Taipei American School THE WINDOW | Winter 2021

THE WINDOW

Embracing Our Differences

In this winter edition of “The Window,” we explore stories related to diversity and inclusion throughout the school.

PHOTO: DUSTIN RHOADES

Who We Are

OUR MISSION OUR VISION

Table of Contents

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.

Student Safety is an “Inside Job” for Schools and Students: Learning Long-Distance with Dr. Scott Poland, Student Safety Expert

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

TAS Chosen as an Honorary SPAN School

BY

LINDSEY

KUNDEL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Editor-in-Chief & Artistic Director

Lindsey Kundel, Director of Communications & Marketing

Contributing Editors

Dr. Kathryn Limmer, Assistant Head of School for Advancement

COVER FEATURES: Embracing Our Differences Sharing Similarities and Celebrating Differences in Lower School Art

BY STEPHANIE LEE, LOWER SCHOOL ART TEACHER

Introducing Project LIT: Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion Through Reading in the Middle School

BY CAROL YOUSSIF, MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

JEDI & DEI: New Groups Formed to Promote Inclusivity at TAS

Jayson Limmer, Communications Officer

Fish Tung, Advancement Secretary II Connie Ma, Alumni and Community Outreach Officer

Shan Lee, Assistant Alumni and Community Outreach Officer Katherine Wang, Development Officer

The Challenge in the Moment: Dr. Smith Reflects On His Experience at the Taipei Confucius Ceremony

BY DR. NATHAN SMITH, DEAN OF FACULTY: DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING BY CONNIE MA, ALUMNI & COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER

Photography Mike Corsini Dustin Rhoades Unsplash TAS Human Resources

Tiffany Huang ‘08 Brings “Black in Asia” Voices to a Broader Audience

Special 24

Thanks To JEDI Committee 18 22 28 32

Do you have an idea for a story to be featured in the next issue of “The Window”?

Head of School

WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

In educational circles, there is a quote by Albert Einstein that is often brought up about the importance of meeting students where they are: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

I believe this quote gets at the heart of why diversity and inclusion don't just matter, but why they are essential to everything we do at Taipei American School. Diversity and inclusion are, at their core, about recognizing and appreciating individuals as unique individuals worthy of being seen, being heard, and being valued. Diversity is about knowing that I am different from you, that our stories and identities are multilayered and complex, and that just because my story is different doesn't mean that it's better or worse than yours. It is about knowing that we understand each other, even when our backgrounds and opinions differ. And it is about celebrating the fact that we are all members of the TAS community together.

I fundamentally believe that diversity and inclusivity initiatives in education will only be successful if each of us experiences a feeling of belonging. Our proverbial fish can't feel judged by their ability to climb trees. They need to know—because of our explicit words and actions—that they belong in our community simply by virtue of their being themselves. Of course, this is much easier said than done. We know this from personal experience because many of us have been on the receiving end

of a lack of diversity, a lack of inclusion, or a simple lack of understanding of another person’s life experiences. Have you been the fish who was unfairly judged by someone at some point in your life?

Have you witnessed someone else being unfairly treated?

At Taipei American School, we have been working to improve our community's ability to embrace and recognize all forms of diversity in a systematic and intentional way.This work began before the important racial reckoning taking place in the United States and around the world, but recent world events have spurred us to take bolder steps and louder actions in this area than ever before.To build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, what

Have you witnessed someone else being unfairly treated?

does it take to make this happen and how can each of us get involved? Do we know how to use our unearned advantages to help others who may be facing unearned disadvantages?

Though TAS has changed much since its founding, each one of us has a role to play in making every student, every staff member, every parent, and every alumnus or alumna feel welcome on our inclusive campus. It takes recognition of privilege, courage for each of us to be an

ally of those who do not benefit from an unearned privilege, and a genuine effort to feel empathy for others. I ask each one of you to have the courage to stand up for the differences of a friend and to trust that many others will have the courage to do the same for you so that each of us feels safe and valued in this community. Empathy is the one skill that will make each of our students successful in the world outside of TAS and Taiwan, and we at TAS are invested in moving our school forward by putting in the effort to understand each other and work together to make the Taipei American School community the strongest it can be.

那 條魚會終其一生都相信自己很笨。」

(Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. ) 我相信這句話讓我們更深刻地體會 到，多樣性和包容性絕對不能只是一 個概念，而應該是教育的本質。 要真 正地做到包容所有的多樣性 (diversity and inclusion) ，那我們就必須先認清一 個事實，那就是每個人都是獨一無二 的，我們必須敞開心胸、毫無保留地 去接受和欣賞彼此間的不同。人與人 之間的差異也都是同等重要的，他們 都應該被看到、被傾聽以及被尊重。 我和你們一定是不同的，因為在每個 人生命中所發生過的故事是迴然有別 的，而且在我們身份認同背後的脈絡 也是錯綜複雜的。僅僅因為我的故事 與你們的不同，並不意味著我和你們 相比之下的好或壞。 即使我們的背景

和無知所導致的不公平待遇呢? 在台北美國學校，長久以來，我們 一直有系統、特意地提升我們的社群 對於多元族群的認識，還有接受多樣 性不同層面的體現。這項工作是早在 美國和全球各地展開種族主義清算(racial reckoning) 之前就已經開始的，但是 最近在世界各地所發生的事件促使我 們對這些議題採取了比以往更堅定、 更具體的步驟和行動。要建立起一個 多元、公平和包容的社群 ，我們需要 做什麼呢？我們要如何才能參與呢？ 我們是否知道如何善用那些與生俱來 的優勢 (unearned advantages)去幫助那些 可能生來就遭受差別待遇的族群呢? 雖然TAS自創校以來已有了相當 大的蛻變，但在這個包容的社群裡， 每個人都可以盡上一己之力讓我們的 每個學生、每個員工、每個父母和每

FUN FACTS ABOUT

Speaks fluent Taiwanese

Ran the NYC Marathon Baked her own wedding cake

Auditioned to be a country music singer in a few US competitions

•

• Prior to joining Wellesley in 2015, she was an Associate Director of Admissions at Harvard, having first joined the Harvard Admissions Office in 2002.

• From 2009-2012, she took a professional leave from Harvard and spent three years here at Taipei American School as a college counselor and Director of College Counseling.

• Grace returned to the TAS College Counseling office in 2018 before assuming the position of Deputy Head of School in 2019-20.

Has been recognized on the streets of Boston for her mathematics videos

Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge BA; MS; MBA; CPA; ED.D.

Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge is the former Director of Admission at Wellesley College.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. DODGE

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD QUACKENBUSH / UNSPLASH

Everybody is a genius . But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree , it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. "

DR. DODGE

Board of Directors

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE BOARD AT TAS

BY TINA KOO, BOARD CHAIR

The Board of Directors has three main responsibilities at Taipei American School.

First, we set the mission and the vision of the school. Our mission has not changed since TAS was reorganized in 1979 post-US de-recognition of Taiwan, from a school serving mostly American military families to what it is today: a preeminent private school providing “an American-based education with a global perspective.” The Board’s responsibility is to make sure all strategies we form and execute are consistent with the mission. Any action taken by the Board also has to be in sync with this mission. As a guiding document, we develop a Strategic Plan by soliciting community input, that lays out our action items and financing needs in five-year cycles. The Strategic Plan represents the “blueprint” that TAS will follow to assure that it is being true to the mission.

Another responsibility of the Board is that it is responsible for all financial oversight which includes budgeting, tuition setting, capital expenditures, funding, land and facilities investment, long-term financial management of the Quasi-Endowment, and making sure we are adequately prepared with sufficient emergency operating funds. Every dollar spent has to also be in line with the mission of the School.

Lastly, our biggest responsibility is hiring, nurturing, evaluating, and supporting our

one and only employee, the Head of School. Embedded in this responsibility is also ensuring planning for succession in this job. As you have seen this year, it is important to have a plan. We were saddened by Dr. Sharon Hennessy’s sudden departure due to deteriorations in her physical health, but we felt assured that an extremely strong Deputy Head of School, Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, could step into her shoes as an Interim Head of School while we embark on a search for a permanent Head of School to be in place by the 2022-2023 school year.

To sum it up, the Board has to fly at 30,000 feet high and constantly be looking at the big picture, always keeping its eye on the mission of the school.

But who really makes decisions at the School? The Board or the Head of School?

We are constantly asked, what does the Board do versus what does the administration do? The board’s responsibilities were described earlier and are laid out here in the screenshot below.

In the left-hand column are some specific aspects of our job. The right side shows how the Board’s role compares to the job of the Head of School. For example, The Board hires its only employee, the Head of School. The Head is the Chief Executive Officer of the School, running

it on a day-to-day basis, which includes hiring the administrative team. The Head is accountable to the Board for the actions of the administration and its execution of the Strategic Plan that the Board sets for the school.

In regard to governance, the Board has to set its own governing policies and ensure that it follows them. These policies are in line with the School’s governing documents. In the last 10 years, the Board has worked to align the School’s governing methods with best practices of leading independent schools of the world. This includes adding independent board members by appointment that bring skills, expertise, and experience that the Board requires; modernizing our governing practices to those of 21st-century schools; and truly clearing up all conflicts and inconsistencies in our practices to show the clear delineation of our role as a Board and the role of administration in operating the School.

On the flip side, the Head of School is then entrusted to make sure that everything operates as per board policies and is thus charged with the creation of policies to operate the school. Some examples of operating policies include those that govern employment, student behavior, teaching pedagogy, security, and many more.The important thing to note as to why there is this strict delineation in our roles is to remember that the educators are the ones whose jobs are to educate; the administrators and faculty are entrusted to provide the education and make decisions in accordance with our mission. The Board provides oversight and trusts our administration’s expertise.All administrative decisions are made with proper guidance and teachings from external consultants and peer administrators from around the world, and these decisions are always likely to be a team decision.

Is it hard being a parent and on the Board?

In reality, there are many decisions that

are made at school that are not in line with each individual’s thinking, as everyone is entitled to their own views. I hope that parents will understand that every decision made, and action taken by the Board or the administration may not be the one that they want, but it is the one that we or they feel is the best for the students at TAS as a whole. Either the Board or the Administration will make that decision if it is their responsibility to do so. We work together in partnership to keep that thick line in place and not overstep or overrule decisions that are within the other’s domain. It’s a mutual trust that keeps the line intact.

As I mentioned earlier, the TAS Board is composed of nine elected parent board members and four appointed board members. When we join the Board, we go through extensive orientation and training. More importantly, we all take oaths and sign agreements to act appropriately as a board member. What is very important to note is that we vow to fulfill our duties as board members with the view that our decisions and actions are made only for the current and future generations of TAS students. We do not represent the parents or any particular constituency group. For those members who are parents, we have given up our rights as parents to advocate for our child, and in the boardroom, we only make decisions on behalf of all the students. How can I get involved?

There are many channels of communication for you with us. It is wonderful that many parents want to learn more, but it’s hard to make sure that everyone in the community is getting the same message. Please encourage your friends and fellow parents to listen and learn the facts first hand rather than follow rumors.

Each parent should not heed to hearsay but, instead, take the time to get educated about school matters themselves. There are many opportunities at TAS for you to learn more about the School through presentations from the Head of School and at the individual divisional levels, communications through email, social media, and “The Window” publication, and as our school’s campus slowly opens up and COVID-19 restrictions get lifted, through in-person events.

In terms of the Board, besides the two Annual General Meetings, the Board has always had open monthly meetings. When COVID hit, our board meetings went online and I am happy to report that we are getting more people attending our meetings by Zoom than we ever had when we held the meetings in person. Maybe when we go back to in-person meetings, we may even

keep the Zoom option! Please come and listen. Our meeting agendas and minutes have also always been published on the TAS website in the Board Corner section so you can see what actions are and have been taken at the board level.

Also, we as a Board welcome questions and comments and hope to address as many as we can that are in line with our responsibilities. It is sometimes hard for an individual board member to be asked to answer a question on the spot, as the Board is only duly constituted as a Board when we are all together and speak as one. Thus, it is best to pose questions in a formal forum. In addition, throughout the year through a link online that can be found in the Board Corner section of the TAS website, community members can pose comments and questions directly to us. If a question comes in, we will always write back or at least direct questions to the appropriate person to give an answer.

As a reminder, Dr. Dodge has created a communications chart that is online to give parents guidance on where to seek the appropriate answers. The link to the Board’s Questions and Comments form is on the chart as well.

TAS and the Board practices accountability. From the Grade 4 students and their “accountable talk” exercises to feedback asking for attribution to the commentator and even with our own selfevaluation and evaluation of the Head of School, for every comment made, we put our names to it. We hope our community embraces and understands this need for accountability. Thus, we will endeavor to listen to every comment (good or bad) and answer every question submitted to us with proper credentials.

One last point to note is that not all facts related to governance can be shared in every circumstance, but the Board does as much as it can within the law to communicate transparently. It is important to note that student privacy is essential, and it is not our place or even the School’s place to comment on details as it pertains to specific individuals. There are times when the Board’s silence is purposeful and often legally required.

We would love it if every parent would take the time to get educated and communicate with us. TAS can only be successful if everyone is in a partnership together as parents, School, and students. We as the Board are here to facilitate and guide the school at a 30,000 feet level. It is a great responsibility, and I can speak on behalf of all the board members, that we thank you for entrusting us with this responsibility.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CHARACTER EDUCATION BEGINS AT HOME

BY JOSH BUDDE, MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

One of the topics we wrestle with as educators is how to approach character education. When I entered the classroom for the first time more than 30 years ago, we did not talk of it as if it were a department or a course we taught. We did not have an advisory curriculum per se even though we had advisories. Helping guide our advisees toward good decision-making was the inherent mandate of the role of each advisor, if not of each teacher—but I don’t recall having conversations amongst ourselves about how to teach values or ethics. We did it as parents do it—not via pre-planned weekly meetings but in the moment as was appropriate through modeling and teachable moments.

Somewhere along the line over the years, schools have taken on a more deliberate role in character education. At its extreme, the expectation now is that schools are solely responsible for teaching, not just reinforcing, values, ethics, and morals.

I believe that the main purpose of school is to help kids to become independent, responsible learners, to be owners of all they do, to be resilient and adaptable, to be thoughtful and caring, to be empathetic and supportive people. The purely curricular side of education is, of course, important, but it is secondary; we need to focus on the above first if we are going to be able to accomplish the rest. Most of us can recall emotions from our school days more easily than we can recall academic content. Academics can be taught outside of school, but the social aspects of what we do requires kids to be with other kids.

Over the years I have been asked here and at other schools, “How do you teach character education?” My initial reaction is often to want to ask parents a question in turn: “How do you teach character education at home?” This question is not meant to be sarcastic;

rather, it is to point out that what teachers do is not so different from what parents do. Just as parents make clear to their kids what the rules are for the household, so do we at school. Neither school nor parent, however, creates a code of all the expectations, and regulations that we hold dear, and consequences that follow if these are broken. Good and acceptable behavior is talked about, shared, and expected, and how we respond when mistakes happen—and mistakes will happen—is how our students and children begin to understand what is acceptable and what is not.

At Taipei American School, we do have a student handbook that outlines the School’s expectations, but it certainly cannot cover all possible issues or outcomes. When students make mistakes, we do all we can to understand the root causes in order to help kids avoid the same mistakes in the future. We are in the education business, not the punishment business, and we must treat every kid and every situation as a unique one. Context and intent matter if we want to help kids improve, but impact cannot be ignored. So, while we do list what might be common mistakes, we cannot list them all. Nor would we want to. As a school administrative team, we prefer to focus on what behavior we expect rather than what we want to avoid. And so, we do not, and should not, take a one-size-fits-all approach to this work.

An important note is that while schools should own the teaching of the academic curriculum, parents should own the teaching of character. It is the School’s responsibility to be more of a supporter and reinforcer of good character rather than a teacher of it. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach their kids how to be good people. This is a very subtle distinction and also not

an absolute. Schools provide a perfect venue for kids to discover who they are, to learn how to relate to peers, to test their moral compasses, to find their place in this world, and so we are an integral part of kids’ moral development. Teachers should be modeling this just as well as parents should be, and we are there to provide boundaries and limits, just as parents should. However, studies show rather conclusively that parents are the greatest influence on their children’s decision making, slightly outpacing even their peers. Teachers and coaches come third on that list. As such, a school telling a kid he or she cannot behave a certain way will have little effect on that student if the parents are not telling him or her that as well. This model is reversed for curricular education and perhaps clarifies this point: It is a school’s responsibility to teach science, not a parent’s. A parent’s role is to support at home the work we do at school by being sure their children are doing their homework, getting

enough sleep, managing their time at home, encouraging them to see their teachers for help, and so on.

It is important that parents do not cede this responsibility for character education to schools. Rather, they need to take ownership of this and then expect that schools will reinforce all they instill in their kids. Schools provide opportunities for kids to try out who they think they are and who they think they want to be. As teachers, we can help guide kids to be better decisionmakers. We can help define the limits and boundaries of behavior. We can congratulate them when they make good decisions and counsel them when they make poor decisions. If parents start their kids in the right direction, we can certainly help keep them moving down that path.

I know this resonates differently with everyone, but I have worked with enough families over the last three decades to strongly believe that we can only help a kid rise to be the best person that the parents have raised him, her or them to be. Moving students beyond what their parents expect from them is very hard to do. We are simply not a replacement for parental education and values. Call it reinforcement, modeling or even teaching, but when it comes to character education, parents are the head coaches in this endeavor, and we are both their assistants and advisers.

Still, being a community of learners and teachers does allow us to engage with kids in a way that parents cannot. Kids are going to be willing to share with peers and other adults differently than they may be with their parents. An example of this is an identity activity we did with our middle school students recently.

For this identity lesson, we first played a game called, “I am…, who are you?”. The students paired up and used this phrase to share parts of their identity with each other using the model: “I am an athlete, who are you?,” “I am a big brother, who are you?”, “I am from Taiwan, who are you?,” I am a vegetarian, who are you?”. The game helped us to begin thinking about what identity is and why it matters. This game is a wonderful

discussion starter, and I encourage you to play a few rounds as a family sometime soon.

One of the important takeaways for the kids was how much the elements of their identity they shared were influenced by who they paired with, who went first in the activity, and what they had already shared with others. Our counselors and administrators hoped that they would see just how much their identity is influenced by outside factors as well as their own choices.

Afterwards, the teachers asked their students to quietly reflect and write down every aspect of their own identity that they could distinguish. Those who were willing shared their thoughts aloud, and the class created a large list of features on the whiteboard. Some of the questions we asked the students to consider were:

• Which aspects of identity can we choose, and which do we have no choice in?

• Which parts of their identity can we change, and which can we not change?

• Are some aspects of identity more visible than others, and what effect does this have on a person?

• Are some aspects of identity easier to share and talk about than others? Why?

• Why do we have so many different parts to our identity, and how are they formed?

• How might it feel to have your identity ignored or disrespected by others?

• Why do aspects of our identity feel so important to us?

By having students share with their peers, kids begin and continue to see how they fit into a larger world, beyond themselves and beyond home. As a school, we aim to help kids become more comfortable having these conversations so that they can be active, thoughtful, and informed participants in this important work. Lessons such as these reflect a support of values that parents teach at home rather than a replacement, and they take advantage of the power that a KA-12 community has in reinforcing such values.

THE 7 E’S OF TEACHING A CHARACTER TRAIT

BY DR. THOMAS LICKONA

1. Explain it: Define it, illustrate it, and discuss its importance

2. Examine it: In literature, history, and current events

3. Exhibit it: Through personal example

4. Expect it: Through codes, rules, contracts and consequences

5. Experience it: Directly 6. Encourage it: Through goal-setting, pratice and selfassessment

7. Evaluate it: Give feedback

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS HUMAN RESOURCES

When it comes to character education, parents are the head coaches in this endeavor, and we [the teachers] are both their assistants and advisers.

Wellness in Action

STUDENT SAFETY IS AN “INSIDE

JOB” FOR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS: LEARNING LONG-DISTANCE WITH DR. SCOTT POLAND, STUDENT SAFETY EXPERT

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Taipei American School welcomed Dr. Scott Poland, Professor of Psychology, in December to work with parents, students, faculty, staff, counselors, nurses, and administrators in the area of school safety.

Dr. Scott Poland is a licensed psychologist internationally recognized as an expert on youth suicide, selfinjury, school violence, school safety, threat assessment, and school crisis. Dr. Poland is a Professor at the College of Psychology and is Co-Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He currently teaches crisis intervention and prevention in addition to his consulting work around the world.

Dr. Poland’s depth of expertise has led him to author or co-author five books and many chapters and articles on these subjects including, Suicide in Schools, which was published in 2015. He has nearly three decades of experience in this field and has led lectures and training for parents, school administrators, psychologists, and many others around the world. Dr. Poland has worked full time in schools for 26 years and for 24 of those, he directed psychological services for a very large Texas school district.

During his time consulting with TAS,

We learned from Dr. Poland that talking about suicide can actually help to prevent it, not the opposite myth.

he conducted several live and prerecorded training sessions with many different members of our community.

Interim Head of School, Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, explained the importance of providing education for all of our community members and not just our faculty. “I think it’s important for our community to partner together and talk about important subjects like this to keep everyone healthy, happy, and watching out for one another,” she said. “We learned from Dr. Poland that talking about suicide can actually help to prevent it, not the opposite myth.”

Dr. Poland first became interested in these difficult topics because of a personal tragedy. “I never set out to become an expert on school tragedies,” he said. “But when I was 25 years old and working on my master’s degree, my dad died by suicide.”

He mentioned this experience in an interview but also shared it publicly with the TAS community as part of a larger conversation about how we talk about suicide. He stressed the importance of saying that someone has “died by suicide” instead of using the more common phrase, “committed suicide.”

Dr. Poland met with the KA-12 counseling team for three hours on December 2 and again on December 4 for a series of talks titled “Contemporary Issues in School Crisis Prevention.” In his discussions with the school’s crisis intervention experts, he stressed the importance of “truly listening” to students and to faculty about their concerns. He also mentions the dangers of using the phrase “I understand” when listening and speaking to students. “Do

I really understand? Could I really?” he asked of himself in the presentation. “Unless something just like that has happened to me, it’s better to say, ‘Help me to understand’ because I am primarily here to listen and to hopefully reconnect you with previous sources of support after trauma and losses.”

He also presented to all faculty and staff members with important information relevant to coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and TAS’s specific situation as an American international school in Taiwan. His talk to faculty and staff was called “Safeguarding Students and Building Success and Resiliency.”

With faculty, Dr. Poland focused on dispelling many myths surrounding the realities of bullying and suicide for school-aged children. Studies show that 15-25 percent of students are being bullied with some frequency and in some form, including both in-person and online.

On December 3, Dr. Poland met with our parent community in a webinar called “Raising Children in a Challenging World.” Over 200 of our parents signed up for this important session. For parents who were unable to attend, a video and slide deck are available in the presentations section of the TAS Parent Portal.

One important strategy Dr. Poland recommended to parents during the COVID-19 pandemic is what he calls “Staying C.A.L.M.” as a parent. C is for calmness and control. He advises parents to control what you can knowing that children of all ages do best with consistency. A is for being available to your child and being alert to their emotions and worries. L is for

limiting news coverage of the virus and making sure the news your family views is developmentally appropriate and from reliable sources. And finally, M is for a parent to model effective coping and management strategies, including making a reliable schedule for your children.

Dr. Poland spent much of his talk discussing a parent’s role in preventing cyberbullying. A major suggestion of his was that in today’s “screen age,” parents need to “take charge” of the technology in their households and increase supervision of digital media. He said that “technology should be a privilege, not a right” but in so many households today, he said that parents are caving to their students’ demands instead of the other way around.

“Kids post things that are far more vicious than they might otherwise say in person,” said Dr. Poland. “Schools and parents need to partner in preventing cyberbullying because schools cannot do it alone. And this work becomes far simpler if parents simply take control of their students’ technology.”

He pleaded with parents: “Be present in the life of your child. Know exactly what they are doing online.”

Finally, throughout the three days, Dr. Poland presented a talk called “Navigating the Teen Years Successfully” to both middle and upper school students.

A major theme for students was understanding the difference between speaking up when you have a concern about yourself or a friend versus “snitching” on a friend. Dr. Poland explained that the research is very clear; most cases of bullying and suicide

are preventable — as long as someone comes forth to get adults involved.

He also stressed the importance of having a reliable, trusted adult figure at school that you can talk to. That may or may not be a student’s advisor, but it could also be another teacher or coach that you can turn to in times of need.

“Identify the trusted adults in your life,” he said, “and go to them for help.”

Dr. Poland’s work with our community is part of a larger multiyear commitment to safeguarding our students and emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness in our community at large. Each student, parent, and employee has a role in fostering meaningful relationships with one another that will help make all of us feel valued and safe.

Interim Head of School Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge in her introduction to parents said, “I hope it becomes easier and more comfortable for this community to acknowledge the wellness and mental health needs of our students. It is true we continue to see the increase in mental health needs of the students, and, thus, we need our faculty and staff members to continue to stay aware of these issues and make necessary referrals and reports when necessary.”

Dr. Poland’s digital consultancy was generously funded through an anonymous donation from a TAS family.

If you would like to watch Dr. Poland’s presentation to parents, students, or faculty, please visit the TAS Microsoft Stream site , where all of the School’s recent presentations can be found.

C is for Calmness and Control

A is for being Available and Alert L is for Limiting News Coverage

M is for Modeling and Management

Dr. Scott Poland presents for all TAS faculty at a required professional development meeting. Click on the photo to view the full faculty presentation. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

The C.A.L.M strategy can be implemented during the current COVID-19 pandemic, but it also applies to parenting more generally in today’s “screen age.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

LINDSEY KUNDEL,

台北美國學校於十二月初歡迎諾瓦

東南大學(Nova Southeastern University, 簡稱NSU)的心理學教授Scott Poland博 士就校園安全的專題和我們的家長，

學生，教職員工，輔導老師，護士和

行政管理人員進行了為期三天的線上 駐校工作坊。

Poland博士除了是一位領有合格執 照的心理師外，他更是一位在青少年

自殺、自傷、校園暴力、校園安全、 威脅評估和學校危機處理方面廣受國 際推崇的專家。他是美國心理學學院 (College of Psychology) 的教授，也是 佛羅里達州勞德代爾堡諾瓦東南大學 (NSU) 自殺和校園暴力預防中心的聯 合主任。除了在廣佈全球的諮詢工作 外，Poland博士目前的教授課程主要是 危機介入和預防。

Poland博士深廣的專業知識促使他 撰寫了五本書籍以及許多有關的作品 和文章，其中包括了他與其他兩位學 者共同著作，於2015年發行的《Suicide in Schools》。他在該領域擁有近三十 年的經驗，已經為全球各地的家長、 學校管理人員、心理學家以及許多人 開闢相關的講座和培訓。Poland博士在 學界全職工作了26年，其中有24年他 為德克薩斯州一個非常大的學區提供 心理諮商服務。 在為期三天的線上駐校諮詢期間， 他與我們社群的許多不同成員進行了 一系列線上及時和預先錄製的培訓課

談將之視為一個禁忌。」 Poland博士說：「我從來沒有打算 過要成為一個處理校園悲劇的專家。 」 「但是當我25歲正在攻讀碩士學位 時，我的父親結束了他自己的生命, 他 死於自殺。」由於個人的家庭悲劇， 他開始想要進一步了解這些艱難的議 題。 每次在探討自殺的這個主題時，他 總是一再地強調使用警惕性詞語的重 要。他會說某人「死於自殺」(died by suicide)，而不是「自殺」(committed suicide) 。 當他和 TAS 社群一起工作 時，除了在一次的訪談內容中分享了

你。」 他也向所有教職員工提供了一些關 於面對COVID-19疫情所造成的高度不 確定的情況下我們應該如何自處 ， 還 有 ， 作為一所位在台灣的美國國際學 校, 我們應該如何應對TAS所面臨的特 殊情況等這些方面的重要信息。他對 教職員工的演講主題為「如何保護學 童的身心安全以及提升他們的競爭力 和抗壓能力。」 在對教職員工的演講時，他的內容 聚焦在扭轉許多人對於學齡兒童和青 少年霸凌和自殺現況的錯誤認知。研 究報告指出，有15-25％的學生都曾遭 受到親身被霸凌的經歷或著網路上的 霸凌。不同的是時間長短的間隔還有

家長頁面 (Parent Portal) 裡觀看到當天 的影片和相關的短片。

在COVID-19疫情流行的期 間，Poland博士給父母的一項重要建議 就是他所謂的「保持C.A.L.M.」。 C代 表的是沉穩 (calmness) 和管教 (control) 。 不管孩子們是在哪個年齡階段，管 教子女最有效的方式就是始終如一， 保持一致性。A指的是您能夠察覺出 (alert)子女們情緒的起伏還有面對的 憂慮，並且能夠在身旁守候(available) 給予他們適時的協助。L指的是盡量 減少 (limit) 觀看和疫情相關的新聞報 導，並且確保來源的可靠性，還有是 適合孩童發展階段所觀看的內容。最 後，M建議父母要以身作則(model)適 當地應對和管理這段期間裡的挑戰和

不確定性，並為孩子制定合宜的作息

時間表。

Poland博士花了很多的時間在討論 父母可以做什麼來預防網路霸凌的發

生。他的主要建議是，在面對當今的 「屏幕時代」，父母需要「掌控」家

他說，家長們必須讓孩子

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

TAS SELECTED AS A “SAFE PASSAGES ACROSS NETWORKS” HONORARY PARTNER SCHOOL

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

FUN FACT: WHAT IS A DRS. DEGREE?

It stands for “doctorandus,” a Dutch academic title, of similar equivalence to a master’s degree

whether they have to move. Therefore, it is a vital importance schools pay attention to transitions and devote the time, energy, and resources to ensuring students, faculty, and families transition well. If students do not transition well, optimal learning will not take place.

“We want our students, parents, and faculty to transition well,” said Long. “Because if you are supported well during transition, you end up being a healthy, welladjusted individual.”

Taipei American School has been chosen as one of only three Safe Passages Across Networks (SPAN) Honorary Partner Schools worldwide for the 20202021 school year.

Over the last few years,Taipei American School has invested time and energy into conversations around the SPAN concept, which focuses on the transition needs of students, parents, and educators worldwide. This initiative has been Supported by Interim Head of School Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge and led by Upper School Counselor Ryan Haynes, Upper School Dean of Students Dr. Daniel Long, Middle School Counselor Dr. Lori Richardson Garcia, and Lower School Counselor Cindy Teeters, in close coordination with Human Resources Director Carol Chen and HR Assistant Director Anne Tsao. This team has worked in all three divisions to make improvements to many aspects of our transition program for students, parents, and faculty.

Whether you are an “arriver,” a “leaver,” or a “stayer,” these faculty members have worked tirelessly to make sure you will have support for your journey at Taipei American School. We are honored to accept this invitation as we continue to refine our vision for student, parent, and faculty transitions. TAS is always trying to improve our transitions care programming. TAS recognizes the importance of arriving,

staying, and leaving well. It’s important to remember, in order to arrive well, one must leave well.

Safe Passages Across Networks (SPAN) is founded and chaired by Drs. Douglas W. Ota. TAS hosted Ota several years ago to start our school down this path. While here, Ota led an EARCOS weekend workshop sharing recent research in cognitive neuroscience and counseling to identify areas that students will most likely struggle with during times of transitions. He also led advisory workshops in the Upper School and met with our academic and personal counseling and college counseling departments.

As one involved in transition work with the TAS community, Dr. Dan Long, explained that the SPAN Partner School designation is an acknowledgment from the organization about the good work that our community has committed itself to over the past few years. It is also a sign to internationally mobile families and potential faculty that if they choose to make a home here at Taipei American School, they will receive support for their arrival and eventual departure.

In the largest study ever performed in the history of educational research by John Hattie, of the 138 factors that affect learning, the single greatest negative impact on how much students learn is

Since Drs. Ota’s original visit, the school has been hard at work to intentionally curate a more seamless transition experience for arrivers, leavers, and stayers. Dr. Long says that this third category—the stayers—has been a particular area of focus of late because they are a historically often overlooked segment of school populations.

Taipei American School is planning to host several events for the TAS “stayers” to thank them for their support of other people within our community as others have arrived and needed support or left them behind as they move away from our community.

“The stayers are the backbone of our community,” said US Academic and Personal Counselor Ryan Haynes. “They help define our school culture and help others adjust successfully to our community once here.”

The TAS administration hopes that the entire community will continue to delve into these conversations at school and at home. By taking a comprehensive approach and working together as a community, the transition needs of every person on campus can be addressed in ways that lead to healthy, positive adjustment.

For more information on SPAN, please visit its website: https://www.spanschools. org/.

台北美國學校最近被獲選為 Safe Passages Across Networks (SPAN) 20202021 學年全世界三所榮譽夥伴學校之 一。 在過去的這些年來， TAS投注了 許多的時間還有精力來對話SPAN的概 念。我們所關注的議題是如何提供給 那些在國際間遷移的學生、家長以及 教育工作者

於過渡轉換期間所需的協助 （transition needs）。這項計劃得到了 代理總校長程上博士（Grace Cheng） 的大力支持，並由高中升學輔導員 Ryan Haynes、高中部學務主任 Daniel Long 博士、中學部學生輔導員Lori Richardson Garcia博士和小學部學生

他 也帶領了高中部導師團輔 (advisory)的 工作坊，並與我們的學術和個人諮詢 (Academic and Personal Counseling) 以及 大學申請部門 (College Counseling)的成 員們會面。 「過渡照料計劃」團隊中的Dan Long博士表示：被獲選為 SPAN 的榮 譽夥伴學校所代表的是對我們這個社 群在過去這幾年來不斷努力所造就出

離去者」和「停留者」這三

An upper school student welcomes “arrivers” and “stayers” to our campus. PHOTO: JAYSON LIMMER

Drs. Ota presents for parents in his previous visit to TAS.

PHOTO: TAS COMMUNICATIONS. Students in the Upper School Reach Out program speak to new students during orientation.

PHOTO: JAYSON LIMMER

Embracing Differences our

Kindergarten: Andy Warhol Hands Prints; Alma Thomas Circle Painting

SHARING SIMILARITIES AND CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES IN LOWER SCHOOL ART

BY STEPHANIE LEE, LOWER SCHOOL ART TEAM LEADER

Last semester, lower school students created a series of art projects under the theme of “Sharing Similarities and Celebrating Differences.” Bursting with color, artworks of drawing, painting, digital design, weaving, collage, and sculpture were featured throughout the Lower School hallways. The displays invited people into positive and meaningful thinking and conversations about diversity, unity, and inclusion.

Many of the projects in the exhibition required teamwork and collaboration. Grade 4 students created self-portraits, and, as part of the collaboration element, cut-up their pictures into fourths and traded three of the pieces with other classmates to make diverse and colorful portraits. Grade 5 students drew and colored pieces of a gridded image and when assembled became three large portraits of famous artists. Working with colored pencils and watercolors, Grade 3 students’ illustrations formed a large picture. Kindergarten students studied the circle paintings of expressionist painter Alma Thomas and painted partial circles that were assembled in a giant circle painting display. Even though students from the same class studied the same project, the exhibition welcomed unity by accepting differences through the many different styles and personalities that are reflected in individual work. As people viewed the artwork lining the hallways of A-Block, they discovered artwork highlighting different skin tones and vivid colors that reflected diversity and individuality coming together harmoniously.

Talented artists around the world have shared their creative ideas to make the world a richer, better place. The theme of diversity provided learning opportunities for students to study art and artists from different ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. Soundsuits by multi-disciplinary artist Nick Cave, the large portrait of Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, and many other examples brightened walls and filled display cases.

By making art within the theme of “Sharing Similarities and Celebrating Differences,” students gained new perspectives about inclusion, unity, and diversity; strengthened their understanding that humans are ‘more alike than different’; and, that differences should be recognized and celebrated.

PHOTO: JAYSON LIMMER

ALL PHOTOS: JAYSON LIMMER

INTRODUCING PROJECT LIT: ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION THROUGH READING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

BY CAROL YOUSSIF, MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

November saw the launch of Project LIT Book Club in the Middle School. This grassroots movement was founded in the United States in 2016 by Dr. Jarred Amato, a high school English teacher in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) who saw the need to provide culturally sustainable and high-quality books to his students, with the goal of eliminating “book deserts” or places where books are hard to find. When he started this project, he called out to educators to join in, making them “chapter leaders,” meaning, they would carry on his mission in their own institutions. Soon, librarians and teachers from all over the country, and several in international locations, joined

in. Each year the organizers and chapter leaders nominate and vote for 55 middle grade and 55 young adult books, which then become the reading list for the school year.

The initiative has several goals intended to empower readers, amplify voices and stories of students and educators of color, advocate for literacy policies, and much more. Their mission resonated with Carol Youssif, middle school librarian. She signed up to be a chapter leader, and after a lengthy application process, she was welcomed into the Project LIT community in October.

Youssif was given the freedom to

develop the TAS chapter based on the School’s needs and demographics.

Students at Taipei American School are fortunate to have access to four robust libraries which are well-stocked with quality materials, but the first goal was to get students reading.

TAS has fully embraced and promoted inclusive practices and diverse, anti-racist education, not only for students but also for faculty and staff, too. Through the JEDI Committee, students in the Middle School have received lessons specifically designed to fight bias, promotive inclusivity, and have conversations about the uniqueness in each person.

Project LIT Book Club comes at

a great time to support the students’ need for information and access to quality reading materials.

To implement this, once a month, middle school students and faculty attend a lunch meeting held at the Joanna Nichols Memorial Middle School Library, where each person has time to share what he/she/ they have read from the selection of books available. The strength of this club is that both students and faculty across grade levels get to share their reading journey in the same session. During the first meeting, a lively discussion took place where more than one attendee exchanged opinions on the same title, and recommendations were asked for and given.

The Joanna Nichols Memorial Middle School Library’s mission is “to encourage students in their desire to learn” and in order for them to do so, carefully selected reading materials is the priority. Through the Project LIT established reading list, students and faculty can read #ownvoices narratives, where authors tell their stories via a lens of personal experience. Different family dynamics, socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, religions, sexual orientation and more show us what the world looks like through the eyes of someone different than us. That’s the strength of Project LIT, to make our community members aware of what it would be like to be a different person. This way of reading is intentional in its development of empathy and of awareness of diverse ways of life.

Taipei American School’s community members are fortunate to have access to information and literature, but merely having those available is not enough. With reading initiatives and promotion, each division has the opportunity to enjoy materials and information sources few have the means to. It is when we become aware of our privilege that we can use it for good, to make a difference in ourselves and others, where we can better the world through empathy, kindness and respect. It is clear that the five core values at TAS (respect, responsibility, courage, kindness, and honesty) are at the forefront of the rich variety of programs and opportunities offered to students and faculty, including Project LIT.

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

Middle school students meet with Project LIT organizer and librarian Carol Youssif along with other middle school faculty to discuss books that they are currently reading over lunch. A complete list of current Project LIT books for middle grades and young adult readers can be found on page 31.

ALL PHOTOS: LINDSEY KUNDEL

PROJECT LIT

MIDDLE GRADES

CAROL YOUSSIF, MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

在11月時中學部啟動了 Project LIT 讀書會。這項草根運動是由田納西州

納什維爾市 (Nashville) 的 一位高中英 語老師Jarred Amato博士於2016年在美 國創立的。他認為有必要提供給他的 學生們高質量文化傳承延續的書籍。 這項計劃的終極目標是消弭「書籍沙 漠」或那些難以找到書籍的地方。當 他開始這個運動時，他呼籲其他的教 育工作者也加入他的行列，成為所謂

的 「分會領導人」 (chapter leaders)， 也就是說他們會在自己的服務機構中

延續Amato博士的使命。很快地，來

自全國各地以及一些國際機構的圖書

館員和老師們也投入了該項計劃。每

年的主辦人員和分會領導人都會提名

並票選出本學年的閱讀清單，其中包

括55本適合中學生和55本適合兒童閱 讀的書籍。

該計劃有多項的目標，其中包括

給讀者更多的選擇權，讓更多人接觸

到多元族群有色人種學生和教育者的

心聲和故事，以及倡導識讀教育政策

等。該計畫的使命引起了本校中學圖

書館館長Carol Youssif女士的共鳴，

於是她提出了申請希望成為一位分會 領導人。在經過漫長的審核過程後， 她於10月份正式成為Project LIT社群 的一員。

作為一位分會領導人, Youssif 女士 有高度的自主權能夠根據校方所需和 社群人員的結構來制定出適合本校的 計畫。很幸運地，台北美國學校的學 生們有四個功能強大的圖書館可供使 用，這些圖書館都有高質量的藏書， 但首要目標是讓學生閱讀。

TAS一直以來都不遺餘力地在學生

TITLE

Genesis Begins Again The Bridge Home The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora From the Desk of Zoe Washington A Long Walk to Water Amina’s Voice Rebound: The Crossover series A High Five for Glenn Burke Refugee Time Bomb Ghost Boys Clean Getaway Free Lunch First Rule of Punk Merci Suárez Changes Gears Front Desk Efrén Divided The Skin I’m In Black Brother, Black Brother The Crossover: The Graphic Novel New Kid Dactyl Hill Squad Ghost Patina Like Vanessa A Good Kind of Trouble Other Words for Home Blended Maybe He Just Likes You Full Cicada Moon The Crossover Booked They Called Us Enemy Sunny Lu

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer

The Parker Inheritance Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World Some Places More Than Others Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Ghost Squad For Black Girls Like Me The Stars Beneath Our Feet Wishtree It’s Trevor Noah The Wild Robot Prairie Lotus Amal Unbound Towers Falling El Deafo They Call Me Guero Look Both Ways Wonder

The Benefits of Being an Octopus Hurricane Child

AUTHOR Williams, Alicia Venkatraman, Padma Cartaya, Pablo Marks, Janae Park, Linda Sue Khan, Hena Alexander, Kwame Bildner, Phil Gratz, Alan Charbonneau, Joelle Rhodes, Jewell Parker Stone, Nic Ogle, Rex Perez, Celia C. Medina, Meg Yang, Kelly Cisneros, Ernesto Flake, Sharon Rhodes, Jewell Parker Alexander, Kwame Craft, Jerry Older, Daniel José Reynolds, Jason Reynolds, Jason Charles, Tami Ramée, Lisa Moore Warga, Jasmine Draper, Sharon Dee, Barbara Hilton, Marilyn Kwame, Alexander Kwame, Alexander Takei, George Reynolds, Jason Reynolds, Jason Giles, L. R. Johnson, Varian Blake, Ashley Herring Watson, Reneé Mbalia, Kwame Ortega, Claribel A. Lockington, Mariama Moore, David Barclay Applegate, Katherine Noah, Trevor Brown, Peter Park, Linda Sue Saeed, Aisha Rhodes, Jewell Parker Bell, Cece Bowles, David Reynolds, Jason Palacio, R. J. Braden, Ann Callender, Kacen

BOOK LISTS

YOUNG ADULT

TITLE

Monday’s Not Coming Odd One Out Scythe Patron Saints of Nothing With the Fire on High The Astonishing Color of After Slay PET The Prince and the Dressmaker Like a Love Story Not so Pure and Simple Solo Dragon Hoops Monster Barely Missing Everything March Opposite of Always Let Me Hear a Rhyme

We Are Not from Here

I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Clap When you Land Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Dear Martin

The Hate U Give The 57 Bus A Very Large Expanse of Sea Internment Sadie Jackpot Allegedly Long Way Down Speak: The Graphic Novel Here to Stay

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adult)

Love from A to Z All Boys Aren’t Blue They Both Die at the End Hey, Kiddo

Anger is a Gift

Born a Crime

All American Boys The Marrow Thieves

Nyxia

Dread Nation

Deathless Divide

Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Tradition Pride

I am Alfonso Jones Shout

The Poet X

On the Come Up When I Was the Greatest

AUTHOR Jackson, Tiffany D. Stone, Nic Shusterman, Neal Ribay, Randy Acevedo, Elizabeth Pan, Emily X. R. Morris, Brittney Emezi, Akwaeke Wang, Jen Nazemian, Abdi Giles, Lamar Alexander, Solo Yang, Gene Luen Myers, Walter Dean Mendez, Matt Lewis, John Reynolds, Justin A. Jackson, Tiffany D. Sanchez, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Erika L. Saenz, Benjamin Alire

Acevedo, Elizabeth Reynolds, Jason Stone, Nic Thomas, Angie Slater, Dashka Mafi, Tahereh Ahmed, Samira Summers, Courtney Stone, Nic Jackson, Tiffany D. Reynolds, Jason Anderson, Laurie Halse Farizan, Sara Stevenson, Bryan Ali, S. K. Johnson, George M. Silvera, Adam Krosoczka, Jarrett Oshiro, Mark Noah, Trevor Reynolds, Jason Dimaline, Cherie Reintgen, Scott Ireland, Justina Ireland, Justina Adeyemi, Tomi Adeyemi, Tomi Kiely, Brendan Zoboi, Ibi Aanu Medina, Tony Anderson, Laurie Halse Acevedo, Elizabeth Thomas, Angie Reynolds, Jason

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

JEDI AND DEI: NEW GROUPS FORMED TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY AT TAS

BY SABRINA C. (‘21), THE BLUE & GOLD

The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) faculty committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) student group are newly formed initiatives focused on fostering open discussions about social issues in the TAS community and beyond, serving as a platform to create change and improvement.

The initial idea of the JEDI Committee was sent out to the faculty body via email and met with wide enthusiasm, with many volunteering to be part of the program across all school divisions. The committee has already had a series of meetings, featuring divisional checkins, collaborative conversations with the TAS administration and discussions about issues at TAS.

Improving the diversity and inclusivity of the TAS community and curriculum is a large task to tackle, thus the committee only recently solidified its official mission statement.

“Before you can make any plans for anything, you have to figure out what the issues are,” said upper school history teacher and representative of the JEDI Committee Dr. Erika Soublet. “What I am focusing on right now is collecting

data to understand what concerns people may have right now.”

Mr. Ryan Haynes and Mr. Jaami Franklin, upper school representatives of JEDI, recently facilitated an open dialogue discussion for seniors, with about 20 students showing up. The conversation progressed quickly, with seniors readily speaking about uncomfortable yet necessary topics and school events.

“I was pleased that people felt safe and comfortable in that setting to speak up on a variety of topics,” Director of Upper School Academic and Personal Counseling Mr. Haynes said.

The seniors who attended were very passionate about their thoughts on issues such as racial slurs and the lacking sex education at TAS.

“It was a great opportunity to widen topics beyond what we talk about in classes and advisory,” said Sofia L. (‘21), one of the seniors who attended. “Hearing everyone’s opinions really captivated me.”

DEI is an upper school-specific student group formed by Mr. Haynes, with students of all upper school grade levels invited to join. The goal is similar to JEDI, but with a greater focus on

students voicing their opinions and creating effective discourse. The group had their first few meetings recently, hosted by Mr. Haynes and Dr. Soublet.

“I was impressed that there was a mix of ethnicities, genders and grades [within the students who attended the meeting],” Dr. Soublet said. “I was also impressed with the willingness of everyone to share their reason for attending and how they felt about the issues being discussed.”

The teacher sponsors hope that the group continues to expand, giving more students the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions and feel included.

“I hope we can turn it into a club in the future and get more involvement,” Mr. Haynes said. “We really want the discussion topics to come from the students.”

The TAS community is making great strides to become a more inclusive environment for everyone, and students play a big role in that ultimate goal.

“I want students to know that they have a voice,” Dr. Soublet said. “History teaches us that students are some of the greatest agents of change.”

JEDI和DEI:

倡導包容性的兩個新TAS團體

BY SABRINA C. (‘21), THE BLUE & GOLD

JEDI 教師團隊(JEDI Committee— Justice正義、Equity平等、Diversity多 元、Inclusion 包容)和DEI學生小組(Equity平等、Diversity多元、Inclusion包 容)是最近成立的兩個新團體，目的是 希望在TAS的社群內外提供一個平台 以促進相關社會議題的公開討論，進 一步倡導改善和變革。

JEDI教師團隊的成立最初是透過 電郵的邀約。不少熱忱的志願者參與 加入了這個團隊，成員包括了校內的 各級代表。該團隊已經舉行過了一系 列的會談，包括小學部、中學部、高 中部個別的晤談，還有與TAS行政管 理部門就TAS內部的問題所進行的討 論。 帶動整個社群和課程向前邁進是一 項艱鉅的任務，因此我們的團隊仍在 修訂我們使命宣言的最後階段。高中 歷史老師和JEDI團隊的代表之一Erika Soublet博士說「在制定任何計劃之 前，您必須先釐清關鍵問題到底是什 麼。」 「目前我著重的是數據資料的 彙集，以進一步了解人們現在可能擔 心的問題是什麼。」 JEDI團隊的其他兩位高中部代 表，Ryan Haynes老師和Jaami　Franklin 老師最近主持了一項會談讓12年級的 學生們有機會可以敞開心胸對一些議 題進行公開的討論。這些學生很快地 就能夠針對一些可能會令人不舒服， 但是卻非常重要的問題，還有在校園 內曾經發生過的一些事件發表他們的 看法。 高中課業和個人諮詢主任Haynes 老師說：「我很高興人們在我們所營 造的環境下能感到相對放心，不受拘

束，自在地談論各種話題。」 這些十二年級的學生們十分熱烈地 發表了他們對於種族歧視以及TAS缺 乏性教育等問題的看法。當天參與討 論的學生 Sofia L.（’21）說「這是一 個不可多得的好機會，讓我們跨出課 室和導師團輔（advisories）的談論框 架，廣泛地探討其他的議題。」「能 有機會聽到大家的意見讓我有很深的 感受。」

DEI學生小組是由Haynes老師所組 成的高中特定學生團體，所有高中的 學生都可參加。其目標與JEDI相似， 但更側重於讓學生表達出他們的意見 並建立有效的對話。Haynes老師和Soublet博士最近前後主持了該小組的幾次 會議。

Soublet博士說「這個小組真的很棒, 與會的學生們來自不同的種族，性別 和年級。」「每個人都願意分享他們 參加會議的原因以及對所討論問題的 看法，這實在是令人刮目相看。」 這些老師們都希望該小組能夠繼續 擴大以便讓更多的學生們有機會表達 他們的想法和見解，並感到自己也被

JEDI COMMITTEE

JEDI Organizers

學生就是那推波助瀾的關鍵角色。」

For more information on JEDI and DEI, please consult the newly created JEDI website at https://www.tas.edu.tw/jedicommittee/mission-members

Dr. Nathan Smith Ryan Haynes Keva Bui Gwendolyn Harris Schoolwide Representatives Lower School

Jennifer Fisher Brianna Pannell Maria Peters Ben Thompson Clarabelle Lin Middle School Aaron Sorensen Anisha Vinod Savanna Kuisle Chrisanne Roseleip Fossouo Sherry Boyle Upper School Melanie Hamre Jaami Franklin Erika Soublet Chase Williams Richard Arnold

Cross-Divisional Connie Ma TK Edwards Jess Huang Sophie Tsai

Dr. Soublet’s Honors Seminar: History of Minorities in America had three special guests this fall: Interim Head of School Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, Assistant Theater Manager Jessica Huang (‘11), and Upper School Director of Academic and Personal Counseling Ryan Haynes. This class, which is open to juniors and seniors, examines the history of minorities - women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community - from their perspective as opposed to other perspectives. Students routinely place current events into historical context as a means of figuring out solutions to problems, such as systemic racism and sexism, while developing a deeper understanding of the interconnected history of marginalized communities in the U.S. PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

PHOTO: JAYSON LIMMER

THE CHALLENGE IN THE MOMENT:

DR. SMITH REFLECTS ON HIS EXPERIENCE AT

THE TAIPEI CONFUCIUS CEREMONY

BY DR. NATHAN SMITH, DEAN OF FACULTY: DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING

This past fall I was invited to the Taipei Confucius Temple, where I would be representing Taipei American School in the ceremony honoring Confucius’ birthday. TAS has had a representative administrator in the ceremony for many years now, and 2020 was my year to be honored with the invitation to participate. Among all my thoughts and feelings regarding the occasion, my predominant sentiment was that I was undeserving, seconded by an absolute certainty that I was unprepared.

The more I thought about my part in the ceremony, the more I began to universalize the promise and struggle of such culturally diverse interactions—from those of my own personal history to those within my own school, where a powerful and open effort had begun for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This, too, would be fraught with complications and challenges, but also promised new insight and true inclusivity, a greater realization of our values, and a place where all our students could learn about themselves and one another. We would have to get over our fear of missteps, our reluctance to change, and our hesitance in facing our own ignorance.

And in agreeing to participate in the ceremony, I would have to do the same.

After all, I knew that I knew so little. I had read a bit about Confucius, his life and his writings. Not a lot. Not enough. And given the pace of activity in the school year, it was obvious I would not have time to read extensively before I wound up standing front and center as a participant. On the other hand, I couldn’t say no, nor did I want to. After all, I was not barging in uninvited—when asked specifically to participate in a culturally unfamiliar ritual, the safer course is usually to agree and risk an offensive gaffe, rather than refuse and offend from the outset. Besides, I’m willing to suffer significant embarrassment as long as I have the chance to learn from it.

And thus I found myself down at the temple at 5:00 AM on a chilly, misty morning, dressed in ceremonial robes, being handed a hot cup of delicious oolong tea, milling around in the waiting room with a large crowd of similarly purple-robed participants. There were educational leaders and government officials everywhere, and I confess, I’m not a natural networker—I could have been in the presence of royalty and not have had a clue. I had the mayor pointed out to me, and a few other heads of departments and so on, but that morning there was not much by way of conversation. To my relief, there were polite nods and a lot of tea-sipping, but folks weren’t too talkative in the predawn hours. This was fine by me: in most societies, social status greatly conditions how respect is displayed, and ignorance of those distinctions presents terrific opportunities to offend. Rather than force conversation, I put my faith in one of Confucius’ own sayings: Silence is a true friend who never betrays. I find it true in culturally diverse environments of all kinds—listening carefully and deliberately with an open mind is my best chance to understand.

Soon enough the time came to line up and process into the courtyard. Past us moved a long train of school children in golden flowing robes, each possessed of a single waving feather that reached toward the sky.

Their every step was timed and perfectly placed—I later learned they had trained for an entire year for their part in the veneration of Confucius. I was impressed by their devotion and precision, and struck by the contrast of my own cursory preparations. For the most part, I showed up and went where I was told. I hoped I might contradict Confucian wisdom in this one respect, as I remember reading that success depends on previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be a failure. Certainly, they had prepared. Their efforts were manifest in the training of their movements, the impeccable arrangement of their raiment, the exactitude of each step and measure. It is important to recognize the elements of culture that, through ritualization and repetition, produce predictable, structured interactions and systems. There is a standing method for selecting these students, for preparing them for their roles, for practicing and training each movement. For those more educated than I, there would be no surprises this morning as to who speaks, at what moment, and with what words. Through reverent practice and repetitions across the years, a culture’s annual holidays and milestones are created, and thus they are imbued with power and significance unknowable to those outside of those traditions.

And yet, at the same time, while we respect and even revere these aspects of any culture, we must also recognize that institutions can preserve inequalities and exclusion by normalizing it and making it something we defend as right and just. Certainly, I did not see that in the ceremony of that morning, but if we wish for fairness and justice, it is important to reconcile ourselves to the fact that many revered and time-honored ceremonies can also be cruel, repressive, and prejudicial. I had found in examinations of my own cultural and national holidays like American Thanksgiving or Columbus Day—there are racist and genocidal histories glossed over with celebratory ritual and national commemoration. The United States struggles

ALL PHOTOS: LINDSEY KUNDEL

now with a national reckoning over those histories, and the sacredness of ritual is often invoked to avoid dialogue, reconciliation, and justice. In our own school, we must be prepared to critically examine our own traditions and to change them if they are ever found antithetical to those goals. True inclusivity and justice cannot be had any other way.

It is not my place to analyze the cultural role of Confucius in Taiwan, nor the significance of this particular ceremony in that history—in this I am an ignorant outsider. But I do take to heart the implications of another Confucian analect: Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance. And my ignorance contained worlds. I knew little beyond the basics: where and when to move, and never to speak. I knew we were to walk to an open courtyard before the inner temple, where we each had an appointed place to stand. Various officiants would read out passages in Mandarin, and there would be specific moments when I, along with many others, were to bow in reverence.

To my tremendous relief, there were two gentlemen who stood at my elbow and prompted me as the ceremony proceeded. And indeed, as passages were read and bells rang, they prompted me to bow deeply and stand. And I wistfully thought to myself, “Why can’t it always be this easy?”

As we dedicate ourselves at TAS to dialogue around diversity, we face so many parallels. Many of us are ill-prepared, as ‘polite conversation’ so often steers away from topics deemed touchy or political. When we try to talk about sexual orientation, gender identity, racial identities, and experiences other than our own, it often seems that every step will be a misstep, and we will both embarrass ourselves and offend others. When others show the courage to name racism or sexism where they have borne the brunt of it, who will advise the community to listen rather than respond with defensiveness and explanation? Why can’t there be someone standing at our elbows all the time, advising us when to sit,

stand, speak, and listen? Who will tell us when to bow in respect, or when to stand tall and firm?

No one of course. It’s preposterous to imagine in anything other than highly structured, ritualized events such as this ceremony, where every step and word has been scripted and planned and rehearsed all year, and repeated almost exactly for decades. There the practices may be new and at times incomprehensible to an interloper such as myself, but they are at least predictable, and I can have a coach assisting me. In our efforts to break open discussions of marginalization and exclusion, however, we must write the script while talking. We make the road by walking it. And that guarantees a certain amount of stumbling. In the face of that reality, we can only turn to faith, patience, and kindness to see us through. We shall have to follow Confucius’ own advice, which I’ve taken from two separate analects and spliced together: to Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles, and be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes. The learning curve may be steep, but it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, we recessed to the waiting area, then grouped and posed for a hundred commemorative photos. Seated in rows of folding chairs as different groups of students posed with us for photographs, I reflected on the meaning of that morning. Though complex and colorful, and in many ways indecipherable, I couldn’t help but sense I had been treated to a sort of lesson. I learned a great deal more about the ceremony, the patterns and practice of it, if not the deepest meanings. I was gifted the opportunity to reflect on my personal and professional life in Taiwan, and my commitment to working with our diverse population to build greater understanding, respect, and compassion.

The humbling lesson in all this is that of compassion—in our interactions we must strive to recognize that the interior life of others is largely

inscrutable to us, and doubly so across lines of cultural difference. In our conversations around diversity in our community, how will we respond to those with whom we disagree? Whose experience may be worlds away from our own, but are no less legitimate than our own? How will we handle the depths of our disagreements? As we work toward greater understanding, we must strive to refrain from assumption, and to provide latitude for the seeming strangeness and even transgressions of others.

I hope next year to have the chance to represent Taipei American School again, to walk those same steps once more, this time with more focused study and preparation. I may have bumbled along ignorantly in my way, but I hope to step more carefully. Just as surely, I look forward to the honor of continuing work with our students, our faculty, our community, and our administration to engage in our own work around diversity and inclusion, to build that greater understanding. We should look forward in some ways to the opportunity to stumble and even embarrass ourselves, if it teaches us to step more carefully next time.

With all these challenges, imperfections, and promise of greater understanding, it is important that we keep striving, and that we begin by accepting the limitations of our experience. We must know that we are, above all else, largely ignorant of the worlds others inhabit, the histories they enact, and even the continuing injustices of which we may be a part. Then and only then can we be receptive to the truths others are telling. Then and only then can we accept that terms like justice, equity, diversity, inclusion--these are not merely concepts, but bold actions. Difficult, challenging, confusing struggles that offer the most direct route to wisdom. This can all be rather daunting, but we really don’t have time to waste. As another great sage, James Baldwin, once said: The challenge is in the moment. The time is always now.

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

TIFFANY HUANG ’08

BRINGS “BLACK IN ASIA” VOICES TO A BROADER AUDIENCE

BY CONNIE MA, ALUMNI & COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER

Tiffany Huang ’08 experienced culture shock for the first time moving from Taipei to Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 16. After being among so many Taiwanese American peers at Taipei American School, Tiffany felt like a fish out of water in Nebraska, questioning if she really knew what it was to be Asian American. Her experiences convinced her of the importance of storytelling. In 2018, Tiffany started Spill Stories, a storytelling platform which elevates intersectional stories for women of color.

Most recently, in July 2020, Tiffany published “Black in Asia,” a compilation of 23 stories from Black writers who have lived in Asia. By publishing and sharing these stories, Tiffany hopes to amplify the voices of other women of color and at the same time broaden experiences for third culture kids like her who grew up in Taiwan.

Tiffany’s interest in writing started from an early age. “I attended fourth through tenth grade at TAS, and my favorite subjects were the humanities,” remembers Tiffany. “I was a mediocre student, but Ms. Aleasha Morris was able to tease out my talent in writing. In eighth grade, she taught us different units of creative writing and poetry. At the end of the school year, when I was awarded the award for English and walked across the stage, that was one of the defining moments of my life at TAS. As someone who was okay academically but not the best, this was the first time I felt like I was the best at something, and that gave me a lot of motivation that I could really excel.”

Tiffany’s journey took a turn after tenth grade. “After TAS, I finished high school in Nebraska. A lot of people in Omaha wondered, ‘Oh, you’re from Taiwan, why are you speaking English?’ And that was a step above the people who didn’t know Taiwan from Thailand.”

The experience of attending high

school in a majority-white environment, as one of the only Asian Americans, was a jarring one for Tiffany, but one that had a silver lining. “I found that my time at TAS didn’t prepare me to mingle with people who aren’t Asian American or who aren’t from a certain kind of background. After attending high school in Omaha, I felt like I had better social skills because I was forced to learn, so when I went to the University of Michigan, it was really easy for me to make friends.

After college, Tiffany started working in management consulting, moved into user experience design, and is now working in marketing. She moved back to Asia in 2015, working for Marriott International in Hong Kong in the Asia Pacific region. She has always kept her interest in storytelling and amplifying the voices of people who had different experiences. “In 2018, I found myself wanting to carve out a space to talk about what people were really thinking and feeling because it’s easy to get caught up in this superficial atmosphere in Hong Kong where people are sizing you up all the time. I also have always been hyper aware of my identity as an Asian American and wanted to elevate stories of non-white women whose voices are underrepresented in pop culture.”

Thus, Spill Stories was born. Through Instagram posts, Tiffany has shared over 130 stories from over 110 writers, hailing from cities in Asia and the U.S. like Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

As discussions in the U.S. around racial identity gained broader awareness, Tiffany began to feel it was important to use the platform to amplify the voice of Black writers. In March 2020, Tiffany invited Boipelo Sweswane, a South African woman living in Seoul, to manage a writing workshop for Black writers in Asia to write about their experiences. In a Spill Stories writing workshop, writers

come to write and interpret prompts however they like. After writing for 40 minutes, each person reads their piece aloud, and other participants provide feedback, giving suggestions on how to make the piece stronger through more character development or a different ending. “I feel like these workshops often feel like therapy sessions,” Tiffany joked.

After George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 and the spread of the Black Lives Matter movement, Tiffany decided it was time to bring these stories to a broader audience. They began with six stories, but more writers soon chimed in with their own stories, and thus, “Black in Asia” was born. The book encompasses 23 nonfiction diaspora stories from 22 writers who have lived in Asia. They recount their experiences of what it means to be Black in Asia; some are sad or whimsical, some are joyful and empowering.

One woman in Myanmar writes about managing her kinky hair in Asia and how much effort it took her to create her own hair care products. A man in Shanghai writes about his career in modeling and his experience with Chinese people, who were curious about whether he was

grateful to be lighter-skinned. A woman in Seoul writes about how a hospital stay led to becoming friends with the elderly Korean women who shared her ward. A woman in Taiwan writes about meeting a souvenir vendor in Jiufen, who prayed for her to Buddha to make her skin whiter so she could find a job in Taiwan. The book was published in late July 2020 and has sold over 600 copies already, mostly through Amazon. Tiffany is enthused about the positive reception so far and hopes to get the book translated into Chinese in the future to reach even more readers.

She hopes “Black in Asia” can be an opportunity for the TAS community to learn more about other people’s experiences. “You need that education on how to move through a diverse society in the U.S. or anywhere,” Tiffany concludes. “Because education has done you a disservice if you’re book smart but don’t know how to interact with people.”

“Black in Asia” is available internationally through Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-AsiaSpill-Stories-Anthology-ebook/dp/ B08DN5VCHP/).

ABOUT SPILL STORIES

Since 2018, Spill Stories has been a community platform amplifying personal stories from womxn of color worldwide around cultural topics. The stories encourage empathy and catharsis among readers and writers alike. Spill Stories organizes community events offline, including writing workshops and spoken word performances, and has been featured in Today at Apple and Soho House Hong Kong.

If you wish to repost parts of certain stories, please credit Spill Stories and the original writer. Republishing Spill Stories without permission is prohibited. Please email spillyourstories@gmail.com if a certain piece interests you.

In September 2020, Spill Stories held a “Black in Asia” book launch in Taipei with readings by two contributing authors who are based in Taiwan.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLIAN LIN ‘08

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER, DR. ANDREW WILLIAMSON, PUBLISHES

BY AUDREY H. (‘23), THE BLUE & GOLD

Upper School English Teacher

Dr. Andrew Williamson’s work was published in the Journal of Modern Literature, a journal that publishes articles about contemporary and 20thcentury works of literature.

With only a few revisions, the Journal of Modern Literature selectively chose the first chapter of Dr. Williamson’s dissertation to be published this fall. This chapter of his dissertation focused on poet Ezra Pound and was titled “Pound ‘re/sound.’”

Dr.Williamson got the inspiration to write this when he was thinking about the connection between imagism and modernist American poetry. “I actually had the idea for this initial article when I was just sitting on my living room couch early one morning and I was thinking about modernist American poetry and about Ezra Pound and about his relationship to a movement called imagism,” Dr. Williamson said.

Dr. Williamson’s profound interest in studying modernist American poetry stems from the moment he read the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot. “When I read that poem, I really realized that I had found my passion and wanted to continue studying [modernist American poetry] more,” Dr. Williamson said. His realization in this interest also led him to pursue an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Yale University, and, later, a PhD in English Literature at Princeton University.

Dr. Williamson wrote this dissertation for a PhD in English Literature at Princeton University. This piece was finished in 2019. In further chapters following the first chapter about Ezra Pound, Dr. Williamson analyzes the works of other poets including Marianne Moore and Louis Zukofsky.

Prior to earning his PhD from Princeton University, Dr. Williamson taught first grade at the American School in London.

The process of writing a dissertation is a long and grueling one; Dr. Williamson spent almost seven years writing his dissertation. However, after enduring this arduous process, he was rewarded with feelings of satisfaction.

“It was really gratifying to see the result of many years of work finally in print,” Dr. Williamson said.

POUND “RE/SOUND” ARTICLE ABSTRACT

Why did Ezra Pound excise all material “re/sound” from Ernest Fenollosa’s landmark essay “The Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry”? Why does Pound fail to mention a second Fenollosa essay in which the deceased sinologist “discuss[es] the sound of Chinese verse”? Pound’s editorial decision had the effect of heightening the silence of the Chinese ideogram. Through sustained close reading of the neglected 1912 Pound poem “Silent” (“He is silent”), it becomes clear that Pound’s omissions from the Fenollosa lecture were motivated by an Imagist agenda to construct a poem of ‘image and not sound.” Pound’s fascination with silence in the 1910s prefigures his eventual renunciation of speech in the final decades of his life, an event that contributed to an augmentation in his literary reputation.

1 When I behold how black, immortal ink Drips from my deathless pen—ah, well-away! Why should we stop at all for what I think? There is enough in what I chance to say.

5 It is enough that we once came together; What is the use of setting it to rime? When it is autumn do we get spring weather, Or gather may of harsh northwindish time?

9 It is enough that we once came together; What if the wind have turned against the rain? It is enough that we once came together; Time has seen this, and will not turn again;

13 And who are we, who know that last intent, To plague tomorrow with a testament!

BY MIKE CORSINI, ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

Student-athletes on our Season 2 teams took advantage of their opportunity to compete amid the ongoing pandemic and continued to put forth outstanding performances.

COVID-19 protocols remained in place throughout the season, which opened in October with visiting teams and parent spectators allowed on campus until tighter restrictions were put in place at the opening of the second semester following winter break.

Despite the cancellation of Season 2 IASAS events as well as the cancellation of several planned on-campus end-of-season events due to the restrictions, the basketball, rugby, touch, and tennis teams were able to close out their seasons with intrasquad competitions while the swimming teams were able to participate in a three-day virtual meet that mirrored IASAS events.

The athletics department was pleased that despite the pandemic conditions, our 266 rostered student-athletes on US teams and 246 on MS teams were still able to compete and learn valuable life lessons through sports.We’re looking forward to continued excellence from our student-athletes in Season 3.

Follow @TASathletics on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for news about all of our sports teams, including live updates from IASAS events each season. GO TIGERS!

MIDDLE SCHOOL & JUNIOR VARSITY

ELLE T.

A number of varsity boys and girls swimmers set school records this season: Hironori K. (‘21) captured the 50m and 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly, and 100m and 200m backstroke marks, Jason L. (‘21) set the 100m and 200m breaststroke records, and Elle T. (‘23) captured the 200m breaststroke, 200m individual medley, and 100m breaststroke records. In the final event of the season-ending time trials, the boys 400m freestyle relay team of Hironori K., Hermes L. (‘21), Ethan D. (‘21), and Jason L. bested the previous school record by nearly seven seconds with a time of 3 minutes, 34.29 seconds.

L. HIRO K.

The varsity boys and girls basketball teams were able to compete against strong local competition in the Zhongzheng Cup at Songshan District’s Taipei Gymnasium.The boys team rode its tenacious defense to capture the title in the 25-team tournament with a 6-0 run. The girls exited the tournament after losing two hard-fought games against local powerhouses Nanhu Senior High and Miaoli Commercial Senior High and finished their season with an 11-6 record.

The varsity boys and girls tennis teams hosted local university and senior high teams to the Stanley Wayne Tamura Tennis Center for a series of matches in November and December. The varsity boys team also welcomed a team of TAS Alumni for spirited matches on four occasions.

BASKETBALL TENNIS RUGBY

The varsity rugby team’s 53-24 win over Luodong Vocational Senior High on Dec. 4 ended up being its final match of a 7-0 undefeated season. The varsity touch team once again competed in the challenging Taipei Touch League and came away with valuable match experience.

Parent Teacher Association INSPIRING TAS STUDENTS THROUGH HIP HOP

BY MAE O’MALLEY, PTA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

With the support of a PTA grant, middle school dance teachers Andrea Dethy and Diane Prophet organized an extraordinarily entertaining and enriching week of hip hop and break dancing for Middle School dance students.

From October 13-16, two awardwinning local artists, Chia-Cheng “Kenny” Chien and Jia-Li Yang, kept the dance studio buzzing with hip hop and breakdancing workshops for 206 middle school dancers. Some upper school dancers found out about the workshops and joined in as well!

The visiting artists fought off fatigue as they taught all eight periods of the day on two of the days, and six periods the other two days, in addition to planning, preparation, and reflection. In addition to being up-and-coming artists in Taiwan, Dethy and Prophet felt that

Chien and Yang would be a great fit for this program because of their high skill level and enthusiasm for sharing their positive energy with students. It was clear to the teachers how inspiring the level of dedication and energy the guest artists brought was for the TAS students.

Dethy and Prophet specifically sought local talent, even before COVID-19 restrictions were put in place.

“Many visiting artists to TAS come from overseas. We thought that it would be beneficial for the students to see that there is incredible talent here, on the island, in Taiwan,” said the teachers.

For the many TAS kids who have spent their whole lives in Taiwan, seeing that local artists could be successful was inspiring. Inviting local artists also serendipitously meant that the workshops were not impacted by pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Although hip hop and breakdancing are offered as part of the regular middle school dance curriculum, the teachers decided to dedicate extra time to hip hop and breakdancing for a number of reasons.

First, they thought that these upbeat, fast-paced, and physically intensive styles of dance would provide a fun and positive way to help bubbly Middle School students expend their energy.

In addition, as hip hop and breakdance are now being recognized internationally as challenging sports, Dethy and Prophet felt that developing skills and interest in these areas could open up opportunities for TAS students. Breakdancing will make its Olympics debut in Paris in 2024. The teachers hope that, “Maybe one of the middle school dancers will be able to look back at this workshop as a turning point in

their athletic career that sends them to the Olympics one day!”

Prophet and Dethy were able to achieve many of their goals for these workshops. So much of what they hoped to accomplish by bringing in professional artists was to show TAS students what hard work can bring and to inspire them to push their limits. By seeing these artists at their highest intensity, students learned that excellence comes from hours and hours of hard work and dedication versus a single rehearsal. Bringing in professionals allowed the teachers to create a more intense “performance vibe” within the studio. The middle school dancers were expected to adapt quickly to the new teaching methods of the visiting artists, picking up fast-paced choreography and pushing through the physical and mental fatigue that comes along with

workshop-style instruction.

All the while, the dancers worked hard to refine hip hop and breakdancing specific techniques such as leveling, complex footwork, floorwork, and faceto-face partnering. They learned that many of the routines and expectations from the standard middle school dance class are the same routines and expectations from any studio. Students experienced firsthand that although hip hop and breakdancing look effortless, they require extreme concentration, coordination, and strength, and the seeming effortlessness is actually the result of many grueling hours of work.

Dethy and Prophet are grateful that the students were able to see that both boys and girls can be successful in the hip hop and breakdancing world.

The workshops were as rewarding for the teachers as they were for the

students. “As teachers, an incredible joy comes from seeing engaged and excited students in the classroom,” Dethy and Prophet remarked.

The teachers indicated that the spontaneous dance-offs were a particular highlight for students and teachers alike. At a deeper level, the teachers hope that this experience may even influence career paths for TAS dancers.

“This workshop confirmed the importance of bringing specialists into the studio to give students an alternate perspective as to what a future in the dance world could look like… bringing in specialists from outside the TAS community demonstrate[d] that the dance world is vast and the opportunities are plentiful,” said Dethy and Prophet.

PHOTO: LINDSEY KUNDEL

BY MAE O’MALLEY, PTA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

疲憊。與此同時，學生們也都努力地從中淬煉吸取 嘻哈街舞的精神，在地板舞特定的技巧和動作上追 求突破，像是練級(leveling)、各式排腿動作(complex footwork)、地板動作(floorwork)以及面對面組合鬥舞 (face-to-face partnering)等，他們不僅體會到中學舞蹈 課程裡的紀律與期望跟任何一個舞蹈工作室的標準 與要求是一樣的；學生們更親身經驗到儘管街舞與 地板舞看起來似乎輕鬆容易，實際上卻需要舞者極 度的專注，並且是在投入大量時間努力、嚴格自我

BY LINDSEY KUNDEL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Upper School student Spencer C. (‘21) was recently selected as a winner of a YoungArts Award for his poetry. The National YoungArts Foundation identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers. Just 659 students across the United States (and at American schools abroad like ours) received awards. Past winners have included luminaries such as Viola Davis and Josh Groban.

If Spencer’s name sounds familiar in connection with writing, it might be because he was one of the winners of last year’s Grade 11 writing competition and then earned a Superior Performance in Writing Award from the National Council of Teachers of English (one of only 137 students nationwide). It also might be because Spencer has been co-editor-in-chief of Expression Magazine for the past two years. In this capacity, he has expanded the magazine’s work beyond publishing an annual issue to sponsoring a variety of activities to nurture future generations of writers at our school. You can find his poem “Ghost Stories” on pages 74-75 of the fall edition of Expression, available via Issuu. We caught up with Spencer to find out more about his craft.

Q: What do you love most about writing? About writing poetry in particular?

你最喜歡從事哪方面的寫作? 特別是寫詩嗎?

A: I think it’s human nature to want to communicate and connect, and writing for me is a manifestation of that, a way of exploring the liminal boundaries between cultures and identities. I love how poetry, in particular, boils writing down to its very essence: leaving only the necessary behind. I like to think that with every word we write we’re leaving a small part of ourselves behind, like a hand reaching through the dark, looking for someone or something to hold. There’s a reason poetry exists in almost every culture. Poetry doesn’t try to solve a question, but embraces it, as Rainer Maria Rilke would put it. The fact that poetry is able to cultivate understanding and preserve histories within such few words makes it all the more fascinating and significant. 　我認為溝通和連結是人類的本能與天性，對我來說，寫作就是溝通與連結的體現，一種探 索文化與身分認同之間邊界與界定的方式。我特別喜歡詩，寫下那種淬鍊、僅留精華的本 質。我喜歡想像當我們寫出每一個字的同時，我們都好像拋下自我的某些部份，如同一隻深 入黑暗的手，想要緊緊抓住某個人事物。詩在每個文化裡，都有它存在的必要原因。詩不是 試圖解決問題，而是像奧地利詩人萊納·瑪麗亞·里爾克(Rainer

A: Kaveh Akbar, without a doubt. There’s just something so personal and visceral about the way Akbar writes. I admire the intimacy he puts into his words, especially when dealing with heavy topics like alcoholism and addiction. His poems feel genuine and, to me, are the perfect example of “art for art’s sake.”

毫無疑問的，是伊朗裔美國詩人Kaveh Akbar。Akbar的寫作風格有一些特別關乎個人、內在 的東西，我很喜歡他處理一些如酗酒和成癮等比較沉重議題時，在字裡行間所呈現的一種親

近感。他的詩讓人感到非常真切，而對我來說，他就是「為藝術而藝術」的完美典範，也就 是藝術家對作品的真實自我表達。

Q: Do you remember when you fell in love with writing? Tell us about it. 可以跟我們談談你是什麼時候愛上寫作的嗎?

A: I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I became interested in writing, but growing up surrounded by two languages, English at school, Mandarin at home, I’ve always been intrigued by the dynamics of language. I concede I was not a huge fan of Sunday Chinese school, but I did enjoy seeing how different languages could evolve, like how Chinese characters are derived from arranging different radicals and components, while many English words are derived from Latin and Greek suffixes and roots. From there, I think writing just came to me gradually, as a way for me to explore the parts of myself I’ve ignored for too long. 　我無法確切地指出我對寫作開始感興趣的確切時間，但是在我成長過程中圍繞著兩種語

LINDSEY KUNDEL

Did You Know?

TAIPEI CITY GOVERNMENT CAMPUS VISIT

On December 8,TAS welcomed 12 visitors from theTaipei City Government's Department of Education to the lower school playground. A little rain couldn't keep our visitors from enjoying and learning about our state-of-the-art Tiger Garden. The tour was led by the TAS Director of Facilities Mike Dodge, Head of Security Ming-Der Huang, and Eric Liu, General Manager of GISS, the company that built our treehouse. Mr. Liu also participated in the government panel that rewrote the new safety standards for Taiwan’s playgrounds, and he served as our safety and compliance consultant for the playground project. The tour also included several Department of Education officials, including Te-Hsing Chung, the Division Chief for the Taipei City Government’s Primary Education Division; Eric Yang, the principal of Jian An Elementary School in Da'an, and Tsao Hsiao Wen, the principal of Taipei Municipal Xiyuan Elementary School in Wan Hua, along with other department of education associates. We loved seeing the officials climb and play on our facilities and hope that it was a fruitful learning trip for them.

THEATER TECH PILOT PROGRAM

This month, all students enrolled in the Theatrical Design and Technology class and all students enrolled in the Honors Stagecraft Production class took the pilot test of the BACKstage Exam, the Basic and Comprehensive Knowledge Exam, a test offered by USITT and Educational Theatre Association. Students were given 90 minutes to answer 100 questions about theatrical venues and their staffing, theater safety, audio and lighting equipment for the stage, as well as questions about scenic and costume design. Taipei American School students scored among the highest possible points in the costume and scenic design fields. Kevin Held, the TAS theater manager, has been an active part of the test development process along with over 30 other industry professionals and teachers from across the USA.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVICE

Each year Grade 6 students complete a month-long read-a-thon service project. The funds raised this year were donated to Animals Care Trust (ACT), a local animal rescue organization. The class of 2027 raised over NT$193,000! The Grade 6 SWAT team got to announce the good news to the founders of ACT.

UPPER SCHOOL COLLEGE COUNSELING

Taipei American School College Counseling has officially started their support of and work with the Class of 2022 as they begin their College Research and Application process! Counselors are first introducing students to the general philosophy and approach of TAS college counseling to help alleviate the stress and anxiety that often comes with college application and provide them with small steps and useful, relevant tools that they’ll use to learn about schools and apply to them. They were also recently introduced to Cialfo, which is our college application platform and where they’ll be spending a lot of their time over the next year. We have a really deliberate schedule to keep them on track to apply to schools worldwide, and hopefully have a lot of fun along with way.

Director of College Counseling Melanie Hamre says, “We care really deeply about each and every one of our students, and many TAS graduates often say that their college counselor was one of the top three adults that knew them best—remarkable when we consider that we just spend a year and a few months working with them, but the relationships are really authentic.”

UPPER SCHOOL THEATER DEPARTMENT GUEST ARTISTS

It’s been raining guest artists in the upper school theater department! First, Jonathan Roxmouth who plays the phantom in the world tour of The Phantom of The Opera, led our students in a masterclass workshop. Roxmouth described his methods, answered questions, conducted a small workshop and even took a selfie with our students. A few weeks later, the Tony Awardnominated Dan Ostling visited with our students during Flex period to talk about his design process. Ostling is a former professor of scenic design at Northwestern University. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2002 for “Metamorphoses’’ and again in 2012 for his designs for “Clybourne Park.” He has also designed opera sets for La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

UPPER SCHOOL IASAS ART & FILM

The IASAS Art and Film students recently wrapped up a full weekend of creativity and collaboration. The “Art in a Box” challenge involved creating a shared art installation using a variety of items provided in a box (same box mailed to all IASAS schools). Our students designed a stunning Chinese qipao with the train from the dress being a topographically accurate map of Taiwan. The Film challenge involved creating a short film, from ideation to pre-production to shooting to editing. Our students divided into two different teams and created the two films. They also had the opportunity to meet virtually with Dr. Richard Raskins, a renowned short film producer who currently lives in Denmark. Dr. Raskins took questions from the students and provided excellent input to these budding filmmakers.

UPPER SCHOOL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

At the end of this year’s fall semester, 102 research students from 12 research classes presented their initial findings from their respective projects in poster format. At the event, teachers, students and community members asked questions to the presenters and inquired about their projects. Students got a unique public speaking experience, which will aid them when they present at poster sessions in college and in their careers. After this event, the researchers will continue working on their projects and eventually give an oral defense of their project at the end of the year.

A sampling of research at this semester’s symposium includes:

• Coating of Surgical Masks Using Ag Nanoparticles to Achieve Antimicrobial Properties

• A Machine Learning Model for Effective Identification of Chemical Agents

• Dual-Use, Energy-Storing Gyrodial Structural Materials

• Removing Volatile Organic Compounds with Indoor Plants

• Bactericidal Compounds in Chinese Herbs Extracts Against Eschericia coli

• A Synthetic Biology Approach to an Accurate, Fast, and Simple Viral Diagnostic Test and much more...

Presentations are from 102 students in the following 12 research classes:

• Introduction to Science Research

• Independent Research Internship I, II and III

• Research in Biology & Honors Research in Biology

• Research in Chemistry & Honors Research in Chemistry

• Research in Physics & Honors Research in Physics

• Honors Research in Nanotechnology

• Honors Research in Synthetic Biology - iGEM

On the Bookshelf

“THE WINDOW” EDITOR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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

“JUST MERCY” by Bryan

Stevenson

Upper School community summer reading book (2020)

“COPING WITH CRISIS” by Scott Poland

Fall 2020 Visiting Speaker, invited by the Wellness Task Force

“SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE” by Ijeoma

Oluo

Recommended by the JEDI Committee and available on Overdrive

“LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI” by Abigail Hing

Wen

Young adult novel recommended by middle school librarian, Carol Youssif, from the Project LIT book list by a Taiwanese-American author

“HOMEGOING” by Yaa Gyasi

Historical fiction novel chosen by “The Window” editors, available on demand in the TAS Overdrive digital library system

“IT’S TREVOR NOAH: BORN A CRIME” by Trevor Noah

This young readers’ adaptation was chosen in honor of the JEDI Committee’s anti-hate speech efforts of the school

ALL PHOTOS: JAYSON LIMMER

Essential Capacities In Action

ADAPTABILITY, INITIATIVE, AND RISK-TAKING

Every issue, we focus on a different Essential Capacity. In this issue, we explore examples of ADAPTABILITY, INITIATIVE, AND RISK-TAKING found across all three divisions.

In the Lower School: Meeting twice every month, members of the Lower School Green Club (Grades 3-5) tend to the plants located in the second-floor garden. Caring for the plants is a good lesson in Responsibility— one of the five Taipei American School values—while also requiring the students to adapt to weather and other events outside of their control.

In the Middle School: Recently, the new Grade 6 Skills For Success class had the chance to put their research skills to the test in an “Escape Room” style library activity. After learning about the library’s resources, website, online catalog, and overall collection, students were asked to think critically about each clue and go find the answer to a puzzle. Skills For Success is designed to help students become better and more independent students who have the tools to navigate TAS and Middle School.

In the Upper School: In late November, Expression Magazine published its latest issue: True, featuring works from over 40 student artists and writers. Free copies are available to be picked up all around H Block at Taipei American School. If publishing personal stories of truth isn’t risk-taking, we don’t know what is.

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

*Adapted from the National Association of Independent School's Essential Capacities for the 21st Century.

A WINDOW INTO VEX ROBOTICS AT TAS

The 10th Anniversary of the Vex Formosa Tournament was hosted at Taipei American School in December 2020. This year, the tournament had a full slate of 36 teams — all from Taiwan! The Grade 10 team, Raid Zero, took home the Excellence Award—High School (VRC) for best overall robot. Middle school team B, the sixth ranking team, ended up as the highest placed TAS team, surpassing many competitive high school teams to earn that spot! Way to go TIGERS!

ALL PHOTOS: JAYSON LIMMER