Singapore American School

Singapore American School

Established	1956
School type	Private International School
Superintendent	Brent Mutsch
Location	40 Woodlands Street 41 Woodlands Singapore
Phone	(65) 6363-3403
Enrollment	3,757 (2007) [http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/1367.htm Singapore American School] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved date|May 29, 2008.] 54 Nationalities
Faculty	353 (2007)
Campus	Urban, 37 acres (150,000 m²)
Sports teams	Eagles
School colors	color box|#0000CD Blue color box|white White color box|#CF142B Red
Website	[http://www.sas.edu.sg/ www.sas.edu.sg]

The Singapore American School (Abbreviation: SAS) is a private international school in Singapore. Established in 1956, the school offers an American-based curriculum from preschool through to Grade 12 for approximately 3,700 expatriate students, making it the largest international school in the world. Approximately 60% of the students at SAS are United States citizens, with the rest comprising more than 50 different nationalities. (Very few Singaporean students attend the school as Singapore government regulations prevent most local students from attending international schools within the country.)

SAS has the largest number of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses of any international school in the world. This is due in part to the fact that SAS does not offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Switching to the curriculum has been considered in the past, but the school's administration has decided against doing so.Fact|date=May 2008

SAS is part of the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS). It competes regularly with other international schools in the region in both academic and sports events. The school has a strong athletic tradition. Recently SAS has dominated in the sports tournaments it participates in. In 2004, the school won gold in 11 out of 18 tournaments. The school also has a student newspaper, "The Eye". "The Eye" has won the Columbia Gold Crown award multiple times, as well as other rewards from the National Scholastic Press Association. [ [http://cspa.columbia.edu/docs/contests-and-critiques/crown-awards/recipients/2003-scholastic-crown.html 2003 Scholastic Crown Recipients] Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Retrieved date|May 29, 2008.]

SAS is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in the United States.

"The Good Schools Guide International" reviewed the school as "An extremely spacious school for Singapore with wonderful, modern facilities, strong academics, and a plethora of options within the curriculum and as extracurriculars." [http://gsgi.co.uk/countries/singapore/singapore-american-school?]

trategic Focus

Vision: "The Singapore American School inspires a passion for learning, encourages emotional and intellectual vitality, and empowers students with the confidence and courage to contribute to the global community and to achieve their dreams".

Vital Few: Academic Rigor, Professional Excellence, and Extraordinary Care for the Welfare of Each Child are three operational imperatives that guide the Singapore American School's efforts and resources in achieving excellence as a world class leader in education.

#1: Academic Rigor Every student is appropriately challenged in all curriculum areas. Every student is actively engaged in meaningful learning in all curriculum areas. Every student is encouraged to pursue depth, application, and cross-disciplinary connections. Every student is prepared to work collaboratively and independently. Every student is involved in deepening and expanding his/her interests, abilities, and learning styles. Every student is inspired to pursue lifelong learning.
#2: Professional Excellence Every staff member is committed to lifelong learning and demonstrates current “best practices” in his/her work, particularly as these practices relate to learning environment, instructional strategies, curriculum and assessment, collaboration and communication, and student learning (see “Characteristics” on Formal Individual Teacher Evaluation). Every staff member is responsible for a positive school climate. Every staff member builds purposeful partnerships with parents and students to enhance student learning. Every staff member is actively involved in a Professional Learning Community and contributes to overall growth of team and school.
#3: Extraordinary Care For The Welfare Of Each Child The school community is dedicated to recognizing and supporting the unique talents and gifts of each and every student. The school community is committed to the academic, social, emotional, and physical success and well-being of each and every student while maintaining a balanced life. The school community is united in its efforts to create a nurturing environment where each and every student feels safe and has a feeling of connectedness. The school community is dedicated to an exciting and engaging liberal arts education that nurtures a deep understanding for quality of life and service for others.

Desired Student Learning Outcomes: The school's curriculum and the Desired Student Learning Outcomes (i.e., Exemplary Character with Ability to Work Independently and Collaboratively, Critical and Creative Thinkers, Engaged and Responsible Citizens, Effective Communicators) serve as the direction and substance for the school's academic programs.

Exemplary Character with Ability to Work Independently and Collaboratively Demonstrates the five “core values” of SAS (i.e., Compassion, Honesty, Fairness, Responsibility, Respect) Demonstrates the skills and commitment to work and learn independently Collaborates meaningfully, supportively, and efficiently on teams Contributes to academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being for one’s self and others Shows commitment to perform to their personal best within all content areas and disciplines Critical and Creative Thinkers Uses appropriate strategies to solve problems and produce exemplary work Critically evaluates and analyzes sources for credibility, reliability, and usefulness Uses effective thinking skills for real life situations in and out of school Applies learning from all areas of the school’s curriculum to support success in higher level education, career, and life Engaged and Responsible Citizens Demonstrates an understanding, respect, and appreciation for cultural differences Acts and responds in a responsible and supportive manner to local, regional, and global needs and issues Engages in “authentic” learning and applications within subject area/course study Actively understands and respects uniqueness of others Shows a curiosity and passion for lifelong learning Effective Communicators Demonstrates ability to effectively communicate in multiple ways: speaking/presenting writing artistic/visual expression kinesthetic/movement expression musical expression mathematical/logical expression interpersonal/social intrapersonal/reflective technological Core Values:The Institute of Global Ethics has identified five values (i.e., Compassion, Honesty, Fairness, Responsibility, Respect) as recognized core values of cultures throughout the world. The five core values are the basis for Singapore American School's approach to Character Education and serve as the foundation for all relationships among students, staff, faculty, administrators, and parents.

Mission: "The Singapore American School is committed to providing each student an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective."

Curriculum

Singapore American School has a six-year Curriculum Cycle of continual review and renewal in all subject areas and service areas. This cycle ensures that all curriculum, service areas, and classroom resources are continually upgraded and connected to “best practices”. Each subject or service area has three years of support on this Cycle: Year One is the Study Year where stakeholder feedback and “best practices” are reviewed, Year Two is the Development Year where curriculum revision/renewal is finalized and new/additional classroom resources are identified, and Year Three is the Implementation Year where the new curriculum is operationalized within classrooms and new/additional classroom resources are available for students. Throughout the span of the cycle, continual enhancements continue to be made within curriculum and resources.

A hallmark of Singapore American School is that, even though it is recognized as a world-leader in education, it continues to honestly, openly, and vigilantly look for ways to continuously improve. SAS uses U.S. curriculum and standards as its base, but it also looks to other places in the world that are noteworthy for their achievements. Therefore, our efforts are to pull on the best educational practices in the world that are contextually transferable to Singapore American School. It is in this way that we uphold our commitment to an “American education with an international perspective”.

Extra-curricular Activities

EASA stands for Elementary After School Activities and there is an office dedicated to creating and managing a wide range of programs for SAS students from Kindergarten to Grade 5.

EASA programs are run from September to May for three 8 week sessions and registration is held at the beginning of each session. Students can choose from classes in Recreation, Performing Arts, Music, Art & Craft, Mindstretch, Computers & Technology.

EASA also coordinates the EASA language Program for students in KG to Grade 5. EASA Language classes are offered in Mandarin, French & Spanish for 3 sessions (26 weeks per year) after school on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Click HERE for more information.

EASA also sponsors a Primary Activity Bus Service for students in Kindergarten, grade 1 & grade 1. Click here for more information.

In addition, EASA sponsors and manages classes for the SAS Adult Community. Adult classes are available in Computers, Art, First Aid & Mandarin throughout the year and are offered after school to parents, faculty & staff at SAS. Click HERE for more information.

All EASA classes are taught by dedicated and professional teachers – many of whom are part of the SAS Faculty. Registration information for EASA & EASA Language is sent home by backpack mail prior to each session and notices are sent to parents via the What’s Happening emails.

For more information, please contact our office at 6360-6282 or email [e-mail]

Notable Alumni

* George B. Fitch "(Class of 1965)": Mayor of Warrenton, Virginia, and a former candidate for Governor of Virginia. He was one of the co-founders of the Jamaican Bobsled Team for the 1988 Winter Olympics, which inspired the Disney film "Cool Runnings".
* Jim Baker "(Class of 1966)": Author whose books include "Crossroads: A Popular History of Malaysia & Singapore" and "The Eagle in the Lion City: America, Americans & Singapore". Member of the faculty at SAS since 1971, teaching history and economics.
* Julia Nickson-Soul "(Class of 1976)": Actress who has appeared in ', ', "Babylon 5" and "Walker, Texas Ranger".
* Inbal Megiddo "(Class of 1994)": An elite cellist from Israel. Has received impressive reviews, and has held performances at numerous places of prestige, including Carnegie Hall.
* Kendra Williams: First American female pilot in combat, on December 16, 1998. She is a lieutenant in the Navy.
* Cork Graham: American journalist, film producer, screenwriter and author. Attended SAS from 1972-77.
* Michael Fay "(did not graduate)": Fay was a 12th Grade student at the Singapore American School in 1993, when the Singapore police came to the school one morning to arrest him following a spree of vandalism on expensive private cars. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to four months jail and caning. The case attracted considerable international media attention relating to the appropriateness of caning as a judicial punishment in Singapore.

References

Amazon.com: Trapped in Tenochtitlan: An Aztec Adventure: Eric Burnett. Retrieved July 8, 2008

External links

* [http://www.sas.edu.sg/ Singapore American School Official website]
* [http://www.sas.edu.sg/ECC/ Early Childhood Center Official website]
* [http://hseagle.sas.edu.sg/studentcouncil/index.htm Website of the Singapore American High School Student Council]
* [http://www.gsgi.co.uk/countries/singapore/singapore-american-school Profile at the Good Schools Guide International]