On Tuesday, August 10, the SAS community of faculty, administrators and staff came together on the Puxi campus to welcome the new superintendent and his wife, Mona, and their dog, Essie,  to the SAS family.

The gathering was dubbed a “Big Tent” meeting to emphasis that there’s room in the SAS tent for many people of a variety of skill sets, backgrounds, ethnicities, and professions.
The crowd gathered in the Performing Arts Center at 8 a.m. and after a rendition by a trio of singers (Alicia Lewis, Michelle Close  and Mary Siew who crooned an adaptation of “Holly Dolly,” Dr. Jacobson was introduced and he held court for 45 minutes as he said he would. His presentation was titled: “Who Are We? And Why Are We Here Anyway?” He began by citing the well known American writer of the nineteenth century, Alex Haley:  “If you see a turtle sitting on top of a fencepost, you know he didn’t get there by himself!” Jacobson reminded his audience that wherever SAS is, it is there because of the collaborative effort and inspiration of many people, including those gathered on this occasion under the “Big Tent.”

He also told us a little about himself and his family, after introducing his wife, Mona, a writer and accomplished high school golf coach. A lifelong educator, from a family of educators, Jacobson has been three times a superintendent in the United States, most recently of the Osseo-Fairchild Schools, in Osseo, Wisconsin. He has also been a secondary principal and began his career as a mathematics teacher in Kentucky and Maryland. SAS will be his first overseas professional assignment, though he has been a committed internationalist in his work with schools. In 2004, Jacobson traveled to the Czech Republic on a Fulbright Fellowship.

He holds both a Ph.D. and an M.S. in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and received his B.S. in mathematics and computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Jacobson has six grown children and two grandchildren.

He went on to speak from the heart: We speak to be globally competent, but “just because we live internationally doesn’t mean we automatically have it. We do have the best opportunity to keep learning.” He vowed to keep channels of communication open. “Transparency is our friend as is keeping each other informed and in mind.” He said that trust is our “most underused asset, the opportunity we least take advantage of.” He affirmed his passionate belief in “beauty, in art, in music, in dance, in mathematics, in science, in history, literature, in health, in giving and in service.”
 
Following the morning gathering and divisional meetings, the entire SAS community adjourned to the cafeteria for a BBQ and celebrated not only the arrival of the school’s new superintendent, but the arrival of those who have newly joined the team, and the arrival of yet another school year which promises to be as exciting as ever.

–By Timothy MERRILL, Editor, The Eagle

The TRIO: Michelle Close (PX HS Social Studies, Alicia Lewis (Curriculum Coordinator) and Mary Siew (PX HS Music-Orchestra) sing before Dr. Jacobson took the microphone. The song was “Hello Kerry!”  A variation on the famous tune often sung by Louis Armstrong,  “Hello Dolly” from the musical of the same name by Herman and Stewart.  This musical was based on the Thornton Wilder farce “The Matchmaker. The first version of the song went like this: “Hello Kerry, well hello Kerry/  It’s so nice to have you here where you belong/ You’re looking swell, Kerry, we can tell, Kerry/  You’re still glowing, you’re still crowing,/ You’ll be growing strong.”

PHOTOS, clockwise beginning above, top: Pudong Campus Deputy Superintendent Andrew Torris hands out thank you letters acknowledging service to the members of the Assessment Task Force; Jacobson greets Marilyn Burgess, Pudong Campus Academic Support teacher; The “Trio” sings, introducing Superintendent Jacobson at the “Big Tent” meeting; the SAS community of faculty, administrators and staff gather in the cafeteria for BBQ; Jacobson outlines his vision at the morning plenary session at the Performing Arts Center. EAGLE photos by Jeanette Dixon, Steven Carozza and Timothy Merrill.

PUDONG (for PUXI Campus, scroll down): The SAS Pudong Campus High School Class of 2010 — the class of the decade!  Ten years ago when we marked the millennium, all thoughts were on what lay ahead in the next decade or even century.  Predictions abounded of global disaster on one hand and amazing technological advances on the other. 

Also in that Millennium Year, 85 eight-year olds were scattered across the globe, also wondering what lay ahead for them when they “grow up.”  And now in 2010 at Shanghai American School they have come together and have “grown up”, with life plans much more in focus, with personalities and values much more concrete, and with the next four years well mapped out.  This group of young people who find themselves at age 18 or 19 today have come together to form the Class of 2010 at Shanghai American School – Pudong. 

Who are they?  What a diverse group of kids!  Introverted, outgoing; athletic, clumsy; academic, struggling; musical, dramatic; confident, worried — and everything in between.  That’s as it should be. Each is talented in his or her own way, and each will use those talents in adult life to serve themselves while they also serve others.

When this group started at SAS-Pudong in Grade 9, we were just moving into our new library/science building from the five high school classrooms we had occupied on the third floor of what is now the middle school.  The next year we moved again into our new high school building, and soon after that into our new gyms and sports center.  Finally, this spring some of our Seniors were able to take a dive into our new swimming pool.  Just as our school has grown each year, so have these young people grown from somewhat timid 9th graders to confident and energetic young people, ready to leave school, leave home, and take on the world on their own terms.

They have accomplished much.  We are justly proud of our National Merit Scholarship winner and the acceptances that our graduates have earned from universities around the world: MIT, Colombia, NYU, Dartmouth, Brown, Georgetown, Cornell and so many others; universities in London and Toronto and Hong Kong and Sydney and Delft and Shanghai — these “big names” certainly grab the headlines, and act as a public “stamp of approval” for our young high school, now in only its third graduating class.  But we are most happy that each young person has found a college or university that matches his or her unique set of talents and characteristics, which makes it the very best place for them to continue their education.  Just as they gathered from around the world to form this Class of 2010, now they are “arrows sent forth” from Shanghai American School, taking the knowledge and skills they have learned here – along with the maturity that their parents and teachers have nurtured – to positively impact the world as they continue to define who they are to themselves and to others.

Making this happen has been a joint effort among parents, teachers, and students.  It has been difficult at times, frustrating at times, but also successful almost all the time.  We at SAS are proud to have been such a large part in your children’s growth during these high school years, and thank you for trusting us, the teachers, administrators, and staff of SAS–Pudong, with your sons and daughters. As adults we wish our graduates well and send them out with the confidence that comes from having completed a job well done. It is an honor to have been a part of their lives, and we look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments. Thank you for that privilege.

By Jonathan BORDEN, High School Principal, Pudong Campus

PUXI CAMPUS: I remember the first time I met the Class of 2010.  It was Grade 9 orientation and all the students were sitting in the bleachers in the gym. They were very quiet. I tried to tell some jokes and received no response. They just sat and stared at me. 

They have certainly changed over the years. As graduating seniors, they are definitely not quiet! They have grown from quiet and shy 9th graders to outgoing, gregarious 12th graders.  In the past four years, they have won APAC championships, been selected for prestigious honor music festivals and literally built houses all around the world. Our high school is a better place because of these students. 

Perhaps their greatest accomplishment is in the area of college admission. A stunning 66% of the graduates have been accepted to one of the top 100 universities in the world.

Good luck and congratulations to the Class of 2010!

By Alan KNOBLOCH, High School Principal, Puxi Campus

The mud cave is probably one of the more well-known aspects of the trip. It’s a simple enough activity, but a surprisingly fulfilling one—romping in the mud without a worry in the world is something everyone has wanted to do. We only spent a meager 15 minutes sloshing through slipperiness before we had to clamber out of the pit and begin to make our way back out of the Moon Water Cave, though.

As the mud dried and stiffened over our faces, we braved the rocky path back through the countryside, wading through gurgling streams and flicking mud on the leaves we passed by. By the time we had dried enough to become rather frightening terracotta warriors, we had reached the entrance to the cave again. We were only too happy to leap into the muddy water of the outside pool there, and wash away all of the muck that had collected in our hair and, well, all over.

The biking activity on China Alive, as well, became infamous for its muddiness during our five days there. It was clear to me why as soon as I began riding. Traversing the muddy countryside meant having to ride though puddles of rainwater; it caused ridiculous amounts of mud to be flung onto our pants, bottom, and lower back. I wasn’t surprised to see villagers staring at us as we passed, muttering, “Oh my…” and tsking. After all, we were basically a line of silly kids mounted on bikes that had once been bright red, in the process of dyeing our pants a lovely shade of brown. We fell a lot, too. It’s hard to believe, but the bike ride was one of the highlights of the trip. The karst mountains and other scenery flying by us as we rode might have played a part in that.

Kayaking was something only a few of us did, as the river was closed off part way through the trip because of heavy rain. Those who did it, though, were definitely the lucky ones, as it was an exhilarating experience to be able to paddle down the river in Yangshuo and watch the villages on the shoreline whoosh along. We splashed each other and sped though sheets of mist clinging to the water, and I felt grateful for having had a kayaking unit in PE. Our laughter and disdainful screeches probably kept all the boats away. Yangshuo’s crickets and frogs are loud enough without the screaming of hyper eighth-graders to add to the mix.

Then there was rock climbing, abseiling, and traversing. Abseiling involved jumping down a cliff (with a rope and harness of course!) We went slowly, though some people still managed to slam themselves against the wall as they were going down. Traversing involved sliding on a rope between one rock point and another. Rock climbing involved grappling with a rain-slicked cliff side and trying, despite precariously balanced limbs, to keep up with your rock climbing guide’s yells: “TO THE RIGHT! STICK YOUR HAND IN THAT NICHE THERE!” In any case, it was pure heaven for those who enjoy rock climbing, exciting for those daredevils who have always wanted to jump off of a cliff and avoid death, and all-around an excellent activity.

We also experienced orienteering, which was a first for many students. This involved map work with a compass and calculating the general direction of a landmark with the aid of a list of degrees. Then we had to physically trek there (this in a very large stretch of farmland) and take a photo of it. Our group did this in the sweltering heat, all the while dodging thorny bushes, buffalo dung, newly planted trees, and mud-slicked ledges. Few people understood the map work, and many found orienteering to be rather unexciting. It was still better than a museum, though, and it allowed us to slow down and take a proper look at the sprawling landscape that Yangshuo is so famous for. You don’t soak up these views properly while speeding past them in a kayak or a bike.

Chinese Cooking was one of the least physical of the activities, but still worthwhile. I had originally thought that it would be boring. It turned out to be anything but. Yangshuo-style eggplant, egg dumplings, a pork and vegetable stir-fry (“the orange thing” that everybody loved), steamed chicken with wolfberries, and a healthy portion of greens were among the dishes we learned to make that day. They turned out delicious, despite how some of the cooking teachers enjoyed dumping ridiculous amounts of oil into them. I was among the many who were finally proud that they could cook something beyond scrambled eggs.

And we definitely won’t forget the free time on West Street we were allotted every day. Fooling about with your friends is also what China Alive is all about, after all, and our bargaining skills came into play whenever we set our eyes on a pretty trinket.

On the very last night of China Alive (a grief-filled one indeed), we held Camp Yangshuo. We gathered in the hotel dining area while teachers and students alike put on wonderful performances. We sang along to songs, laughed hysterically at the antics of the performers, and closed China Alive with a bang. I don’t know a single person who could have avoided being sucked into the fun and cheeriness of it all. Most of us basked in it, and the memories of this trip will stay with me for a lifetime.

By Catherine LI, G8, Puxi Campus

Students evaluate SAS through eco-school program

By Luke WANG, G9

Just how “green” is SAS? This is the question we tried to answer in conducting the first Eco-School Audit at SAS. Eco-School is an environmental outreach project that is run by Roots and Shoots/Jane Goodall Institute of Shanghai which assesses the environmental sustainability of a school. 

To begin the audit, students must go through the training session which provides an idea on how correctly to assess their school. The training consists of program resources, checklist training and report training. Each part of the training is then broken down to more detailed instructions such as how to do walk-through observations, administrative interviews and student surveys.

SAS high school students from both Pudong and Puxi Roots and Shoots clubs joined a training in February which helped prepare them for an Eco-Audit to determine how “green” our school really is. 

Over the past month, high school students carefully followed all the checklists and surveys provided by Roots and Shoots and applied the Eco-School audit to our Pudong campus. For the walk-through observations, students went to different parts of the high school building to see if energy-saving devices are used and whether any lights were on in unoccupied rooms.

For the survey of the behavior of students, the audit found that most of SAS students know how to be conscious about our environment: 81.5 % turn off taps when not in use and 77.8 % use durable cutlery instead of disposable. However, there is still room for improvement to make the students’ behavior “greener.”

When we had an interview with Stevie Zhou in Facilities, we found our school is quite environmentally conscious. For example, the school tries to use energy-saving materials when possible and filters the used water before discarding it.

All the observations, surveys and interviews resulted in some very interesting findings, including:

• All the printers, photocopiers and multi-function devices on the Pudong campus high school are energy saving
• 4.8% routinely print using the draft mode for non-official documents
• Guards, when going around the school, turn off lights in vacant rooms
• Most of the rooms have energy-saving lamps which are functional
• Our school consumes about 1,520 reams of paper each year
• Unwanted computers and electronics are donated to companies
• We need to plant about 16,126 trees to compensate for our carbon footprint
   
  Suggestions for Improvement:
• Add light sensors to rooms to automatically turn on/off the lights
• Use hand-dryers instead of paper towels
• Add more water-saving devices in the bathrooms
• Supply reusable teacup/mugs for guests
• Reduce the amount of paper consumed by printing double-sided more frequently
• Promote using draft mode when printing non-official documents (less toner)
• Start an institutional composting/gardening program in ES, MS, HS cafeteria
• Use non-toxic alternatives for cleaning within the school
• Reduce pesticide use and plant gardens on school grounds

Single Sided Paper

By Kimbra POWER,  ES Teacher, PD

Single Sided Paper
What’s it gonna be?
Is this the end of the line for you?
You’ve met your destiny?

You could have been a shopping list
You might have been a song
You could have been a poem
Of a love story gone wrong

You could have been a valentine
An origami paper plane
You might have held a final note
A letter to complain

You might have been a report card
Or a letter to a friend
But here I see you naked
Could it really be the end?

No child’s first words, no sketch or two
No doodle on the phone
Have you been spared indignity?
Have you been left alone?

And if so was it really worth
The passage down the river
The days on planes, on boats, on docks
No message to deliver

The waiting in the copy room
The voyage up the stairs
The lay in wait, for days, for months
And now, have you been spared?

What was it for if this should be
The way that it has passed
That you’ve been singled out to have no purpose
No small task

“What’s wrong with me?” you seem to ask
Your plainness seems to scream
“What separates me from my
Other brothers in the ream?”

“If I’m not used by some small child,
Some person passing by”
“I’ll spend my white eternity forever
Asking why?”                       

Both SAS campuses send Roots & Shoots teams to plant a forest in Inner Mongolia
By Max WANG, G11

In times of economic recession, it’s good to know where your money really goes.

This year and last, SAS Roots and Shoots, in cooperation with the Million Tree Project, asked parents, teachers, and students to offset their carbon emissions when traveling by purchasing trees to be planted in Inner Mongolia that help combat deforestation and the resulting desertification.
Last year, SAS collected enough money to plant 1,000 trees, or an entire SAS forest. 

April 16-19, SAS Roots and Shoots members were in eastern Inner Mongolia to follow our community’s money and goodwill and do some actual tree planting. At first, many SAS students were shocked by the alien quality of the landscape: vestiges of former grassland and forest had disappeared, leaving only tons of sandy soil. The sheer volume of this fine loess was astounding; it spread in every direction and we could even taste it in our mouths. Over the course of two days, 13 SAS students and two teachers aided by local farmers and other adult volunteers managed to plant a total of 1,046 trees!

In Inner Mongolia, desertification is due to logging, overgrazing, climate change, and non-sustainable farming practices. The Jane Goodall Institute of Shanghai, in cooperation with international schools, private sector and the Chinese government, aims to rehabilitate this degraded ecosystem and introduce sustainable practices to the farmers of the region. Trees serve the function of holding down the loose soil with their roots, in turn falling leaves and organic matter from trees help to restore soil quality and retain rainwater. Intercropping further helps farmers to reclaim agricultural land and restore biodiversity.

Cooperating with the local farmers, SAS students were motivated to plant as many trees as possible through perseverance and teamwork.  In addition to showing us the most efficient method for digging, the farmers helped us to understand their lives and see how environmental and economic fates intersect. Tree farming has provided a new industry in Inner Mongolia, and one farmer explained how she is working to send three of her children through the local medical school.

Beyond planting trees, the members of SAS Roots and Shoots participated in a trash pick-up of debris blown into local fields and visited a school to spread awareness about the environment. Our students were impressed with the extent of the local children’s knowledge regarding photosynthesis and the role of trees in reducing CO2 levels in the air, and left them with some ways in which they could Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Students who participated in this year’s trip are eager to return to out-plant themselves next year. So far in 2010, the SAS community has collected the money to plant a second forest in Inner Mongolia.  With the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral school in China, SAS students, teachers and families continue to offset their travel by purchasing trees. China Alive trips as well as flights from other school events such as APAC, and even family travel have all helped the SAS contribute to the reclamation of desert land: one tree at a time.

As SAS continues to grow and purchase trees, more students will have the opportunity to see where our money really goes, explore new landscapes and cultures, and learn what it really means to become global citizens, acting with the past and the future in mind. 
More information about the Million Tree Project can be found at www.mtpchina.org.

How green are you?
By Pudong Campus HS ROOTS & SHOOTS club

On April 22 we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  Since this day is about appreciating and preserving our environment, below you will find an eco self-assessment tool. This list is just a start – feel free to add your own ideas!

After evaluating yourself, post it on your somewhere public.
If you have all the boxes ticked, you should be proud of yourself!
If not, then you know what you can do to start contributing, because every little action does matter!   
 
 Earth Day Self-Assessment

 I try to reduce (go paperless) whenever possible
 When I do use paper, I reuse it before recycling it
 I have a recycle box in my home/classroom
 I turn off lights when a room is unoccupied
 I turn off my computer overnight
 I use my own bottle to drink water
 I use my own mug to drink coffee/tea
 I use only one or two paper towels after washing my hands
 I make double-sided copies when possible
 I turn off the water when brushing my teeth
 I use public transportation
 I have plants in my home/office/classroom
 I have a recycle box in my classroom.
 I have a reuse box in my classroom.
 I encourage students to use the recycle box.
 I encourage students to reduce and then reuse paper.
 I empty my recycle box or make accessible to Roots & Shoots members.
Earth Day 2010 celebrated with creative ideas

By Chloe CHOI, G11

On April 22, the Pudong campus was full of students wearing green. It was the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the most widely celebrated non-religious holiday on the plante, and the high school students were ready to go green. Roots and Shoots organized interesting activities, to celebrate Earth Day.

Two weeks ago, Roots and Shoots put up 62 flowers made out of recycled water bottles, and encouraged students to guess the number of bottles placed around the school. This activity highlighted the fact that SAS now recycles plastic water bottles in the cafeteria, and reminded students of creative ways to recycle trash into art.

An Earth Day To Do List was printed on a poster with 40 convenient ways to go greener, and reminded the students of the important day with practical suggestions for how to celebrate. More than 100 students and teachers made “Earth Day Pledges,” promising to do one simple thing to celebrate or protect our planet.

Thanks to the students who enthusiastically took part in the events, Roots and Shoots came up with more than 100 different ways to improve the environment, including turning off lights when leaving a room, unplugging phone chargers, bringing a reusable water bottle, using both sides of paper and taking shorter showers.

From all the entries, 40 Earth Pledges were picked, and the lucky participants got delicious free cupcakes that were specially baked for Earth Day generously provided by Sweet Ever After.

It was impressive to find out how SAS high school students have been thinking about the Earth and taking care of the environment. A quick walk through our cup-free school shows recycle bins in the hallway, posters made using old class projects, boxes for reusing paper in classrooms, plastic bottles separated in the cafeteria and red/green dots on light switches to help reduce electricity use. Through meaningful school activities on Earth Day, SAS students learned quick and easy but significant ways to contribute to our environment.

Just as Dr. Seuss wrote in The Lorax, we need to “speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” Let’s remember so every day can be Earth Day!

Roots & Shoots is grateful to Sweet Ever After, a cupcake company which supported Earth Day with cupcakes for the  raffle contest.

High school students teach elementary students about the environment
By John DONG

A couple weeks ago, a group of high school Roots & Shoots members led an elementary afterschool activity which aimed to educate and engage young children in the concept of saving the environment.

This was done through a variety of activities, including making environmentally friendly air fresheners, creating new sheets of paper from old newspapers, and decorating herb pots with various environmental messages, among others.

These activities were a great success, both in reinforcing known concepts as well as exposing students to  new ideas such as sustainability, energy usage, and recycling. 

According to organizer Eric Xue, ”I believe we have made a positive impact on the children and their understanding of Roots & Shoots’ fundamental goal-helping our environment.  Hopefully, we can continue this activity with just as much enthusiasm.”

Students visit trees planted two years ago and plant new ones
By Kathy ANDERSON, HS Science Teacher/IB Coordinator, Puxi Campus

The Kulun Qi area of Inner Mongolia is an area that suffers from desertification.  This is the site Shanghai Roots and Shoots has chosen for their Million Tree Project.   SAS students and parents have been generous in supporting the Million Tree Project on both campuses by donating money to buy trees.  SAS Puxi campus Roots and Shoots set the target of donating a 1,000 trees to this year’s planting season and we are pleased to report we exceeded that target.

As of April, 2009, Shanghai Roots and Shoots Million Tree project had already planted 200,000 with the goal of planting another 200,000 this planting season.  We are proud to say that because of the sweat and hard work of 12 Puxi campus HS students and two teachers,  450 of those trees are in the ground!

It was a phenomenal experience for the Roots and Shoots members to follow the fundraising cycle all the way to its destination by having the opportunity to see our Phil-anthropological work become a reality.  We could witness first hand the impact this project is having on the ecological and humanitarian conditions of Kulun Qi. 

We learned that the Roots and Shoots Million Tree Project is a bit different than other tree planting initiatives as they build into the purchase price the cost of taking care of the trees during its growing cycle.  This was certainly evident as we had the opportunity to visit previous planting sites and witness the remarkable growth of the trees.”  Jenny Lim, an SAS senior, was on her second Roots and Shoots tree-planting trip and had the chance to visit the plot of trees that she planted two years ago. She commented that she felt a huge sense of “achievement seeing her trees from last time that had grown thick and wide” 

Getting caught in a sand storm in the middle of our planting site was certainly uncomfortable but as Stephanie Sun, Roots and Shoots Puxi campus president said “The sandstorm was incredible because we got to see the problems of this climate and it reminded us why were are here.” 

In addition to learning the academics of desertification, we also learned the pragmatics of using a shovel as we tried to copy what the farmers made looks so easy.  Nelson Zhang commented that “it was actually quite refreshing to leave everything behind and do some hard labor for a weekend.” 

Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world.        
—Dr. Jane Goodall founder of Roots and Shoots

The Powerful Gift of Fertility / Amber Yin  

 Natural Beauty   /    Amber Yin

Freedom and Censorship /
     Alex Hung

  Kite Run  / Callum Voge

Different Ways  /   Angela Chen

Waiting Call on Nature/ Jessica Chu

Life Cycle-Search of Life / Jessica Chu

The Tree Perception /
   Susan Fang

World on His  Shoulders / Jaclyn Cappello

Self-portrait      /   Susan Fang

 7 Face / Susan Fang

Self-Portrait /  Glara Jung

Resting / Joyce Ng

Siren / Julie Xu

Flight in Memory/  Anita Cheung 

Impermanence     / Wendy Chen

 

The work displayed on these pages is but a portion of the Art Shows on both campuses, and we regret that limits of space prohibit us from sharing many other deserving artists whose work is worthy of viewing.

The Shanghai Cup tournament brought together four teams for two days of soccer: British International School Shanghai Puxi, Concordia International School Shanghai, and the Puxi and Pudong teams of Shanghai American School.

The Lady Eagles of Puxi didn’t let a goal in throughout the group stage, finishing with three wins over the other teams. Emily Zhang deserves special honors for hitting the game winners in two of those matches.

The championship match brought together the two strongest teams of the tournament: the controlled style of play of SAS Puxi versus the long-ball tactics of Concordia. Having faced each other the previous day, both sides knew what they had to do to defend and what they needed to execute to score. After 70 minutes of play, and many near chances for both sides, a 0-0 draw meant they were going to penalties. Concordia converted their first, SAS Puxi shot second and missed. Concordia hit their second and the pressure was on! SAS Puxi converted their next two kicks as Concordia remained perfect, leaving the score at 3-2 for CISS with both teams having two shooters left. SAS Puxi keeper Christine (C.C.) Cheung brilliantly saved the next kick and Yen Fang Koh brought the teams level with her shot. C.C. would again make a valiant save, putting the game in Emily Zhang’s hands — or left foot, to be precise.

Just as she did in the group stage, Emily put a winner in the back of the net for the third time of the weekend; the trophy was won!

But all credit goes to the defensive performances of Dara Firoozi, Liz Saelens, Eilidh Lindsay-Sinclair, Yurina Roche, Honami Iizuka, Jenn Kao and of course goalkeeper C.C. Cheung. With these four additional clean sheets, SAS Puxi hasn’t conceded a goal in over 450 minutes of play, and have only let in four goals all season! Quite a feat indeed!

Follow all the SAS Puxi Varsity Girls Soccer action on their Web site: http://iwebpx.saschina.org/danielmotta/Varsity_Girls/Home.html or http://tinyurl.com/ylzmxnu.

–Daniel Motta, Assistant Coach

Pudong Campus Varsity Boys take a win over their Puxi Campus brothers

We started the season with only seven returning players, many new faces, and having not yet built strong team chemistry. However, our objective remained the same; win a championship.

It didn’t matter that we were a very young and small team missing one of our coaches, we were prepared to play the “beautiful game of soccer, as a team,” as Coach Thornbury always says. Beating Concordia in the first round of the Shanghai Cup helped us gain confidence in ourselves. We seemed to have a strong and solid defense, as well as a very productive attack. Rodrigo Ortiz, MJ Kim and Tae Hyun each scored a goal making the final 3-0 and giving us the first three points we needed. With improved confidence, we came out for the second game against BISS Puxi knowing that a win would automatically put us into the championship game. It was a complicated, tough and very physical game. We generated many chances to score, yet were unable to modify the 0-0 score until the second half. Patience was a key that helped us claim a 2-0 victory; Rodrigo Ortiz and Chris Germain scoring our goals.

Although we lost our third round robin game against our hosts, SAS Puxi, we had earned enough points to qualify for the final, where we would meet them again. We were hoping for a better result the second time around.

We have played in three finals in the last three years. Each time, we came up short. We wanted to change that trend and make history. SAS Pudong was now playing SAS Puxi, their sister school, in the final. There has always been a healthy rivalry between our two campuses. Over the past few years, this rivalry has fostered mutual respect for each other and elevated our level of play. We felt that in order to be the best, we must beat the best. Puxi campus has consistently set the highest standard for their teams and it was time for Pudong to do the same.

Puxi scored early in the first half and were up 1-0. Both teams had many opportunities to score, but it remained 1-0 until late in the game when Chris Germain met a corner kick from MJ Kim and sent the ball flying into the net. With the game being tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time, the championship was going to be determined by penalty kicks. Pudong finished with Victor Kung, Liam McGrath and Rodrigo Ortiz and me scoring the goals while our goalkeeper, Derek Schwung made a crucial save that sealed the victory for Pudong. Champions, at last. We commend SAS Puxi for a well-fought, well-played game of football and for hosting a great Shanghai Cup. “Play together, for each other” — SAS Pudong Shanghai Cup Champions. By —Inaki ORTIZ, G11

The capacious new center on the Pudong campus rivals if not exceeds any such international school facility in Southeast Asia. Designed in 2005 by the US architect (H2L2), the Pudong Aquatic Center is centered between the HS classroom building and the gymnasiums.  The new Aquatic Center can be accessed internally from all schools.  With a total area of 2,282 square meters, this indoor aquatic facility houses an 8-lane pool (25 x 20.4 = 510 M²) with non-slip tile decking and a water-to-edge gutter system. Other pool features include:

• Two sets of boys and girls locker rooms (for home and guest teams)
• Spectator area with 168 seats on the second level.
• Office area with full view of the pool. 
• The pool area and water is designed to reach a temperature of 30 C during operation.
• Floor warmers for comfort and to prevent window fog.
• High quality professional grade non-slip starting blocks.
• Emergency care apparatus located inside of the pool’s staff office.
• High grade water filtering system.
• State-of-the-art timing system imported from the US.  This system includes a touch pad, mounted digital clock and remote computer controls.
• The pool and system qualify for use in professional swimming competitions.

Thanks to the careful planning, hard work and dedication of the School’s Project Team, Pool Directors, Support Services Group and Administrators, this major construction project went smoothly.  This project represents a significant contribution to the school’s physical education, sports, and safety programs, and promises to be a valuable asset that will draw new families to the campus.

In his welcoming remarks, Superintendent Harlan Lyso said that the “SAS Board has long been committed to ensuring that the educational facilities provided on both SAS campuses are world class and that they support the school’s curricular and extracurricular programs.”

He went on to pay tribute to the many individuals and organizations without whose skills and dedication the Aquatics Center could not have happened. “Building a facility as complex as an aquatics center is a daunting challenge anywhere in the world,” he said. “The fact that the facility was completed on time and exhibits the quality work that continues to be a trademark of SAS facilities is the result of a LOT of people doing their work extremely well. This whole idea began with the Facilities Task Force, a subcommittee of the board.  Through the vision and dedication of the task force, the concept of this amazing facility was born.  The SAS Board then evidenced its commitment to this project by allocating funds for the construction despite the unavailability of external funds. Over the years we have had an extraordinarily satisfying relationship with China #6 Construction. As they have been involved in several SAS construction projects, when China #6 won the construction contract there was a sense of confidence that may not have existed with another construction company.  Under the supervision of project managers, Dave and Yi Triplett, the project developed from a vision to a big hole in the ground to the remarkable facility we have here today.  All of us within the SAS community should be grateful for the good work of so many people who have played an important role in the fulfillment of the vision of a world class aquatics center at SAS Pudong.”

Lyso then turned to the Director of the Pudong Campus Aquatics Center (Jon Biros, Director of the Puxi Campus Aquatics Center was standing nearby), and said, “Today we officially turn the facility over to George Carpouzis and the aquatics team knowing that for years to come this facility will be an incredible resource in the lives of current and future SAS students.  I know I speak for all students and parents when I express gratitude to all who played a role in bringing the vision of an aquatics center at SAS Pudong to a reality.  From this day forward aquatics is alive and well at SAS Pudong.”

After greetings from Chris Beede of the US Consulate, and some words from High School Principal, Jonathan Borden, guests were invited to tour the facilities and snack on a buffet provided by Eurest, while Coach Carpouzis, got the Pudong campus swim team in the water demonstrating different swimming strokes for onlookers.
CONGRATULATIONS!

Individuals attending ribbon-cutting ceremony, offering their congratulations and best wishes included:

Mr. Huang Xiaofeng, Mayor of Heqing Town

Ms. Wang Qin Li, Deputy Town Mayor

Mr. Feng Zhi, Director Assistant & Section Chief of International Cooperation Division, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission

Chris Beede, Deputy Principal Officer, US Consulate Shanghai

Keenton Chiang, Commerical Officer, US Consulate Shanghai, Board Member

Mery Montgomery, Robert Song, Cindy Qui: Current members of the Board of Directors

Katie Ferguson and Karen Chow, PTSA presidents, Pudong and Puxi campuses respectively

David Leung, CFO/CBO

Dave and Yi Triplett, Project Managers

Mr. Ma, Mr. Ma, Mr. Chen, China #6 Construction Representatives  

Danny Zhang, Shanghai Links General Manager

Lillian Zhao, Shanghai Links Service Manager

Martin Zhang, Maria Tree, Raymond McDaid, David Yeh, Faciliities Task Force Members

By Timothy MERRILL, Editor, The Eagle; and Dave TRIPLETT, Project Manager

On February 5, Shanghai American School’s Pudong campus middle school hosted 15 participating schools in a wonderful Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) Chinese Talent Show event. Approximately 1,000 people were involved in this event and took part in three programs in the competition: Singing dance, Kong Fu and Instrument Performance.  Students also had the opportunity to participate in Chinese cultural activities such as face painting, egg painting, Chinese knotting, and Dragon and Phoenix Calligraphy.   All competing students got a free event T-shirt , free lunch, and all groups received a trophy. 

The opening ceremony began at 9:30am as the Pudong campus middle school welcomed participating students by performing the dragon and lion dances.  It was a thrilling show. Our sponsor, Ms. Leanne, invited a face-changing master from Si Chuan province to entertain and amaze the students with his mysterious mask-changing skills.

The entire competition lasted from 9:30am to 1pm.  Following the competition, students were awed by acrobats and magicians. The whole day was filled with performances enjoyed by all.  

Trophies were awarded at the Closing Ceremony for the three areas of competition.  In singing and dance competition, SAS Pudong campus middle school student, Daniel Kong and his sister, Alisa Kong (elementary school) shared first place in Elementary School dance with SAS Puxi campus elementary school student, Mignon Xu. The other two SAS Pudong campus middle school dance groups earned second and third places respectively in Middle School Dance. Owen Xu performed wonderful face-changing, thus he received the first place as well. Sharon Hu from the Puxi campus high school, and Amanda Li from middle school (Pudong) won first place in the MS/HS singing category. The Pudong campus middle school also received all third place awards Middle School Singing. 

Pudong campus students also shined in Instrument competition, with Kevin Xu and Kristina Zeng taking second place and Tiffany Schnell in third place in Piano competition. Anna and Kelly Wang from Pudong won first place and third place respectively in elementary string.

In Chamber Group competition, Sam Wu and Alex Bi from the Puxi campus were awarded first place. Arial Lee and Jenna Wang from Pudong campus received second place. 

In the Kongfu session, Jaden Kidd, Matthew Easton, and Lauren Johnston from Puxi campus, and Angelina from Pudong campus took second place in the elementary school handset category, while Josh and Noah Murray from Puxi campus received third place. Mr. Yun’s Pudong campus middle school grade 7 students won first place in MS and HS handset, and Nellie Thompson, Matthew Wong, Lyle Kah, Issa Takada, Michael Dong and David Park were awarded second.

All of these awards can only mean one thing: SAS students are the stars of Shanghai! 

Irene Gu, 2009-2010 ACAMIS Chinese Talent Show organizer

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FROM VICE-PRINCIPAL JEFF ROSEN (MS-PUDONG CAMPUS):

You know those times when you’re proud to be working in education?  More specifically, proud to be working in education at SAS?  Well, Friday February 5 was certainly one of those times.  On that day, the Middle School on the Pudong Campus played host to the ACAMIS Chinese New Year Celebration and Talent Show.  Six months ago, our Chinese department stepped up and took the lead in planning this wonderful event which involved hundreds of students from a dozen schools around Shanghai including our sister campus, Puxi.  Proud youngsters from both SAS campuses displayed their physical prowess in the Martial Arts category, their musical talents on their instruments, and their artistic aptitude in song and dance.  But above all, they proved that they have been empowered. Whether in ES, MS, or HS, from SAS Puxi, Pudong or international and local schools around Shanghai kids, kids took centre stage and became the experts and leaders in their field.  The day was also highlighted by myriad Chinese cultural activities in which the SAS students participated.  All in all?  A great day at SAS!

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The gong rang, loud and clear, signaling the start of the Chinese Culture day. All around, students, teachers, and parents watched as two colorful dragons raced onstage, leaving everyone in a daze as they swirled in patterns of their own movement.

For most people, it was a fun day at school where they got to take a day off class and watch some fabulous performances by 15 different schools. However, for us it was a totally different situation.

We were at the talent show, not as audience members, but as an emcees. We both had lines we’d had to practice for weeks, and lots of effort to put in.

My partner, Madeline, and I headed straight for the Library Lecture Hall (LLH) after the opening ceremony, for we would be hosting the instrumental performances there. However, my sister and her partner, Kate, stayed at the high school gym, where they would be hosting the Kung Fu performances. The singing and dancing performances were hosted by Amanda, Wenjie, and Sophie in the auditorium.

Through my perspective at the instrumental performances, the performances consisted of many different sections, each with its own individuality and musicality. I watched as students as young as only six years old got up on stage and presented their piece of music to the eager audience. Each piece struck me as unique, while when two students performed the same piece, each student had their own interpretation of the music, making it sound different.

My sister experienced a similar performance. Each performer had the bravery and courage to go onstage and perform. Many of the performers were extremely young, and she remembers one six year old too nervous to go onstage. However, he mustered up his strength and rose to the challenge.

By the end of the performances, we were in awe, and inspired by the young performers. We found that it takes a large amount of bravery to stand up in front of a crowd of people and perform.

As we read the last words to close the competition, I felt that every student in the competition deserved a gold medal. And not just for playing well either. These students demonstrated empowerment by entering the competition, and held their places strong while we watched them sparkle and shine.

By Carina and Melissa SEAH, Grade 7 and 6,  Middle School, Pudong  Campus

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What a great way to welcome the Year of the Tiger!  If you were at the ACAMIS Chinese Talent/Competition held at SAS-Pudong on February 5, 2010, you would whole-heartedly agree with me.  However, if you missed the event, I hope I will be able to capture the spirits of the event for you here with a few snapshots of the festival presented below.

We welcomed participants from 15 international schools in Shanghai with a warm opening ceremony.  The superb dragon dance and lion dance performed by our own SAS students energized the audience and began our festivities.  We enjoyed the kung-fu performance and marveled at the skills of the special face-changing master from Sichuan province.  If ever there was any trace of anxiety and nervousness in the air when all the contestants arrived in the morning, the tension dissipated and was replaced by a sense of excitement when the opening ceremony concluded.  Each participant went to the venue of his/her event feeling more relaxed and energized.

The competition was divided into three main categories:  Kung Fu, Instruments, Singing and Dancing.  I visited all three events and found it difficult to pick a favorite.  All of them have something unique and wonderful to offer.  I am impressed with the strict discipline and artistry displayed by the Kung Fu participants.  Each and every one of them is able to combine the rigorous physical movements with a unique style of grace and beauty.  The Kung Fu events include marshal arts, stick and sword demonstration, weaponry, as well as dragon and lion dance.

While I was impressed with the skills of the Kung Fu participants, I was equally charmed by the beautiful music produced by the Instrumental participants.  The variety of talents that we had among the group was totally impressive.  The participants demonstrated their skills in piano, saxophone, guitar, violin, gu zheng (a Chinese instrument) and flute.  The audience was fortunate to be entertained by some very beautiful music indeed.

Similarly, the Singing competition brought forth some beautiful vocal music to entertain the audience.  At the same time, the Dancing division provided the ultimate sensory enjoyment of sight and sound with its beautiful choreography, colorful costumes and carefully selected music.

I certainly did not envy the task of all the judges—it was truly a difficult job to select the winners amongst this talented group of students.  At the end of the day, when the winners were announced, the excitement among the winners who brought home their trophies was contagious.  However, even for the participants who did not bring home a trophy, I think they should still be extremely proud of their performance and talents demonstrated.  In my mind, each and every one of the contestants in this highly competitive event is a winner!

By Mui Sin KOH-SEAH, Parent, SAS-Pudong  Campus

It was great fun for all and a good chance for us to appreciate a short time dedicated strictly to reading. The SAS Libraries and librarians sponsored this event and school administrators, Eurest staff, Security and Support Services provided assistance, coordinating with their staff.

—Rosemary KINYANJUI—SAS Libraries Coordinator

SAS, Pudong Campus, represented the delegations of Morocco, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at the conference.

In addition, junior Benedict Wong proudly made club history by serving as the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Senior Ben Wang and junior Bex Li represented the Advocates of Ecuador in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). And senior Sunwoo Park joined the Youth Assembly while senior Angela Yu took a pivotal role in the MUNITY Press.

The conference was an unqualified success for both the East and the West campuses of Shanghai American School. Wong organized and chaired an outstandingly selective and dedicated ECOSOC forum. In the forum, as the delegate of Morocco, junior Dion Loke main-submitted and passed his resolution. Freshman Crystal Lee completed the same feat in GA1 on her debut conference. Wong and Li won their case against Colombia, represented by host school Hwa Chong Institution, with a unanimous in favour vote from the judges in the ICJ. Senior Charles Lok and junior Teddy Jung, as the ambassador and delegate of Morocco respectively, delivered speeches to nearly 1,000 people at the opening speeches and plenary meetings.
Most of our other delegates were also able to become co-submitters to resolutions in their respective forums, and took active part in debate. As Angela appropriately pointed out, MUN “is definitely not for people to just bring talent and skill to the table; MUNITY and MUN in general are all about the collaborative effort.”

Our newer members, many of whom were on their first major conference, overcame their initial fears and each found a distinct but enjoyable experience. As sophomore Richard Kong concluded: “The first step is always the hardest. After the first speech you no longer have any fear.” Freshman Emily Yu admitted: “I’ve become a different person … how cliché.”
For seniors, however, the final Singapore trip provided substantial content for future nostalgia. Sunwoo told us: “I am sad that it has ended so quickly, but it was fun and amazing as usual.”

Evidently, beyond debating about sustainable development, disarmament or climate change, the MUN team also enjoyed exploring the rich offerings of sun-drenched Singapore. GA1 delegate of Morocco Grace Ko exclaimed at the end of the week: “This delegate stands educated … and broke.” Crystal probably does the best to summarize our fantastic and somewhat outlandish experience: “Met tons of cool people, freaked out, was happy, going home, will go again next year totally.”

And thus, as good things come to an end, and THIMUN Singapore was no exception. At the end of the day, we are gratified with what we were able to contribute to the issues we discussed, and, as Dion accurately proclaims, “this delegate needs to sleep after spending four days doing his little part to improve the world.”
Thank you, THIMUN Singapore.
Goodbye, and good night.
By Ben Wang, Pudong campus delegation

It has long been the SAS, Puxi Campus MUN team’s tradition to serve with distinction at the THIMUN-Singapore conference every November, and this year was no different. Debating in various different forums, the 31 delegates on this year’s team delivered innovative solutions to pressing world issues and raised the standard of debate in their respective forums.

One member of the team that especially stood out this year was senior Paige Leishman. Serving as the Deputy Secretary General, Leishman was the second-in-command of this year’s conference — second out of 1,061 participants. If it weren’t for her leadership and energy, the conference would not have been nearly as successful as it was.

The other student officers in the team were sophomore Yolanda Yeh, deputy president of the Security Council, and senior Jae Jung Min, president of the International Court of Justice. Both officers led their forums with power and charisma.

Of course, the essence of debate lies within the delegates themselves, and the Puxi Campus delegates, along with our sister campus collegeaues, of course, are among the most accomplished debaters in the conference. Four delegates were chosen to debate in elite forums through a separate application process—sophomores Abigail Watt, Carson Lam and I were selected to debate in the Advisory Panel, and sophomore Kevin Wu was selected to debate in the International Court of Justice.

Nine delegates (freshmen Mona Yue and Tiffany Wong, sophomores Paddy Nopany, Arisa Toyasaki, DJ Jeong, and Yvonne Hsiao, juniors Hong Yi Tu Ye and Johanna Tan, and seniors Max Song) were main submitters of a resolution, and Song and Tan’s resolutions were passed almost unanimously. Seniors Joy Mao and Michael Lau represented Mexico in the Security Council, and submitted many passing clauses.

The plane ride home was depressing. The memories we made during the five-day conference—making new friends, exploring the streets, braving the Singapore sun—are memories that we will cherish for years to come.

By Andrew Wen, Puxi Campus delegation