weekly newsletter_may27

Stamford American International School Pte Ltd • 11 Lorong Chuan • Singapore 556821 • Tel: +65 6602 7247 • www.sais.edu.sg

Registered in Singapore No. 200823594D • Registered office: 80 Raffles Place, #48-01 UOB Plaza, Singapore 048624

(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009

Newsletter Volume II, Issue 36, 27 May 2011

Message from the Superintendent

Dear Parents, Thank you again to the PTA for organizing Monday’s event. It was encouraging to see such a strong turnout and the energy that our community creates. It was a pleasure for me to share with you our vision for the development of Stamford and I have put excerpts from the presentation on the website for those of you who may have been unable to attend. (http://www.sais.edu.sg/news-and-events/superintendent-kay-presents-the-vision-for-sais.html) In addition to this presentation, we are inviting interested parents to attend a Middle School Information Meeting on Monday, June 6th at 9:00am in the Multi-Purpose Hall. At that time we will present our new Middle School curriculum brochure and give further details of the programs that will be new for next year. Andrew Hancock has provided information in his section of the newsletter in relation to the enhancements that are being made to the program. We have recruited experienced staff for the educational program and I would like to share their biographies with you. The following teachers will be joining Mr. Hancock: Elliot Kelly – Middle School Math & Science Teacher Mr. Kelly brings 14 years of Middle School teaching experience to SAIS and a passion for Math, Science and travel. Mr. Kelly is American and is married with children. Most recently, Mr. Kelly has been teaching Grade 7 Math and Science in the US at Amherst Regional Middle School in Massachusetts. Mr. Kelly has experience with growing schools as he began his teaching career as a founding Math and Science teacher at a new charter school in the US and designed the curriculum for the Middle School program. Mr. Kelly emphatically enjoys exposure to other cultures and has travelled extensively to Mexico and Central America as an Outward Bound Instructor and Course Director and throughout South America. Sherri Lewis – Grade 6 Teacher Ms. Lewis comes to SAIS with 15 years of teaching experience. Originally from Canada, Ms. Lewis has a Masters degree in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction, a 4-Year Bachelor of Education Degree and a TESOL Advanced Certification. Ms. Lewis has vast international experience, holding previous positions in the UAE, Japan, Canada and Singapore. Ms. Lewis has experience teaching both the MYP and Diploma Programme and most recently served as Humanities Coordinator & Middle School Teacher. Ms. Lewis enjoys supporting student interests through extracurricular activities such as drama and has coached softball, volleyball, and basketball. Brian Ossmann – Middle School English & Humanities Teacher Mr. Ossmann brings with him 7 years of experience in Middle School education and a wealth of international exposure. Mr. Ossmann joins SAIS from the

Save the date

June 3

Father’s Day Breakfast

7:30 – 8:45am

June 3

Parents Coffee Morning

8:45 – 9:30am

June 6

Middle School Information

Meeting (Open to All)

9:00 – 10:00am in MPH

June 9

Elementary Concert

End of year class parties

June 10

Grade 5 Graduation

Ceremony – 9:00am

Last Day of School – Noon

Dismissal

http://www.sais.edu.sg/news-and-events/superintendent-kay-presents-the-vision-for-sais.html

http://www.sais.edu.sg/news-and-events/superintendent-kay-presents-the-vision-for-sais.html



(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


American School of Doha, Qatar where he taught Grades 7 & 8 History and Global Issues and he previously worked at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile where he taught Grade 10 History and Grade 12 Theory of Knowledge (IB DP). Mr. Ossmann is from Minnesota and has a Masters degree in Education with a focus on History as well as a Bachelors degree with a focus on Spanish, which he speaks fluently. We are fortunate to be starting the 2011-12 academic year with a strong team in Middle School and together with our expanded athletic program I expect us to motivate and inspire our students. We are rapidly moving towards the end of the school year and that in itself is creating excitement among our students who are looking forward to the end of year events that celebrate their learning and their achievements. It is a time of year when more and more of us are on campus sharing in their successes. I have also just finished watching our students perform at the Fine Arts Fair and am reminded how very talented they are. Well done! Have a great weekend. By Mr. Malcolm J. Kay Superintendent [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


Early Years Update

Thank you to all the parents who attended the SAIS presentation at the St Regis hotel on Monday night. Our Superintendent Mr. Malcolm Kay gave a detailed and incredibly interesting presentation into the future of our school. I can hardly believe how quickly the past 2 years have gone, it seems like only a few months ago that I visited this very campus back in June 2009 walking amongst the building works, rubble and dust in my standard issue work boots, hard hat and ‘high viz’ jacket, wondering if this would be my classroom. The next academic year will fly past and I can’t wait to see the new campus and meet all your children there.

This week I was lucky enough to travel with the Nursery children on their excursion to the Changi Airport as part of the Nursery’s Unit of Inquiry into Transport. All the children, parents and teachers were very excited as we left the school via the school bus. The children had been talking about going to the airport and were so excited to see the aircraft taking off and landing. In this International environment most young children have experienced the thrill of take-off and travelling via a large aircraft. Photographs to follow next week. The Nursery have also enjoyed three consecutive days of climbing activities this week. Michael Harris has instigated this by his request to me each morning; “Ms Sylvie, can we go climbing today, do you have time?” All the Nursery children have amazed the teachers by their coordination and bravery; many of the children have mastered the ability to climb over the apparatus safely. They have also been practicing jumping with 2 feet together. As part of the Middle Years community and service project, this week saw a great opportunity for the K1 students to socialize and play a good old fashioned game of tag with the Middle Years students. The Middle Years students orchestrated games with the K1 students whilst K1 were at play, what followed was a beautiful game of tag, all of the students had a great time. Have a lovely weekend, By Ms. Sylvie Lepillier Early Years Coordinator, [email protected]




(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


Elementary Update

Social and academic learning are inextricably linked. Building a strong foundation in positive social skills builds the foundation

for academic learning. Next year there will be a 15 minute advisory time at the beginning of each day in addition to a

biweekly lesson dedicated to the development of the whole child through an explicit social curriculum.

Responsive classroom works on the following guiding principles:

The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

How children learn is as important as what they learn.

The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

There is a specific set of social skills that children need in order to be successful academically and socially.

C – Cooperation: Children must have the opportunity to practice working together in many and varied ways all through the day. We can better accept differences when we work together and feel a sense of community and belonging together.

A – Assertion: the ability to stand up for one’s own ideas without hurting others and without negating others. Children must be coached and taught to do this. Children must be given the chance to practice in a “safe” environment where dialogue about one’s ideas and feelings is encouraged. Without many opportunities to practice, children will have difficulty thinking for themselves in the face of peer pressure.

R – Responsibility: The only way to learn to be responsible is to have many opportunities to practice being responsible. Children need to begin with small amounts of responsibility and then gradually be given more as they meet with success. As adults, our most powerful teaching tool is trust and belief in children’s ability to come through in responsible ways. This we show in our words and in our actions.

E – Empathy: Our world is growing more and more diverse and complex. The best response is to learn how to accept and respect differences. Parents and educators want children to be capable of carrying out conflict resolution. Children must have empathy in order to do conflict resolution. Adults must have empathy in order to teach children and their parents. Empathy gives us the capacity to care. Empathy comes from “knowing” others – Empathy grows from the practice of building relationships.

S – Self Control: The ultimate goal of discipline is that children will be in control of their own behavior and behave in an ethical manner. This skill comes like that of responsibility. In order to be in control of yourself, you must have many opportunities to truly practice the skills that are involved. The opportunities need to come in small increments that are manageable and will lead to success. In being proactive, teachers make sure children understand what’s expected and give many opportunities to practice before they’re expected to do so on their own. The reward for ethical behavior is intrinsic—the good, proud feeling inside that comes from having done the “right thing”. Like responsibility, self-control comes when adults trust and believe in the children they work with.

Knowing the children we teach individually, culturally, and developmentally is as important as knowing the content we teach!

I am excited for the many changes that will be implemented next year. I look forward to sharing more news with you next week.

By Ms. Kim Lightfoot

Elementary Coordinator

[email protected]




(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


Middle School Update A glimpse into next year’s Middle School I would like to share with you some of the initiatives that will be in place for August 2011:

Electives. Middle School students will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of academically focused subjects and participate in this elective twice per week. Students will have the option of switching electives at the start of each quarter.

Parallel Math. Grade 6 & 7 students will have math delivered in a parallel scheme. In Grade 6 and 7, this means that one math class will receive the differentiated, advanced/integrated math program (think college prep) whilst the other math class will receive an extension math class. Students will move in and out of the appropriate program based on their abilities and their needs.

Sports Program. Middle School will have a competitive sports program that will focus on the following sports (others may be added): soccer (5 aside), basketball, cross country, tennis, golf and swimming. Our students will start competing against their international school peers in organized events.

Parallel Foreign Language. Grade 5 & 6 (one group) and Grade 7 & 8 (different group) will be paired up so that we can offer more appropriate levels of foreign language. For example, we may now be able to offer an advanced, standard and foundational level of foreign language.

Middle School Camp. Middle School Camp will now be held in quarter 1 (Sept. 5 – 9) in order to capitalize on the gains made in group dynamics and team building.

Advisory. Middle School students will have a daily, 15-minute advisory focusing on learning about the MYP, social/emotional education, group dynamics, current events, sex and health education, and becoming media savvy.

Expansion of our 1:1 program. Students will continue to use their school-issued laptop and we have added a third design/ICT class.

Student Voice. Middle School students will have the opportunity to have a student council with a remit to support students, student learning, address Middle School needs, organize events, and advocate for youth.

Course Content. We will continue offering a wide range of courses including; Math, Science, English, Humanities, Visual Arts, Music, ICT/Design, Foreign Language, and Physical Education/Health.

Middle School Update When: Monday, June 6

th

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Where: Multi Purpose Hall Mr. Kay and I look forward to sharing our new Middle School Curriculum Guide and information regarding SAIS’s Middle School. The goal of this gathering is for parents to learn about SAIS’s Middle School program offerings from daily life to camps, and get answers to your questions. If you are unable to make this meeting but would still like to discuss the Middle School with me, please contact me at the below e-mail address and we will make an appointment to speak.

Dragon Boat Racing A special thanks to Mrs. Jolicoeur and Mrs. Chu for organizing our end-of-the-year celebration. Details were sent out last week and are also included here: What: Dragon Boat Racing When: Thursday, June 9

th departing and returning during the regularly scheduled school day

Where: Kallang Basin, transport provided by the school Please do not order a meal from Sodexo for your child on June 9

th. As we get closer to the event, you will have 2 options for your child's

lunch:

Pack a lunch from home

For $4.50, Sodexo can pack a lunch comprising of a sandwich, fruit and juice. Parents are most welcome to join us and watch the students in action. You will also need to bring your own lunch. As always, thanks for the support.

By Mr. Andy Hancock, Middle School Coordinator [email protected]




(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


PTA Update

Presentation by our Superintendent

Thank you to everyone who attended Monday nights talk by our Superintendent, Malcolm Kay. Mr. Kay

presented the strategic plan for the next 5 years and it looks to be a very exciting journey ahead for us all in the

SAIS community. He also told us about the immediate plans for August 2011, which he will be providing further

specific details before the end of school. Mr. Kay will be having a Parents Coffee Morning after the Father’s Day

breakfast on June 3rd from 8:45 – 9:30am to talk more about the plans for this coming August. This is a great

opportunity, especially for dads, to have an informal talk with our Superintendent.

Uniform Donations

At our last few PTA meetings we have talked about having a used uniform donation and/or sale. Because the last

few days of the school year are quite busy and we all know children grow over the summer, we are planning to

have a used uniform sale at the Back to School event on Saturday, August 13th. All proceeds and remaining

uniforms from the sale will be donated to charity.

We will be accepting uniform donations the last week of school, June 5-10th. You can send them to school with

your child or drop them off in a box in Jefferson located by the Bulletin Board.

If you have any questions about the event or would like to help with the organization on August 13th please email

us at [email protected].

Father’s Day Breakfast

Please remember to RSVP for the Father’s Day Breakfast on June 3rd at 7:30am -8:45am. The Mother’s Day Tea

was a big success and this looks to be just as much of an enjoyable time with your child.




(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


As we prepare for the rush at the end of the school year, I just wanted to let everyone know that the last week for library classes will be May 30 – June 3.

That means:

The last day to check out books will be Friday, May 27.

All books must be returned to the library by Friday, June 3.

Notices

Art Notice Thanks so much for your support at yesterday’s art fair. We enjoyed sharing the students’ talents in art and music with you. I will be handing out student’s artwork over the next week. If you would like your child’s clay work to arrive home undamaged, please bring in a box which they can carry their artwork home safely. Any work which is left will be exhibited around the school.

Message from Transport Office With effect on August 1

st 2011, J&J Bus Services Pte Ltd will become Stamford American International School’s

appointed bus operator. In order to facilitate the transition between transport companies, all parents whose children currently ride the bus, in addition to any parents who would like to start transport for the next school term, will need to fill out the new transport request form. Please submit the transport request form no later than May 31

st 2011 via

email to [email protected], or fax 6280-0419. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] or 6602 7205.

2011-2012 Applications

Please note that spaces are filling quickly for the 2011-2012 academic year. If you are planning to submit an application for another child in your family, please contact Dolly Sengelmann at [email protected] or Carrie Burk at [email protected] at your earliest convenience in order to take advantage of our sibling priority policy.

LOST AND FOUND ITEMS

We have lots of hats, lunchboxes and water bottles that aren’t labeled with student names. Please be reminded to

LABEL ALL belongings. All unclaimed items will be disposed after school ends.

SAIS on Facebook and Twitter

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: Join our Facebook Group: “Stamford American International School” or follow us on Twitter @SAISSingapore for the latest news, pictures, videos and to interact with the SAIS community.







(MIKA (P) 158/12/2009


Maria Giulia Montesi Grade 1 1 May

Sofia Majed Nursery 2 May

Andreas Canos Grade 1 2 May

Ye Eun Chang Grade 4 3 May

Marc Monteiro KG2 3 May

Kathryn Barnhart KG1 4 May

Abigail Miller Grade 2 5 May

Julia Hirschman KG1 5 May

Ines Delagneau KG1 5 May

Corbin Reodica Grade 1 6 May

Ephraim Mohr Grade 5 8 May

Hamdan Ahmad KG1 12 May

Sahara Wainwright Pre-K 13 May

Ayavitl Gonzalez Grade 7 14 May

Gabriel Duda Grade 2 14 May

Yaimar Molina Grade 2 16 May

Dhruv Patel KG1 16 May

Megat Omar Sulaiman Mohd Haris Grade 2 16 May

Zachary Philips KG1 16 May

Jennifer Choi Grade 2 17 May

Markus Schueller Pre-K 19 May

James Hanley Grade 5 19 May

Darcey O'Brien KG1 20 May

Jack Shields KG2 23 May

Zachary Shey KG1 23 May

Diarmuid Hutchinson Grade 4 23 May

Aayan Sheikh KG1 25 May

Brooke Lamphere KG2 26 May

Kevin Keng Grade 6 27 May

Aytana Cortes Grade 3 27 May

Maximiliano Cortes Grade 3 27 May

Katerina Pisova KG2 28 May

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