A martial arts performance staged by one of the vendors, proudly presented our very own elementary students who are currently taking traditional martial arts lessons in their studio. The martial arts teacher hailed from the traditional center of kung fu, Shaolin shi.  

A newcomer to Shanghai is FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology).  This organization, in collaboration with Parametric Technology Corporation, is bringing the FIRST Tech Challenge to Shanghai international schools this year.  The program encourage students to combine science, technology, engineering and math subjects with hands-on learning, critical and creative thinking, business, presentation and teamwork skills.

Another technology-oriented program is offered by Children’s Technology Workshop and they also offer holiday camps, photography, video game design for children aged 3-14.
Looking for academic support for English essay writing, SAT preparation, Math and the  Sciences? New Horizons organizes group tutorials and it is always good to know that they are willing to discuss classes that can meet your needs. 

Mandarin is the common language used in China and not being able to communicate with your domestic helper or the shop keeper and drivers can be very frustrating.  Representatives of Mandarin language schools were available to introduce their lesson plans.

For many new families settling in to a foreign land, choosing the right healthcare facilities are daunting tasks. Having a chance to speak directly with representatives of such facilities give our families an understanding of what is available here.  We have many representatives of such organizations at the fair to help answer questions and to introduce their services to the community.

Having the peace of mind of the right insurance coverage is important for many of us. The chance to speak with a representative of such an organization helps tremendously and we were happy to have this vendor with us at the fair.

Living healthy lives is a must anywhere in the world.  Shanghai is no different.  Shanghai Organics, as the name suggests, provides an avenue for the purchase of organic vegetables and they provide delivery service that makes vegetable shopping a phone call away. A fitness company was also on hand to help plan exercise programs to help us stay trim and healthy.   
Questions about pets and their nutrition were taken care of by one of our vendors who have many years of experience in this business.

 Scouting has been a tradition for more than 100 years and for the Boy Scouts of America, their values-based youth development program helps young people build character, develop personal fitness and imbued in them qualities of responsible citizens. Not to leave his little Cub out in the cold, big brother Dave, shared his table space with his little Cub, Ted, who serves as the Cub Master for Shanghai.

Community service plays an important role in teaching our children compassion and helping others that are less fortunate.  Stepping Stones, a community service organization that runs English teaching programs in approximately 15 migrant schools in Shanghai can do with more volunteers and support from the community.  Another such charitable organization at our Fair, Half the Sky Foundation provides funding and support to help orphans receive the best possible care and attention in a nurturing environment, giving them opportunities that will help them lead normal, healthy lives.

The Community Center of Shanghai/Interkom, connects international residents through social, educational and charitable programs to the people, culture and energy of China. The center offers a variety of resources, including professional counseling, charity programs and social connections for youth.

It was altogether a fun and meaningful day for all present and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants, visitors, volunteers, parents and crews that made this event possible.
By Marilyn SU, Vice-President, PTSA Puxi Campus

Pudong campus Parent Information Fair held in conjunction with first PTSA meeting
On Thursday, August 26, an estimated 150 people attended the Parent Information Fair on the Pudong Campus. Twenty-eight vendors were on hand to offer helpful information to the parents. Some of these vendors included Best Buy, Community Center, Shanghai Daily, Country Holidays, PureSmile, Bio Farm, Citibank, and Bark Shanghai

The Pudong campus of the  PTSA organized a Parent Information Fair held in advance of the year’s first PTSA meeting. New parents, as well as veterans visited vendors showcasing their services. There were practical choices like dentists, doctors, eye clinics and food delivery businesses. Smiling vendors also shared information regarding sports activities, dog grooming, banking and holiday travel. Complimentary cupcakes and cookies were a special treat for parents as they walked through the fair. The room was alive with the sounds of families eager to learn about options available to them here in Shanghai. Please enjoy photos to the right.
 —Kim Crawford, Pudong campus parent

SAS Community its time to dust your book shelves, Spring Clean and generously donate to the SAS International Fair USED BOOK BOOTH. We also accept gently used games, magazines, english & foreign language books

The SAS USED BOOK FAIR Is the Best Book Sale In Shanghai

Also, if you’d like to volunteer to help the International Fair Used Books Committee,
Please contact DeniseFIroozi@gmail.com or 13901667391.

Drop the books off in the PTSA Office 119
located in the
Elementary School, Puxi Campus

The PTSA sponsored event was a collective effort between parents and students to say a big THANK YOU to the teachers and staff who spend a lot of time and effort in educating our children.

This year’s luncheon was a Cinco de Mayo theme.  A big thank you to Amanda Chung, a 10th grade student, for designing this year’s invitation.  She did a great job of capturing the theme of the event in her beautiful design. 

Under the direction of the art teachers, Robert Davis and Elizabeth Tucker, the elementary school students created the decorations for the event.  Each table was adorned with paper made sombreros, the walls were filled with a variety of brightly colored Mexican decor and hanging from the ceiling were red and green stuffed peppers bunched together. 

Many different ethnic foods were provided by the parents, while Eurest catered the Mexican theme dish of tacos.  Maggie Zhang and Charles Yu, both from Eurest, were instrumental in making the lunch a success.  Parents from each grade level provided many other delicious food and beverage items for the luncheon.  Many parents came to help during the day and a special thank you to the 5th grade student council students who were on hand to greet the staff, help clear the tables and hand out their special parting gifts. 

Several students from elementary and high school performed stringed and band music during the event.  We all enjoyed listening to the wonderful music arranged by music teachers Joy Denton and John Leonard.

With each event, the campus depends heavily on the great work of Support Services headed by Ling Fierz.  Allen Zuo and his team worked hard to set up and clean up.  Stevie Zhou and his crew did a great job in helping to hang the decorations. 

Many staff members commented on how much they enjoyed the luncheon.  It was a fun and very memorable day thanks to the parents, student volunteers and the different school departments.  Everyone’s hard work ensured a successful and greatly deserved Staff Appreciation Luncheon.
—Submitted by the Staff Appreciation Luncheon Committee, Pudong PTSA

Those in attendance had a wonderful time mixing and mingling prior to the auction as they sipped sparkling wine and had a close look at all the beautiful carpets that would be auctioned off later in the evening.  The addition of the Silent Auction this year added another layer of fun and excitement to the evening.  A wonderful time was had by all.

Our community can take pride in knowing that that this event has helped bring a science classroom for the Jacaranda School that much closer to reality!  If you wish to track the Jacaranda School’s progress you may visit this web site: http://www.firstgiving.com/robertburke.
On behalf of the entire Shanghai American School community thank you again helping us enjoy such a successful event.

Thank you sponsors!

An event like this would not have been possible without the generous support and sponsorship by our Silent Auction donors, volunteers, and sponsoring companies!
Silent Auction Donors:
Eastern Carpets  
Luis Jiminez & Eurest  

Tianma Country Club
Kathleen’s 5   Temptations   

Alpha Dental Clinic
Coca-Cola   

West Hair Salon   

DTL Michelle Collection
Kebab’s on the Grille  

Andrew Sinclair  

 Lucy Moore
Ellen Levenhagen  
Eilidh Linsday-Sinclair  

Mark Kolinski  
Ann Kolluri   

Leena Parmar   

Sharmila Arora 
Mr. & Mrs. Wong  
Denise & Shah Firoozi  

Simmi Singh  
URBN Hotel
      (Robert & Ritsuko Roche)
Further to Fly Photography
      (Tom Horton)

SPONSORING COMPANIES

Eastern Carpets
Shanghai Racquet Club
Coca-Cola
Pepper Tree Wines
Eurest

Planning and Ticket Sales:
Doug Hundley, Xiao Jian, Cindy Wang, Robert Burke, Shaun McElroy, Kelly Barrons, Julie Lindsay, Leslie Peake, SAS Students, Jane Smith, Karen Chow, Janie Haskell, Sharmila Arora, Simmi Singh, Lily Zhang and The Eagle Shop.

Players appreciated the sizeable cheering section in the bleachers and the home-baked team snacks that were hand-delivered by their fan group, while parents took full advantage of the weekend getaway, attending the games and taking the time to explore some of Beijing’s finest restaurants, including an evening banquet of Beijing’s signature duck.

Booster Club tries to ensure that every team has a “team parent” to provide a link between coaches and players’ families. Team parents play a role in encouraging parents to be present at home games and, increasingly, to attend tournaments at regional international schools.  Parents “taking to the road” for school competition reflects a growing level of school spirit within the SAS community. In victory and defeat, athletes appreciate a parent’s support.

Are you interested in learning what you can do to support high school students as a Booster parent? On Wednesday, February 3, following Principal’s coffee, there will be a lunch meeting of Booster parents at Rendezvous Café to discuss upcoming events. Plans for a Booster Club team for Relay for Life (April 9-10) will be discussed.

Questions? Please contact Jane Smith: smiths@pacific.net.sg or mobile: 13816802593. 

 –Jane SMITH, President Puxi Booster Club

Auction-goers will be further enticed by a “silent auction” where a variety of packages including cooking classes, hotel stays and catered dinners will be on offer.

Even if you’re not looking to buy, you won’t want to miss an entertaining evening of refreshments, lucky draws and a chance to support this year’s campaign. Funds raised will be donated to the Jacaranda Foundation, a charitable foundation that operates a school in Malawi for children whose parents have died of AIDS. The SAS community has set as its goal to build and equip a science laboratory for the Jacaranda School, with a campaign target of US$35,000.

Last year’s auction raised US$15,000, used to provide vision screening for nearly 2,000 migrant students. Close to 200 students have been fitted for eyeglasses and a dozen corrective eye surgeries have been performed. Our school community is committed to making a difference in the lives of children all over the world.

Tickets for the event will be available at the Eagle Shop or by contacting Jane Smith (smiths@pacfic.net.sg; 13816802593). All friends and members of the SAS community are invited to attend. Tickets are 100 RMB advance purchase and include refreshments.

–Jane SMITH

For more information contact: Karen Chow, chowdklce@yahoo.com or Ying Ko, yingliuko@yahoo.com.

How this new store came to be
The school and PTSA have wanted to create a new store for many years now but of course funding such a project is always a consideration.  SAS was most fortunate to be the recipient of a donation a few years ago from “the Starr Foundation”.  However the funds donated were to be used specifically for a capital building project for both Puxi and Pudong campuses.  While the funds were most generous they were not going to be sufficient to build say a pool on each campus or other major building.  Our previous Superintendent, Dr. Larkin, suggested that the funds be used to build a new school store on each campus.  He really wanted to see the stores have a greater campus presence.  So through the efforts of Dr. Larkin, the Board and the Facilities Task Force, SAS Staff and the perseverance of the PTSA to make sure the project was on everyone’s radar that we now have this beautiful new store.
Huge thanks need to go to SAS parents, Lisa Wallis and Lily Zhang (Store Manager) and their team of volunteers who worked very hard to get everything in place in time for the opening.
Why the new name?
The name, “The Eagle Shop,” reflects the increased number of logo items we hope to offer to promote school spirit.   We are after all the SAS Eagles.  In addition, both campus stores have the same name reinforcing not only how closely the two store teams have been working together but also in keeping with the one school two campuses philosophy of SAS.

Come in and see what’s new
Next time you are on campus drop in and have a look around.  See what The Eagle Shop has to offer and watch for the many exciting new products we will introduce over the next few months. 
by Karen Chow, PTSA President, Puxi Campus

As our school has grown so has the Fair.  This year, despite having the Fair three weeks early, the high school clubs came through with over 45 inventive and amusing games that kept Fair visitors busy throughout the day.  While the children were playing games, the adults enjoyed a variety of regional cuisines lovingly prepared by many of our parent groups as well as several local restaurants. To complement the dining experience, the Fair entertainment this year included the high school and middle school bands, choirs and orchestra as well as two delightful dance groups from the elementary school. And it didn’t stop there. Before the day was over the Fair audience was treated to a special tribute to the Jacaranda school and a teaser from the upcoming HS musical, Mulan. 

One of the most anticipated attractions at the Fair is the outside market area and this year we had a record number of vendors participate, offering everything from carpets to purses to outdoor furniture and water from Iceland. On top of the variety of outside vendors, we had the added benefit of shopping in the new SAS Eagle shop that opened its doors the day before the Fair.

When the PTSA puts the Fair together each year, the committee tries to offer activities that the whole family will enjoy.  Fortunately, we have a very supportive activities office that lends a hand. So if the shopping didn’t interest you, there were rugby games, baseball games and volleyball games going on all day long to add the thrill of competition to the day.
The SAS Puxi campus PTSA Fair has grown to be a phenomenal event that the PTSA looks forward to every year.   However the Fair does require an incredible amount of manpower to plan, set-up and run.  The PTSA and the Fair committee are thankful for the support of the SAS Support services group, headed by Christina Lye and the SAS Security and Safety department, lead by James Linder in assisting us in putting on an event that the whole community can enjoy.  The PTSA would also like to acknowledge and thank all the wonderful parents, students and SAS staff that volunteered their time and effort to put on another memorable SAS Fair.

The SAS Puxi Campus International Fair is an important event on the school calendar not only because it is a great way for the community to come together at the start of the school year but it also serves as the main Puxi Campus PTSA fundraiser.   All of the profit, that is 100%, generated at the Fair returns to the school in some shape or form.  The PTSA funds from the Fair support school activities including the Passport Club in the elementary and the Friday night open gyms in the middle and high school. The PTSA happily supports the school drama productions (upon request) and provides travel bags for all varsity level sports and clubs.  Funds are also used to provide assistance with visiting authors and special guests like Marie De Silva as well supporting community service efforts in the nearby migrant schools and the many other requests that come to the PTSA from the school community during the year. Additionally, the Fair provides an opportunity for HS and MS student clubs and class councils to raise funds for the student club activities during the year. 

The Puxi Campus PTSA lends support to our parents  by organizing the annual Parent Information Fair in August , sponsoring the HS/MS parent teacher socials and grade-level networking meetings for parents throughout the year.  The PTSA is very happy to be able to support the school in this way and the Fair provides us with the means to do this. 
For all of us involved in planning the Fair, the best part is bringing the SAS community together for an entertaining day out. We hope you all enjoyed your day at the Fair.

The following merchants generously donated prizes for this year’s Fair raffle.

Apple
Carrefour
Barefoot Portraits
Kathleen’s 5
Coldstone Creamery,
 Shanghai Racquet Club
Thai Table
City Shoppe
Philips
David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Children’s Technology Workshop
Pudong Shangri- La Hotel
Illy Cafe
Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Chi Life Studio
Rendevous Cafe
Electronic Arts
Adidas
Papa Johns
Dragonfly
Pudong Renaissance Hotel
Beansprouts

International Fair 2009 Sponsors
The Puxi Campus PTSA International Fair 2009 is sponsored in large part by several local businesses.  Shanghai American School would like to thank the following companies for their corporate sponsorship this year:

Gold Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Country Fair booths provide international flavor

One of the most tasty experiences at the International are Country Fair Booths.  Shanghai American School has families from over 40 countries and many have special booths at the Fair where, adorned in local dress, they serve delicacies from their home countries and regions.  If you would like to help out your native country’s food booth at the International Fair, please contact on of the following coordinators:

United States of America – Jennie Daniels (1592-178-3140)
Australia – Alex Melvin (1352-457-7223)
Belgium – Lieve Saelens (1381-789-1259)
Canada – Audrey Wu (1368-164-7170)
China – Echo Ren (1380-186-5961)
China, Hong Kong Region – Dionne Chow (1381-724-3799)
China, Taiwan Region – Lina Wang (1390-173-4994)
India – Rekha Menon (1364-199-1004)
Japan – Sanae Kato (1376-138-2908)
Korea – Mina Chang (1580-045-5470)
Philippines – Vilma Guerzon (1580-098-4247)
Singapore/Malaysia – Marilyn Su (1390-198-1335)

We still need coordinators for Mexico and Germany.  If you would like to help represent your country’s cuisine, please contact Christine Koh (1366-189-3932 / kohyufang@hotmail.com)
Country Fair booths provide international flavor

##

Elementary school bake sale helps to fund various Puxi campus ES projects

The International Fair ES Bake Sale is quickly becoming a favorite tradition. The proceeds from the ES bake Sale go back directly to Puxi campus ES for various projects and activities. It is easy to support the Bake Sale. Volunteers are needed to donate baked goods. Lots of cookies, brownies, cakes, and breads are needed.

All donations should be delivered to the school the day before the Fair on Friday, September 25.  Baked goods can also be dropped off at the booth on the morning of the Fair.

If you don’t bake but want to help, the committee will also need volunteers to man the booth on Fair day as well as the day before for set-up.

The International Fair ES Bake Sale is quickly becoming a favorite tradition. The proceeds from the ES bake Sale go back directly to Puxi campus ES for various projects and activities. It is easy to support the Bake Sale. Volunteers are needed to donate baked goods. Lots of cookies, brownies, cakes, and breads are needed.

All donations should be delivered to the school the day before the Fair on Friday, September 25.  Baked goods can also be dropped off at the booth on the morning of the Fair.

If you don’t bake but want to help, the committee will also need volunteers to man the booth on Fair day as well as the day before for set-up.

##

Don’t miss the Used Book Sale at the Fair! Book donations needed

Autumn cleaning, moving or just feeling generous, please bring your gently-used books to the PTSA office in the Puxi Campus Elementary School, Room 119. Additional drop off points are located in the ES, MS and HS offices. It’s the best bookstore in Shanghai!

We welcome any and books at all, including:

Children’s Books      Resource Books
Travel Books              Young Adult Books
Board Games             Adult Books
Foreign Books            Puzzles

##

Mercedes Li is winner of T-shirt design contest

The winner of this years’s International Fair t-shirt design is  Mercedes Li, a grade 9 student. Her design will appear on the Fair t-shirts and become the official logo of the 2009 Fair.