Taipei American School THE WINDOW | Spring 2020

Who We Are

OUR MISSION OUR VISION OUR VALUES

Taipei American School is an innovative 21st century learning community. Our mission is to inspire each student to be a confident, creative, caring, and moral individual prepared to adapt and succeed anywhere in a rapidly changing world. We provide an American-based education with a global perspective that results in a love of learning, academic excellence, a balanced life, and service to others.

Taipei American School offers opportunities for students to reach their full potential to become caring, competent, knowledgeable young people who are dedicated to making a positive difference anywhere in the world.

BY STUDENT JOURNALISTS OF THE BLUE & GOLD NEWSPAPER

BY BECCA BUDDE, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

BY MARTIN ROBINSON, LOWER SCHOOL MUSIC COORDINATOR

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

BY SABRINA C. (‘21), THE BLUE & GOLD STUDENT NEWSPAPER

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER & DR. SHARON D. HENNESSY, HEAD OF SCHOOL

LINDSEY

KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Deputy Editor Becca Budde, Communications Officer Contributing

Dr. Kathryn Limmer, Assistant Head of School for Advancement

Connie Ma, Alumni and Community Outreach Officer Katherine Wang, Development Officer

Head of School

LEARNING FROM DISRUPTED LEARNING AND THE ART OF RESILIENCE

When the School made the important decision to close its campus in February and again in late March for a total of nearly four weeks, I did not realize at the time that it would be a test of our community’s mission and character—and one that we would pass with flying colors. Taipei American School has proven to be much more resilient and flexible in the face of disruption than I could have ever dreamed. It’s easy to quote the school’s mission in speeches and articles, but now, more than ever, I know what it means:

Taipei American School is an innovative 21st century learning community. Our mission is to inspire each student to be a confident, creative, caring, and moral individual prepared to adapt and succeed anywhere in a rapidly changing world. We provide an American-based education with a global perspective that results in a love of learning, academic excellence, a balanced life, and service to others.

After the two digital learning sessions, no one can say that TAS is not innovative, nor that we have not embraced 21st century learning. Our teachers have modeled what it means to be confident, creative, caring and moral professional educators, who adapted quickly to make digital learning such a success—and this modeling will reap endless benefits for our students. Our world is, indeed, rapidly changing, but our commitment to academic excellence, a balanced life, and service to others has not and will not stop, regardless of whether we are on or off our campus. In short, these four weeks of disruption have shown our community’s underlying

resilience, a skill and an art that underlies our ability to achieve this laudable mission.

So what else has our school’s administration learned about our community during this time of disruption?

As data clearly suggests, simply providing devices to students doesn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes. But the thoughtful integration of technology enables students to actively engage with ideas and their peers, which can and does enhance the learning experience. Students need thoughtful teachers to help design lessons that use technology thoughtfully, with nuanced, strategic, age-appropriate challenges. Through strategic planning—not luck—this has been accomplished—and now tested—at Taipei American School.

The school has also learned that our community’s commitment to communication and relationships will not be deterred in the face of challenges like distance. Our school was flooded with positive messages through email, Facebook, LINE and others, encouraging one another and helping to provide accurate and timely information during the school closure. Collaboration and communication were key to the success of our digital learning days. Whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, or student, my guess is that you can think of more than one way in which you were asked to (and did) collaborate with someone over the two brief closures.

We are not alone in this battle to remain resilient and flexible in a

rapidly changing world, but we are better suited for this battle because of our strongly supported mission. China has launched a national cloud learning platform and started broadcasting primary school classes to ensure the country’s 180 million students can still keep learning even though schools are closed. In Hong Kong, schools will be closed until at least April 20, right around the time this spring edition of The Window will go to press. Some schools in the United Kingdom have announced temporary closures after schoolsponsored trips to Italy. Each school in each nation has a different difficult decision to make for members of its community.

Each of these schools is attempting to place the health and safety of its community members first. The new COVID-19 coronavirus may have closed our school, temporarily, but as Megan K. Stack, a writer for The New Yorker, put it, “fear, it turns out, is also a virus.” Just as the new virus has disrupted our learning, so can fear—and fear, I believe, can only be managed through hope and resilience. At Taipei American School, we can be thankful for the demonstrated, tested commitment and professionalism of our teachers—and for the persistence, resilience, and flexibility of our learners and parents. This is not just foundless hope—it’s demonstrated grace under pressure. And we rest a bit easier knowing that, if need be, our community would be able to be resilient under any other future disruptions that our world throws our way.

What are some important rituals that the Tapei American School community looks forward to each spring? Here’s a short list of the various events we celebrate on campus as a community. Many of these traditions may go digital this spring, but they will be celebrated nonetheless.

CARING FOR STUDENT SAFETY THROUGH

The safety and wellbeing of our students is always the school’s highest priority. That is both a professional and a personal commitment. As your Board, every one of us elected to this position has children of our own attending the school. Even those appointed to their position have children who are alumni of the school or are alumni themselves. And many of the school’s administrators have children attending the school as well.

Any risk to the health of our students is therefore no mere abstract concern.

So we certainly understand the fear and anxiety that many people are feeling because of the global spread of the novel coronavirus, and the disease it causes, COVID-19. The emergence of any new disease is unnerving, especially one that spreads so rapidly, and that has proven to be quite serious, especially for older people and those with compromised

immune systems.

Fortunately, Taiwan has been doing an outstanding job containing the spread of the disease. As you have no doubt seen, we have been getting increasingly more global attention from the news media, holding Taiwan up as a model for other countries around the world to follow.

Your Board has also been working closely with the school’s administration to do our part and to keep our children safe.

PHOTO: MIKE DODGE

Many people might not fully understand the role of the Board and might believe our work is largely limited to our monthly meetings. But nothing could be further from the truth.

The Board, and especially its Executive Committee, are in regular contact with the Head of School, and through her, the rest of the administration. In times such as these, that communication only increases in frequency, both so that we can provide guidance and support to Dr. Hennessy and so that she can keep us fully informed of all the school’s disease prevention efforts.

Dr. Hennessy is meeting regularly with the administrative team to ensure that efforts are fully coordinated and that nothing falls through the cracks. This, in turn, ensures that Dr. Hennessy can keep the Board equally as well-informed.

In uncertain times, it is easy to be anxious or afraid. But please at least be reassured that the school is always doing everything it can to ensure our children continue to receive the best possible education, while protecting their health and safety, even during challenging and rapidly changing times. We trust Taipei American School with our

children for that reason and are grateful that you continue to trust us to ensure the school continues to fulfill that obligation.

With your continued support, TAS will, along with Taiwan, continue to be a model for the rest of the world.

學生的安全和健康永遠是學校

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

Voices

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

BY CARLEE & BOB KOWALEC, LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS

A

New Zealand was the country we lived in before starting out on our international teaching careers. We return there to visit friends and family every year during Winter Break. This year, for the first time in many years, people seemed to be asking us when we were moving “home.” Our stay in Taiwan has now far exceeded the typical international teacher stay of 3 to 5 years, so it makes sense that we should be thinking of moving on soon, yet we have no plans to leave Taiwan in the near future. Being asked this question did make us think about why we choose to stay here though.

The reason that first comes to mind when asked why we choose to stay in Taiwan is that our children get to go to an amazing school. It is difficult to explain to others why this school is so special, so we start by listing the extracurricular opportunities on offer for our children, the incredible facilities we have and the amazing programs

little over 11 years ago we began a new chapter in life and moved with our one-year-old to Taiwan, a place we had never even thought of visiting, despite the fact that we had lived in nearby Shanghai for several years. At that time in our lives, we pictured ourselves working all over the world, spending three or four years in each place and then moving on. Yet here we are, 11 years (and another child) later with no plans to leave.our children experience. No matter what their strengths and preferences might be, there is something available at which they can excel We can find many of these things in New Zealand, or in the USA, however it would be very rare to find all of them in one place, or even within a short distance of the school.

Being educators also means that we are lifelong learners ourselves. We are always looking for new and better ways to engage our students, deliver content, and make our teaching as effective as possible. At TAS, not only do we have access to relevant professional development, but we are also surrounded by teachers who are amazing at what they do and who inspire us every day to learn and try new things. This means that we have been able to continue to challenge ourselves and grow professionally. It also means that we have had incredible teachers for our children during our time here.

We appreciate the quality and consistency of our programs. Every teacher who has taught in a few different schools knows that not all programs and curriculum are created equally. Even having a carefully chosen curriculum in hand does not necessarily allow one to be able to teach it effectively. Being at a school where curriculum decisions are carefully thought out, then followed up with ongoing professional development

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KOWALEC FAMILY

and the necessary resources to make the program the best it can be, is something we have come to appreciate greatly.

Taiwan itself is a huge reason we choose to stay. There are not many international schools that are located in a small suburb, close to a city, with mountains and nature right on their back doorstep. Tianmu provides us with all of the comforts of home that we have grown used to. With hiking, beaches, bike paths, playgrounds and parks all within easy reach, we don’t often have to go far. When we do choose to venture out, Taiwan is full of interesting places to explore, and the rest of Asia is just a short hop away if we want to experience different countries and cultures. The people here are so welcoming, helpful and friendly. They make it incredibly easy to be an illiterate foreigner in a culture other than our home culture.

After hearing all of the reasons that we choose to stay here, nobody ever goes on to try to convince us to return home. How can they possibly argue with all of those reasons? We do miss our friends and family greatly, but our children feel like Taiwan is home. They speak the language and they feel like they belong here. The community here has become our pseudo-family and at this point in our lives and in our careers, we can’t think of a better place to be.

使人們能夠有效地教授它。在學 校裡，我們會認真考量課程的決 定，然後進行持續的專業發展與 必要的資源，為使該課程達到我 們都能非常理解的最佳狀態。 台灣本身是我們選擇留下相 當大的原因。坐落在靠近城市的 小郊區中，沒有很多國際學校， 後門緊挨著山脈和自然風光。天 母為我們提供了我們過去所擁有 的所有居家般的舒適感。徒步旅 行、海灘、自行車道、遊樂場和 公園都近在咫尺，我們不必走太 遠。當我們選擇冒險時，台灣到 處都是有趣的地方，如果想體驗 不同的國家和文化，亞洲其他地 區也只有很短的路程。這裡的人 是如此熱情，樂於助人和友好。

“Our children get to go to an amazing school.”

professional development, but we are also surrounded by teachers who are amazing at what they do...”

The Solomon Wong Tech Cube.

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

Upper School faculty meeting. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

Middle School homeroom.

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

Middle School students trek at Camp Taiwan.

PHOTO: TAS COMMUNICATIONS

The values and lessons unique to an American education

BY MICHAEL O’NEILL, DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

Growing up, I benefited from a New England independent school education. It meant that people like Thomas Oliphant spoke at my graduation, and I would forever take pleasure in sprinkling French phrases into my conversations. C’était magnifique! But one story carried on with me just as I was preparing to leave the comfort of the academy.

My headmaster at the time recounted a story about a young student who attended the school not long before I did. After graduation, the young woman, my headmaster told me, found herself at the kitchen table with her father fondly looking back on her four years at school. It wasn’t long before the conversation turned to worldly matters and the father discovered her daughter no longer shared many of his outdated views.

Believing this change was a betrayal to his family’s values, he stormed the office of his daughter’s former headmaster and demanded an explanation. The headmaster looked at

the father and softly replied, “Sir, you have sent your daughter to us for an education. It appears she has received just that.”

Attending an American independent school forces students to confront biases and ignorance in ways few other places in the world require. In doing so, students stretch their understanding of the world around them and build upon the march of progress. American independent schools do this, to name a few reasons, by valuing partnerships with families, fostering critical thinking skills, and placing a child’s social and emotional wellbeing on equal footing with their academic prowess.

In watching new and current families align with these values at Taipei American School, I see children excel in both their academics and their wellbeing. Their technical thinking abilities in the Solomon Wong Tech Cube astound both my tour groups and me. Theater and dance performances make my heart sing as I watch young adults love what they are learning and

performing. I am filled with hope as I watch our youngest learners navigate social play and risk-taking on the new playground. I believe our students will be responsible global citizens in large part to the people and programs at TAS.

We as adults must be comfortable with our children shedding old ideas we have taken for granted. They will come away with new perspectives that may be radically different from our own, and we must be okay with that. I am not advocating we ignore staples like the Golden Rule or to think that teenagers do in fact know everything. I only ask we recognize our children are becoming independent thinkers and that the world will be better for their critical interpretations of the world we leave to them. Indeed, humanity’s wellbeing relies on this simple premise. We have sent our children to Taipei American School for an education, and we are fortunate they are receiving just that.

PHOTO: DUSTIN RHOADES

BY MICHAEL O’NEILL, DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

生面對世界上其他地方所要求的 偏見和無知。通過這樣做，學生 可以加深對周遭世界的了解，並 在進步的基礎上繼續前進。出於 幾個原因，美國的私立學校通過 重視與家庭的伙伴關係，培養批 判性的思考能力，以及將孩子的 社交和情感健康與他們的學業實 力置於同等地位。 在觀看新的和現有的家庭符合 台北美國學校的這些價值觀時， 我看到孩子們的學業和福祉都非 常出色。他們在 Solomon Wong 科技館中的科技思維能力震驚了 我和我的參觀團體。當我看著年 輕人喜歡他們正在學習和表演的 東西時，戲劇和舞蹈表演使我心

觀點，我們必須對此表示同意。 我不是在提倡我們忽略像黃金法 則這樣的主幹，也不認為青少 年確實知道一切。我只要求我們 體認到本校孩子正在成為獨立的 思想家，並且他們對我們留下的 世界之批判性解釋，將使世界會 變得更美好。確實，人類的福祉

Wellness in Action

TAS STUDENT-ATHLETES EXCEL ON AND OFF THE TAS CAMPUS

Steffie L. (’22) has been fencing for about a year and a half, practicing once a week at a club called 鬥魚擊劍俱樂部 (Fighting Fish Fencing Club) located in Ximending. She was inspired by her aunt, who is currently on the path to becoming an official fencing judge, to try the sport.

As a relatively new participant in the sport, she sees fencing as an activity that has been fun to add to her repertoire. As a saber fencer, she uses the cutting edge and back of the blade to score, as opposed to the blade’s point, which is used in épée and foil fencing. “It’s a really special sport that not a lot of other people do,” she said.

Steffie trains every Saturday for three to four hours. The long hours are a testament to the immense amount of focus that fencing requires. “The small details [in fencing] are really important, they decide whether you have a big win or a big loss,” Steffie said.

Steffie chooses “expensive” to describe fencing. “You have to be extremely dedicated to the sport, because the gear and training are not cheap,” she said.

At one point, Steffie considered quitting due to a tough transition when first starting the sport; however, her coach taught her about

having the right attitude. “Fencing has taught me about dedication and hard work; you have to have a lot of self-motivation,” she said.

Although Steffie has not had the opportunity to participate in an official fencing competition yet, she plans to continue training and attend one this coming summer. She truly enjoys the sport, and hopes to fence in college as well.

Steffie L. （’22)擊劍已經

PHOTO:THE BLUE & GOLD

SABRINA C. (’21), THE BLUE & GOLD STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Michael W. (’21) is a member of the Chinese Taipei U17 National Fencing Team. He has been fencing for five and a half years and is currently ranked second and seventh for the U17 and U20 age groups in all of Taiwan, respectively.

Michael’s love for fencing truly developed when he placed third at National Team Trials last year. “I realized that I could have a future in fencing,” he said.

As a member of the Chinese Taipei National Team, he trains six days a week and attends numerous team and individual competitions in different countries, including Seoul, where he placed first at the International Region Circuit in his age division. Michael also recently placed third at the North American

Cup in Kansas out of over 200 opponents. “I’m really proud to be able to represent Taiwan,” he said.

If Michael participates in the World Championships this year, he could potentially miss one to two months of school due to intensive training and competition in preparation for it. “It’s really important for me to be proactive and stay ahead on schoolwork,” Michael said.

The sport itself is also extremely difficult. “Fencing is a really unique sport, it’s not as easy as many people believe,” he said. “It takes a lot of commitment and constant training.”

To Michael, fencing is not just a sport, but an essential part of his life. “[Fencing] has taught me how to be more patient and disciplined in all aspects of life,” he said. “It definitely challenges you both physically and mentally.”

Although the college recruiting process is very extensive, Michael has been working very hard, and hopes to fence for a Division 1 college with strong academics. He has already begun reaching out to coaches and getting responses and interest. He also has even higher goals for the future. “My ultimate dream is to fence in the Olympics one day and medal,” he said.

Michael W. (’21)是中華台

他的年齡組第一名。Michael最近 還在堪薩斯州超過200個對手的北 美杯中勇奪第三。他說：“我為 能代表台灣感到非常自豪。” 如果Michael參加今年的世界 錦標賽，他可能會因密集訓練和 比賽準備而錯失一到兩個月的上 課時間。Michael說：“積極主動 與保持學業領先，對我來說非常 重要。”

這項運動本身也極其困難。他 說：“擊劍是一項非常獨特的運 動，它並不像許多人所相信的那 麼容易。”“這需要大量的投入 和持續的訓練。”

PHOTO:THE BLUE & GOLD

For senior Zef R. (’20), biking and surfing have played a significant part in his life since he was three years old. He has participated in professional biking and surfing competitions and has won various awards.

In 2016, Zef qualified for the World Surf League in Taitung and had a brief sponsorship with an Indonesian brand named Refuse, which he discovered through a friend. The sponsorship mostly included surfing for the company.

As for biking, Zef has been competing for almost five years. For the past four years, he has placed in the top ten in each contest he has participated in. In the past two years, he has competed in the Asian Extreme Sports Games, and ended up in the top five as part of the SPUN STUDIO elite team. This school year, he also competed in a dirt bike contest in November.

The competitions Zef participates in are judged based on the tricks that are performed and the flow of the whole riding course.

His favorite part about biking and surfing is the rush of excitement and adrenaline. “Nobody is gonna tell you what to do. So you can just do your own thing and make it work, which feels really good,” Zef said.

Zef is a huge fan of Trey Jones, a

professional biker. “I absolutely love Trey Jones for his truly unique and raw style and insane diversity in every aspect of bicycle motocross,” Zef said. “He is my favorite of all time, and his style compared to everybody else is just so different. Everything works when he does it.”

At home, Zef has a half-pipe in his backyard, which can be used for practicing both biking and skating.

Occasionally, Zef also teaches and helps his younger sister Evie R. (’24) with biking and surfing. “Sometimes if I am doing something wrong, [Zef will tell me], Evie [try] doing it like this so you can do it better,” Evie said.

To Zef, biking and surfing are both very important aspects of his life. “I don’t find as much joy in any other thing that I do from biking or surfing, there is no way of explaining the great feeling I get from practicing the two,” he said.

對於12年級的

After practicing taekwondo for eight years, kickboxing for one and a half years, and boxing for another two years, Tyler C. (’21) has also been practicing Shinkyokushin karate, an original form of karate that simulates real battles. Tyler has participated in Taiwan national and overseas Okinawa competitions, where he medaled first- and thirdplace respectively.

Shinkyokushin karate requires participants to compete without protecting equipment or clothing. “It’s basically like kickboxing, but they don’t use gloves in the competitions. You don’t have pads either. Plus, you can attack any way except for throwing punches to the face,” Tyler said. To be successful and avoid injuries, many participants of Shinkyokushin karate train their bodies to be both fit and durable.

At his first competition in Taiwan, Tyler competed against opponents of all age groups.The opponent he fought in his first match was 24 years old. Older opponents had greater stamina, which leads to long grueling matches. However, due to Tyler’s training for

other sports such as rugby at the time, his stamina was strong enough to keep up with his opponents and allowed him to win.

Driven by the desire to teach his son discipline and courage, Tyler’s father was the catalyst that led Tyler to practice many forms of martial arts and sports. “He wanted me to do various forms of sports to develop a sense of discipline,” Tyler said. “Of course, training my body to be fit can help with protecting myself, but it’s also about just staying grounded and not shying away.”

Tyler plans to attend more national and overseas competitions in the future. “I’ve learned to really enjoy the forms of martial arts and sports that I’ve picked up throughout the years, and I’m positive that I will continue to pursue these activities.”

耐操。 在台灣的第一次比賽中，Tyler 與各個年齡段的對手進行比賽。第 一場比賽，他的對手時年24歲。年 長的對手具有更高的耐力，這導致 長時間的艱苦比賽。但是，由於當 時Tyler接受過橄欖球等其他運動 的訓練，因此他的耐力足夠強大， 可以跟上對手的步伐並獲勝。 出於教導兒子紀律和勇氣的 希望，Tyler的父親是Tyler練習 多種形態的武術和運動的催化 劑。Tyler說：“他希望我做各 種形態的運動，以增強紀律意 識。”“當然，訓練我的身體健康

Vanessa Huang (’23) has been a synchronized swimmer since she was four. She started this sport because she had finished learning all four styles of swimming when she was three. Her mom wanted her to do a sport that is more unique than competitive swimming, so she thought: “Why not synchronized swimming?”

Synchronized swimming is one of the sports that is not as recognized as other more competitive sports. Very few people know that synchronized swimming is a combination of both swimming and water polo. This sport is a form of swimming where the swimmers exhibit their abilities to perform stunts and a variety of movements in the water, while also being able to stay paddling above the surface.

Vanessa’s journey of synchronized swimming started out rocky. She did not enjoy the training. However, according to Vanessa, she “suddenly got better” and could finally comprehend the professional terms the teacher said ‘’due to the “training I had for so long…[and] my basics became strong enough.”

Vanessa has competed in a few competitions and trains twice a week. For her warmup,Vanessa stretches and does cardio workouts.When she enters the water, she practices basic moves “like eggbeater or arm movements that help us float above water across the lane.” She also added that she “dives under water and swims 25 meters without breathing.” Finally, she practices her figures, movements that are formed by many basic movements.

Vanessa believes that synchronized swimmers need to confront their inner fears of not being able to hold on to something in order to perform musical routines. “You definitely need to know how to swim,” she said. “You have to

be able to relax even though you aren’t holding on to anything.”

Although synchronized swimming seems very easy, it is very challenging to float on water while performing a variety of musical routines in a short matter of time. Vanessa found a lot of skills hard to achieve when she first started synchronized swimming. “At first, [the hardest part] was staying up on water,” Vanessa confesses, “but later, [you have to maintain] all those hand gestures that keep you from sinking.”

The hand gestures and the foot coordination are very challenging to keep up with while in the water, as the swimmer needs to multitask and make sure they are on rhythm.

Vanessa’s parents are very proud of her and where she is in her synchronized swimming experience. They believe that “it is important to accompany your child in any activity,” as they have with Vanessa since she was four. “You have to be there to support your kid whenever they need help,” they said.

Vanessa H. (’23)從四歲起就

BY NATALIE S. (’21), THE BLUE & GOLD STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Ethan H. (’23) recently won a silver medal for playing ice hockey at the 2020 Youth Winter Olympics, which took place at the Vaudoise Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland from Jan. 10 to 22.

Before going to the Olympics, Ethan only got to know the team for 10 days and only had the chance of two practice games. To qualify, there was a trial where ice hockey players had to skate around the arena and shoot pucks as fast as possible at the same time. This trial was timed with the record sent to the International Olympic Committee for comparison with hockey players around the world. After that, only hockey players within the top 99 places were allowed to go to the Lausanne 2020 Winter Olympic Games, one of them being Ethan.

“It is kind of taxing on my daily time in balancing my school work, extracurriculars and competing at this high of a level,” Ethan said. When he learned that he got into the Winter Olympics, he began training for one to two hours every day, which meant he would often miss a class for a quick

hockey game.

Normally, Ethan would have hockey practices starting from 6 AM at Taipei Arena on Saturday or Sunday and sometimes on both days. Ethan spends every practice mastering the three skills: skating, moving the puck and strategizing at the same time.

Previously, Ethan had always felt underappreciated by hockey players in Taiwan who believed he wasn’t as skilled. “Despite that, I never stopped pursuing my passion for hockey, although I did consider quitting hockey once I came into high school,” Ethan said. The friends he made playing the sport ultimately kept him playing and he deemed ice hockey as an unfinished project that he has been working on for so long.

While Ethan is heavily involved in ice hockey, he does not quite see this as a potential career, but instead as a hobby. “I want to contribute to the cause of saving the world’s environmental crisis, instead of just playing sports and ignoring what happens to our world,” he said. “Ice hockey will not exist if global warming continues.”

際奧委會的記錄與世界各地的曲棍 球運動員進行比較。之後，只有排 名前99位的曲棍球運動員才能參加 洛桑2020年冬季奧運會，其中之一 就是Ethan。 但是，作為一名高中生，很難 兼顧學業和練習。Ethan說：“平 衡我的學業、課外活動和參與如此 高水準的競賽，對我平常的時間安 排是很費力的。”當他得知自己要 參加冬季奧運會後，便開始每天進 行一到兩個小時的訓練，他經常需 要為了參加一場曲棍球練習而錯過 了學校的一堂課。

PLAY, LEARN, AND GROW IN THE NEW TIGER GARDEN

BY BECCA BUDDE, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

The morning of Dec. 12, 2019, did not start like any other Thursday in the Lower School. At morning meetings, homeroom teachers surprised students with the very exciting news that they would get to explore the Tiger Garden that very morning! Having watched the structures grow taller and increasingly more elaborate throughout the beginning months of school, students were beyond excited to hear that they would have a special schedule for the day that included a special recess at the Tiger Garden. It was happening!

The Lower School principals coordinated and organized a flawless rollout by grade level, allowing each grade time to explore and experience

the new playground on their own. Reducing the number of students on the structures allowed for maximal sprinting, jumping, sliding, and climbing. This also allowed for racing through the structure without worrying about knocking over any younger students, since they were surrounded only by students in the same grade.

And race they did.

“This is awesome! “That slide is sooo fast!” “Come on! Let’s go this way!” As they explored the spaces, their excitement was palpable, and as evident by the smiles and laughter of their teachers and principals, their enthusiasm was contagious.

Parents and alumni were equally excited for the kids on opening day.

“It looks incredible,” wrote one parent on TAS Facebook. “I want to go play on it.” “Bro, if we had this when we were in fifth grade…” wrote another Facebook user.

Hearing the laughter and shrieks of delight from as far away as the Dr. Sharon DiBartolomeo Hennessy Upper School Building, many middle and upper school students gazed wistfully across the upper field.

And after seeing the pictures on TAS Instagram of lower school students enjoying the Tiger Garden, Jonathan P. (’23) wrote, “Can upper schoolers go and use it for a day? [prayer hand emoji]” This comment received 88 “likes” quite quickly, as well as several replies, including “I hope it’s a yes [prayer hand

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

emoji]” from Cindy C. (’23). (Since the KA playground is only certified for use by students under age 5, and the bigger playground is only certified for kids ages 5 to 12, unfortunately it’s a “no”; the Tiger Garden is only open for lower school students.)

In the Tiger Garden students can explore, create, imagine, develop and grow, extending their learning outside of the traditional classroom. Despite being a stone’s throw from Zhongshan North Road, the shady trees, flowing water, netted tree house, sand box, bike track, and multiple slides and tunnels allow students’ imaginations to soar; students may even forget that they are in the middle of the city, and still on campus. Play is critical for children in the development of emotional, social, and creative thinking skills, and it helps them grow into creative and confident adults. By encouraging independence and appropriately scaffolded risk-taking, the Tiger Garden beckons students to climb a bit higher, step out of their comfort zones, and shift their perspectives.

A truly unique playground, the Tiger Garden was designed specifically for our space and for our students; lower school students and principals worked with architects on the design, sharing their ideas, dreams, and vision for the space. The goal was to capture the energy, optimism

and playfulness of the Lower School. According to Lower School Principal, Tara Simeonidis, the architects did an incredible job accomplishing this vision. “We wanted the playground to capture the spirit of the Lower School. And play and exploration are a huge part of learning. The Tiger theme, of course, is a fun way to acknowledge our school mascot,” she adds.

Lower School Associate Principal Rick Rabon’s eyes light up when he talks about the playground. “The Tiger Garden is a jewel in the crown of the Lower School, offering children the chance to grow in confidence and to be creative in their play. Recess times and free play are vital to provide a balanced life at school,” he shares.

Fast forward two months. It’s recess and groups of students are racing around the Tiger Garden in their regular game of tag, negotiating where “base” is today. Two students are at the water feature creating a dam with their hands to temporarily block the running water, before releasing it all at once and gleefully counting how many pebbles the water can drag down this time. Four students are chatting in the shade of a slide, coming together from different homerooms to connect and share about their mornings. A small group is fearlessly climbing up the netting in the middle of the walkway as the students make their way to the “tree

house”—some of these very students were clutching the side netting and clinging to one another just two months ago, frightened to step into the center.

“Physical activity and social interaction are so important for healthy child development,” says Lower School Associate Principal, Becky Klar. “Our new playground gives children lots of options for imaginative play and challenge by choice,” essential components of a balanced curriculum.

For students who spend the majority of their days in carefully structured and controlled environments, the Tiger Garden provides spaces for them to be free to be kids, where they can create their own games and develop social emotional intelligence in an environment where teachers are nearby but not directing conversations. This freedom to explore relationships and navigate life creatively is something that is essential to child development, and what makes this beautiful space an integral part of campus today.

A huge thank you to all of the parents who made this possible for our future leaders, as construction of the Tiger Garden was funded by the generosity of parent donors. Thank you to everyone in the community who contributed to making this dream a reality for our students.

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

A BIG TIGER GARDEN THANK YOU

Thank you to all of our parents, faculty, and alumni for your generous donations to the annual giving program. Your support made the Tiger Garden a reality for our students! For the featured pieces in the Tiger Garden, we give our sincere thanks to the following donors for their generous support.

• The Forest Tower supported by Paul ‘94 and Nancy Hsu

• The KA Tiger Den supported by Johnson Hardwood Flooring

• The Savanah Tower supported by Chang En Lee and Family • The Hh Bro&Sis Tiger Hill supported by Gloria Tsai ‘94 and Family

• The Adventure Trail supported by Joanne Tseng and Stanley Liao

TIGER GARDEN FAST FACTS

What is the surface area of the playground?

• The surface area of the big side of the playground is 311,187 m2. That of the playground on the KA side is 53,253 m2. The playground right next to the Upper Field is 20,938 m2.

What is the length of the tunnels? And how many are there?

• There are three tunnels for students to explore. The smaller two measure 9 and 4 meters. The largest of the three tunnels is17 meters long.

How many slides are there?

• There are a total of four slides for students to enjoy!

PHOTOS: BECCA BUDDE

Lower School

BECOMING “TUNEFUL,” “BEATFUL,” AND “ARTFUL” IN LOWER SCHOOL MUSIC

BY MARTIN ROBINSON, LOWER SCHOOL MUSIC COORDINATOR

There are three lower school music classes going on in separate, but nearby rooms, and the sound of young voices echoing their teacher’s singing rings out down the long, curved hallway behind the Harmony Theater. One class is immersed in a Movement Exploration activity, called “Fast Land/ Slow Land,” designed to increase student’s awareness of the element of Time in movement. Students in the next room are taking turns singing the song, “Frog in the Meadow” as solos. In a third room, students are taking turns leading the class in different ways to keep the beat along with a recording of a piece by Mozart.

It’s a typical day in this part of TAS, and the lower school music teachers are busy implementing a new curriculum designed to prepare students to become musical in three ways:

1. “Tuneful:” To have tunes in their heads and learn to coordinate their voices to sing those tunes.

2. “Beatful:” To feel the pulse of music and how that pulse is grouped in either 2s or 3s.

3. “Artful:” To be able to be moved by beautiful music, seek out musical experiences to share with others in concert halls or community bands and choirs, and to sing with feeling.

The heart of this highly researched music curriculum, called “First Steps in Music,” is the 8-part musical workout that gives structure to each music lesson. Each of these musical workout activities serves a specific purpose and is sequenced over several lessons to move students from large group, to small group, to individual achievement.

The eight musical workout activities are:

1. Pitch Exploration (vocal warm-ups)

2. Fragment Songs (echo songs and call & response songs)

3. Simple Songs (short, small vocal range songs students must learn and sing solo)

4. Arioso (child-created original vocal tunes)

5. Song Tales (story songs artfully sung by the teacher)

6. Movement Exploration (movement warm-ups that explore the 10 Movement “themes” of Rudolf Laban)

7. Movement for Form & Expression (fingerplays, circle games, and movement to classical music)

8. Movement with the Beat (fingerplays, action songs, and keeping the beat to classical music)

Instrumental activities and folk dances are incorporated into the musical workout, especially in the upper grades, and starting next Fall a program of musical literacy training called “Conversational Solfege” will be implemented to help students improve their music reading and writing abilities.

Lower school music teachers have been pleased with the results of the new curriculum and feedback from parents and students has been very positive. Students are getting more comfortable with their voices and singing more, the creative movement and beat motion activities keep lessons lively and productive, and since every part of a lesson has been researched and chosen for peak learning, music classes have a clear and effective methodology and repertoire to help our students become more tuneful, beatful, and artful.

PHOTOS: BECCA BUDDE

BY MARTIN ROBINSON, LOWER SCHOOL

COORDINATOR

Middle School

INCLUSION OF ALL (ABOVE ALL)

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

If Taipei American School is a bridge from an island to the world, then the Middle School is a bridge from the supportive nurturing of our Lower School to the academic rigor of the Upper School. It is where students become more independent, resilient and adaptable learners, but with adequate support to help them be caring, thoughtful, and kind people.

Principal Josh Budde, who is in his first year at TAS, and Associate Principal Mr. Gary Pettigrew, have intentionally designed the middle school experience so that no student is left out of this approach.Their message to both faculty and students? Inclusion of all, above all.

Although there are nearly 700 students in the Middle School this year, it remains a close-knit community of learners. The day intentionally begins with students in their homerooms, small groups of 10-12 students with one teacher, all building positive relationships and discussing meaningful topics around wellness. These homerooms do not mirror the students’ existing friendships but rather encourage them to make relationships with new students and to include all members of their homeroom in discussion.

In the classroom, this theme of inclusion continues as the middle school approach includes a large amount of individualized instruction. Through the thoughtful integration of Responsive Classroom, character education, and wellness principles, the faculty is attuned to the unique developmental needs of students of this age. Homeroom teachers at each grade level work as a team under the guidance and supervision of the team leaders and counselors to provide relevant and engaging content.

At the end of the day, the middle school administration and faculty want our students to have thoroughly enjoyed

the learning process and to be proud of their hard work. Middle school students sign the Character Code that aligns with the TAS values of honesty, respect, responsibility, courage and kindness— the latter forming a strong foundation of inclusion as middle school students begin to build more independent social groups.

Here are a few additional ways that the middle school administration and counseling team have partnered with both teachers and students to make sure that inclusion is the bedrock of the middle school experience:

RAINBOW TIGERS CLUB

Rainbow Tigers, led by middle school academic support teacher Mr. Stephen Moran and middle school librarian Mrs. Carol Youssif, is a new club this school year with the goal of promoting the safety and well-being of all students, encouraging conversations about LGBTQ+ issues, and having fun while meeting new friends. The club is a gay/ straight alliance that provides a safe zone for any and all students.

“We were inspired by the GayStraight Alliance in the United States, and we saw a need for this kind of group in the Middle School,” said the two club sponors. “We approached the administration and they were eager to hear more about our ideas.”

Ultimately, the club leaders hope to create a respectful environment in the middle school by eradicating bullying and harassment and empowering every student to take ownership of their school experience. “It’s important because we need visibility and representation of all students in this division,” said Moran and Youssif. “We don’t know why this is the first middle school club of its kind, but we’re happy that we were able to start and get off the ground running.”

So far the club has been a “resounding

success” according to Moran andYoussif. There were 38 students and three additional faculty members at the club’s first meeting. During that meeting, they discussed the club’s mission and vision, and came up with a list of agreements for each meeting to avoid and prevent gossip while maintaining that everyone in the club is heard.

Students do not need to identify as gay or straight in order to attend; Moran and Youssif say that “you just need to be you.” It’s important to note that this club has a confidentiality policy for attendees. “We welcome any and all who come with an open mind and a respectful approach,” said Moran and Youssif. “We discourage the students from disclosing who attends these meetings because we want everyone to feel safe.”

The club meets the first Tuesday of every month during lunchtime in room 3B62. If you or your student has additional questions about the club, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mr. Moran at morans@tas.tw or Mrs. Youssif at youssifc@tas.tw.

MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA

The middle school drama program has been thriving under the direction of Ms. Georgina Christou since her arrival in 2011. Christou teaches drama as both a curricular elective option for students in the Middle School and as an extracurricular activity outside of school through the annual drama production and the play performance club. She also leads the ISTA travel team and organizes the ISTA festival at TAS, which occurs every three years.

One of the most essential tenets of Christou’s drama program is its emphasis on inclusion. “I’d like to think, and I sincerely hope, that the drama program has been successful because the students know that they will never be rejected,” said Christou.“If they want

to be in the curriculum class, if they want to participate in the play, if they can commit to the musical (be it on stage or back-stage)—then they are in!”

Christou is passionate that drama can provide a blank-slate classroom for her students, one that brings people together and breaks boundaries. “I love that every student, regardless of ability or inability can succeed and thrive in the drama classroom. I truly believe that Theatre in Education transcends social, emotional, cultural and behavioral barriers to the extent that all participants speak the ‘language of theatre.’”

In order to make sure that students feel accepted in her classrooms and clubs, Christou says that she tries to emphasize the process rather than product: “I believe that if the process is good, the product will be,” said Christou. “Students make an agreement on day one that when we are in the drama classroom, we are an ‘ensemble,’ meaning everyone is equal and we all need each other to be successful.”

Another important strategy Christou uses to emphasize equality in her classroom is that students make a verbal agreement to work in a different group combination during each lesson, ensuring that all students work with one another throughout their time in her classroom.

The final way Christou brings her students together? Through laughter, of course. “A typical drama class probably sounds like organized chaos, but the louder the class is the more the students are connecting, creating and challenging each other in what I hope is a joyful and safe environment,” said Christou. “We laugh a lot during class because so much of what happens in the classroom is built on the relationships between the students.” She describes both her classroom and extracurricular approach

as one that is simultaneously “intense and joyful” for her students.

Christou thinks that the Middle School is the perfect place for students to experiment with theater. “At this age of development, how can one ever have the opportunity to know what [their journey] might look like if they are not given a chance?,” said Christou. “An interest in a program or activity should always be encouraged.”

Christou teaches Grade 6, 7 and 8 drama and leads both the annual drama production and the play performance club. If you or your student has questions about joining any of these theatrical opportunities, please reach out to Ms. Christou at christoug@tas.tw.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Associate athletics director Ms. Hannah Limmer joined the athletics department two years ago and is now in charge of the Middle School Athletics program. During her first year at TAS, the program moved from a competitive “cut” program to one that does not cut any interested student-athlete from participating.

The school made the decision to move towards the more inclusive nocut policy during the 2017-2018 school year. “The administration expressed to the athletic department that they wanted to expand the middle school athletics program,” said Limmer. “The idea was to maximize participation and offer students more opportunities when it comes to sports.”

Limmer thinks that the move to a no-cut policy has already shown “immediate benefits.” First, and most importantly, it gives middle school students the opportunity to get more involved in sports and encourages them to try something they may not have tried before. Under the previous more “competitive” model, many students—

especially Grade 6 students—were cut from teams. According to Limmer, “many times, that caused students to decide against even trying out again in following years. [But] now, Grade 6 students compete separately from Grade 7 and 8 students, in an effort to make each team’s experience beneficial for all.” The second benefit that Limmer sees in the move to a no-cut program is that all students across the middle school can learn to be leaders for their peers “on and off the field or court.”

The move for student inclusion of all interested athletes has increased participation in middle school athletics tremendously. In the 2018-2019 school year, there was an average of just over 240 students participating on sports teams in each of the four middle school sports seasons. In contrast, just the year prior (before the no-cut policy), the average participation numbers across the four seasons was just over 126 students. That’s almost double the participants in just one school year, a powerful testament to the power of inclusion.

Limmer is proud of the athletics program and staff at Taipei American School.Whether middle school students are interested in athletics or something else, “there is a program at TAS for them.” She also credits the entire athletic department for the success of the middle school program. “What I love most about working at TAS is that I get to help facilitate the student-athlete experience of TAS students because I know how important that experience was for me growing up,” said Limmer. “The TAS athletic department, led by Kim Kawamoto, is a great team to be a part of. We all support each other on every level to ensure we provide a positive experience for TAS studentathletes.”

PHOTOS: LINDSEY KUNDEL AND BECCA BUDDE

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

能在我希望是一個快樂而安全的 環境中建立關係、創造、互相挑 戰。”“我們在上課時大笑，因 為教室裡發生很多事情都是建築 在學生之間的關係上。” 她將課 堂教學和課外教學描述為對學生 而言是同時“緊張與愉悅”的教 學方式。

Christou認為，初中是學生 嘗試戲劇的理想場所。Christou 說：“在初中發育的年紀，一 個人怎會有機會知道﹝他們的旅 程﹞如果沒給予機會，將會是什 麼樣？”“對課程或活動的興趣 始終是應該要鼓勵的。”

Christou教授6、7和8年級戲

時候，在接下來幾年裡，學生們 甚至決定不再次嘗試選拔。[但 是]現在，六年級的學生與七、 八年級的學生分開比賽，以使每 個團隊的經驗對所有人都有益 處。”Limmer轉向不剔除課程後 看到的第二個好處是，初中所有 學生都可以學習成為場上或場外 同儕的領導者。

BECCA BUDDE

School

UPPER SCHOOL BRINGS TWO RETURNING SCHOLAR-EXPERTS TO CAMPUS

Dr. Richard Hartzell: Richard K.F. Soong Lecturer in Humanities Richard Hartzell博士 Richard K.F. Soong 人文講師

BY SHARON L. (’22), THE BLUE & GOLD STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Dr. Richard Hartzell, former administrator, teacher, and coach at Taipei American School, returned as a visiting scholar of the new Richard K.F. Soong Lecturer in Humanities program between winter break and the Lunar New Year holiday. He worked mainly with AP English Literature classes during his visit but also taught two days of AP History of Art. As a hobby, he continued to participate in Grade 9 and 10 physical education floor hockey games.

The Richard K.F. Soong Lecturer in Humanities program was established

to honor Richard K.F. Soong’s love for the humanities. His family funded this program, in order to provide the TAS community with the opportunity for Dr. Hartzell to return and teach here for a short period of time.

The current plan is for Dr. Hartzell to return to campus for the next three years to share his knowledge with future groups of upper school students.

Assistant Head of School for Advancement, Dr. Kathy Limmer said, “Bringing him back provides students with an outstanding opportunity to learn from someone who knows our

community so well, and who can intertwine scholarly engagement and excellence in teaching.”

Since his retirement, Dr. Hartzell has been living in California with his wife, former Spanish department chair, Susana Hartzell. He enjoys the amount of free time he has to binge read, work out and experience great food. However, he greatly misses teaching and interacting with teachers and students. During his time as an administrator, he also taught between one and two classes per year. “Teaching was always the best part of my job, I was always a

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

teacher. Coming back [to teach] is just one word, privilege,” he said.

One of the students in his AP Literature class, Andrew X. (’20), describes Dr. Hartzell’s approach to teaching as “very in-depth.” Being the polymath that he is and having taught seven Advanced Placement courses in his 45year teaching career, Andrew believes that Dr. Hartzell brings a deeper level of understanding towards the works of literature. “I enjoy listening to when he utilizes his ability to speak Spanish and French to create understandings that we would have never unlocked ourselves,” Andrew said.

Dr. Lipsett, English department chair agrees with Andrew’s assessment. “He’s familiar with a broad range of literature, a broad range of culture and he’s able to bring those references in class to assist the students,” Dr. Lipsett said.

Ultimately, this program was established to benefit the students. “Exposing students to high caliber conversations and bringing outside voices to spur that conversation will enrich education,” Upper School principal Mr. Lowman, said. “We try to bring in people constantly here at TAS to provide the world class education that we believe our students deserve.”

BECCA BUDDE

Mr. Mike Chinoy: Joanna Nichols Scholar in Residence

Mike Chinoy先生

兩度Joanna Nichols 客座學者

BY LAURA H.(’22), THE BLUE & GOLD STUDENT NEWSPAPER

“ I was always a news junkie ever since I was a teenager,”

Mr. Mike Chinoy said. Growing up, Mr. Chinoy has lived through an extremely tumultuous time in the United States. With the Vietnam War and US Civil Rights movement at its height, he sensed how politically active his generation was. “I remember sitting in my living room in North Hampton, just watching these news reports,” he said. Mr. Chinoy’s interest in news sparked his dream of becoming a reporter, “I got lucky, I ended up being able to do that.” he said.

Mr. Chinoy stumbled upon his interest in China very early on. “Back then, going to China was like going to the moon, it was this exotic place that no one had ever been to,” he said. President Nixon’s trip to China opened a door of possibility for Mr. Chinoy to take a step closer into China. “I thought journalism was one of the few professions that might actually provide a way to go and spend time in China,” he said.

Mr. Chinoy’s deep-rooted interest in China was a driving force for studying Chinese studies for his bachelor’s degree at Yale University, and, later his master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University. “I felt I had the possible tools to work in a field that would allow me to cover other places as well,” he said.

After graduation, Mr. Chinoy began his journalism career at the Columbia Broadcasting System, where he was offered the job of a freelance radio reporter in Hong Kong. “When I finished at Columbia, they had a great connection with CBS news— so I got my first job,” he said. As a freelance reporter,

Mr. Chinoy headed on to the path of broadcasting journalism. After a few months in, Mr. Chinoy fully immersed himself in broadcasting, “I understood it more, got better at it, and liked it more,” he said. Later on, Mr. Chinoy accepted a job at the National Broadcasting System as well. Leading him to a ringside seat at the early stages of changes in China. “I was there when Chairman Mao died in China, and when China began the whole process of reform,” he said.

After eight years of reporting at CBS and NBC News, Mr. Chinoy gained a plentiful amount of experience under his belt and left to join the Cable News Network at the beginning of 1983. In the summer of 1980, CNN was still a small and unknown news organization. Back then, many cynics called CNN the “chicken noodle news.” Mr. Chinoy was the fourth foreign correspondent hired by CNN and was based in London for five years. As a roving correspondent, Mr. Chinoy was CNN’s reporter on command. “They used to call me the fireman. When something happened, they put me on a plane and I went whereever news was happening,” he said.

After moving to Beijing in 1987, Mr. Chinoy became the first CNN Beijing correspondent and opened the CNN bureau. He was one of the few foreign correspondents reporting live at the Tiananmen Square student protest. “I remember the Chinese army intervened, and crushed them with the loss of hundreds of lives.” he said.

Mr. Chinoy went on to report around the region, starting in 1989, and he made a total of seventeen trips to North Korea. There, Mr. Chinoy

had a rare experience in which he was guided through North Korea by minders that followed him around. “North Korea is a very strange place. It’s different than anywhere else.” he said. It seemed as though everywhere Mr. Chinoy looked, there were symbols and pins of the face of the leader, “everything is phrased in terms of the great leader did this or did that,” he said. Underneath the propaganda North Korea is coated in, Mr. Chinoy was still able to recognize a real country with real people. “Part of the challenge as a journalist was to penetrate below the surface,” he said. Mr. Chinoy went on to dine with North Korea’s founding father, Kim Il-Sung three times, “I developed enough of a relationship with the people I was interacting with that I think I got somewhat more access,” he said.

In the middle of 2006, Mr. Chinoy left CNN and became a senior fellow at the USC US-China Institute. The institute utilized resources of the university to help educate people about China and the issues regarding the US-China relationship. Mr. Chinoy’s main role was to create a series of educational documentary films on issues in the US-China relationship, most notably known as “Assignment: China,” which portrays the history of American journalists in China.

Mr. Chinoy spent over thirty years as a foreign correspondent traveling and reporting from all over the world. “Television is a fantastic median because you share the experience wherever you go,” he said. Although there are many challenges that occur, Mr. Chinoy enjoys broadcasting’s opportunity to allow people to

consume news almost instantly.

Mr. Chinoy was even temporarily based in Taiwan in the early 2000s, when he and his wife decided to send their older son Dan (’05) and his younger son Ben, to Taipei American School. As part of this program, Mr. Chinoy was able to come back and visit TAS as a visiting scholar for the second time. “TAS is still pleasant as it was back then,” he said. Mike Chinoy表示：“我從十

它，”他說。後來，Chinoy先生 也接受了國家廣播系統的一份工 作。中國變革初期，他被引向重 要職務的擔當。他說：“毛主席 去世後，中國開始整個改革進程 時，我就在那裡。”

的洗禮，Chinoy先生積累了豐富

有真人的真實國家。他說：“作 為一名記者，挑戰之一就是要滲 透到地下。” Chinoy先生繼續與 北韓開國元勳金日成（Kim IlSung）進餐三次，他說：”我 與跟我互動的人發展了足夠的關 係，因此我認為我獲得了更多的 機會。” 2006年中期，Chinoy先生離開 CNN並成為USC中美研究所高級研

PHOTO: THE BLUE & GOLD

Athletics

SPRING ATHLETICS

BY MIKE CORSINI, ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR AND PHOTOJOURNALIST

2020 has brought numerous challenges to TAS athletics programs as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in spectator restrictions, steps to promote increased hygiene, and the cancellation of all Season 3 IASAS Exchanges and Championships events. Despite the difficulties that coaches, student-athletes, and supporters have endured, the athletic department is grateful to have had the opportunity to provide our student-athletes with valuable training and competitive experiences in these unique circumstances.

Student-athletes donned surgical masks to travel to Season 2 IASAS Championship events in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Singapore, where the Tigers performed admirably in capturing seven bronze medals.While bronze had not been the outcome most of our teams had dreamed of, the seven Season 2 medals were the most ever captured by TAS.

A number of IASAS and TAS records were set at the IASAS Swimming Championships at International School Bangkok. On the boys side Jason L. (‘21) set IASAS and TAS records for the 100m and 200m breaststroke, Hironori K. (‘21) set an IASAS and TAS record for the 100m butterfly and TAS records for the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 100m backstroke. Ethan D. (‘21), Jason L., Hironori K., and Hermes L. (‘21) combined to break the IASAS and TAS individual medley relay records. Shawfong H. (‘21) set the TAS girls 100m breaststroke record.

Earlier in Season 2 at the TAS Holiday Basketball Invitational, Sabrina C. (‘21) scored her 1,000th career point in the final game of Day 2 round-robin play.

Season 3 was greatly curtailed and all events involving international travel were canceled, including IASAS Exchanges and Championships for badminton, baseball, softball, golf, and track & field. Our teams were still able to compete locally, and TAS was thankful to be able to welcome Ivy Collegiate Academy, Morrison Academy Kaohsiung, and Morrison Academy Taichung to campus for the 2020 TAS Track & Field Exchange, a pared-down version of the annual Tiger Classic. Maya R. (‘21), Maud Z. (‘22), and Logan C. (‘20) highlighted the two-day event by setting school records for the girls discus, girls 100m hurdles, and the boys long jump, respectively.

The middle school sports program continued to show strong participation in the second year of an all-inclusive yet competitive model with a combined 64 teams and 834 participants in Seasons 1 through 3 of our Grade 6 and Grade 7 & 8 programs with Season 4 still to come.

The 2019-2020 TAS US Sports Banquet has also been canceled, so make sure to keep an eye on our athletics website and social media accounts (@tasathletics on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) as we honor our outstanding performers from this school year. GO TIGERS!

PHOTOS: MIKE CORSINI

TAS VISION 2020: ACHIEVED

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER AND DR. SHARON D. HENNESSY, HEAD OF SCHOOL

As an Upper School teacher at Taipei American School for the last five school years, I’ve realized that it’s not uncommon for students, like parents and faculty, to ask aloud: “What does it mean when the website says there is a ‘vision’ for the school?”

Vision is something that, understandably, must trickle down from above, and it can sometimes remain a bit opaque for those a few levels removed from our school’s leadership. During the beginning of each new calendar year, our school is offered a critical time of reflection between January 1 and the end of the Lunar New Year holiday in midFebruary. This year offers us even more opportunity for reflection and growth because we can reflect not only on our personal and community achievements over the last school year but over the last decade.

In order to answer these questions for the school, we must turn to our leader, Dr. Sharon DiBartolomeo Hennessy, to see how she thinks we have done over the past decade of undeniable growth. Dr. Hennessy is in her fourteenth year of leading the school, which includes the last decade between 2010-2020. In fact, during her fourth year of leadership, Dr. Hennessy published a document called “Vision 2020: What Lies Ahead,” which was distributed to all community members at the time.

It’s startling to see how much of her vision was concretely achieved by our school, together, over the last ten years.

And so, in a recent conversation, as we end this decade and look forward to the Year of the Rat and beyond, I recently attempted to ask her about our school’s last decade, to both celebrate our school’s communal success and to help us plan for those successes that are still in the planning stages.

Lindsey Kundel, Question: Let’s start off with the most important question. What is a vision? Why is it important for a head of school to have a vision for their school?

Dr. Hennessy, Answer: I confess that this question unsettles me a bit and has done so since it was first posed to me several times during my interview process over a decade ago. It is a fair question, yet one that I think is often misunderstood by both the interviewer and perhaps the interviewee. To me, a “vision” suggests prophets or spiritual leaders who seek a mountaintop where they are visited by some outside force that suggests they should work for a radically different, altered, new or innovative future that rejects the current reality, current conduct, current standards and current norms. Instead, I seek the mountaintop that Taipei American School will claim for

its own, where the good, hard work done by so many people for so long will be appreciated, strengthened, even perfected, but not rejected and begun anew. Where standards and norms are embraced but are raised to be worthy of student potential and parental expectations,not rewritten or tossed out the window. Where every student has advocacy and support, programs and people and a place that assures options and opportunities are unlimited. As it says in the Book of Proverbs of the Bible, “without vision, the people will perish.” I do not mean this quite literally, of course, but it is an important reminder all the same. Vision is an essential ingredient in the leadership of any organization because, without it, nothing truly of merit can be accomplished.

Q: What was your vision for the last decade?

A: My vision for the last decade at Taipei American School imagined a school that aspired to claim a mountaintop from which we could all look around and honestly say that students at Taipei American School receive the best possible Americanbased education with a global perspective, which prepares students ethically and academically for success at their best fit college or university, and for success anywhere in a rapidly changing world.

Q: What changes were necessary to achieve this vision

over the last decade?

A: Many! And we are living and breathing all those changes on a daily basis today. Does Taipei American School look and feel different from ten years ago? Ask any faculty member or parent who has been with us through those changes and their answer would undoubtedly be a resounding yes. The changes have been physical, emotional, and practical.As we climbed the proverbial mountaintop that I mentioned in the first question, we needed to create substantial changes to our program that paralleled those of the very best public and private schools in the United States. Over the last decade, we were all breathing the air of change by making small and large improvements, increasing support from the administration, and increasing opportunities for growth for all.

Q: Can you explain why developing a vision is challenging?

A: When this vision began, this year’s current seniors were only in Grade 2. The vision we developed, which we called Vision 2020, was specifically designed with them in mind just as much as it was for those seniors who graduated in 2010. Many people needed improvements immediately, but we also needed to think long-term. That’s the most difficult thing about developing a vision for a school – balancing the short and long-term needs of a

community.The first step towards this vision was our (then) new Strategic Plan, which was adopted by the Board of Directors, a step which can be challenging at other institutions, but which wasn’t particularly burdensome here because the vision made sense for who we are at our core. I could “see” what our students, parents, faculty, and administration were currently and where we could land with small and large adjustments here and there.

Q: Why do you think this type of long-term planning is called a leader’s vision?

A: You all know that when you go to an optometrist and they say that you have “2020 vision” it means seeing clearly and sharply at a certain distance. My vision for this community started fourteen years ago, and it involved building upon the best of what has always been the best of Taipei American School academically, emotionally, artistically, and morally. I wanted our community to be radically better rather than radically new. As I said, I could see clearly our current status and our potential.

Q: In what specific ways has your vision been achieved in the Upper School?

A: There is much to say about the growth in the Upper School over the last ten years – so much growth, in fact, that in some ways it is hardly recognizable from what it was before.

We can see these changes physically in the buildings on campus, but we can just as easily see these changes in both the people and programs in place, many of which simply didn’t exist before 2010. In many ways, we achieved the most noticeable growth of any TAS division in the Upper School during this last decade, in large part due to the outstanding leadership of former principal Dr. Richard Hartzell.

Let’s start with physical changes first, since those are the most identifiable achievements. Taipei American School’s campus has changed significantly, first with the addition of the D-Block, which I feel honored to bear my name. And then, almost immediately, with the building of the Upper School Joie Gymnasium, the state-of-the-art Tiger Health and Wellness Center, the Liu Lim Arts Center, the indoor tennis courts, and the golf practice area. Finally, we capped off this decade of growth with the addition of our incredible Solomon Wong Tech Cube, a space dedicated to our competitive robotics programs. That’s seven substantial campus additions within ten years, a feat that could not be achieved at many schools around the world.

Q: What other changes did your vision bring to the Upper School?

A: First, and foremost, great attention was paid to our students’

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

socioemotional wellness in addition to their academic excellence. All the best independent schools in the United States have thriving advisory programs, and now, after this decade, we can count ourselves among them. The advisory program is now a central piece of the Upper School experience. We have increased the amount of contact time for advisories and developed a 9-12 curriculum that is modified each year. We also now have a Dean of Students who oversees the advisory program and we added two class deans to support each individual grade. There has been similar growth for the important counseling teams. The Upper School now has four Personal and Academic Counselors and six College Counselors. College counselors also now travel the globe advocating on behalf of our school and students.

We accomplished much in the area of course selection as well, but if I were to list every course added, this document would be practically an educational dissertation. It is truly hard to succinctly state all that has been added in the Upper School course offerings. In every department we simply have more options for students. We also have three entirely new departments: Computer Science & Robotics, Political Science and Forensics, and Classics. Students in the Upper School no longer study Humanities and instead have access to rigorous English, Social Studies, and History courses, to which students have flocked in overwhelming numbers. Prior to this decade, we did not even offer AP European History, but we now offer that subject and filled five sections with enthusiastic learners eager to challenge themselves with appropriately rigorous courses. Later, we added AP World History for Grade 9 students to further fill this growing hunger for advanced study. We accomplished a complete overhaul of the Mandarin curriculum and course structure in the Upper School with the goal of meeting students where they are in their Mandarin-learning journey. As a result, a higher-level Mandarin course offering has quickly filled to capacity,

PHOTOS: LINDSEY KUNDEL

as did each of the elective writing courses we could offer. We added a Classics department to the curriculum – with courses for everyone from beginner to advanced. We developed a new forensics and debate program and spurred further growth of our MUN program. We created a film program, which now has more than 50 students enrolled. Our journalism program grew to new numbers and awards. We intentionally grew our Summer Academy programming to help Upper School students fulfill graduation requirements and take a deeper dive into a specific subject area of passion. And, most startling of all, we barely had a robotics or STEAM program prior to this decade. Hundreds of students are now enrolled in scientific research, computer science, and robotics courses every semester now. And now, just look at the startling things our students have been able to achieve in robotics and scientific research. If you don’t trust me, perhaps our various world championship accolades might persuade you?

Our Upper School students have embraced an honor code, led highly successful relief efforts, and continue to volunteer in heartwarming numbers while participating in arts, athletics, music, dance, and co-curriculars that keep our school vibrant, welcoming, and strong. Since 2011, each year we have invited a world-renown scholar to our campus for the month of January, under the Joanna Nichols Scholar in Residence program, which has helped to inspire thousands of Upper School students since its inception. These substantial changes at our Upper School were just the beginning, but they have been an important first step.

Q: In what specific ways has your vision been achieved in the Middle School?

A: Over the last decade, Middle School enrollment has skyrocketed, but our school’s commitment to a low student-teacher ratio has increased. All class sizes have been reduced during this time frame and the teacher overall student case load has been reduced from 96 to 80 total.

During this time, the Middle School also embraced the philosophy of Responsive Classroom, and all current Middle School faculty have gone through extensive training in this approach. In line with this approach, the Middle School has implemented new orientation and community building days for students on the first day of school before classes. Improvements have been made in the difficult transitional periods –for Grade 5 students coming into Grade 6 and for Grade 8 students entering the Upper School. Our students’ wellbeing has been on our mind often over the last decade: we’ve implemented Center Court meetings for grade level celebrations of student achievements’. We continued to ensure counselors and teachers meet weekly to provide academic and social emotional support for students. We also added a third counselor for a total of one per grade level. In the school year 2020-21, a dedicated Middle School psychologist and an additional associate principal is being hired to help continue to support students’ social emotional wellness. The school has created grade level service projects, including a grade 8 community service requirement and more service-oriented clubs have been added. The Student Wellness Action Teams (SWAT) have also been crucial additions to the Middle School experience, as each grade level SWAT team leads wellness, character, and service initiatives, and is comprised of homeroom representatives.

Programmatically the Middle School experience has also changed. Grade 8 Humanities has been separated into English and History to better align with the course offerings at the Upper School and help promote student readiness and thus success. Math in the Middle School has also changed; prior to this decade only six math courses were offered, but we now offer eleven different options for students, with additional academic opportunities offered through Summer Academy. We added a robotics department and a forensics department, just as in the Upper School. To that end, both debate and

robotics began to be required classes for some of our grades in the Middle School. We began to offer dance and drama as yearlong performing arts electives, and further expanded our elective offerings across all subject areas.

We’ve also made changes to extracurriculars and sports in the Middle School. The Middle School began to host its first annual Model United Nations event in 2010, but the program has exploded since then, with over 100 students participating in the program and three overseas conferences sponsored by the school each year. Debate and robotics have become mainstays of the extracurricular program, with trips and competitions around the world. Students have also become passionately involved with play performance club, technical theatre, and the annual Classics day event. Finally, we transitioned to an interscholastic sports program offering 13 sports across four seasons with a dedicated Middle School associate athletic director, scheduler, and trainers. It has truly been a great decade in the Middle School.

Q: In what specific ways has your vision been achieved in the Lower School?

A: If you have children (or siblings) in the Lower School, you know of the changes that have taken place there as well. Even Kindergarten has changed as more reading activities have been integrated into the curriculum from the very beginning of the school year. Even that grade has what must be called a “more academic focus,” since this is what our students need and our parents expect. The divisionwide adoption of the Responsive Classroom approach has helped the entire division address community building while concurrently building academic and socioemotional skills and ensuring active student engagement.

There is also a completely new science curriculum, music curriculum, and new PE standards, all of which has been implemented over the past two years. Students in Grades 4 and 5 also have the option to take dance as a new

elective. Over the past three years the amount of writing and the amount of reading has increased at each grade level. The Lower School also adopted and reports on new math standards that emphasize depth over breadth, conceptual understanding over rote memorization, and meaningful application for all students.

We can tell that these new standards and curriculum are making a difference to students because we have also developed and implemented a new 21st century, standards-based digital report card for parents that links student work, videos, photos, exemplars, and blogs with teacher narratives and marks. But we don’t stop there: students in Grade 4 and 5 take standardized tests and the results are comparable to the best of American independent schools. And finally, the construction of a worldclass, one-of-a-kind playground - the Tiger Garden - offers options for play, fitness, and socialization. We set our

standards high from the beginning, as they should be for this community.

Q: What is the relationship between your vision and the school’s official Strategic Plan?

A: Every approved Strategic Plan is, at its core, an official implementation of a Head of School’s internal vision.

Over the last decade, for example, the Strategic Plan, which is approved and overseen by the Board of Directors, built upon the changes we desired, and promised accountability for the continuous improvements we wanted to put into effect. We looked clearly and sharply into the needs of our community and worked with over 200 community members to develop this plan. The most wellknown international consultants in the world assisted us in the process, guiding us every step of the way. One oversaw the community outreach step and worked with us last January and May. A second spent time with the Administration and the Board

of Directors to assure a smooth implementation.

Q: What were the specific goals of the previous Strategic Plan?

A: Our Vision 2020 plan was based on a set of assumptions or rationales; the goals and objectives are based upon these rationales. There were six strategic areas that we wanted to focus on, which you can read about below:

To obtain our purpose, mission, and beliefs, students continually shall be exposed to high standards of excellence using thoughtfully selected instructional materials presented by a well-qualified, dedicated faculty.

We are committed to:

• Academic Excellence

• Building Mission Understanding and Support for it throughout the community

• Professional Excellence including excellent care for each child

• Excellent use of Taiwan’s many

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

natural strengths to expand student learning

• Excellent character development education so students have the confidence and courage to contribute to lives of responsibility and service

• Excellent Governance and Fiscal Management

We are committed to clarifying the mission and direction of the school so that more support can be engendered for it. For 70 years Taipei American School has lived a version of its current mission statement: “To provide an American-based education with a global perspective that results in a love of learning, academic excellence, a balanced life, and service to others.”

We are committed to hring inspired and inspiring faculty whose professional excellence transforms students into lifelong learners; our teachers are committed to discovering the talents and passions of all students in a climate of care and compassion. We seek teachers who themselves live lives of responsibility and service, and who serve as role models for students seeking guidance in our rapidly changing world.

We recognize the beauty and advantages of living and learning in Taiwan, and we are committed to capitalizing on the linguistic, environmental, scientific, and technological advantages available to us locally.

We are committed to character education where the school’s core values of honesty, respect, responsibility, courage, and kindness are fostered in each child. We want our students to have the confidence to contribute to their communities as ethical leaders and citizens.

We are committed to the importance of sound governance and believe that following best practices in this area is essential to school improvement.

We remain committed to sustaining financial equilibrium for our school, recognizing that revenue generation, conservation, and management are critical to our future sustainability.

Q: During this important time of reflection, before beginning a new Strategic Planning process, what are your main takeaways for the last decade? How do you think we did?

A: If I have been successful in communicating directly with you, readers will be able to answer this question for themselves. After a decade of changes, are we, as a community radically different? No, we are radically better. How can we measure success? Where there were fewer options and opportunities for students, we now have more options and opportunities for students to succeed across all three divisions.

We have a higher level of care and support for each student, through the robust advisory system, counselors at each level, specialized college counselors, and teachers who are as caring and compassionate as they are dedicated to their discipline. We offer a wider range of course offerings suited to the aptitudes and interests of our current students in all subjects across the curriculum. We have increased space for and opportunities in dance, music, art, health, physical education and athletics, as demonstrated by time in the curriculum and physical space across our campus.

Q: So, where do we go next?

A: We have an exciting future to anticipate, together. As a community, together we will take steps to determine how to execute a new vision for our students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We will develop a plan worthy of our student aptitudes, work ethic, and interests that is respectful and consistent with our parents’ expectations. Planning for this next Strategic Plan is already in place, led both by me and Deputy Head of School, Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge.

We do not need to go to the mountaintop to claim this new vision, but we must together claim the mountaintop that will be the vision for Taipei American School: the best American-based international school with a global perspective anywhere in the world.

PHOTOS: LINDSEY KUNDEL

援、課程、人事與地方以確保他 們能有無限選擇和機會。正如聖 經《箴言》一書中所言：“沒有 遠見，人民就會滅亡。”當然， 這並不是字面上的意思，但這始 終是一個重要的提醒。願景是任 何組織中領導層級不可或缺的必 要元素，因為沒有它，就無法實

中我們培養所有的孩子無論在學 術或道德上都能在最適合他們的 大專院校及瞬息萬變的世界中取 得成功。台北美國學校提供的是 一個出色的美國大學預備課程。 我們致力於提供受啟發及啟 發人心的優秀教師，其卓越的專 業能力可以讓學生成為終身學習 者；我們的教師皆努力在關懷和 慈善的風氣裡發掘所有學生的才 能與熱情。我們尋求本身過著有 責任感與為人服務的生活，能成 為學生在瞬息萬變的世界中之典

的輔導系統，每個年級的輔導老 師、專業的大學輔導顧問以及慈 愛並具同理心的學科老師們，我 們現在能為每個學生提供更高程 度的關心和支持。我們現在提供 廣泛的課程，以適合本校學生在 整個課程中對所有學科的能力與 興趣。如今，我們在舞蹈、音

PHOTO: TAS COMMUNICATIONS

PHOTO: MIKE CORSINI

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE GOES DIGITAL

TAS students, parents, faculty and administrators partner in learning due to the emergency coronavirus closure

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

In the wake of news about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), school administrators had a decision to make. Should the school stay open, putting each of our community members at risk? Or should they follow the Taiwan government's recommendation to close the school's campus thereby isolating community members for a time. The right decision was clear and easily made; Taipei American School must prioritize the health and safety of its nearly 2,000 members above all else—but implementation remained a challenge.

On February 6, 2020, four days after school should have been in session after the Lunar New Year holiday, and again on March 30, after the regularly scheduled Spring Break holiday, the school reopened—not on the school's state-of-the-art campus in Shilin district but in kitchens and living rooms, on sofas and in bedrooms.

How do you transition from physical classroom learning to online learning overnight? If you're a teacher at TAS—seamlessly.

With less than a day's notice, faculty and staff across all divisions mobilized to ensure that there was no gap in learning for our students when

A WINDOW INTO OUR STUDENT’S DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES

we closed our campus. The school was prepared with a comprehensive distance learning plan to aid both teachers and learners to preparing for a successful digital learning experience.

With a variety of tools and techniques, teachers from lower school, middle school, and upper school made use of the many existing online solutions that TAS uses. But teachers were also busy coming up with several new and creative ways to adapt the physical classrooms, and lessons, into virtual ones.

"When I arrived at Taipei American School 14 years ago, an emergency school closure would have looked very different," said Head of School Dr. Sharon Hennessy. "It was only at that time that the Board set the goal of implementing a 1:1 laptop program for the Middle and Upper School. We simply could not have continued to teach and learn at this level 14 years ago. I feel so grateful and proud of our school for its resilience and flexibility during this emergency time."

From individual face-to-face online conferencing to video recordings through Zoom conferences and Google Hangout Meets, here are a few divisional snapshots of the ways that learning took shape, as our classrooms went virtual.

LOWER SCHOOL

Lower school students continued independently reading, interacting with math modules, responding to Mandarin activities, watching morning

meeting video announcements, and much more. By structuring distance learning off of the routine that students are used to, lower school teachers provided consistency, routine, and support for students as they continue with their learning at home.

Some parents found themselves surprised by the studiousness of our school's youngest learners. "Our girls—Hazuki (Grade 2) and Hoshina (Kindergarten)—have been very excited to participate every morning and they even got their Japanese homework done by themselves before I got out of bed this morning!" said lower school parent Miwako Ito. "Digital learning helped us build a good routine and structure at home."

KA student Brisa Y. said “I like seeing my teacher online, but I miss seeing my friends. I want to go back to school.” Her mom, middle school librarian Carol Youssif's, response? “We ALL do, kiddo.”

Grade 4 teacher Denise Bord said that she has been inspired during the digital learning initiative. "Our shift to distance learning has pushed me as a professional. It threw all of us into the digital world, and the learning curve has been great but so has the reward."

According to Bord, one of the most exciting parts of the process was seeing how students responded to distance learning. "Through the lessons our team created, we've been able to see students progress through the content similar to how they would

in the classroom. Even more exciting has been the individual feedback that we've been able to provide based on the work and responses students upload to Seesaw."

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UPPER SCHOOL

Middle and upper school students were hard at work on the school's learning management software, Canvas, which has been in place for the last two years. The transition to digital learning and teaching was quite easy for many in these divisions since blended learning enabled by this software has been both the norm and expectation in both divisions.

According to PTA President Sandy Chung, the digital learning days have been a positive experience for her students. "My boys Nicholas (’20) and Ryan (’25) were really focused on what they need to be responsible for. I appreciate all the faculty who put in hard work.

Upper school parent Jessica Lee echoes that sentiment. "Online learning gave [my son] Douglas more flexibility with his schedule. He was able to play his trumpet daily and practice badminton after online classes with his classmates to get ready for tryouts! Go TAS online learning!"

Middle school mathematics department chair Chris Hoffman quickly created a command center at his home to help facilitate his various online classes, all of which met synchronously online. "I had one

LOWER SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL UPPER SCHOOL

computer running a live video feed on the Zoom application with my Honors Geometry students as we learn about the Law of Sines. I also had another computer running 2 other classes (Algebra 1 and Math 8) as they worked through a series of learning tasks which included watching a prerecorded video and communicating via Canvas Chat focusing on the properties of exponents and exponential functions. I even had one external large monitor where I could further split screens and monitor students' work. It got busy."

The upper school science department, in particular, has seen much success in continuing their existing curriculum in the context of student homes. Whether it’s participating in a group discussion, or creating a procedure to determine the factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions, upper school science teacher Mr. Jude Clapper, said that our students did incredible work from home. Clapper, along with fellow faculty member Dr. Jonathan Hsu, held digital meetings with the school's award-winning iGEM team brainstorming the details of methods to detect influenza and other viruses. Clapper also led an honors chemistry experiment that students performed at home, enabling them to visualize their online lesson

using common household chemicals while simultaneously practicing their laboratory skills.

TAS was in a unique position to switch to digital learning when the need to do so occurred because of the government's decision to close schools. While many schools in the region are shut down with no learning opportunities for students, the TAS Board and administration of years past had the foresight to plan for a scenario just like the one we faced.

"Our technology infrastructure has been intentionally enhanced over the last decade," said Hennessy. "Our teachers were trained and new hires are expected to bring appropriate knowledge of the use of these tools. All faculty have had the opportunity for annual professional development in the use of educational technology such as our two learning management systems, Canvas and Seesaw. In order to support the faculty, well-trained educational technology specialists work with their respective divisions and provide expertise to optimize teaching and learning through the integration of technology, which includes a wide variety of tools and techniques. The goal has never been to add technology for technology’s sake, but to use technology to enhance learning."

Despite all our preparations, this year is the first time we have had to teach for an extended period using this modality. Some teachers may have started out more comfortable than others; they show the way so that others may follow. Every day we discovered a better way to proceed and a better way to provide better options. All teachers were coached within their division to provide the highest possible quality of instruction

making improvements to their pedagogy every day—because that is the hallmark of a learning community.

While few at the school believe that digital learning could ever supersede the advantages of inperson teaching and learning, the two sessions of online instruction have brought the community together, albeit metaphorically instead of physically.

Dr. Hennessy thinks that there was a silver lining to this forced closure as well. "Just as it is a different way of teaching, it is a different way of learning, one that perhaps will soon be more necessary in these modern times for our children who are digital natives in a way that we as adults can only imagine. Just ask Google. As our school’s mission statement declares, we are an “innovative, 21st century school where students are prepared to succeed anywhere in a rapidly changing [and I would add challenging] world.”

The school was fortunate to have the technological resources and personnel to continue teaching and learning while the school was officially closed for health and safety reasons. Dr. Hennessy says, "We are all committed to ensuring your children are supported in their journey towards academic excellence, under whatever circumstances we may face. We will also continue to provide the academic excellence and personal care for which we have become known. No matter what happens to our campus, parents can rest assured that we will always make sure our 21st century learners will leave our care prepared for success anywhere in this rapidly changing, and challenging, world."

“...I even had one external large monitor where I could further split screens and monitor students’ work. It got busy.”

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL,

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING IT TEAM AND TECHNOLOGY COACHES

We couldn’t have done it without you!

During the digital learning days, it was all hands on deck for the IT team. PHOTO: TOBIE OPENSHAW

The full technology coach team meets every week in Chief Information Officer Dan Hudkin’s office. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

The Upper and Middle School Technology team: Jason Kiang and Dr. Tom Pasquini. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

The Lower School Technology team: Alfredo Papaseit, Pana Asavavatana, and Dr. Leanne Rainbow. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

THE CENTER, BROGENT iRIDE, AND TAS ORPHANAGE CLUB JOIN FORCES

BY JANE OGGE, PTA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

There is an audible gasp as the students’ seats move forward toward the immense black screen and their dangling legs hang over the emptiness that had been, moments ago, solid ground. A breath later the dark room is now the world all around, sea for miles and coast on the horizon. They are flying now, transported from the fifth floor of a mall in Xinyi to the breathtaking peak of Xueshan, pausing over the summit to watch (and feel) white puffy clouds swirl past as the sun gently touches the horizon.This is iRide, an immersive experience designed in Taiwan with unique technology that allows each rider to get a bird’s eye view on a panoramic flight across Taiwan.

Thanks to the generosity of the Brogent Group, guests at the 2019 Community Services Center Auction Gala and the Taipei American School’s Orphanage Club volunteers, 17 young people from a local orphanage had the opportunity to enjoy this breathtaking experience in January, when they visited the iRide Theater in Xinyi to take simulated flights over Taiwan and the United States.

The visit by a group of children from the Chung Yi Social Welfare Foundation and members of the Orphanage Club was part of a joint initiative between the Center, Brogent Group and the Orphanage Club. At the Center’s Auction Gala in October last year, guests bid on iRide tickets, knowing that for every ticket sold, the proceeds would be donated to the Community Center and Brogent Group would donate an equal number of tickets to the Orphanage Club to take a group of children from local orphanages to iRide Taipei. On January 19, the children experienced the excitement of the iRide and

learned about the sophisticated technology behind it. A second group from Cathwel Orphanage, whose visit was postponed due to the COVID-19 virus, will experience the ride soon.

Brogent Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objective is to bring the ultimate immersive flying experience to people from all walks of life. Its motion-based technology helps inspire curiosity about technology, including some fascinating facts about the i-Ride and its development. In her role on Brogent’s CSR program, Ms. Shane Wu, Special Assistant to Brogent CEO, sees firsthand how stimulating the ride is for children, parents and carers, and what a memorable shared experience the ride offers. “Sometimes the parents are even more excited about the ride than the children,” she says.

The Orphanage Club outing was

a valuable shared experience for all the young people involved. The Club, which was founded in 1970 and is TAS’ oldest student organization, arranges monthly outings and field trips for orphans thanks to its relationships with Cathwel and Chung Yi Orphanages. Its many student members, from Grades 612, volunteer in a wide range of social and fundraising events which benefit these and other partner organizations. But as even their best-laid plans can sometimes be affected by Taipei’s unpredictable weather, partnering with an organization like Brogent Group meant it could organize an indoor event which provided a fun experience for everyone and an insight into cutting-edge technology, which was of additional interest to many students.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF iRIDE

PHOTO: COURTESY OF iRIDE

JOURNEY TOWARD SELFHOOD

Visiting Author Dr. Shawn Wong leads a panel of TAS writers to discuss their craft

BY BRENDA LIN (’94), UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

The year is 1957. A boy waits with his mother for the bus to take him to the American school in Taipei. It is his first day of school–the family has just moved from California to Taiwan, and his mother will help him with registration. The school bus rolls up and as the boy boards the bus with his mother close behind, he hears the children on the bus–all of whom are white–begin to chant, “No Chinese on the bus! No Chinese on the bus!”

The boy’s first reaction is to let the children know that the woman behind him is his mother, that it is okay.

The boy in this story is Dr. Shawn Wong, who attended Taipei American School in the second grade, during his father’s one-year stint working as an engineer for the United States Navy stationed in Taiwan. He shared this story with students, faculty, and parents during his week at TAS in January, at the invitation of Mr. Richard Arnold and with the sponsorship of the PTA. It was Dr. Wong’s first time back to TAS, after 63 years.

What is remarkable about this story is not only the sting of racism within our own community, not terribly long ago, but how the young Dr. Wong did not immediately recognize that the “Chinese” the other children were referring to was him. One’s cultural identity is often pushed upon by others or made obvious by differences (at its worst, it is defined by mainstream oppressors).

After his year in Taiwan, Shawn Wong went on to become one of the pioneers in Asian American studies and literature in the United States, scouring bookstores and libraries to rescue Asian American writers out of obscurity, collecting their stories into anthologies. He wrote two very different books–“Homebase” and

“American Knees,” both of which are ruminations on what it means to be Asian American–giving voice to a culture with deep roots in the art of silence.

The story on the bus has a happy ending: Amid the taunts, a little girl walks up the aisle and asks to sit next to the young boy. She sits down and holds the little boy’s hand for the remainder of the bus ride, and for the rest of the school year, the two children are inseparable.

Just like the little girl who offered friendship, a common theme in the stories Dr.Wong shared with us during his week at TAS was one of kindness and generosity–how the writer, Susan Sontag, encouraged him during a period of self-doubt by sharing her own bad writing; how he and his cohort of Asian American writer friends crusaded to bring books like “No No Boy” to print; how he now helps war veterans work through PTSD by using the creative and healing process of storytelling.

One story he did not share, but that I thought of often: the kindness he showed a young writer he had never met by reading her book and offering to write its blurb. That writer was me; the book was my first–which had started out as a travelogue about a month-long train ride in China, and ultimately became a collection of essays about family and cultural identity.

This is what he wrote, 16 years ago, for the back cover of my book,

“Naming oneself would seem to be the easiest task in the world, but… naming our national identity is just the beginning, while ‘becoming’ something, such as an American, is quite another story.”

While Dr. Wong was here, Mr. Arnold put together a panel of writers, all of whom are TAS alumni, graduating between 1966 and 2019. I had the honor of being included on this panel. The age range was broad, as was the types of writers–novelist (Shawn Wong, ’67), activist (Linda Gail Arrigo, ’66), journalist (Han Cheung, ’99), MFA student (Lin King, ’12), and recent editor of The Blue and Gold (Shereen Lee, ’19), but the conversation was grounded in the general agreement that in order to cultivate a thoughtful and engaged existence, one must first look inward.

The contexts may vary–be it a bus or train ride – but the journey toward an understanding of the world we live in must begin with an understanding of our own culture and identity. As a creative writing teacher, my job is to help my students develop the confidence to find their own voice. In a diverse community like ours–of expats, third-culture-kids, multiracial families, frequent travelers–what most of us discover is that we are not defined by either/or, but rather, and/ and/and; we are braided in multitudes.

And the most complex (and beautiful!) answers to a deceptively simple question–where are you from?–are found in our stories.

來，將他們的故事編入文集。他寫 了兩本截然不同的書-Homebase和 American Knees，這兩本書都成為 亞裔美國人的含意之省思-為根深 蒂固的沈默藝術之文化而發聲。 巴士上的故事有一個圓滿的結 局：在嘲諷中，一個小女孩走上過 道，要求坐在小男孩旁邊。在餘下 的車程裡，她坐下來握著小男孩的 手，在整個學年中，兩個孩子是密

PHOTOS: IAN H. (’21), THE BLUE & GOLD

Professional Excellence

TAS EARCOS TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE

PRESENTERS: MS. EVELYN CHEN & DR. TIMOTHY

SHEU

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Two Taipei American School teachers were recently selected to present at the 18th annual East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) Teachers’ Conference, held at the Shangri-La Bangkok in Bangkok, Thailand from March 26-28, 2020. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of COVID-19,the two will be unable to present their planned workshops in person. Both hope to present their workshops at future EARCOS conferences.

The theme from this year’s conference is “A Clear Vision for the Future” and both TAS presenters, Evelyn Chen and Dr. Timothy Sheu, have taken this theme to heart while crafting their workshop presentations. Ms. Chen currently serves as an upper school science teacher, while pursuing her doctorate online at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Sheu currently serves as the middle school EAL department chair and recently graduated with his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ms. Chen’s presentation was titled “Utilizing your local environment in a biology classroom,” and was designed for middle and upper school teachers. Her original presentation focused on the use of a school’s local environment to teach biology. She planned to showcase the different ways that the flora found on our school’s campus can be utilized in the classroom by showing students the different pigments found in plants, exploring factors that affect lichen growth, and teaching them the basics of plant reproduction. She also was going

to introduce the upper school science program’s unique field education, which fosters outdoor lab skills.

According to Chen, the school grounds can be an incredibly rich and authentic resource for developing critical thinking and laboratory hand skills in a biology classroom. Place-based instruction allows students to build a better connection with the location in which they are studying. Taking students to Yang Ming Shan to conduct field work, for example, allows them to better understand the environment to which they reside in. One added bonus is that it’s an affordable and renewable resource.

Chen credits her colleagues with helping her to brainstorm and prepare for this upcoming conference. “I owe a lot of the knowledge I’ve accumulated to the wonderful colleagues with whom I work,” said Chen. “Together we’ve constructed an academic program I’m proud of. Although the school flora has changed significantly over the past eight years, we’ve found ways to change and adapt our curriculum to what’s available. We still make a point to make our school grounds a resource for our biology classes.”

Dr. Sheu’s presentation was titled “The Middle School Brain: Applying Neuroscience to Teaching Adolescents,” and as the name suggests, it focused on how findings from neuroscience research could be used to inform and enhance the way we teach adolescents. Since one of the strands in this year’s EARCOS Teachers Conference was on “middle school,” Sheu felt it was the right time to share his knowledge and

experience. According to Sheu, “since all learning occurs in the brain, this topic is relevant to instruction in all subject areas.” As a result, his target audience was, understandably, middle school administrators, counselors, coaches, and educators of all topics.

Sheu hoped that workshop participants would gain a basic understanding of the anatomical structure of the adolescent brain and how it is distinct from that of the adult brain. They would also have learned how critical factors like sleep, stress, emotions, and social interaction with peers influence adolescents’ learning. In addition to highlighting some interesting research findings and “brain-friendly” teaching principles, Sheu was going to share practical instructional strategies and ideas that were relevant and applicable to their classes. Sheu even planned to demonstrate many of these strategies in his workshop, in order to “practice what [he] preache[s].”

Sheu feels “grateful” to work in an organization like Taipei American School that provides “both values and robust opportunities and resources for professional development.” According to Sheu, TAS has enabled him to participate in numerous workshops and PD programs over the years. “These experiences have given me more insight into the attributes of effective PD,” said Sheu. “I hope to take the lessons that I have learned to prepare an impactful presentation.”

Both Chen and Sheu plan to present their two workshops at future conferences.

LINDSEY KUNDEL,

學生帶到陽明山進行實地調查， 可以使他們更了解他們所居住的 環境。另一個好處是，它是一種 負擔得起的可再生資源。

Chen感謝她在台北美國學校的 同事們，幫她集思廣益，為即將 到來的會議做準備。Chen說：“ 我很多知識的積累全歸功於一起 工作的優秀同事。”“我們共同 建立了一個令我感到驕傲的學術 課程。儘管過去八年來學校的發 生了顯著的改變，但我們已經找 到了改變和調整課程以適應現有 課程的方法。我們仍然堅持把校 園當作生物課的資源。”

機。 Sheu認為：“由於所有學習 都發生在大腦中，因此該主題與

等關鍵因素如何影響青少年的學 習。除了強調一些有趣的研究 發現和“腦的友好”教學原則 外，Sheu將分享與他們的課程相 關且適用的教學策略和想法。 Sheu甚至將在其工作坊中展示許 多這些策略，以“練習[他]的教 法”。

Sheu對能在如台北美國學校 這樣的機構中工作“感到很感 激”，台北美國學校重視並提 供“強大的專業發展機會和資 源。”Sheu認為，多年來，TAS 使他能夠參加許多研討會和專業 發展計劃。Sheu說：“這些經驗 使我對有效的專業發展屬性有了 更多的了解。”“我希望能把我 學到的教訓用於準備一個有影響 力的演講。

Parent Teacher Association

PTA PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION

Mapping Inequality with Visiting Artist Álvaro D. Márquez

BY JANE OGGE, PTA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

geography of our cities. He invited students to create a collaborative map of Taipei based on their experiences in, and memories of, the city’s physical locations. Students prepared two linoleum cut prints relating to the history of the city and two prints relating to their personal history in the city. They then made texture rubbings of those pieces.

parents he chose to make a print of a scooter with a parent and child, because the first thing he noticed when he arrived in Taipei was the many parents dropping their children at school by scooter. It was an image of Taipei that all participants could immediately relate to.

In January, upper school students and parents had the opportunity to work with Álvaro D. Márquez, a visual artist and teaching artist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Mr. Márquez grew up in a community of migrant farm and working class laborers in California. Upper school art department chair, Michelle Kao, who nominated Mr. Márquez for the grant, thought that against the background of the Mexican border crisis, it would be a good time for students to work with a Mexican-American artist whose work explored his cultural background. Mr. Márquez’s work explores questions of social, racial, and gender inequality, by bridging low-brow and high-art and asking questions about the self, history, and one’s place in it.

With our upper school art students, Mr. Márquez explored our understanding of the past and how it shapes our perception of the

Grade 10 student, Miriam C. said, “I chose my pieces based on things that were important to me and that had come up in my life more than once. I chose an EVA airplane and something from the National Palace Museum, because I’ve taken visitors there so many times.”

Ms. Kao believes Mr. Márquez’s work with the students allowed them to gain a deeper awareness of their daily surroundings and come away with a new way of thinking about urban spaces. They also witnessed just how powerful a collaborative installation can be. She said, “I loved watching the map come together over the week and hearing all the nostalgic stories different people had to share, whether they were part of the creation or just a viewer.”

Separately, parents were invited to participate in a workshop to learn basic relief-printmaking. Over one Saturday morning, they, too, created prints based on historical and personal connections to the city, which they added to the collaborative map. To get the ball rolling, Mr. Márquez told

Hellen Soderberg, whose impression of one of sculptor Ju Ming’s Tai Qi series is pictured said, “I really loved this workshop! I feel very grateful and spoiled by our PTA to have had the opportunity to experience and enjoy being a TAS art student for a day.”

Students (including parentstudents) were given a lot of freedom to explore the project and decide on the placement and organization of their prints on the larger map. The result was a genuinely artistic and informative map of Taipei, where their experiences of the city, expressed in the prints they made, provided an image of Taipei through the perspective of its residents. In the finished map, you can see the Taiwanese Blue Magpie, Taipei 101, Taiwan’s brown bear, favorite pieces from the NPC, monkeys, lanterns, temples, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, a rice cooker, a night market stall and much, much more.

Take some time to look closely and see what images you respond to and what they teach you about Taipei. You may never look at a map in the same way again!

Alumni

DR. PAUL COURTRIGHT ’72 REFLECTS ON A CAREER ABROAD

BY CONNIE MA, ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER

For Dr. Paul Courtright ’72, a few years in Taiwan was the inspiration for a lifetime abroad. In 1968, Paul arrived in Taiwan with his parents and his brother John ’71 and stayed for three years. “The main thing I enjoyed about TAS was the real mix of people from all over the world. I also found Taiwan an incredible place to explore. I have memories of walking along railroad tracks, going through markets, and exploring the south of the island by train,” Paul reminisced.

After college, Paul joined the Peace Corps and spent nearly four years in Korea. “I spent my Peace Corps time in Korea as a leprosy worker, and when I went, I knew absolutely zippo about leprosy, but I received really good training in Korea,” recalled Paul. “I went out to live in the village of leprosy patients, and what struck me was that there was a lot of eye pathology in those patients. That’s how I went down the direction of ophthalmology.” Paul went on to earn a master’s degree in public health with a focus in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins and a doctorate on the epidemiology of eye diseases at UC Berkeley, where he met his wife Dr. Susan Lewallen.

After stints in Malawi and Vancouver, where Susan worked as an ophthalmologist and Paul did research, in 2001, the two channeled their combined experiences in Africa, epidemiology, and ophthalmology into founding the Kilimanjaro Center for Community Ophthalmology (KCCO) in Tanzania to address a need for capacity building for hospitals and ministries of public health. With KCCO’s assistance, African doctors and clinics could better plan their service delivery, improve management, lead programs to bring more patients to hospitals, and maintain programs once they were launched.

“I spent my Peace Corps time in Korea as a leprosy worker, and when I went, I knew absolutely zippo about leprosy, but I received really good training in Korea.”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DR. PAUL COURTRIGHT

“We were the first group globally to realize and document through research the finding that women accounted for 2 out of every 3 blind people in the world, and that they did not have equal access to eye care services,” said Paul. “The World Health Organization funded us to find different ways to improve their use of those services, and so we were really trailblazers in understanding that problem, finding solutions, and implementing them.” Another area of work that Paul is proud of is identifying and helping children with cataracts. In doing this crucial work, KCCO faced some incredible hurdles. “Health systems are incredibly weak in Africa,” lamented Paul. “When you develop programs, you need to start from scratch and train people to understand and use a bank account, manage money, use Excel, and plan service delivery. People come into the field with very limited skills, so it’s very challenging.” In 2016, Paul and Susan stepped down from running KCCO full time.

Today, KCCO is active in nearly 10 countries in Africa. Most recently, the organization has received funding from the British government and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust to work on surgery and treatment in Africa for trachoma, a condition where a bacterial infection causes the eyelid and eyelashes to grow inward. In October 2019, Queen Elizabeth II met with Paul in recognition for his work at KCCO and also for his current role as the Trachoma Technical Lead for all trachoma work supported by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

Reflecting on his experiences, Paul kept coming back to the foundation he received at TAS. “My education here gave me a real sense that the world was open to me, and it was up to me to do something with it. I still feel very privileged to have had this education. I hope other TAS alumni will treasure the experiences they’ve had here, and look at it as the foundation or springboard for doing something meaningful in life.”

ASK AN ALUM

The Blue & Gold and the Alumni E-News are piloting a new feature for both publications! Through the Blue & Gold, current TAS students are posing questions to alumni about anything from favorite teachers and books at TAS to the fashions and culture of decades past.

Q: Technology at TAS has changed rapidly in the last few decades. The first school website and school intranet debuted in 1997. This month, Nicole C. ’21 asks, “What was IT [information technology] like during your time at school? We now have 1:1 laptops and an online classroom management system. How did you write or turn in assignments? How did you keep track of your homework?”

“Because I was at TAS pre-Computer, everything was by paper and writing instruments. We used planners/ agendas/ physical calendars.We hand wrote our assignments - music assignments as well as poster board presentations. There were lots of drafts, drawings and planning on paper prior to transferring on final copies. I remember writing an autobiography in 8th grade for Language Arts that included a hand drawn family tree and illustrations.” - Betty Chang ’92 “WAY back in the 1980’s we had NO personal computers. NO ONE. One of my first electives was keyboarding, also known as typewriting.We had big secretarial keyboards and did drills to increase our speed. So when a paper was due it was either hand written, skipping lines, or typed. Everyone had the same size typewriter font, so we couldn’t switch to 10 or 12 or 13 to change the length of the paper. Also, white out, or correction ink was uncommon; if you typed a mistake, you had to retype the whole page! We handed in our paper (IRL) and the teacher wrote comments ON the paper itself.” - Anne Noordhoff Lin ’80

“There was absolutely nothing available when it came to IT back in the early 60’s. All of my assignments were either hand written or typed on an old fashioned, non electric typewriter that required paper and a carbon ribbon. I personally required a lot of new erasers or white out, which was a white ink type solution that covered mistakes and let you type over them. Before that became available, one simply had to erase carefully or use a new piece of paper to start over.” - Carol (Srulowitz) Cory ’63

During the winter months, the Grade 5 classes had many meaningful discussions while reading and reflecting on the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature book, “Front Desk,” by Kelly Yang. TAS students continued and extended these conversations by participating in Global Read Aloud, connecting with Grade 5 students at schools across the United States who were reading the same book at the same time. Due to the time difference between Taiwan and the U.S., the conversations did not take place in real time via video chat. Instead, students used an educational platform to record and share videos with one another. After getting to know one another, the “pen pals” recorded comments about what happened in the book, summarized their own ideas, and asked questions of their U.S. peers. Hearing perspectives from people with different experiences further enriched TAS classroom discussions surrounding the book.

Dr. Tiffany Chang (’04), concurrently professor of music at both the Berklee College of Music and Oberlin College, met with upper school music students today to share her experiences after leaving TAS. Answering questions about the programs at Berklee and Oberlin, as well as how to pursue music in college if a student wants to major in a science, Dr. Chang presented several different pathways in the Arts, and also gave suggestions about how to choose a program, such as asking for a lesson when you go to audition. When asked how to find opportunities to perform, especially as a freshman, her advice about self-advocacy is perfect for all: “If you are proactive about going for what you want, the opportunities will come.You have to be your own advocate.You have to be your own entrepreneur and your own boss. How can you market yourself and get your name out there? If you are brave enough to ask them, the faculty will give you advice and involve you in their projects… Even at this stage in my life [Dr. Chang is incredibly accomplished], I’m still looking for and creating opportunities to grow.” Thank you for meeting with our students and sharing your perspectives, Dr. Chang. Berklee音樂學院和Oberlin學院的音樂教授 Tiffany Chang 博士（’04）今天與高中音樂學生會

的建議對所有人來說都是完美的：“如果你主動追求自己想要的東西，機會就會來。你必須成為自 己的倡言者。你必須是自己的企業家和老闆。你如何推銷自己並讓自己出名？如果你足夠勇敢地問

Each year, every student in every grade in the TAS Middle School does service to help others around Taiwan; Grade 6 does a read-a-thon in order to promote a love of reading while raising funds for charity. This year, the Class of 2026 wanted to support animal rescue and chose Animal Care Trust (ACT) to receive their funds. It turns out that our sixth graders not only read a lot during the month, but they also clearly care a good deal about animals! Representatives from ACT joined the Grade 6 Student Wellness Action Team at a lunch meeting to talk through ideas for the funds; when the representatives from ACT heard how much money Grade 6 had raised on their behalf, they were moved to tears. There are still a few donations coming in, but so far the Class of 2026 has raised NT$267,335! Since students will be involved in planning how the funds will be used by ACT, they will be able to see the tangible benefits of their hard work in the lives of many animals. We are so proud of your hard work, Grade 6!

This past October, four upper school students entered an international robotics competition sponsored by the University of Melbourne. Named after the relatively complicated kitchen appliance designed to perform a pretty simple task, “The Amazing Spaghetti Machine Contest” requires students to work together to create and design a Rube Goldberg machine. Erica C. (’20), Daniel L. (’21), Selina L. (’22), and Candice H. (’23) spent their lunch hours, free periods, after school hours and weekends working on their project, and were thrilled to accept the second place award for building a machine that raises a toy flag. And in true Rube Goldberg fashion, the “what” is not as interesting as the “how”.Turning on music triggers a sensor that releases a spool that rolls down a ramp and hits a catapult launching a marble into a tube that spirals down a column. The

marble hits other marbles that in turn activate a seesaw that releases a marble through a tunnel that knocks over a series of dominoes. The last one to fall activates another sensor that causes a fan to blow a boat across a water-filled bucket where the boat hits another sensor that activates motors to raise the flag! The whole process takes about 45 seconds, and the imagination coupled with the design and engineering abilities of this team are fantastic. To recognize their work, two representatives from the University of Melbourne delivered the award in person to our winning team in the Solomon Wong Tech Cube last December. 去年10月，四名高中學生參加了由墨爾本大學贊助的國際機器人競賽。“Amazing Spaghetti Machine Contest”以執行一項廚房設備相對複雜但非常簡單的任務而命名的，要求學生共同創造和 設計Rube Goldberg機器。 Erica C.（’20），Daniel L.（’21），Selina L.（’22）和Candice H.（’23）把午餐時間、自由時間、課後時間和周末都花在他們的計劃上，並因能夠製造升起玩具 旗幟的機器而獲得第二名的殊榮。真正Rube Goldberg方式，“什麼”並不像“如何”那麼有趣。

VEX Robotics had an exciting weekend competition at TAS last December. Upper School team Raid Zero J went undefeated during the qualification matches and won the tournament, qualifying for the VEX World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky in April. Raid Zero G were tournament finalists and close to winning the tournament, a feat they achieved in Japan. They also won the “Amaze Award” this weekend. Raid Zero X won the “Design Award” for their exemplary Engineering notebook and Raid Zero D won the “Innovate Award” due to their unique design. Middle school teams all saw great success as well. Team 4813A won the “Excellence Award” for Middle School qualifying them for the VEX World Championship too. As one of their coaches said, “Each of the four middle school teams played well beyond their level of experience, demonstrating a savvy approach to competitive robotics, making them highly competitive against predominantly upper school teams.” Not to be left out of the fun, lower school robotics students had a celebration in December as well. Throughout the fall semester, nearly one hundred Grade 3 and Grade 5 students worked with upper school mentors after school to develop projects aligned with the global First Lego League Competition. Outside of Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium on Friday afternoon was a showcase of projects, posters, and matches between robots. The event was a testament to how much the students have learned, and how enthusiastic they are in the process 去年12月，TAS舉辦了一場激動人心的周末VEX機器人競賽。高中隊Raid Zero J在資格賽中保持不 敗，並贏得了比賽，獲得了4月份在肯塔基州路易斯維爾舉行的VEX世界錦標賽的參賽資格。Raid Zero G是比賽的決賽入圍者，他們在日本贏得了冠軍，這是在日本創造的壯舉。他們還獲得了本週 末的“驚奇獎”。Raid Zero X因其出色的工程筆記本而獲得了“設計獎”，Raid Zero D因其獨特 的設計而獲得了“創新獎”。初中團隊也都看到了巨大的成功。4813A團隊還獲得了初中部“優秀 獎”，也有資格參加VEX世界冠軍賽。正如他們的一位教練所說：“四支初中團隊的每個團隊的表 現都超出了他們的經驗水準，展示了他們精明的競爭機器人技術，使他們與主要的高中團隊競爭非 常激烈。”值得一提的是，初中機器人學生也在12月舉行了慶祝活動。在整個秋季學期中，將有近 一百名3年級和5年級學生放學後與高中導師們合作，開發與全球第一屆樂高競賽一致的計劃。週五 下午，在Guy Lott Jr.大禮堂外，展示了計劃、海報和機器人之間的比賽。這次活動證明了學生的 所學，以及他們在過程中的熱情。

Amy C. (’21) was one of 250 finalists selected for the 2020 Taiwan International Science Fair held at the National Taiwan Science Education Center Feb 3-7, 2020. After presenting her research to judges in poster format, she and was very excited to receive the second prize award in the Physics and Astronomy Category! In her research Amy built a centrifuge out of a fidget spinner and investigated the rotational dynamics of the centrifuge at various angles in order to measure separation efficiencies, mathematically model the rotational process, and determine the best angle for maximum separation. Centrifuges are essential in diagnosing malaria and other diseases. Amy’s hope is that her research can lead to better designs of new centrifuges. She explains that a “low-speed centrifuge can achieve the effects and results of high-speed centrifuges by simply changing the angle it rotates in, allowing future researchers to save time, money, electricity, and space.”

Amy C.（’21）是2020年2月3日至7日，在台灣國家科學教育中心舉行的2020年台灣國際科學博覽

For the past twenty-nine years, Grade 4 students have assisted the community with their annual service project, The Flea Market. This year, the money raised was donated to St. Anne’s Home as well as animal rescue operations in Taipei. On January 17, Grade 4 was busy collecting, sorting, organizing, and selling, and all of their hard work paid off. While delivering the funds raised from the Flea Market, dedicated Grade 4 students also brought red envelopes, or hongbao, to each of the 37 residents at St. Anne’s Home.

On the Bookshelf

EDITOR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

At Taipei American School, our community often hosts outstanding visiting authors who come to teach our students and staff. We also choose different books each year to read within divisions or small groups. Be sure to check out these recent favorites!

“PARACHUTES” by Kelly Yang

Chosen by Lower School Librarian, Brianna Pannell

“HOMEBASE” by Shawn Wong

Recent Visiting Author, invited by the PTA

“THE LAST P.O.W.” by Mike Chinoy

Two-time Joanna Nichols Scholar in Residence (2011 & 2020)

“DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS”

by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, et. al.

Recent professional development read chosen by the LS instructional coaching team

Stuart Brown

Chosen by The Window’s editorial team in honor of the new lower school playground

“THE ORANGE HORSE” by Hsu-Kung Liu

Recent Visiting Author, invited by the PTA

“PLAY: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” by Dr.

Essential Capacities In Action

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Every issue, we focus on a different Essential Capacity. In this issue, we explore examples of GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE found across all three divisions.

In the Middle and Upper School:

One of the few cross-divisional programs at TAS, Model United Nations (MUN) is a student-led activity with an emphasis on collaboration, team building, and problem-solving requiring students to research, write, critically think, and debate. As they role-play as delegates to the Model United Nations, students learn about diplomacy and international relations; at TAS, students also have genuine service leadership opportunities within the program. The cultivation of this culture of mentorship is quite special and very deliberate. For example, each student who is given an opportunity to attend an MUN conference is expected to “pay it forward”, enriching another student’s opportunity. And each middle school delegate has an upper school delegate mentor for every conference or debate in which they participate. Mentors and mentees both gain from this experience, and it is clear that MUN at TAS is much more than an activity or a program. At TAS, MUN is a community, led by students, for students. Thank you to the many faculty whose stalwart support makes this unique opportunity possible for over 200 students who are involved in MUN.

In the Lower School:

After examining why the cracked ice pattern is popular in Chinese art and architecture, Grade 4 students made beautiful and functional lanterns in celebration of the Lantern Festival. Using Tinkercad, a 3D modeling program, students created original designs of the sides of their own lanterns. These patterns were then cut onto wood using a laser cutter, and then students stained their pieces, added translucent paper, and glued the entire project together, even attaching an eye hook and ribbon for hanging purposes! The addition of electric tealights completed the design process and resulted in lanterns that are as functional as they are beautiful.

PHOTO: BECCA BUDDE

In addition to a rigorous academic program, and a focus on academic and personal excellence, TAS students will develop:

GRADE 7 TRIP TO CLOUD GATE

JANUARY 14, 2020

Considered by many to be one of the best dance companies in the world, Cloud Gate’s home base is located in Tamsui, and this January TAS Grade 7 dancers had the incredible opportunity to tour the theater, ask questions about preparation and performances, and participate in a dance workshop. Whatever their interests are, TAS students have the opportunity to meet and engage with the best of the best.

Thank you to all of the parents, teachers, and administrators who continue to make these memorable experiences possible.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Spring Association General Meeting

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Upper School Graduation Ceremony

Friday, May 29, 2020

Last instructional day of school for School Year 2019-2020

June 1-26, 2020

TAS Summer Academy

Thursday, August 13, 2020

First instructional day of school for School Year 2020-2021

PHOTOS: BECCA BUDDE