MAWI ASGEDOM VISITS TAS
By Grace Cheng, Director of College Counseling
and Classmate of Mawi Asgedom at Harvard

“Everyone has a story.”

This was the inspirational message that Mr. Mawi Asgedom, author of Of Beetles & Angels, left TAS upper and middle school students and faculty when he visited the school in October. Speaking about his remarkable life story of being a refugee from Ethiopia, traveling through the wilderness to a refugee camp in Sudan, and being sponsored by a humanitarian organization that brought his family to Chicago, Illinois, USA, Mawi reminded the TAS community that each individual has an ability to have an impact on others, bringing his or her own dreams, goals and background as powerful reasons to do great things for the world.

“What’s your reason?”

Mawi shared that he keeps an “Inspiration Folder” into which he puts things that remind him of what is important in his life. These memories and keepsakes inspire him and push him to be all he can be. Recounting his experience of moving from Africa to the US and having to navigate between different cultures and languages, he showed our community how he learned to view himself from a position of strength. He learned to realize that features, which made him different amongst his peers, made him special and became attributes he was proud to share with others.

“I see you.”

When Mawi first arrived in the US, life was not easy with a name his classmates thought sounded like “Salami”. To this day, Mawi still remembers one family who invited him to his first ever childhood birthday party and did not treat him like he was invisible. The title of his book inspires us to look around our community to see those whom others might see as “beetles.” When one is able to look beyond differences and give others opportunities that they have never been exposed to, one becomes an “angel” for life.

Mawi also challenged us to think about abstract principles that may differ in understanding across cultures and generations. Concepts such as freedom, self-expression, openness, authority, time and control affect how we view the world and view each other. By understanding how to navigate between expectations one has for oneself and those that others have imposed allows us to be better global citizens ready for the world after TAS. With strength, confidence and openness, Mawi found great success as a history major at Harvard University on a full scholarship.

“Whose life are you going to improve?”

Our TAS community is honored to have had Mawi Asgedom with us for three full days visiting classrooms, signing books and speaking to parents, students and faculty. Reminding us that there are students and parents currently living in refugee camps that will never be exposed to what we experience daily, our community has the power and ability to channel all the opportunities here to do great things. He encouraged us to take the gifts we are given to create opportunities for ourselves and for others.

“Earn that sandwich!”

If anyone runs into Mawi Asgedom in an airport somewhere, don’t forget to tell him that you saw him at TAS, liked his speech and learned something from what he had to share. In turn, Mawi the angel might even buy you a sandwich! Thank you to our PTA for being able to sponsor his visit to our school.

Mike Chinoy at TAS 

By Josephine Jung, Class of 2012 

A leading American journalist who witnessed China’s crackdown on Tiananmen Square protestors will come to Taipei American School as the first Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar.

Mr. Chinoy will be at Taipei American School from October 17 through November 11, and his time will be spent working with students by sharing his experiences. “My goal is to be as helpful as I can to as many different classes, teachers, and students as I can. I expect to be spending some time in the classroom, especially for history and current affairs classes. In short— any setting where it seems as if my background and experiences will be helpful is where I hope to be spending my time,” he said.

Dr. Hartzell, upper school principal, said Mr. Chinoy is the ideal scholar from whom the students can take much from. “He is one of the top journalists in the world and has a large variety of experience, and we are very fortunate to have him here for four weeks,” he said.

Mr. Chinoy said he hopes students will take a growing interest in what is happening around the world and start to think in new ways. “The world is becoming an increasingly complex, inter-connected place, and the need to better understand what is happening across the globe, and how it can affect one's own life, has only become more important. I hope I will be able to encourage students to get more excited about—and engaged—in understanding history, current affairs, journalism, and the dramatic changes in communications technology that are shrinking borders and turning all of us into ‘global citizens’,” he said.

Mr. Chinoy hopes that students will learn to address global issues with the ability to keep an open mind, interact with people from many different backgrounds and viewpoints, and weigh evidence and information fairly and honestly, putting ones' own biases aside.

In his career as a journalist, Mr. Chinoy said that he has had the privilege of seeing history in the making. “One of the great privileges of my career as a journalist was the opportunity to have a front-row seat at many of the historic events which have shaped the world in the past 30 years. The dramatic changes in China, Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy, the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan, elections, summit meetings, natural disasters, sports events— you name it —I got to see it.”

Mr. Chinoy's journalistic career was not without danger and hardship. He said, “I dodged my fair share of bullets - in Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.  It is not a conventional career - but I wouldn't have missed it for anything!” 

TAS has earned a spot among the top 32 in this year's International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), a global debate competition! We will now participate in a series of single-elimination written debates with the goal of earning a spot in the top 8 and an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to debate in front of top public policy and debate experts in the world. Please join me in congratulating our team!

On November 9, Weatherbug installed the weather station that will feed the following website with data: http://weather.weatherbug.com/Taiwan/Taipei-weather.html?zcode=z6286.

The TAS community benefits greatly from this technology. Whereas the general public does not have access to all of the data a weather station gathers, TAS students now have access to the entire Weatherbug database for academic purposes. 

Two teams of five students are competing in the VEX Pacific Region Championships in Hawaii on December 1-3. 

To prepare for the competition, the students programmed robots to manipulate objects in different ways in order to score points. They dedicated time after school to build innovative robots able to complete those tasks. In Hawaii, they are competing in matches consisting of a twenty-second autonomous period where their robot operates on its own, followed by two minutes of driver-controlled movement. The object is to attain a higher score than the opponent by placing barrels and balls in goals.

The TAS robotics program provides students with dynamic hands-on STEM educational experiences. Upper school courses include Robotics Engineering Technology; 3-D Art, Programming, and Robotics; Artificial Intelligence; and Advanced Robotics. TAS also incorporates VEX robotics technology into the curriculum to allow additional applications. Contributions to the Friends of TAS have enabled the school to further develop the robotics program. 

Programs that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are in high demand. The study of robotics captures all four legs of STEM through the integration of math and science into the technical design process involved in engineering a robot. In addition to building students’ STEM skills, the study of robotics also promotes teamwork among students. Learning from, working with, and leading others in an environment that offers the latest in robotics prepares students to meet the growing demands of the 21st century. 

Student Achievement at TAS

By Donna Auciello, Communications
Based on the November 17, 2011 Superintendent Parent Coffee

Dr. Sharon Hennessy opened her November 17, 2011, Parent Coffee by preempting the answer to her own question, “How do we measure student achievement?” by posing another question that she deemed even more important, “Why do we measure student achievement?” To this question she proposed a simple and direct answer: “So that you will feel good about the choice you made to have your children go to TAS.” If the exuberant applause at the end of the entire presentation was any indication, then the parents in the audience did indeed leave the assembly feeling very satisfied with the choice they had made. The data presented during the annual Superintendent Parent Coffee on Student Achievement was overwhelmingly convincing.

Dr. Hennessy explained to her audience of parents, most of whom will send their child to matriculate in an American college or university, that what education research shows matters most for a student’s academic success in post-secondary education is the student’s proficiency in English language skills: the ability to read, to write, to think, and to speak fluently in English. To this end, Taipei American School is more than just an institution with three separate levels of instruction: lower, middle, and upper. It is a school that understands the importance of laying a strong foundation and building upon that foundation through continuous linking steps. Dr. Hennessy emphasized that there is continuity in our instruction and consistency in our goal of having our students possess exquisite English language skills, “and we have the scores to prove it.” This continuity, of course, is reflected in all our course offerings in each of the major disciplines, and the consistently high levels of performance our students demonstrate in other subject areas that are reflective of their proficiency in English.

Before she introduced the day’s guest speaker, Dr. Hennessy underscored a crucial point about the data that the audience would be viewing: “In all academic areas tested, our scores are benchmarked against the highest performing norm group available.” For example, some schools measure their students’ Educational Records Bureau (ERB) assessment results by comparing test scores against the scores of all public school students in the U.S.; others measure against suburban public school students in the U.S.; and some, such as our school, measure against the highest performing norm group, the private and independent schools.

Over the course of the next hour, Assistant Superintendent for Learning Karen Moreau delivered a power point presentation to update the parent community on student learning results and other indicators of student success. This comprehensive report on Student Achievement included three categories of data: external assessments, which allow us to compare our students with other students and include such tests as the ERB’s Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP4) and the Writing Assessment Program (WrAP), SAT, IB, and AP Exams; internal assessments, which provide information about how our students are achieving in our adopted curriculum and are common between all teachers who teach the same course or grade; and other indicators of achievement not measured by tests or assessments, such as college options and acceptance rates, awards won, and numbers of students participating in extra- curricular activities.

The first series of charts and graphs presented detailed the results of student achievement on widely respected and extensively distributed external assessments such as the WrAP Test, which assesses writing skills, and the CTP4, which measures verbal reasoning, comprehension skills, writing, quantitative reasoning, and math skills for students in grades 3-8. Our students compare very favorably to the independent and private school students who take this test. In fact, students who have been at TAS from grades 3-8 outperformed the expected growth on all areas of the ERB exams. As she pointed to the consistent growth displayed in the results reported yearly from grades 3-8, Mrs. Moreau brought smiles to the faces of her audience when she suggested that parents “bring their children to us earlier, because clearly the longer we have them, the more we can do for them.” She also pointed out candidly that when the tests suggest an area of weakness, such as vocabulary development in the lower grades, the data serves as an impetus to improvement, such as exploring new ways of devising a more effective vocabulary curriculum. For example, professional development funds were used to host two experts in the field of vocabulary study and language development, Dr. Shane Templeton and Dr. Virginia Rojas, who worked with staff members to analyze strategies that would assist students’ acquisition of vocabulary and interpretation of the meaning of words in context.

Mrs. Moreau’s presentation also covered external achievement data on SAT average scores from the class of 2011, as well as the SAT subject test scores. These scores were benchmarked against the NAIS average and the national average. The results of the 2011 AP Exams and the results of the IB Exams were also covered. The achievements of TAS students in these two categories are benchmarked against the worldwide average. SAT scores in general are a definite area of strength for our students. Scores on the SAT that are taken at the end of grade 11 and early in grade 12 are often much higher than scores achieved on the previous PSAT; moreover, they are considerably higher than national or international averages. The national average continues to hover near the 1500 mark for the three sections of the SAT, while the TAS average exceeds the 1900 mark. Our students score highest in the math area and lowest in critical reading; however, that is identical to general scoring patterns throughout the U.S. and abroad.

To provide her audience with information about how TAS students are achieving in our adopted curriculum, which is a challenging U.S. based curriculum, the Assistant Superintendent included the 2010-2011 results of the Developmental Reading Assessment, which was administered to students in grades K-5. She compared the results from the fall of 2012 with the results from the spring of 2011. Each grade demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of students on grade level. The second set of data that she included in this internal assessment portion of her talk revealed the percentage of students achieving the equivalent of 75% on common assessments that were administered in lower, middle, and upper school levels of our school. With only one exception, all 28 subject areas reported a very high number. 20 out of the 28 subject and grade level areas achieved a percentage range in the 90s; six of the subject and grade level areas achieved a percentage range in the 80s. These internal assessments are a measure of accountability that illustrate that students are learning the adopted curriculum, and are used to monitor individual student growth and achievement in all subject areas.

To conclude her report, Mrs. Moreau treated her audience to interesting statistics that she compiled to measure what she described as other indicators of student achievement. She provided statistics that indicated the following: enrollment is up in all four higher level math courses at the upper school; college acceptances are at 100%; more than 500 lower school students participated in the Summer Reading Challenge; another 500 of our students participated in the Math Olympiad; students in each division have numerous charitable and service opportunities in which they may choose to participate. The list of awards and distinctions that our students have received covered five pages of her power point presentation.

The Superintendent Parent Coffee thus answered not only how student achievement is measured, but also why this data is important. In addition to reflecting our students’ current level of exceptional achievement, our measurements allow us to ensure that we continue to provide the opportunities and resources that create such success. Our measurements provide valuable feedback about how our curriculum is working and assist in our decisions to make changes as necessary. When we make curriculum changes, we pay special attention to how our students are achieving and how these changes impact their ability to take and succeed in higher-level courses. Our analysis of student achievement data allows us to set goals, establish expectations for student growth, and implement plans for reaching those objectives.

So, the simple answer to Dr. Hennessy’s question of “Why do we measure student achievement?” is in fact so that parents can “feel good” about their choice to entrust TAS with their children’s education, based on both what our students have achieved already and on what we are doing to ensure that they continue to achieve at superior levels.

Any parents who were not able to attend the Superintendent Parent Coffee on Student Achievement may access the presentation and review the data in the parent portal of the TAS website. 

Opus Members with President Ma at AmCham Event

Performing at the AmCham Event

On September 28, Teachers’ Day, in a fitting celebration of teaching and learning, TAS hosted a Dedication Ceremony for the school’s newly opened Upper School Science and Technology Building. AIT Deputy Director Brent Christensen, government officials, local dignitaries, students, parents, alumni, faculty, and school administrators, led by Superintendent Dr. Sharon D. Hennessy, gathered for the ceremony in the gymnasium of the new facility, which features specialized science and robotics laboratories, new classrooms equipped with cutting-edge technology, and a state of the art lecture hall. Guests enjoyed the festive atmosphere, highlighted by a lion dance and firecrackers intended to bring auspicious blessings. Additionally, TAS Board Chair Dr. Winston Town shared the letter from President Ma commemorating the occasion (pictured below). You can view a slideshow of photos from the event. Also, a short video featuring highlights of the ceremony will come soon, so check back regularly!

Current grade 11 student Randy Huan won a Scholastic Art & Writing Award last school year. His artwork is now part of a small collection that travels around the United States. Scholastic published a promotional flyer to advertise the show dates…and it features Randy’s “Toy World” on the front! (Scroll down to see the artwork!)

Through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Program, the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers seeks to identify emerging talent like Randy’s. Congratulations!

In other visual art news, you can view an art animation created in part by last year’s TAS grade 6 students at the Museum on Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Taipei.

In collaboration with artists sponsored by the Taichin Bank Arts Foundation, our grade 6 classes participated in an art animation that is now featured at the MOCA. The artists came to TAS last year and had students draw and color frames of the animation, which were then added to thousands of other frames made by students from local schools.

The complete video shows a bird in flight, surrounded by a myriad of colors and images made by the students. The work titled "Fly! No Matter What" can be seen until November 11. Click here to view the animation.

Most Distinguished Leader of America’s Independent Schools – Pat Bassett – Presented at TAS

“If you are not yet a school of the future, you will not be a school in the future.” So says Pat Bassett, President of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) and the most well respected voice for independent, American style schools across the United States and the world. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia Teachers College, recipient of numerous national and international awards including the Klingenstein Center’s Educational Leadership Award. In addition, he has equally impressive recognitions from leading organizations in Europe (ECIS) and Near East and South East Asia Council of Schools.

Since taking over the helm at NAIS a dozen years ago, Mr. Bassett has worked tirelessly to make NAIS the center for collective action on behalf of students learning in the best schools in the world. Pat Bassett is the “national voice” for America’s best independent schools, and we were most fortunate that he addressed our TAS community. 

Mr. Bassett spoke eloquently about the value of an independent school education. TAS has modeled itself after the best of the NAIS schools, and he explained why such an approach provides a distinct advantage to students when they enter the college admissions process. At TAS, we believe that the success of so many graduates of these fine schools can be attributed to the very principles and practices NAIS espouse and TAS emulates. 

Mr. Bassett rarely speaks at individual schools, and we are honored and truly fortunate that he visited TAS. Click the links below to watch his presentation and hear the many reasons why he said: Your school is one of the best in the world. 

Part 1:https://vimeo.com/64297868

Part 2:https://vimeo.com/64297867

The TAS Orphanage Club received Taiwan Prudential’s first-ever “Club Influence Award” for outstanding community service. Since 1995, Prudential offices around the world have honored students and schools for remarkable service. This is the 13^th year that the Taiwan office has participated in the company’s “Spirit of Community” awards program. This year, 159 schools across Taiwan applied for the award, which grants NT$20,000 for continued work in the recognized service area. TAS was one of the top three schools selected for this high honor! The Awards Ceremony took place on March 10 at the Lai Lai Sheraton. Mr. Richard Arnold and this year’s Orphanage Club presidents attended. Congratulations, Orphanage Club!

On Thursday, April 25, Mayor Hau invited the award winners to a special reception in their honor. Below is a photo of the current OC presidents with Mayor Hau himself!

The Model for Excellence
By Dr. Sharon Hennessy
Published in the Spring 2013 Window Magazine 

As another school year draws to a close, let us pause to reflect upon accomplishments achieved and initiatives planned. In our covenant we share with the parent community, we commit to providing the best of the best for every TAS student. But what is “the best of the best” in the educational world? The National Association of Independent Schools, or “NAIS,” represents excellence in American style private schooling, and in all we do, we model our work after the principles and philosophy that has benefited the graduates of NAIS member schools for many generations. When NAIS President Mr. Pat Bassett visited TAS in April, he spoke eloquently about the value of an independent school education. At TAS, we believe that the success of so many graduates of these fine schools can be attributed to the very principles and practices NAIS espouse and TAS emulates. I want to describe these attributes to you in this article and give some examples of how they are in place at TAS. 

Click here to view the full article. 

Taipei American School Lower School Principal Dr. Catriona Moran received the National Distinguished Principal Award at an awards banquet in Washington D.C. on Friday, October 25^th.

Sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), this award “recognizes and celebrates outstanding administrators who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character, and climate for students, families, and staff in their learning communities.”  Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, gave a warm and uplifting address emphasizing the critical role that educators and educational leaders play in the world.

On Thursday, October 24^th, at a State Department reception, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Administration, Joyce Barr, recognized Dr. Moran for “dedicated service and outstanding contributions to American children overseas.”

Dr. Moran described the ceremonies as “inspiring and touching” and feels greatly honored and humbled to be considered among such great educators.  Additionally, she is very proud to be the first Irish citizen to receive this award.

Dr. Moran was accompanied to this event by her husband Gerry, her sister Mary and brother in-law Pat, and Superintendent Dr. Sharon Hennessy. She wore a sensational evening gown designed and made by TAS student Tatiana Lim ’14. 

Dr. Russell Barkley, clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, will present to TAS parents on issues related to attention in learning on Monday, November 11 from 7:00- 8:30PM in the Anni Lu Lecture Hall. The title of the presentation is “Children’s Self-Control – What Parents Need to Know about the Development of Executive Functioning”. In addition to this presentation, Dr. Barkley will conduct professional development workshops with TAS faculty and staff on November 11-12.

Dr. Barkley is a world renowned expert on ADHD and the role of executive brain functioning in learning and attention. He is a board certified Diplomate in three specialties: Clinical Psychology (ABPP), Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN, ABPP).  He has published 21 books and clinical manuals numbering 28 editions, as well as more than 250 scientific articles and book chapters related to the nature, assessment, and treatment of ADHD and related disorders.  Dr. Barkley is the founder and editor of the bimonthly clinical newsletter, The ADHD Report, now in its 20^th year of publication.

He has received awards from the American Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Board of Professional Psychology, Association for the Advancement of Applied and Preventive Psychology, the Wisconsin Psychological Association, and Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) for his career accomplishments, contributions to research in ADHD, and for the dissemination of science.

Dr. Barkley has presented more than 700 workshops, public addresses, and scientific presentations internationally. He has appeared on nationally televised programs such as 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and many other programs.

For more information on Dr. Barkley, please visit his websites: http://www.russellbarkley.org and http://ADHDLectures.com.

Dr. Barkley’s visit to TAS is made possible by gifts to the Friends of TAS. Please give to the Friends of TAS so that more distinguished presenters such as Dr. Barkley can visit Taipei American School.

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Publications
The 2013 Annual Report and 2013 Fall Window are now available for viewing as flipbooks on the TAS website.

On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, the TAS Board of Directors approved the Superintendent's nomination of Ms. Tara Simeonidis as the next principal of the lower school. The selection followed an international search led by Carney Sandoe & Associates, the largest faculty and administrator recruiter for America’s independent schools.

Dr. Hennessy enthusiastically presented her nomination of Ms. Simeonidis, whose current colleagues say she is “driven to do right by faculty and to know them” while seeing to it that students have a program that addresses both their educational and emotional needs. Her current head of school asserts that her faculty “have an incredible respect for her. They love her. I think they are going to be shocked – there’s going to be a hole when she leaves.” TAS parents describe Ms. Simeonidis as “nice and friendly,” “enthusiastic,” “passionate,” “positive,” and “caring”; one parent summed it up this way: “She is a strong communicator and appears to have a deep understanding of the individual needs of students, and the importance of collaboration with staff and families.”

Ms. Simeonidis and her husband spent three days at TAS, during which time she was interviewed by parents, students, faculty, and administrators. While all involved in the selection process recognize how difficult it will be to fill the shoes of Dr. Moran, who will take over as Assistant Superintendent for Academics, the following positive responses to our incoming lower school principal (from faculty and administration) bode well for the division’s future:

1. She is an excellent speaker and was very at ease in front of large crowds and talking individually. I like her thoughts and views and believe she would be a good match for not only the needed direction of the LS but the future of the TAS institution.
2. She seemed to be straight forward and honest; someone who would say what they thought and who would face up to difficult decisions.
3. I really liked her demeanor and felt she was quite calm and articulate. I think that her experiences would help her guide us in the right direction.
4. This candidate looks an ideal match for TAS. Her presentation and demeanor in front of faculty was first class. She would be a tremendous asset and fit.
5. Would be an excellent choice for principal!
6. Strong speaker and she appears to be a good match for TAS. She appears to possess a strong character and would stand up for what she believes in.
7. She seems enthusiastic and up to the challenge.
8. I really thought she was genuine and approachable. She seems very capable.
9. At this critical time, TAS has a principal candidate who is a true American independent school leader--just what LS needs to move forward.
10. Tara is a star. She impresses me in every way. I love her combination of experience, patience, and enthusiasm… Sure, she will have an adjustment or two to make, but excellence always shines. As I said, she is a star, and she will shine brightly. What a find!
11. She is a very nice person and seemed warm and approachable.
12. I believe Ms. Simeonidis would be a great fit for the LS.
13. She appears to be self-confident, yet has an underlying strength about her. She appears to be positive and also prepared to listen. I liked her and would welcome the opportunity to work with her in the future
14. I enjoyed her grace, her interactions with the administrative team, her presentational style, her passion for education.
15. She is an excellent public speaker and I never once heard her stumble over her words.
16. Tara has an air of competence wrapped in warmth. Similar school background will easily transfer to TAS community. Tara’s experience shone through especially in the areas of school climate, connecting to parents and faculty while knowing students. Experience in the same external testing as used at TAS a plus. Tara’s experiences would complement our administrative team.
17. She obviously did her homework in regards to TAS in relation to the people, place, and program of the school and she definitely demonstrated that she would be a great fit with this community. I sense that she has strong convictions and that she has a backbone and will stand up for what she believes in. She obviously has a passion for education and the younger students and I see her as a person who understands the needs of the TAS community.

The fifth grade student council members who met Ms. Simeonidis were, as usual, more succinct: “She has a good personality. I think she loves kids and she would be a perfect principal. She is a great candidate!”

For the last fourteen years, Ms. Simeonidis has served as the Lower School Head of Ridgefield Academy, a PreK-8 school located near Danbury, Connecticut. She has been instrumental in developing a high quality elementary school program for the school and has worked with vision, energy, and passion to ensure her students are well served, her faculty are well trained and supported, and her families feel engaged, informed, and connected to the education of their children.

She is responsible for overall management and programmatic activities of both preschool and lower school, and, setting the tone and climate in her division, she provides daily leadership for students, faculty, and staff. Over the years, for each grade, she has developed curriculum, insuring it is developmentally appropriate for the needs of each student and aligned vertically and horizontally. Serving as both evaluator and mentor, she has also established annual professional development training and goals for her faculty. Tara has served on numerous accreditation teams, and her school community views her as someone with the highest levels of professionalism, integrity, and dedication.

Prior to becoming an administrator, Tara taught at Ridgefield in grades, 4, 2, 1, and KA. She received her BA in elementary education from Queens College, and her Masters in Curriculum Development from Western Connecticut State University. An avid traveler, reader, and runner, she has competed in numerous marathons; she also coaches the school’s cross-country team. Tara and her husband, an attorney, have two adult children, one a musician, the other a lawyer. She grew up in New York City.

Tara Simeonidis will begin her work at TAS on July 1, 2014. I know that you will join with me in helping her and her husband, Nicholas, make a smooth transition to our fortunate community.

In October, during budget deliberations, the Board of Directors approved the administration’s request for an additional associate principal in the lower school. That division has grown by nearly one hundred students in recent years, and additional support was needed. Mr. Rick Rabon has served with distinction in the role of associate principal in the lower school for more than 9 years. With our new record high number of students in KA-Grade 5, it was time to provide additional administrative support, and TAS has been searching for the right person internationally and within the United States to support the critical work done in the lower school division.

At the November 12, 2013 board meeting, the Board of Directors approved the recommendation of the superintendent to appoint Ms. Rebekah Klar as the second lower school associate principal. Ms. Klar has served as Principal at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S. since 2007; her division educates students grades K–4. Also, she has taught in Nara, Japan and Madrid, Spain. She is described by her peers and her head of school as someone who leads with passion, stamina, courage, compassion and a sense of humor. Students feel comfortable coming to her for advice and know that she cares about them; faculty know that she is committed to her work and is calm and fair. They recognize that the work she does results in a positive work environment.

Ms. Klar plays an instrumental role in curriculum development. As principal, she implemented new programs in foreign language, reading, and mathematics and served on various school committees, including the Curriculum Committee and Admissions Committee. Prior to her role as Primary School Director, or Principal, Ms. Klar served as the Dean of Students, Sixth Grade Team Leader, Middle School Advisor, a sixth grade language arts teacher, and a fourth grade homeroom teacher. While serving as Academic Dean, she worked closely with parents regarding student academic and behavioral progress. From this experience, she came to fully recognize the importance of the parent-school partnership. She is firm in her belief that parents need both to be heard and feel valued and to understand the culture and mission of the school. She sees technology as a tool that offers powerful ways to infuse the curriculum with global perspectives.

Born and educated in England, Becky received her Bachelor of Arts with honors in Business Economics and Organizational Studies from the University of Reading and her Masters of Arts in Education from the University School Teacher Apprentice Program at Ursuline College.

Ms. Klar brings professionalism, passion for working with children, expertise in curriculum design, and ten years of administrative experience to TAS. She loves to run, practice yoga, and read. Her husband is the global sales manager for an internet-based company. They have two sons, 6 and 8 years old, who will join TAS.

This is an exciting time of change and opportunity for the lower school. We are delighted that an experienced educational administrator of Ms. Klar’s accomplishments, experience, and background has agreed to join the administrative team at Taipei American School. She will work side by side with Mr. Rabon and with our new principal, Tara Simeonides, to assure that the lower school continues to provide the depth and strength needed to support TAS students for years to come.

TAS parents are invited to attend a presentation by renowned character education speaker and author, Dr. Hal Urban, on Monday, January 20, from 8:15-9:30AM in the Small Theater. While at TAS, Dr. Urban will also lead a professional development workshop for faculty and meet with student representatives from the Upper School Honor Council.

Dr. Urban is the author of six books, including Life’s Greatest Lessons, which was chosen as the Inspirational Book of the Year by Writer’s Digest.  He has traveled extensively throughout the world to speak about positive character traits and their relationship to quality of life. In 2005, Dr. Urban was awarded the Sanford N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award at the Character Education Partnership National Forum.

Dr. Urban’s teaching, writing, and speaking is about what he calls “old-fashioned goodness – wisdom and virtues that have been around for thousands of years.” At the parent presentation, he will talk about positive attitude, respect and kindness, hard work, honesty and integrity, thankfulness, humor and laughter, life-long learning, and service to others.

Dr. Urban’s visit is made possible by gifts to the Friends of TAS.