Singapore American School Newsflash, September 2006

Volume 9, Issue 2-06/07 - September 2006MICA (P) 195/08/2006

A Singapore American School community service publication

Special thanks to all parents and faculty who helped gather photos and icons for the “A Year in the Life of SAS” PTA calendar, especially Mark Clemens, Jerry Szom-bathy, Paul Griffin, Jodi Bonnette, Eric So, Joey Lew, Beth Gribbon, Todd Bom-

bard, Paul Welsh and Tina Barrett. Mimi Molchan and Zaiton Jaafar worked diligently coordinating dates for the school activities/events/holidays/meetings so that a complete calendar could be delivered by post to your doorstep earlier this month.

Amy Chou, SAS parent and professional graphic artist, worked her magic again this year and has produced the stunning and brilliant graphics for the calendar. Thank you, Amy! Much appreciation and thanks also goes to Wendy Dwyer, who chaired the Calendar committee and worked diligently and graciously behind the scenes.

The PTA calendars have been mailed to all SAS families. If you have not received your calendar please stop by to see Jennifer Chia in the Central Administration office, and she will hand you a complimentary copy. Additional copies may be purchased at the PTA Sales office and Booster Booth for $10.00. The calendar makes wonderful gift to mail to family members far away.

Enjoy your “A Year in the Life of SAS!” and have a memorable year!

NewsNewsFlashFlash

� SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

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Shelly DeFordChairman of the Board

Garth SheldonVice Chairman of the Board

Chairman Facilities

Sally GreenChairman Curriculum

Carl StockingChairman Finance

Board of Govornors

Kirk HulseBoard Member

Tom LintonBoard Member

Maya RollBoard Member

Sheila WangBoard Member

We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School

OctOber NewsFlash

Deadline: September 29, 2006Publication Date: October 16, 2006

NOvember NewsFlash

Deadline: October 27, 2006Publication Date: November 13, 2006

Email Community NewsInput to [email protected]

Email Trading PostInput to [email protected]

Trading Post advertising is restricted to non-commercial items only from SAS students, parents and staff

NEWSFLASH is published monthly by the Communications Office of the Singapore American School. It is distributed free of charge to the parents, faculty members and organizations served by the school.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICESingapore American School

40 Woodlands Street 41Singapore 738547

Tel: 6360-6303SAS Website: http://www.sas.edu.sg

Editor: Ms. Beth GribbonStaff Editor: Mr. Scott DuncanLayout Design: Ms. Joey Lew

In This Issue

03 BoardofGovornors

04 CalendarHighlights

05 Superintendent,BobGross

06 Curriculum&Instruction

09 SASLibraries

10 CommunityService

13 PTA

14 BoosterClub

16 FrenchHitchHiker

17 HSSoccer

18 NatBavaLeaving

19 HSVisualArts

William BallBoard Member

Richard BorsukBoard MemberBart BroadmanChairman Trust

Melanie Ng ChewBoard Member

Bob ComstockBoard Member

�SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

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To All Members of The American School Trust Limited and Those Eligible to Join the Trust:

The Annual General Meeting of The American School Trust Limited will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 7:00 p.m., in High School Room H301. The agenda for the AGM includes the following matters: (1) presentation of the audited accounts of the Singapore American School for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006; (2) the appointment of auditors for the year 2006/2007; (3) a report from the Superintendent; and (4) the election of four candidates to fill seats on the Board of Governors for three-year terms.

The Board election, item 4 on the agenda, often generates some questions from members of the Trust which the following paragraphs are meant to address:

There are typically two ways that interested parents join the Board. The first, and most common, is by appointment. Parents register interest to serve on the Board, and then are invited in for a series of “get to know you (and us)” discussions. When a Board seat becomes open (typically after someone moves or their children graduate), the Board makes an appointment from the list of interested parties it has met. If you are interested in being considered for appointment to a future opening on the Board, please contact any current Board member or Margaret Yeo in the Central Administration office.

The second way to join the Board is to run in the annual election. Any Trust member who wish-es to stand for election to the Board must file with the Board Secretary, Margaret Yeo, a written statement of his or her intention to stand for election, supported by the signatures of 30 Trust members. Candidates may also submit to Margaret biographical data and a photograph for use in the October edition of Newsflash. Margaret can be reached by telephone at 6360-6314; she will be pleased to answer any questions on the electoral process. The deadline for submission of these materials is Thursday, October 5, 2006.

The Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Trust provide that employees of the school and their spouses are not eligible to serve on the Board.

In order to be a Board member or to vote at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust for candidates standing for election to the Board of Governors, you must be a member of the Trust. If you have not yet joined the Trust or if you are unsure if you are already a member, please contact Margaret Yeo at email [email protected] or call 6360-6314 for assistance.

Sincerely,

Shelley DeFordChairman,Board of Governors

Bart BroadmanChairman,Trust Committee of the Board of Governors


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hts 26 Libraries Meet the Community 7:00pm

(MS Library)27 ALTERNATE DRESS DAY Senior Class Picture (on front steps) 8:00am Interim Semester Parents Information Evening 7:00pm (Drama Theater)28 ACSIS Cross-Country Meet 4:00pm – 6:00pm (Turf City)29 EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS 12:45pm No PM Pre-School Due to Early Dismissal Pre-K is in Session HS Sadie Hawkins Dance 7:00pm – 10:00pm

September 2006 * Campus Mosquito Fogging, every Sunday 5:00pm – 7:00pm

2 IS Parent Coffee 8:15am – 9:15am (5th Grade Grouproom, I311) MS Parent Coffee 10:00am (M301)2-6 SACAC Registration 9:00am - 4:00pm (SACAC Office)3 PS Active Parenting Workshop 8:30am - 10:30am (PS Faculty Lounge) HS “Launching Your Senior” Parent Group 10:00am - 11:15am (H301)5-7 IASAS Volleyball in Jakarta IASAS Soccer in Bangkok6 PS UN Day 9:15am – 10:00am6-7 IASAS Cross-Country in Jakarta7 SACAC Registration 9:00am - 12:00pm (HS Cafe)9 PS Parent Coffee 8:30am (PS Faculty Lounge, P220/221) Interim Semester Grade 12 & 11 Sign-up HS PTA Coffee 10:00am (H301)

October 2006

Are You Receiving What’s Happening at SAS?

We are sending all parents and guardians a regular weekly What’s Happening at SAS newsletter by email. If you have not been receiving the weekly email, probably we do not have your correct email address. Send us an email at [email protected] to give us your current email address. The distribution can include both parent email addresses. The weekly What’s Happening at SAS will also be posted on the website at http://www.sas.edu.sg.

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

10 PS Active Parenting Workshop 8:30am - 10:30am (PS Faculty Lounge) PTA Board Meeting 9:30am (PTA Office) HS “Launching Your Senior” Parent Group 10:00am - 11:15am (H301) Interim Semester Grade 10 Sign-up11 ALTERNATE DRESS DAY Interim Semester Grade 9 Sign-up12 HS Instrumental Concert 7:00pm (Auditorium)13 PTA Carpet Auction 7:00pm14 SAT & SUBJECT TESTS IS/MS/HS Solo Ensembles Strings/ Choir/Band All Day (Drama Theater/ Theater Studio/Performing Arts Classrooms)16 Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301)

16 Peer Support Conference in Taipei14-15, 18 Grades 9–11 Individual Yearbook Portraits18 PS/IS Photo Make-Up Day Booster Club Meeting 9:30am (H301)21 HS College & Career Day 8:00am College Fair 10:00am – 11:00am22 Art & Design College Fair (Gallery)23 Cross-Country Exchange in Jakarta ACSIS Soccer Tournament 8:00am – 6:00pm (UWC)25 ECC Parent Coffee 8:30am (Preschool Grouproom)26 PS Active Parenting Workshop 8:30am -10:30am (PS Faculty Lounge)


Superintendent, Bob Gross: Moving on at Year End

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A fter eight years as Superintendent of Schools at Sin-gapore American School, Bob Gross has recently announced that he will be leaving Singapore in

June 2007 to work with the United States Department of State, Office of Overseas Schools. He and his wife Judy will live in Washington D.C. and Bob will be responsible to call on inter-national schools in Africa or Western Europe.

This year Bob began his 43rd year as an educator and his 26th as a superintendent. Prior to coming to SAS in 1999, Bob spent 35 years in the public schools in Minnesota as a teacher, deputy principal, principal, deputy superintendent and super-intendent.

The Board of Governors will provide regular updates to the SAS community on their progress in finding a new superintendent to begin working upon Bob’s departure. As a part of the process, in-put from parents, students and faculty will be sought once a short-list of candidates has been determined.

Any comments or questions may be directed to Garth Sheldon, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors and Chairman of the Superintendent Search Committee. Contact Mr. Sheldon by tel-ephone at 6323-0882.

PErSOnal accidEnt inSurancE

Singapore American School (SAS) maintains insurance for customary insurable risks including comprehensive li-ability and coverage for school property. SAS does not carry medical coverage for students. It is the responsibility of parents to provide medical and accident insurance as well as personal property insurance for their children and their possessions.

Families in need of a personal accident policy for your child and/or a family, with limited medical coverage, may want to consider an individual policy through ACE. Applications for a policy with ACE can be obtained from the admis-sions office, the nurses’ offices or the high school activities/athletics office. The completed application and premium payments must be submitted directly to ACE and the policy will be an individual policy between your family and ACE. Contact information for ACE and the servicing broker can be found on the back of enrollment the form.

Please note that this is an option for your consideration and there is no obligation or requirement on your part to con-tact ACE to purchase this policy or any other accident policy.

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on 2006-2007 Plans for curriculum and Professional development at SaS

By Mark R. Boyer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

It appears that this will be another robust year for developments in curriculum and professional development. As always, our efforts are focused on understanding best practices in the U.S. and throughout the world for teaching and learning that are responsive to the context and community interests of SAS.

To remain current in best practices, Singapore American School has a five-year curriculum and resource cycle of re-newal. This guarantees that every subject area and service area at SAS will go through a comprehensive review process to provide important revisions, upgrades, and enhancements. Each review of a subject or service area involves a Study Year, Development Year, and Implementation Year. There are also fast-track corrections within this review process and also opportunities for off-cycle corrections for subject or service areas not involved in the formal review process.

The Study Year provides opportunity for internal and external review, research, cross-division discussion and study, and networking. As part of the internal review process, staff feedback is collected along with parent surveys, parent feedback at parent coffees in divisions, and student feedback. Professional organizations inside the U.S. and through-out the world are used as resources for determining important shifts or trends in quality teaching and learning. Fre-quently external “experts” are used to contribute further feedback and/or reports on the strengths and areas for further development of an area in review.

The Development Year provides opportunity to refine the design of curriculum, courses, services, and programs, and to make selection of appropriate resources to best support the curriculum. Professional development opportunities are typically provided during this time to build capacity within new areas of development.

The Implementation Year provides opportunity to fully implement the new curriculum and resources with students. During this year, teachers develop the classroom curriculum units that they will use to transfer the school curriculum into classroom practice. As the Implementation Year unfolds, there is on-going review and discussion for any adjust-ments or areas for further support that may be needed to help make all of the ideas work smoothly and effectively in practice.

The curriculum cycle and the three phases of the review process help to ensure that there has been a thoughtful, inclu-sive, and systemic process for overall improvement.

Social Studies

The new Social Studies curriculum is in its implementation phase this year. This curriculum provides a deeper and more diverse range of learning opportunities that is supported by a richer range of resource materials for students to study and explore, and also provides support for important preschool through 12th grade cross-disciplinary skills. In addition to the development of skills, the content of this curriculum is further enriched through conceptual approaches to learning, which offer opportunities for higher level thinking skills and understanding of themes and perspectives.

Modern Language

The new Modern Language curriculum is in its implementation phase this year. Considerable effort was made to align this cur-riculum with the goals and standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), which is fre-quently recognized as the leading professional organization in the world for learning of languages. Upon completing the curriculum work last spring, the College Board announced that it would be using the ACTFL goals and standards for benchmarking all high school Advanced Placement courses and recommended that all elementary and middle school language courses also pursue the same goals and standards. Since we had just completed work in this direction, this placed SAS in the spotlight among many of the international schools for its modern language curriculum. We are now receiving school visits and inquiries regarding our programs, and in the month of September will have approxi-mately 70 modern language teachers from more than 15 other

Teacher workshop on performance based assessment in foreign language classrooms with visiting consultant Greg Duncan.


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ninternational schools participating in modern language workshops at SAS. To further enhance our work with modern language at SAS, we have the wonderful opportunity to have Dr. Helena Curtain (author and international consultant) with us at SAS for 71 days this school year to provide on-site and in-classroom support for further developments in our modern language programs in all four divisions. Finally, a significant investment was made this summer in the purchase of new and engaging resources for use in all modern language classrooms.

Reading Language Arts

After two years of orientations and workshops with Bonnie Campbell Hill, international consultant and author, staff in the Primary and Intermediate Divisions has developed an exciting three-year plan for increased developments within reading and writing. These approaches provide a continuum of learning, so that each child is appropriately challenged through a range of engaging and motivating activities. Specific reliable processes provide opportunities for teachers to understand the needs and interests of children, and to respond accordingly. Laura Ben-son, international consultant, will provide 10 days of support for PS and IS teachers in September; Melvyn Ramsden, inter-national consultant, will provide 3 days of support for spelling

and vocabulary development in November; and Bonnie Campbell Hill will return to SAS in March to further support and advance the work at SAS. This past summer 13 elementary staff members participated in a 4-day conference in Seattle on this area of work, and there is a grade level teacher who serves as a Literacy Coordinator in place for grades K-5 to provide on-going leadership and support with division administration.

Library Services

Library Services is in its Development Year this year. By now, all parents and staff should have received a copy of the new Library Handbook that provides support for how to uti-lize the vast resources available in all four division libraries. This handbook was made available to encourage and support access to libraries by students, staff, and parents. Also, if you go to the SAS web site, there is now a Library page that provides centralized information and support for the SAS community. A draft of Information Literacy skills has been developed by librarians for each division, and this curriculum will be finalized this school year and integrated throughout the school’s curriculum. An area of focus this year will be on how our libraries can deepen interactions among staff in the best use of a range of resources for student learning and generate excitement, motivation, and support for a love for reading and learning.

Counseling Services

Counseling Services is in its Development Year this year, and much of the focus of this work has been on identification and articulation of services across divisions. Areas of focus have been on character education, career education, continuity of care, development of a crisis management plan, approaches to counseling, and workshops (for students, staff, and parents). A centralized web page will be developed this year to provide a better understanding of school-wide services and support, and continued communications efforts will be pursued for under-standing student needs and interests. Counselors will continue cross-division meetings this year to further develop these vari-ous areas of support for students, parents, and staff. In addition to these coordination efforts, each division has developed an exciting agenda of services and support for this school year.

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Teacher workshop on reading and writing with Bonnie Camp-bell Hill.


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Resource Services

Resource Services is in its Development Year this year, and much of the focus of this work has been on clarification and articulation of services across divisions. A driving force in helping to create better clarity and transparency has been the development of a Procedures Manual for staff use. This manual provides a: Philosophy for Resource Services at SAS, listing of school-wide Resource Services staff, continuum of services, identification of population served, screening/inter-vention/referral processes, identification of assessments, eligibility criteria, IESP documentation, curriculum/instructional practices, records management, support for accommodations and modifications, and an appendix of streamlined forms. These procedural agreements (across all divisions) should be finalized by the end of September, and then work will begin on the development of a Parent Guide to provide clear and helpful information on the range of services available across divisions with ideas on ways that parents can better receive and provide support. The result of these discussions and agree-ments should contribute to a higher level of consistent, clear, and responsive service across divisions.

Mathematics

Mathematics is in its Development Year. Singapore American School has been studying the strengths of the U.S. and international systems of math education (including Singapore math), and has made some important adjustments to best match what is most effective. The reduction in number of topics covered during a year has been considered important, so that there is more opportunity for students to develop depth of learning and application. A balance of computation and conceptual understanding has been considered important, so that students have necessary skills and ability to think math-ematically. An increased role for problem-solving and reasoning abilities has figured prominently in the new curriculum. A positive attitude has been considered an essential component for success in mathematics, and therefore efforts will be pursued to better support this student experience. Considerable effort has been pursued to enhance the articulation from grade level to grade level and course to course. Three external “expert reviewers” are completing their reviews of the new curriculum math drafts for preschool through 12th grade, and staff will be involved in appropriate curriculum revisions based on this feedback over the next four months. Finally, staff is involved in an extensive review of math textbooks and resources for students, and selections of materials will be identified in January. The upgraded curriculum and new resources will then go into effect for the 2007-2008 school year.

Study Year Starts for Science, Health, and Physical Education

Subject areas entering the Study Year are Science, Health, and PE. Parent surveys are currently being collected for feed-back. Parent Coffees have been planned for first semester in all divisions. Staff are completing an internal assessment on strengths and areas for improvement, and have also been encouraged to collect student input/feedback in providing ideas and suggestions for this review. Communication on emerging recommendations from this review will be shared this year in NewsFlash and on the Curriculum and Instruction web page.

Western Association for Schools and Colleges Accreditation Review

Singapore American School is entering its Study Year for its WASC Accreditation. There will be several opportunities second semester of this school year and first semester of next school year for different groups of students, staff, and par-ents to provide input and feedback on all of the school’s programs and services. This information will be accumulated into a report for a Review Committee that will arrive at SAS in spring of 2008 for a school accreditation review. SAS is required to file annual updates on progress with WASC to maintain its accreditation status. In the spring of 2005, a WASC Review Committee visited SAS for a formal mid-term review, and SAS received rave reviews with suggestions to main-tain directions being pursued. SAS will hope to once again receive a full six-year accreditation status. More information on this will become available during the second semester of this school year.

Professional Development at Singapore American School

We are very honored at SAS to have many outstanding consultants who want to interact with the excellent staff at SAS, and we are fortunate to have a Board of Governors that believes that support for professional development is important for a successful school. This year’s 18-page Professional Development Schedule provides a listing of opportunities available at SAS and in the region. This PD Schedule continues to be updated on a weekly basis as new pro-grams and opportunities become available during the school year. A viewing of this PD Schedule is available on the Curriculum Web Page.

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What’s new at the SaS libraries?By Tim Ramsey, IS Librarian and Kirk Palmer, PS Librarian

In enhancing the libraries and their services, a number of value-added improvements have been made to each di-vision’s library. Below are some of the highlights. Throughout the school year the librarians will publish articles expanding on these improvements.

SAS Parent/Teacher Library Handbook

All SAS parents were recently mailed a copy of the SAS Parent/Teacher Library Handbook. The handbook supports and facilitates proficient use of the libraries and contains library policies and procedures, database logins and pass-words, instruction on how to access library materials and information about this year’s PTA visiting author program. If you haven’t received the handbook, please contact any division librarian.

SAS families are welcome check out materials from the libraries. Parents interested in using the SAS libraries, should visit the library of their youngest child and register with that library. Once registered, parents may visit any library at SAS and check out books.

New Librarians

The library team is pleased to welcome John Johnson, the new high school librarian. Ron Starker has moved from the high school to the middle school position.

John Johnson was most recently an international high school li-brarian in Istanbul, Turkey. He has additional library experience in Lima, Peru and Kuala Lumpur and has taught in Zambia and Japan. John has a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas, complimenting his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from universities in his home state of Minneso-ta. John is joined by his wife, fourth grade teacher, Jenny Redlin, and his daughter Phoebe, a high school junior.

Ron Starker is the new SAS Middle School Librarian. Ron worked for nine years as the SAS High School Librarian and is excited to be working in the Middle School Library on new projects and with a different age group of students.

Newest Library Enhancements

With careful and thoughtful planning, each library used this summer to ready themselves for the opening of school for teachers and students. Some of the enhancements are:

• Thousands of books added to the collections• Enhanced décor with additional furniture, reupholstering, new signage, artwork, fresh colors, and new display

areas• Increased library checkouts for patrons• Updated and consistently formatted library webpages• Upgraded computers and additional patron stations• New learning spaces• Improvement of the online catalog software (OPAC)• New video hardware, facilities and upgraded software

Parent participation is a valued part of each library program. The librarians welcome any parent who is interested in assisting in library activities. All volunteers are welcome, even without experience or training. Please contact any li-brarian for more specific information.

LMC Night!

Come visit the libraries on Tuesday, September 26th at the Library Meets the Community (LMC) Night. This will be an excellent opportunity to see how you can fully access all of the services and resources of our division libraries. More information on this special night will be communicated to parents soon.

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10 SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

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the rebuilding of lamreh Village in acehSAS Donation for Tsunami Relief in Indonesia Helps Many

On December 26, 2004 a tsunami suddenly struck parts of Southeast and South Asia. Along the coast of Indo-nesia’s Aceh province and elsewhere, the giant wave caused enormous devastation. Many tens of thousands of people lost their lives, as entire villages were wiped out. Overwhelmed by the destruction, Singapore

American School held a fund raising drive to help some of the affected families rebuild their lives.

The SAS Tsunami Relief Fund raised over S$110,000. A committee of faculty, administrators and parents made rec-ommendations for the distribution of funds. Donations were disbursed based on criteria established by the commit-tee, including a preference for grassroots organizations that directly aided children affected by the tsunami. Specific plans for implementation and reporting the use of donations, as well as the possibility of a long-term relationship with the school, were also considered important. Based on the committee’s recommendations, S$27,000 was donated to a project to rebuild the village of Lamreh in Krueng Raya, not far from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital. This project was selected for a donation from SAS because it met the established criteria and it was recommended by a school community member knowledgeable about Indonesia. There was confidence that the funds would be well spent and directly help those truly in need. Lily Kasoem, the organizer of the project and the recipient of SAS’s generosity recently wrote to the SAS parent, updating her about their progress. She wrote:

35 km east of Banda Aceh, there is a village named Lamreh whose inhabitants will be celebrating Ramadan (the Moslem holy month) in their own houses this October for the first time since the tsunami. It has been a tough two years for them, but their future is starting to look much more hopeful. Their village is no longer a pile of rubble. Today it is 200 houses, a primary school, kindergarten, playground, library, clinic, women’s centre and a commu-nity hall. This has all been made possible by your genuine responses to my first letter. I have been so touched by your kind-ness and support for this project… I have attached some recent photographs of Lamreh to show what has resulted from your support. Thank you all and all your friends to whom you have forwarded my letter. Also from them I received their very generous support. I will appreciate it very much if you could forward this letter to them and share this wonderful news. With Warm Regards,

Lily

Other recipients of donations made from the SAS Tsunami Relief Fund included the Auroville Tsunami Relief Fund in South India, Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka and the SOS Children’s Villages in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

11SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

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the Power of One – Katrina relief FundSt. Bernard Unified Parish and SAS Students Helping StudentsBy Ellen White, HS Faculty

When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana last year, residents were told to evacuate. As everyone else fled, three educators from St. Bernard Parish stayed behind to open Chalmette High

School as a relief center. During the storm, Superintendent Doris Voiter, Principal Wayne Warner, Assistant Principal Carole Mundt and a squad of firemen took in evacuees. The morning after the storm, levees sur-rounding the city broke and, within 15 minutes, they had to move to the second floor because of flooding. The educators, firemen and refugees remained at the school for six days rationing food, caring for the sick and homeless. When asked why he and his colleagues risked their lives Warner said: “Because that’s what school people do.”

The federal government and Army Corps of Engineers told Voiter that, with their help, the parish schools could re-open in 2006. Voiter wanted to move faster and with a $17 million loan she began school repairs and purchased 18 trailers to use as classrooms. On November 14, 2005, Chalmette High School reopened as St. Bernard Unified School (SBUS) with 320 students from Kindergarten through grade 12. By May 2006, about 2,330 students had re-enrolled; about a quarter of the prior total student population. A graduation ceremony was held for 183 seniors from the three parish high schools.

Soon after the hurricane struck Louisiana, SAS students organ-ized a fund raiser for SBUS and other victims of Hurricane Kat-rina. Under the leadership of Peace Initiative, Habitat for Hu-manity, Executive Council, Global Giving, the Leadership class and the Global Issues class, a school-wide donation drive took place in September 2005. Over S$41,000 was raised (including S$2,700 raised by 6th grade students), S$30,000 of which was donated to the SBUS to help students recover from the aftermath of the storm.

I visited SBUS this summer with my mother and 16-year-old son, a SAS junior. From our car window we saw houses that were damaged beyond repair. We wanted to stop for lunch but no res-taurants were open. FEMA trailers were everywhere. A year later and the hurricane’s devastation still dominated the landscape. As we arrived our hearts were heavy, but after leaving we were inspired as the school remains a focal point for the community.

Eating lunch with Warner and Mundt in the cafeteria, we noticed children of all ages. Said Mundt: “About 98 percent of our fami-lies are still living in temporary housing. We kept the school open to give kids something to do and provide continuity. Some are here working and others are in classes.”

Flooding destroyed the library books, but boxes of new books were being unpacked and cataloged. Mundt noted that donations from schools such as ours made a big difference. Visiting a Social Studies class conducted in a trailer, we noticed that the space was small but interaction between the teacher and students was lively. It reminded me that education can happen wherever dedicated teachers and students who are willing to learn exist.

Leaving, Warner and Mundt thanked us again for our school’s support. We agreed there was something special about students helping students. After hugging us, Warner explained: “When people ask me what’s different now being back in St. Bernard I tell them this –‘Now when people see each other we don’t shake hands. We hug. We celebrate.’”

Families living in temporary housing such as trailers.

L-R: Ellen White, Wayne Warner and Carole Mundt

L-R: Mary White, Carole Mundt and Ellen White

1� SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

1�SAS NewsFlash – September 2006

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President’s letter

Let me start this month’s letter by once again welcoming back all returning families and extending a warm welcome to those of you

that are new to Singapore American School.

The school year started with PTA volunteers work-ing at uniform sales, the Ice Cream Social and on the Welcome Committee. During the three days of pre-sales for uniforms prior to the start of school, volunteers sold over 4,000 SAS uniform shirts, over

2,000 PE shorts and over 2,300 PE shirts, a 25% increase over last year’s sales. We apologize to those of you that were unable to purchase the smaller sizes of the single knit shirts as our order for this year was based on an anticipated increase of 7%-8% over last year. By the time you read this, we should have most items back in stock.

Thank you to all the PTA volunteers who helped out early in the school year, your support and dedication is truly appreciated. I say this often, but feel I can never say it enough, as all of the activities run by PTA are staffed by volunteers. Many new families I have spoken with are impressed with how much the PTA at SAS is able to do. We are very fortunate to have such a committed group of parent volunteers.

For those of you new to SAS, we hope you were able to join us at one of the four division-level New Parent Welcome Coffees which were held this year for the first time. The coffees provided a wonderful opportunity to meet newcom-ers in a smaller and more intimate setting. If you weren’t able to attend one of these coffees, please contact any of the Welcome Committee members. Their contact information can be found on the SAS website at http://www.sas.edu.sg under Parent Organizations.

By now you should have received your complimentary SAS wall calendar in the mail. If you have not received your calendar, please stop by and see Jennifer Chia in the Central Administration office and she will give you one.

Our first event of the year is coming up on Friday, October 13th, is a Carpet Auction supported by Eastern Carpets. Please look for the details on this event in this issue. All of the money raised at this event and other PTA events will go towards our Fund Spending, which in turn goes back to the school in the form of supporting teacher requests. Most of our events have a fundraising compo-nent but we truly value the community building they also provide.

A great way to understand the activities in your child’s division is to attend the monthly division-level coffees. News for each division will be shared with parents and you will have the opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns. The coffees also provide an opportunity to meet school staff, counselors and administrators. PTA representatives will also attend to meet you and provide information about upcoming PTA sponsored events.

By having your children attend SAS you are all members of PTA. I encourage you to become involved with the school and your child’s education. There are a multitude of ways to become involved, so please find your area of interest and make contact with a representative to find out how to get started.

Susan FayPTA President

Pta carpet auction: Preview & Silent auction

Friday, October 13 At The British Club, 73 Bukit

Tinggi Road

This year’s PTA Carpet Auction fea-tures a Silent Auction from 6.30pm to 8:00pm preceding the live carpet auction. The Silent Auction has an exciting array of collectibles in-cluding paintings, shishas, statues and camel chairs.

The Silent Auction items will be on display at the SAS PTA Office from October 6th to 12th. Pre-bids will be accepted on all items. Tickets for the event are available at the PTA Sales Office beginning Monday, October 2nd.

Pta Welcoming committee

Welcome Packs & School directory for new Families at SaS

A warm welcome is extended once again to all the new SAS families. We enjoyed meeting many of you at the recent PTA Welcome Back Coffee and at the various divi-sional newcomers’ coffees. If you have not received your welcome pack and the 2005-2006 school di-rectory (this year’s directory will be mailed to all families in Octo-ber), please stop by the Booster Booth located in the High School or the PTA Sales office to pick up both items. For questions and more information, please contact Tracy Perez-Menendez via email at [email protected] or call her at 9632-6952.

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First Bake Sale

October 27

2006 Booster Club MeetingsSeptember 18 - 9:30am

October 16 - 9:30amNovember 20 - 9:30am

SALE:Seasonal Uniform ShirtsLarge sizes only. $5.00

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Booster BoothWhat’s In


First Bake Sale

October 27

2006 Booster Club MeetingsSeptember 18 - 9:30am

October 16 - 9:30amNovember 20 - 9:30am

SALE:Seasonal Uniform ShirtsLarge sizes only. $5.00

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Booster BoothWhat’s In

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On the evening of September 1st, the Booster Club spon-sored Race Night at the Singapore Turf Club. Race Night was organized for the first time this year by the

Booster Club to provide an opportunity for SAS parents and faculty to enjoy a social evening together early in the school year. Guests enjoyed a buffet meal and experienced the excite-ment of live horse racing from a private room on the fourth floor. DJ and emcee John Byrne entertained the crowd with mu-sic between the races. The evening was relaxing and fun for all in attendance.

The Booster Club is grateful to its sponsors who all helped to make the evening a special one: KC DAT, Original Sin and Zambuca Italian Restaurant and Bar.

The 10th annual High School Career Day will take place on September 21 in the morning. This year’s keynote speaker is Steve Russell, President and CEO of Asia Pacific for Salesforce.com, discussing “The Five Things I Wish My Kids Had Told

Me Before I Took This Technology Job”. He will be addressing how technology is changing our way of life and its impact on the next generation. Other guest speakers will speak on such diverse topics as medicine, engineering, hotel management, animal care, journalism, theater arts and more.

Former High School counselor Drew Alexander created Career Day when he asked 30 speakers from various careers to speak to the students. The number of speakers has in-

creased to 65 this year alone! Career Day also includes sessions on writing college applications and what tenth grade students can do now to prepare for college.

High school students will sign up to hear three speakers through the Powerschool online service. Career Day’s goal is to provide an important learning experience by allowing students to have a glimpse at potential careers and see whether the speaker’s career may be worth pursuing or not. A College Fair follows the speaker sessions. Local universities and thirty colleges from the USA will be on campus providing information to students. Colleges attending the fair include: Hawaii Pacific University, Marymount College, Massachusetts College of Art, Purdue University, Southern Methodist Univer-sity, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Notre Dame.

Planning for Career Day began last April. Committee members include counselors Mark Swarstad, Gwen Bergman and Mario Sylvander along with parents Michelle Brunoehler and Marie Small. Gifts for speakers are provided by the Booster Club.

CareerDaykeynotespeaker,SteveRussell,PresidentandCEOofAsiaPacificforSalesforce.com.

career day 2006By Michelle Brunoehler, SAS Parent

Booster club race nightBy Michelle Brunoehler, SAS Parent and Booster Club President

HighSchoolstudentsmeetwithacollegeadmissionsofficerduringarecentvisittoSAS.


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r French Hitch Hiker Visits SaS By Christina Popowski, HS French teacher

“Hello my name is Ludovic and I am from France. I want to share the story of my personal challenge with you; it is to travel around the world without

spending a single cent on transport.” This is how hitch hiker Ludovic Hubler introduced himself to SAS High School students during his recent stop in Singapore.

Hold on one second, did he say travel around the world and not spend any money on transport? Is this possible when one must cross oceans, mountains, deserts and sometimes rather unfriend-ly and dangerous terrain? Students who met Ludovic and heard him share his travel experiences learned that it is indeed possi-ble. Since leaving France 3½ years ago Ludovic has hitch hiked

his way around the world carrying his personal belongings in a small backpack. To date, Ludovic has traveled by car, camel, donkey, dinghy, sailboat, catamaran and ice breaker – all without paying a cent.

Ludovic’s unconventional way of travel is not ideal for even the most seasoned travelers, but it has allowed him to fulfill a childhood dream. Around age 8 Ludovic studied maps and told his father he would some day travel around the world. His dream became a reality in 2003 when he finished his Master’s degree in Business, said good-bye to family and friends in his hometown and began his five year hitch hiking world tour.

Ludovic’s idea hit him when he previously hitch hiked his way around Europe. He concluded that this was not only an inexpensive way to travel but also the best way to meet and experience the local people and cultures of any country. Naturally Ludovic chose this mode of travel for his world tour.

After leaving Europe in 2003, Ludovic traveled to northern Af-rica, crossing the Sahara desert by “hitching” a camel ride. He then made his way to western Africa. From there he “hitched” a ride aboard a sailboat to Brazil. After his stint in Brazil, Ludovic wandered to the southernmost city of the world, Ushuaia, Argen-tina. He then decided to visit Antarctica, eventually “hitching” a ride on an icebreaker.

After Antarctica, Ludovic visited Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Co-lombia and then “hitched” a ride on a sailboat to Central Ameri-ca. After hitching through Central America, Ludovic spent about one year traveling through the U.S. and Canada. From North America Ludovic “hitched” a catamaran ride to New Zealand. SAS family Tim and Laurie Thompson and their daughter met him there and agreed to give him a ride to Christchurch. The Thompsons learned about this young man’s incredible journey and invited Ludovic to speak with students at SAS when he arrived in Singapore.

After New Zealand, Ludovic “hitched” a boat to Australia traveling for 4 months before “hitching” a boat from Darwin to Indonesia. Ludovic spent time in Indonesia before making his way to Singapore but plans to return to Indonesia to visit Aceh and the tsunami victims. Ludovic then plans to continue hitch hiking his way through Asia. In the final leg of his world tour, he will hitch hike westward through western Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Ludovic plans to be home by the end of 2007.

Ludovic’s impressive presentation shared his spectacular photos and his post-graduate “school of life” travel experiences. Many situations arose where he learned the importance of a positive


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attitude, open-mindedness, diplomacy, tolerance and respect for other cultures and religions. Ludovic also stressed how hitch hiking has taught him to become more resourceful, persistent and patient.

Ludovic constantly meets new people in his travels and stays with them all around the world. Communicating with people in their own language and adapting to their local customs has made Ludovic’s travels all the more reward-ing and interesting. Ludovic now speaks four languages fluently in addition to his native French language. A new linguistic challenge for Ludovic is that he does not yet speak any Asian languages.

When asked what is gratifying about his journey around the world, Ludovic stated that the majority of people he has met are nice and honest. Additionally, most people want the same things in life: world peace, a job, a decent place to live, access to education and a better life for their children. On the other hand, Ludovic has also experienced the realities of world in which we live: poverty, child labor, children under the influence of drugs and adult illiteracy among others.

Ludovic urged SAS students to adopt an attitude of less “me, myself and I” and encouraged students to always help others not as fortunate as them. Ludovic closed by saying, “Always try to make a difference in the life of someone you don’t know as this will help you to feel good about yourself and make the world a better place.”

Ludovic Hubler is living proof that if you really want something you will find a way to achieve it. What started as a childhood dream to travel around the world became a reality. Not many people can say the same about themselves. After completing his journey around the world Ludovic plans to write a book about his experiences. He eventually hopes to find a job which will allow him to utilize the many skills, knowledge and qualities he gained during his five year long sojourn to help the less fortunate and make the world a better place to live.

Congratulations to the Girl’s Varsity Soccer Team for winning the annual Singapore Pesta Sukan 7-A-Side Tournament on Sunday, August 20th.

The Pesta Sukan Tournament is an annual event run by the Football Association of Singapore. It’s a 7-A-Side (teams field 7 players instead of the normal 11 and games are only 14 minutes long) tournament and open to women of all ages. There are teams from Singapore universities, international schools and women’s club teams. Much like the World Cup, teams are broken into groups, with the top two teams from each group proceeding on to the knockout stage.

Twenty-four teams started the day competing for the coveted prize. The tournament started at 9am and ran all day. The Eagles sputtered to a runner-up spot in the early group play; winning one, losing one and drawing one in the group stage, but in the knockout stage they ran up four straight victories culminating with a 2 – 0 win over Sporting Westlake FC in the final game to claim the title. In their final four matches the girls outscored their opponents 7 to 0. The last time an SAS team won this honor was back in 1994. Congratulations, girls!!

Seatedinfront:CaptainGabbyLoscalzoSecondrow(ltor):NatalieFavati,AubreyDoyle,MeganAndersonThirdrow(ltor):ElizabethStocking,KaceyWhitaker,CristaFavati,SaraDenoma,TournamentOfficial,NoraHanagan,ErinMorrisandAlexShaulis

SaS Girls Win Pesta Sukan 7’sBy Don Adams, High School Teacher and Team Coach


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Peace concert at SaS: Friday, november 17 – Supports Regional Charities – Showcases Local TalentBy Rachel Witt, HS Student and Peace Initiative President

It’s time to rock out at Peace Concert! Peace Initiative, a student led human rights organization at Singapore American School, annually hosts the concert to raise money to support regional charities. Attended by almost 1,000 high school stu-

dents every year, Peace Concert has become a much anticipated event during the school year and provides a great op-portunity to showcase local musical talent. This year’s Peace Concert will take place on Friday, November 17, 2006. We are currently looking for corporate sponsors to fund this event. Companies that donate S$2000 or more may have their logo printed on the tickets and t-shirts that will be sold for the concert, and all sponsors are welcome to adver-tise and/or sell merchandise at the venue. If your company is interested in sponsoring Peace Concert, please contact Rachel Witt at [email protected]. Help us to change the world for one person at a time!

More information about Peace Concert, including details about tickets, t-shirts and band auditions will be communi-cated in the coming weeks via What’s Happening at SAS and Newsflash.

nat Bava – retires after 35 Years at SaS

Nat Bava, one of the longest serving teachers at Singapore American School, retired as of September 1, 2006 due to an injury to his wrist that has left him unable to continue teach-

ing physical education. Students and faculty offered their best wishes to Nat at farewell events hosted at the High School on his last day.

Mr. Bava joined SAS on September 1, 1971. Over the past 35 years he has worked as a P.E. teacher and Athletics Director at the middle school and high school level. He also spent many years coaching rug-

by, where he held the respect and admiration of his team and fellow coaches.

Mr. Bava is an outstanding athlete in his own right. He won various sprint events in the Southeast Asian Games during the 1960s. He was awarded the Best Coach of the Year by the Singapore National Olympic Council, an award accorded to athletes with outstanding achievement in the Republic of Singapore. Mr. Bava also served as the national rugby coach for Singapore’s rugby team. Mr. Bava is a highly skilled and committed professional, a team player and has been a positive role model for students.

HighSchoolP.E.Faculty(L-R):FransGrimbergen,KimCriens,UrsulaPong,NatBava,TracyvanderLinden,ChuckShrinerandTimThompson

L-R:NatBava,DavidNorcott,HSPrincipal


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new Sound System By Paul Koebnick, HS Faculty

There were a number of enhancements to the school facility this past summer, including an upgrade to the sound system in the Auditorium. Our largest theater was showing signs of ageing with amplifiers and speakers fre-quently producing more noise than music.

Over the summer break a team of engineers removed the amplifiers, about a mile of cable and the old speakers from the Auditorium. Now in place is a Meyer Line Array system of speakers, amplifiers and signal processors that provide excellent audio quality for every seat in the Auditorium.

The first testing of our new system was at the opening events of the school year and everyone has been very impressed with the improved sound quality. Upcoming concerts, dance shows and our high school musical CHESS in October, will all benefit from the new sound system. We are looking forward to another excellent year for the performing arts at SAS. Everyone is encouraged to attend and enjoy the line up of shows coming to a theater near you.

cHESS - a MusicalBy Paula Silverman, HS Faculty

The musical production will held on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 at 7:00pm and Sunday, October 29 at 3:00pm. Rehearsals are underway for the high school

musical production, CHESS. Excitement is building within the large cast of students and faculty. The show is sure to be a suc-cess with a committed cast of 45 students, 35 students in the or-chestra and dozens of students behind the scenes working on sets, costumes and makeup; all led by a team of faculty members and supportive parents.

CHESS’ writer Tim Rice was inspired by the dramatic chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky at the peak of the Cold War. Rice wraps the strategic game of chess around the concept of the players becoming “pawns” in an explosive political game.

It is a strategic move to join us. Tickets go on sale September 27 at the High School Booster Booth and PTA Office during regular operating hours. The ticket price is $10.00.

all creatures Great and SmallBy Nanette Devens, HS Choir Director

The SAS High School Choirs invite you to their annual fall themed concert on Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00pm in the Drama Theater. All Creatures Great and Small is the theme this year. You will be treated to interesting and entertaining pieces about many creatures from slithering snakes to silver swans, fierce lions to shy mice, the “fru-mious Bandarsnatch” to the “galumphing Jabberwock”. You will not want to miss out! We hope to see you there!

Singapore American School Newsflash, September 2006

Documents

Transcript of Singapore American School Newsflash, September 2006