castillo selected overseas universities. Successful candidates receive support for up to 8 years of Mathematics/Science Award - Elisabeth Hennessy academic pursuit, leading to a PhD degree. Ming ECIS Award - Tiffany Lin

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will be attending Harvard University and Stephanie will be attending the University of Pennsylvania.

Congratulations to Ming and Stephanie!

Middle School Graduation

MITA (P) 289/10/2001 published and printed by the Singapore American School - Gillian Han, Editor

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Nicole DeFord, Scott Greene Salutatorian Stephanie Tang Graduation Speaker Eric Burnett

Valedictorian Elisabeth Hennessy

Chris Chmelik

Ming Vandenberg

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ingapore American School has lots of things to do like By: Corinne Weber after school clubs, team Fifth Grade sports, and trips to new places. I went on one of the trips to Beijing, China over Spring Break. Beijing is a great place to go with a lot of exciting things in store for you.

Beijing has 12 million people and is the site for the 2008 Olympic Games. Visitors can see a silk factory, Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, a Beijing Opera, acrobat show, and others. We saw all of these amazing places with its ancient history and wonders.

Our group also went to places that most tourists don’t get to see. My favorite was the Martial Arts School.

This is a boarding school where children from the age of 2 to 16 come to build their muscles and their souls. Do you know some of the students can only see their parents once a year? I thought that was pretty sad, since we see our family almost every day. Some of the students performed for us by breaking bricks and fighting with swords and bamboo sticks. Afterwards, each of us had a private lesson in martial arts.

The second thing I really liked was the Lei Feng school. Eleven SAS students were introduced to the whole school. They made us feel so welcome! There was no air-con and no special swing sets, but so much fun. We attended their Art and P.E. classes and made masks and new friends. The school’s soccer ball was badly damaged so we bought three new ones and gave them and an SAS blanket to the school as gifts to say thank you for having us. The Lei Feng students performed for us on the last day. The children are so talented.

China was probably the greatest experience I have ever had. From everything that I saw and did, I have learned much about life in China. I hope I will see you there next year!

Millard Fuller Visits SAS

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illard Fuller, the founder and director of Habitat for Humanity International, visited SAS in March to speak about Habitat for Humanity. He was on his first visit to Southeast Asia and we were extremely fortunate to have him here on campus. In his talk he encouraged the SAS community to embrace Habitat for Humanity as a school-wide commitment. While he was in Singapore speaking at another public forum, Mr. Millard gave SAS an award for the school’s work with the Habitat organization. Michael Cox, Habitat sponsor, accepted the award on behalf of the school. For additional information about Millard Fuller and aboutHabitat for Humanity, go to http://www.habitat.org and for more about the Singapore chapter, http://www.habitat.org.sg.

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by Laura Imkamp, Sophomore Communications Director

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n Thursday, April 8, the High School Sophomore Student Council held Geckos Night Out for third and fourth grade students. Check-in at the primary cafeteria started at 5:45 p.m., when the first kids arrived. For the first 15 minutes, members of the Sophomore Class Cabinet stuck dragon tattoos on the students’ arms and painted butterfly faces, while other members of the cabinet and council made sure everything outside was set up for the games.

At 6 p.m. the games started and, like a stampede, most of the 260 third and fourth graders who attended ran downstairs to the playground area. “ It looked like all the kids were having fun,” council treasurer Caroline Joseph said.“ I know we were having fun watching them all.”

Sophomore Council and Cabinet members When the games ended at 7:30, the kids were brought back into the elementary theater to watch Homeward Bound and answer trivia questions in exchange for candy. “ I really loved it when the kids were sitting down and captivated by the movie, and then all of a sudden they started clapping!

Everything went absolutely great and all the hard work was worth it,” council president Vrutika Mody said.

The movie and trivia finished around 9 p.m. and after 68 pizzas, 400 drinks and three hours, Geckos Night Out ended perfectly and parents picked up their children. “ I thought it was a wonderful evening,” said Dave Norcott, high school deputy principal and sophomore council sponsor.

contributed by Lauren Walker, fourth grade teacher This year, the students in Mrs. Walker’s fourth grade class had the opportunity to correspond with a fourth grade class at Dean School in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, through letter writing. Each student in her class wrote to a student (some wrote to two) in Mrs. Caruso’s fourth grade class. This exchange was made even more fun by the fact that Mrs. Caruso is Mrs. Walker’s mother, so the students on both sides of the globe were given frequent updates as to what was going on in each others’ classrooms. Each class has received several batches of letters, a couple of photo albums, and souvenirs from Singapore and Wisconsin. The students got so creative that they even made videos, capturing their schools on film, as well as giving the kids a chance to glimpse one another “ in person.”

Recently, this exchange was expanded to include artwork. Mrs. Balistreri, who teaches art to Mrs. Caruso’s kids in Wisconsin, heard about the penpal exchange, and she thought it would be really interesting to try and add an art component to it. Ms. McFadzen, who teaches art to Mrs. Walker’s kids, thought that was a great idea. Both teachers selected

pieces that their students had completed, and those pieces made their way overseas!

The students in Mrs. Walker’s class were really excited about the opportunity to extend their correspondence in this way. They’d gotten the chance to know their penpals through the letter-writing, but the art exchange provided them with the opportunity to learn even more about their new friends. Both art teachers also found it really interesting and beneficial to get an idea of the kinds of projects the kids complete at each school.

The artwork sent to SAS from Dean School was displayed on the bulletin boards outside of Ms. McFadzen’s room and the Elementary/Middle School Cafeteria.

36 SAS Staff Run the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge article and photos contributed by Ian Coppell

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n 28th April a total of 6,744 participants from 259 companies took part in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge. The 5.6-kilometre event was staged at the Singapore Cricket Club and included 39 runners from Singapore American School (teachers, administrators and security). The race course meandered around the Raffles Avenue, Marina Promenade and Esplanade area and proceeds from the race went to the enhancement of the Asian Civilizations Museum. It was certainly a unique and successful event in terms of team-building, and the camaraderie was evident before, during, and after the race.

Singapore American School was fortunate to finish second in the Mixed category, behind a very strong team from the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force. Andrew Hallam deserves a special mention as he finished 9th in the race, the first non-Gurkha!

On behalf of the runners I’d like to thank the support team of 6 helpers (Marian DeGroot, Bob Gross, Karen Coppell, Karen Benjamin, Vanessa Hardinge and Kelly McFadzen), as well as the large group of cheering spectators who encouraged their colleagues.

We hope to build on this success and have 100 runners toe the starting line in 2005!

Russell Freedman Visit

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n April, noted author Russell Freedman visited the intermediate, middle and high schools to talk about writing and his interests in American history.

Freedman is a nonfiction writer, but prefers to be called a factual author.

Among his more than forty books are titles covering Eleanor Roosevelt, the Wright brothers, Independence, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lincoln, Crazy Horse, and Martha Graham. He has received many awards for his writing, including the Newbury Medal, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for “a lasting and substantial contribution to children’s books.”

In talking to students about his writing, Mr. Freedman explained that he liked to write about people that he wanted to learn more about. “ Like every other writer, a nonfiction writer is essentially a storyteller. Whatever my subject, I always feel I have a story to tell that is worth telling, and so I want to tell it as clearly and effectively as I can, in a way that will stretch the reader’s imagination and make that reader care.”

Mr. Freedman’s visit was sponsored by the PTA.

contributed by kathy higgins, IS ESL teacher tudents usually don’t need very much encouragement to start thinking and talking about food.

Earlier in the year they had an opportunity to discuss their favorite and not-so-favorite foods, when Mr. L’Heureux and Ms. DeGroot read foodrelated literature and poetry to the students from Ms. Higgins ESL Intermediate classes. The three days of reading and writing ended with a culminating activity in which students designed their own menus. The activity generated much discussion and sharing of opinions.

The 5th grade ESL students went on a culinary tour of Fair Price, to provide them with an opportunity to compare the food of their native countries with those of other countries. They went with open minds. The were also armed with a partner, a recipe, shopping list, and a small budget to choose ingredients for making a new dish to share with their classmates. Students compared prices, brands and packaging before making their final choices. They spoke to store personnel to find out if the store stocked the item they needed, or if there was a substitute they could use instead.

They also learned what constitutes a

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“ The difference between Japanese supermarkets and the Singapore supermarket we visited is that there are so many more sections in Japanese markets, and sometimes there is a second floor. With all of the ingredients my partner and I bought, we made a Greek dish called Borek. I didn’t like it, but I thought it was a positive experience because when it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s, I can make it for my family. I shared the food that I made with Ms. Higgins, my family, and some ESL students. They all said it was good, so I was happy because I thought everyone who ate Borek was going to throw up and say it tasted terrible. I liked this trip because it was fun and I never knew that I could actually cook! ” Conan

The thing about this field trip that helped us was that you had to read the labels on the boxes and tags, which helped in reading skills.

We had to decide which product was cheaper because we only had ten dollars.” Julia

healthy diet and experimented with various systems of weights and measures. The unit ended with a potluck “supper” where students shared their dishes with others in the class, and to celebrate the diversity of flavors they brought to the dinner table.

It was rewarding to see the students make such an effort to concentrate on their tasks: shopping, comparing, searching, keeping to their budgets and, at the same time, interacting with people of the community. They took their jobs seriously, and earnestly lived up to their responsibilities. They worked politely and cooperatively with their assigned partners.

I have included some of the students’ comments on their experience:

“It was a positive experience to go shopping at Fair Price, because Julia and I could find all the ingredients we needed for our corn muffin recipe. We found the American flour which was really expensive. Then, we found the Hong Kong flour which was way cheaper, so we decided to buy that instead of the American flour. We thought that maybe we could find the cheaper brand of corn meal, but there wasn’t any, so we had to buy the American corn meal which was just as expensive as the American flour. Our muffins turned out great and everyone like them. Eating and making food from a different culture was a great experience.” Natsuki

“ My partner and I made Scottish Oat Cookies. It was pretty hard to find the ingredients, like brown sugar and baking powder, but we had a lot of fun baking them. In my country, the food stores have things written mostly in Korean. We had to find out from the staff where some things were, but they were friendly. ” Mike

“ The Fair Price store was almost the same as supermarkets in Japan. The difference is that in the Japanese supermarkets, there may be staff standing by the food section saying, “tasty, good, fresh food! And it’s very cheap!” Isn’t that confusing to you?

Conan and I made a food called Greek Borek. I crumbled the cheese by mashing it, while Conan took off the mint leaves. Later we mixed the mint and crumbled cheese together.

Then we put it on the filo dough one by one. We baked and waited. When we tasted it, all we could taste was mint! We must have used too much!

From that I learned many things like: how to make Greek Borek; it’s easier to round off the prices to the nearest dollar to make sure we have enough money; and never run in stores or supermarkets.” Yuji

38CHARACTER EDUCATION IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL Submitted by Colleen Steigerwald & Matthew Turner, Primary School Counselors

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Correct principles are like compasses; they are always pointing the way.

And if we know how to read them, we won’t get lost, confused, or fooled by conflicting voices and values.

S. Covey

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ere in the Primary School, character education is a dynamic process involving the students, faculty, and parents. The , Singapore American School identified five character traits that serve as a foundation for a strong moral compass. The traits are respect, responsibility, honesty, kindness, and tolerance. The Primary School strives to promote an environment where students learn and apply these values. As the year drew to a close, the Primary School reflected on ways our community has focused on building character. Here are some highlights from the year.

Classroom and School Environment • • • • • •

Classroom buddies build partnerships that build character.

420 students visit the principal’s office annually for recognition of a job well done.

Grade 2 holds weekly assemblies recognizing outstanding role models.

Classroom teachers honor ‘random acts of kindness’ in the classroom.

Our United Nations Day promotes tolerance for countries worldwide.

The SAS Super Six rules remain the overall guide for helping students develop and model strong character.

Mr. Steuer’s (p.m. preschool) and Mrs. Terrile’s (grade 2) classes are buddies

Good character is recognized in grade 2 students at a weekly assembly

The school environment reminds everyone of the five character traits

Monthly guidance lesson - Character comes through cooperation

The Community Classrooms in the Primary School have established a partnership with the Adventist Rehabilitation Centre (ARC). Students practice respect, responsibility, honesty, kindness, and tolerance through working with the patients at the center.

Mrs. Procida’s class working with the ARC patients…learning and practicing good moral character

Primary Students Define Character Respect “Being nice” Chip Mountan pre kindergarten “Being polite and listening to grown ups” Matthew Bakley kindergarten “Treat people the way you want them to treat you” Nikki Gruman grade “Use your manners” James VanOver grade “Being nice and kind when you speak Say please & thank you” Eric Edmond grade

Responsibility “Taking care of other people’s things” Rebecca Karjian kindergarten “Following the rules” Tyler Clontz grade “Doing what you are supposed to be doing” Jimmy Chen grade “If Mom and Dad get you something alive like a dog you take care of it so it doesn’t die” Isabelle Tan grade “Doing stuff without being reminded like taking a shower or doing your homework” Mason Jones grade “You have to do it not someone else…it’s your responsibility” Kyler Ramsey grade

Honesty “To tell the truth” Alex Roll kindergarten “Don’t tattletale say the right answers” Idil Evren grade “If you break something you do not blame someone else” Hari Sivaskandan grade “Do not lie” Yoon Sun Oh grade

Kindness “It means you are good” Alexandre Benissan pre kindergarten “You can invite someone to your house and share your toys” Danielle Ellis kindergarten “If someone falls don’t walk away Ask if they need help” Belle Wilai grade “You shouldn’t do the wrong thing at school or home” Ji Won Jeong grade “Do not bully other people” Chinmay Markale grade “Be nice to each other Respect other people” Sara Fritsch grade

Tolerance “Don’t make fun of other people’s differences” Daniel Venema kindergarten “Think of other people’s hearts and be nice to people from different countries” Stefan DeCornez grade “Don’t make fun if someone speaks wrong (different language) you can still be friends” Morgan Donahue grade “If someone tells you off you must be tolerant and not blow up like a volcano” Jared Briskman grade

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contributed by Shirali Giridharadas and Kelsey Park, 7th grade

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bake sale held in the Middle School cafeteria in January raised money for the Fateh School in Ranthambore, India. By raising money for the school, SAS middle school students hoped to help educate the children in the Fateh School about their environment and how to preserve it and keep it healthy. In the long run, this will help the tigers because the children will know how to treat them. With education, the children in the school will be able to get jobs that give them a good salary and they won’t have to destroy the environment.

The bake sale was extremely successful and raised $3,143. We would like to thank the seventh grade social studies classes for baking the food that we sold, setting up, cleaning up, and being cashiers. We would like to thank Mr. Frank Mars of Mars Inc, for the generous donation of Skittles and M&M’s to the sale.

We would also like to thank both of the social studies teachers, Ms. Van Sickle and Mr. Molly, as well as Mrs. Thome, sponsor of the Eco club. Finally, we would like to thank everyone for purchasing baked goods and helping to contribute to this cause. the bake sale success was possible because of your help. Thank you!

The Tiger Habitat in Ranthambhore National Park, India, has been a fundraising project supported over a number of years by the SAS Middle School.

The Tiger Habitat is under threat because of the demand for natural resources by the more than 200,000 residents of the 96 villages surrounding the park.

The Fateh School, started in April 2002, with 111 students, is part of a comprehensive program run by Dr. G. S. Rathore, established to help preserve the natural environment of the park and the tiger habitat. The school, when finished, should serve 1000 students, many from the 96 villages of Ranthambhore. Dr. Rathore’s aim is to improve literacy (currently at 36% in Ranthambhore), and thereby also improve the local understanding of the need to protect the environment.

SAS Students and Teachers contributed over $220,000 to Charity in 2003-4

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rom kindergarten to twelfth grade, students and teachers raised money for educational needs, for children, and for families in Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Africa, China, Philippines, Nepal and India.

Besides fundraising, students gave of their time regularly and during holidays to work at the Adventist Rehabilitation Centre, the Metta Home, the Leprosy Home, the Singapore Children's Society, with Special Olympics, at the Pulau Ubin Sensory Trail, in the Kranji Mangroves, at a school in the Philippines, and housebuilding in Cambodia and in Thailand.

Fundraising for Charity High School $50,000 raised through Peace Initiative, Wish for Kids, Habitat for Humanity and other clubs

Middle School $60,000 raised through home base initiatives, Tiger Bake Sale, Run-a-thon and clubs, including $30,000 in Tabitha craft sales

Tabitha Craft Sale

Intermediate School $78,000 raised through third grade Earn-toGive and Read-and-Feed, fourth grade swimathon, and fifth grade spellathon

Primary School $6,000 raised through sales of Barong Dance crafts, and chores

Teachers $30,000 raised through the ABFAB Dinner Dance and donations for Cambodia housebuilding

“Read to Feed”