On Thursday January 23, 2014, the Taipei American School (TAS) Upper School Science and Technology Building, Upper School Gym, and the Liu Lim Arts Center received the Bronze level EEWH (Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction, and Health) certification, which is Taiwan’s equivalent to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) in the United States. This certification is the result of the school’s Board of Directors’ vision and unwavering commitment to resourcing this environmental initiative for TAS. The Construction Committee, Artech Architects, and Parsons Brinkerhoff, our construction manager, worked with TAS to ensure that the planning, materials, and construction met the exacting EEWH standards.

Achieving the EEWH certification’s energy saving standards was accomplished over three years of preparation and execution. Examples of energy saving features installed in the new building include a specific reflective property on exterior windows for sunlight; the incorporation of sufficient natural light and airflow; landscaped green spaces on the surrounding property; the appropriate disposal of construction materials; and properly treated sewage. Today, the new buildings are celebrated for their functionality, quality, and green sensitivity. They are a public recognition of TAS’s commitment to the environment and serve as a model for responsibility, sustainability, and global citizenship.

On Saturday, May 31, TAS held its 64^th Commencement Exercises. Family and friends gathered in the middle school gym to celebrate the 215 graduates from the class of 2014 that crossed the stage to receive their diplomas.

Superintendent Dr. Hennessy addressed the graduates on the importance that gratitude must play in their lives. Board Director, Tina Koo, welcomed everyone while senior class president, Sheridan H., also addressed her fellow classmates.

In addition to diplomas, the program recognized students that have attended TAS from Kindergarten-A or Kindergarten, National Honor Society members, Three-Year Service members, Four Year IASAS students, Co-Valedictorians, and students with Academic Distinction.

Congratulations to the class of 2014!

On Thursday, August 14^th, TAS opened for the 2014-15 school year by celebrating its 65^th birthday. Students, faculty and staff were treated by the Food Services Department with over 2,500 blue and gold cupcakes and a birthday cake. In addition to TAS celebrating its 65^th birthday, TAS's longest running student club, the Orphanage Club, will be celebrating its 45^th birthday this school year. Happy birthday TAS!

On October 12, 1998, Matthew Shepard died. His death was the result of a violent, anti-gay attack in Laramie, Wyoming. But Matthew Shepard didn't just become a victim; he became a national icon, a figure, associated with hate. Fifteen years later, Matthew's former classmate, friend, and film director, Michele Josue, produced a film called Matthew Shepard is a Friend of Mine. The film is her attempt to tell Matt's personal story and regain a bit of his humanity.

In her director's statement, Michele wrote, "I made a promise to myself that when I was emotionally and artistically ready, I would share, with the world, who Matt really was — in the only way I knew how, through film." The film she made was a composite of Matthew Shepard's life and death. Michele interviewed his family and friends. She used clips of home movies and news reports. She sought out stories of activism and tolerance. Finally, she wove them together to give the world a portrait of her late friend. Then in late September of 2014, Michele brought that portrait to Taipei American School (TAS).

The entire upper school student body and teachers listened to Michele present. She talked about meeting Matthew Shepard in high school and their shared interest in theater. She spoke about her English class, which was then taught by Dr. Richard Hartzell, TAS's current Upper School Principal. She spoke about her passion for film, her studies at Emerson College, and her internships in Hollywood. But it wasn't until she did a few short films for her high school that she found her true calling: documentary film making.

During the talk, Michele shared clips and fielded questions about the journey she made in producing the film. She also spent time in classes to discuss her film's topic and the film making process in more depth. By the end of her visit, it was clear to students that Matthew Sheppard is a Friend of Mine is the result Michele's courage to tell an important story.

Michele's visit has rounded out Taipei American School's year long discussion on tolerance and Matthew Shepard. Last school year, students in the upper school performed The Laramie Project, a play about the events surrounding Matthew Shepard's death as told through interviews with the townspeople of Laramie, Wyoming. In addition, Judy and Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard's parents, visited Taipei American School last year to talk about hate, violence, and the work done to enact the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Over autumn break, 27 TAS students and teachers traveled to Cambodia as part of the upper school service-learning initiative. While there, they toured the capital Phnom Penh, spoke with two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) based in the country, and built ten homes.

The students prepared for the service trip by researching the history, politics, and economy of Cambodia. This set a context for their service. Through group discussions and reflections, the students better understood the needs of Cambodians and what type of service resulted in the most utility. 

After arriving in Cambodia, they set off to explore some of the important historical sites in the capital. They first visited the Killing Fields of Choeung Euk, a mass grave of over 8,000 people. Later, they went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly the Security Prison 21 execution center. Their visits to these sites, home to the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Genocide in the 1970s, were an important introduction to Cambodia's recent history. 

With a firmer understanding of Cambodia, the students met with the first NGO: The Tabitha Foundation. The Tabitha Foundation is a worldwide organization that promotes community development and personal savings. Organizers of the foundation in Cambodia conducted a presentation to TAS students about the work their NGO does in rural communities. Through this foundation, the students spent two days building ten homes in the countryside. 

TAS students also met with Friends International, another world-wide NGO working in Cambodia. While The Tabitha Foundation puts volunteers at the forefront of their mission, Friends International prefers less involvement and more education. True to this mission, Friends International taught the students how their NGO works with communities to help them become financially independent. After the presentation, students had a chance to eat at Romdeng, one of the restaurants established by Friends International in Phnom Penh that serves local food and handicrafts produced by participants in their vocational programs. 

The trip was a great example of how two NGOs, with two different philosophies, affect positive change in a community. By researching Cambodia, learning about the processes of two different NGOs, and applying meaningful community service, the service-learning initiative had an impact on all who participated.

Author, lecturer, and human rights activist Loung Ung grew up during the Cambodian genocide. She lost family members, including her parents and siblings, to the Khmer Rouge, the communist political power in Cambodia responsible for the deaths of one to three million Cambodians. During the last week of October, Loung Ung visited Taipei American School to share her story with upper school students.

Loung Ung was born in Phnom Penh and grew up during the Cambodian Genocide. Forced by the Khmer Rouge to evacuate the capital, Loung's family was forced into prison camps. By posing as peasants, Loung's family's remained undetected and safe for a time. Eventually, Loung's father was killed. After the death of her father, Loung's mother sent Loung and her sister to a nearby camp disguised as orphans. Loung's younger sister remained with her mother, and the two of them were never seen again. Risking her life, Loung escaped Cambodia and immigrated to the United States.

In addition to sharing powerful stories about her escape from Cambodia, she talked about adjusting to life in the United States. Her experiences in Vermont, her new home, were starkly different to her life in Southeast Asia. She faced issues such as cultural insensitivity acclimatizing to New England winters- all while trying to cope with the traumatic landscape of a war she left behind.

As an adult, Loung wrote a memoir about her experience titled First they Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. She discussed her process for writing this book; she lined the walls of her office with pictures of the mass graves in Cambodia and returned back to a very difficult time in her life. She admits that it was a very difficult process, but important in order to bring the reader into the story.

She also posed difficult questions to the students that the people of Cambodia have and continue to face. For example, she asked how one would go about rebuilding a country after all of the country's leaders – politicians, engineers, lawyers, and doctors, to name a few – were killed, or how one would go about finding family members after being separated during an evacuation.

Today, Loung is the national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World.

The PTA Bookstore is selling Loung Ung's second and third books: Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind (P.S.) and Lulu in the Sky: A Daughter of Cambodia Finds Love, Healing and Double Happiness. Her books have been widely read by upper schools students, faculty, and parents.

In 2010, Loung Ung visited Taipei American School as well. During that visit, she conducted an interview with the Taipei Times, discussing "history, trauma, and reconciliation."

So for a small science, synthetic biology is a pretty big deal. But what is it exactly that students are doing in synthetic biology? Two things. First, students combine different bits of genetic material to create new strands of DNA. Then second, they use those strands to alter a bacterium's traits. It might sound like science fiction to some, but it's along the lines of what chemists were doing at the turn of the 20th century. They took a little sodium, mixed it with chlorine, and voila, they got salt. But synthetic biology is not chemistry. It actually extends from another field of study called genetic engineering, or the altering of an organism's DNA.

The thing that separates synthetic biology from genetic engineering, however, is standardization. "You go to a hardware store," explains Mr. Clapper, "and you're buying screws and nuts and bolts. And if they were all different sizes and different thread counts, it would be a mess. So people have standardizations." That's what's happening in synthetic biology. There's standardization to make it easier to combine different DNA parts. There is an open source database, a synthetic biology hardware store if you will, where DNA combinations are stored. And late last school year, for the first time ever, TAS's iGEM team added to that database of over 12,000 parts.

The iGEM team is a group of students from the Advanced Scientific Research: Synthetic Biology class. They compete both in Taiwan and internationally with their work. Their most recent success came last summer at MIT where they were a finalist, finished second runner up and garnered top awards such as "Best Wiki" and the "iGEMer's Prize." Thanks to recent purchases from the Friends of TAS, the team prepares for those competitions by working with the same type of equipment used by university labs. That equipment includes a UV Transluminator, which shines UV light onto DNA sequencing gels and a DNA xerox machine called a PCR, which can make up to 64 billion copies of a strand of DNA. These are tools that make synthetic biology possible at TAS.

If Advanced Research in Synthetic Biology was the big start up last year, this year it's all about bringing Advanced Research in Nanotechnology to life. Nanotechnology is the study of particles on a very, very tiny scale. The nanoscale. These tiny particles are the things that make up, for example, household name items like carbon fiber and cleaning powders. When you rub cleaning powder between your fingers it feels smooth. But at a nano level, the powder is made up of sharp microscopic particles that clean the hard-to-remove stains on your kitchen sink.

Students make nanoparticles, like those found in the cleaning powder, with two pieces of equipment in the lab. The first is a Carbon Nanotube Furnace, which makes carbon nanotubes. The second is a Planetary Ball Mill, which makes nanoparticles. By making a nanotube or nanoparticle version of a material, students can change the properties ofthat material. Take titanium dioxide, for example. It's a benign substance used to preserve candy and other foods. But if you make it on a nanoscale, it can harness light like a semiconductor. This could be the start of a solar cell, which could be a future project for students. For this project, they would need to analyze the nanotubes and nanoparticles in 2D with the lab's Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) or in 3D with the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). In fact, students in the Advanced Scientific Research: Nanotechnology course just used the Atomic Force Microscope for the first time to analyze carbon nanotubes for a new project. This project will focus on implanting carbon nanotubes into various seed coatings in order to improve germination rates.

So what other kinds of research projects will be done this year? That will be completely student driven. They will learn how to research papers and see what's currently out there in this field. They'll have to ask, "Can we do this?" before they get the materials and procedures together and begin experimenting. This experiment-based learning is how students approach the sciences in university. "The nice thing about this is the kids get out of the traditional learning and they get to create, invent, and innovate," said Mr. Clapper. "This is definitely what makes TAS a front-runner against all high schools." TAS students are doing college research in college labs at the high school level.

As science research keeps expanding, so does the lab at TAS. In addition to the advanced research classes in Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnology, there are introductory research classes in biology, chemistry, and physics open to students in grades 10-12. An advanced research internship can also be conducted in a university lab off campus. In two short years, the lab has grown to be the envy of many high schools and universities. But this lab has only one "growth priority" in mind – expanding the opportunities that students have to explore and investigate. And whether those opportunities present themselves in the lab on a Wednesday afternoon, in front of students at a school-wide Scientific Research Symposium, or on stage at an iGEM competition in Boston, there is one thing our budding scientists can be sure of: when they walk into their university lab for the first time their freshman year, they'll feel right at home.

Read other stories about Taipei American School in the Window Magazine.

This article first appeared in the 2014 Fall Window Magazine.

When we look for characteristics that define a school of the future, the middle school co-curricular program stands out. A school of the future, as identified by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), is one that incorporates essential 21st century skills into the entire school day.* Therefore, beginning at the academic day's end, the co-curricular program in the middle school provides students opportunities to compete in athletics, participate in intramurals, and commit, drop-in, or both in clubs and activities. These rich, co-curricular opportunities ensure that students are developing skills that are relevant to today.

Staying relevant in an age of rapid change is imperative. Students at TAS are accessing and sharing information in real time. They get their news from online sources, blog about current events, and are able to stay connected with the world 24 hours a day. Education must therefore cope with these modern demands. Middle school principal, Dr. Michelle Hiteman says, "No longer can we provide a prescribed stance to learning but instead we must offer exploration and innovation alongside the rigors of academic study." The middle school co-curricular program is designed to promote that innovation and exploration in line with 21st century skills.

But what are these skills exactly? They are listed by NAIS as analytical and creative thinking, problem solving, complex communication, leadership and teamwork, digital and quantitative literacy, global perspective, adaptability, initiative, risk-taking, and integrity and ethical decision-making.^ Through the comprehensive middle school co-curricular program, which complements the learning taking place during the academic day, students have access to a wide range of activities focused on building these skills.

For example, the robotics program promotes strong problem solving skills by encouraging students to think creatively and analytically. Grades 6 and 7 students are invited to participate in FLL robotics and grade 8 students are invited to participate in VEX robotics. In both robotics programs, students are given a problem to which there may be more than one correct answer. In these cases, students must analyze the problem and employ creative strategies to arrive at a solution. This encourages students to work with one another to evaluate, negotiate, and apply decisions. While failure is sometimes the result, students use failure as an opportunity to learn. In the end, they must continue to work as a team to reapply technologies, ask for help, and share the credit.

Working as a team requires good communication and leadership skills, both of which are essential to Model United Nations and Forensics. From early on, students are required to take an active interest in current events and world affairs – the backbone for communicating effectively in both programs is having a strong understanding of the issues. Through public speaking, they learn to talk to diverse audiences, listen to varied opinions before forming conclusions, and develop and explain a highly sophisticated global perspective that can be used to persuade other people.

Exposure to global perspective often times leads to compassion and good character, which students then cultivate in clubs like Remote English Mentoring (REM) or the Orphanage Club. In REM, students teach English lessons to an aboriginal community in Taidong, Taiwan. Students participating in the Orphanage Club, TAS's longest running club, work with orphans and other children with disabilities. Dr. Hiteman notes that, in these two clubs, "Students gain an empathetic and compassionate outlook; teach, coach, and counsel others; and collaborate sensitively and productively with people of varied backgrounds." These components are at the heart of integrity and ethical decision making.

Skills like ethical decision making and creativity are not mutually exclusive to a single club in the cocurricular program; rather any one club facilitates many of the essential skills that make up a school of the future. Students participating in clubs like Yearbook, 3D Design, the online middle school Magazine, Growl, and TigerTV need to employ skills like complex communication, teamwork, risk-taking, creative thinking with multimedia resources, and initiative to succeed. Students employ both ethical and analytical decision making in clubs like Roots and Shoots – a club that runs community projects by other students – and KIVA – a club devoted to empowering others through micro-lending.

Interests, in addition to skills, can be explored and developed in a number of different clubs. Students can master mathematics in Odyssey and Math Counts or foster school spirit through leadership and teamwork on the Student and Athletic Councils. And for the thespians, the middle school musical is an excellent chance for students to commit long-term to a creative and cooperative project. Developing passions on top of interests is often times the start of a lifelong pursuit or career. And if students form those passions on the stage, in the robotics lab, or on the athletic field, they will take with them the skills necessary to adapt and be successful in the future.

And isn't that what a school of the future is all about? Recognizing that in times of rapid change, learning the skills necessary to succeed must be at the forefront of an entire school day. Schools of the future do not rest on their laurels; they forge ahead and equip their students to take up the challenges of tomorrow. The co-curricular program does this, serving as a shining reason as to why the TAS middle school may call itself a school of the future.

Read other stories about Taipei American School in the Window Magazine.

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*^Witt, R, & Orvis, J. (2010). A guide to becoming a school of the future

By Carol C., Grade 12

"When we share our insights, we are participating in the most important and most beautiful aspect of humanity," said Mr. Franklin, US English teacher. "We as humans ponder, question, challenge, dream and dare. And this is what makes us unique, perhaps more unique, than all other species." Mr. Franklin was one of eleven speakers - including four TAS students - who shared their challenges and dreams on Saturday, December 6 when TAS hosted its very first independently organized TEDx event. According to the event manager, Annabel C. (12), there were over 150 people who attended TEDx (with some coming from as far as Hsinchu).

TED is a nonprofit organization in America devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. The topics covered by inspired thinkers at a TED Conference are diverse, ranging from science to business to global issues. Meanwhile, the TEDx Program was created by TED to support independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own communities.

The theme for this year's TEDxTaipeiAmericanSchool was "Unbound" to encourage people to go beyond their potential and "do what they think they aren't capable of," as Evonne P. (12), the event organizer, explained.

"The reason I started TEDx is that I wanted to do something for TAS and leave something at TAS," she said. "I wanted to prompt others to step out of their comfort zone and be inspired by thought-provoking ideas with people they don't usually talk to."

The TEDx team reached out beyond the TAS community and invited speakers from a range of backgrounds. While Tzu-Wei Yang, a professional clown, talked about the spirit of his profession, Peter Su, a distinguished Taiwanese author who backpacked around the world, talked about the importance of finding perfection in the imperfections, and accepting flaws.

TEDx also invited Joey Chung, the founder of Taiwan's first Model United Nations, and Kevin Chen, the executive director of ELIV (the first social enterprise involved in international service and volunteerism) to participate in the event, as well as Jake Hemingway, a missionary and blogger of "Rewriting Rules" that inspires people to do things they love.

The first TAS student speaker to approach the stage was Annie C. (12). She questioned our educational system as well as the societal perception that there is a definite right and wrong. "How are we supposed to be leaders of the world if we can't see things from different perspectives?" she said. "Rights and wrongs are not easy to distinguish, and the question is not whether it's right or wrong, but whether there is a right or wrong." At the end of her speech, she urged all in attendance to take a step back, be open to other perspectives, and make our own judgments.

The second TAS student to approach the stage was Nancy Z. (10). She talked about the important relationship between the food we consume and our environment. She argued that eating habits today are harming not just the environment but also our bodies. "Your body loves you so much. It's time for you to love it back," she said. During her presentation, Nancy showed the audience gripping videos of horrible factory conditions. "When we are choosing to eat meat, we are supporting violence," she said. "We need to realize that not everything on the big screen is true. Just Google: factory farm cruelty."

Kelly H. (12), the third TAS student speaker, examined the problems behind today's gender dynamics. She began her talk by showing the audience the results of her self-designed poll: 47% of male students surveyed want to ask girls to school dances rather than be asked, and only 32% of female students surveyed want to ask boys. This led to her question, "Why are girls so passive?" She argued how fairy tale stories as well as societal perpetuated gender norms contribute to the problem. She addressed the sexism that underlies the popular high school Sadie Hawkins Dance in which girls ask boys to dance, "contrary to the custom" of male students inviting females. "If we want to change this, we start now," she said. "And we can start by removing Sadie Hawkins at high school."

The last TAS student speaker, Haley R. (10) talked about the significance of "wanderlust," or our desire to wander and explore the world, and its negative relationship with curiosity. "Curiosity is important, but just overemphasized," she said. "We need to learn to appreciate things, not question them. We need to know when to wander." She leaves the audience with the message that some things- certainly the nature- just aren't meant to be dissected. "Curiosity is a choice, not a default," she said.

The TEDxTaipeiAmericanSchool event was entirely organized and run by a group of about 20 TAS students under the guidance of Dr. Nelson, US Political Science Department Chair and Teacher, and Ms. Yonkey, Activities Director.

Many TAS students were involved in the organization and management of the event: Ellen C. (11), Felicity L. (10), Rachel L. (10), Angie W. (11), Ethan L. (12), Jeremiah H. (10), Annabel C. (12), and Isabell G. (12). Xiao Yang K. (12) created the event's website.

"I thought TEDx had a very memorable theme, [that is] to think beyond what is in front of us," said Jasmine T. (12), an audience member. "Today, many people do not think about what they really want, but rather listen to all the voices around them. I really believe that we need to look at the bigger pictures of our lives, just like how the speakers today examine their worlds, so that we don't lose our motivation for life and forget the goal that we're striving for."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2014 Window Magazine.

The US robotics and computer science program was recently strengthened by the establishment of the Dean Kamen/ SIGMU Robotics Chair. This Chair has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Vincent Lin and Ms. Erica Chen. This five year commitment strengthens our robotics program and adds to our ability to prepare students for success anywhere in this rapidly changing world. Mr. Matt Fagen has been named the first holder of this chair in honor of his exemplary teaching in the areas of computer science and robotics at TAS. Faculty Chairs are crucial for recruiting and retaining the highest quality teachers. The greatest schools have engaged, inspiring, and talented faculty that enrich the academic environment. One teacher, and chair, can impact hundreds of students' lives through the courses they teach. Mr. Fagen is indeed such an educator, and a true Renaissance man. He holds one degree in physics and another in music composition. His students are always combining knowledge with experimentation. During his teaching career, Mr. Fagen has taught at an elementary school, a high school, and a university, has conducted research (including a Ford Fellowship), and has composed music for an award-winning film.

Establishing a faculty chair makes a foundational difference for the school's programs and connects your name with Taipei American School in a visible, important way.

Three years ago, our Robotics and Computer Science Department offered 2 courses. It now offers 10 courses in 21 different sections. This includes 4 levels of robotics engineering and 4 levels of computer programming. Additionally, in the three years since its inception, the Robotics and Computer Science Department has developed 4 competition teams, all of which have made it to the world championship at least once. This includes VEX (small-scale robots), ROV (underwater robots), Robocup (autonomous soccer robots), and FRC (large-scale robots with high level functionality built in 6 weeks).

The core of our Robotics and Computer Science Department's philosophy is student-driven inquiry in the areas of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer programming, and 3-dimentional design. In these classes, students consume and synthesize an enormous amount of information about electrical design, mechanical engineering, several different programming languages, CAD modeling, 3D printing, metal fabrication, CNC aided fabrication, electric motor control, pneumatics, remote control protocols; the list goes on and on.

While robotics requires hard work, the excitement of getting a project to work keeps the students engaged and returning to the lab outside of class. If you stop by one of the robotics labs in the US Science and Technology Building during a free period or after school, you will find students 3D printing their CAD design of an airfoil built from NASA specs, discussing the "Design Elegance" award they won at the National ROV Championship, or building an auto stabilizing camera gimbal for their quad copter just for fun.

Robotics is the perfect embodiment of STEAM— the acronym that stands for the interdisciplinary connections between science, technology, engineering, art & design, and mathematics. Furthermore, robotics requires both conceptual thinking and tangible construction. Collaborative, creative problem-solving skills and aesthetic sensibilities are synthesized into one condensed, physical representation of student learning. A robotics education environment is also good at emulating the real world because the modern workplace is typically project-oriented, rather than test-oriented. Given that some robotics projects in Upper School are designed specifically to support TAS community service, such as School for the Visually Impaired, robotics education now reaches into new disciplines. Next year at TAS, robotics students will even have the opportunity to integrate, not only the theoretical, but also the very real, economics of a STEAM project. In short, robotics provides a unique richness of educational opportunity—not to mention the practical preparation for the vast panorama of highpaying, beneficial jobs that await. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of all computer related fields will see an increase of 22% by 2020.

Continued funding enables further development of the program, supports teaching and training, and funds state of the art equipment, all of which prepare our students for success at international competitions, in college, and beyond.

Gifts of any size designated to program excellence enhance learning opportunities school-wide. Your support enables us to capitalize on the excellent education we offer and carry the school to even greater heights.

During the month of January, Dr. David N. Spergel is joining the upper school faculty as the Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar for 2014-15. Dr. Spergel is the Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation, Professor of Astrophysical Sciences, and Chair, Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. He is one of the world's most renowned astrophysicists and is best known around the world for his work on the WMAP satellite.

Dr. Spergel is the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Shaw Prize, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Gruber Prize (as member of WMAP team), Science Citation Laureate, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, Dr. Spergel was named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Space Scientists.

Dr. Spergel was cited several times in the all-school summer reading selection, Heart of Darkness, by Jeremiah P. Ostriker & Simon Mitton.

The Joanna Nichols Visiting Scholar Program is made possible by a very generous annual gift to the Friends of TAS.

Photo Credit Darren C.

The Varsity Boys Basketball Team took home the gold at the 2015 IASAS Basketball Championship on Saturday, January 30. With a final score of 53-52 against Singapore American School, it was an exciting finish to a dramatic championship game. Both teams played a hard-fought game, neck-in-neck for much of the match. When the buzzer sounded, the team, coaches, and fans rushed the court to celebrate the Tigers' win.

Winning the gold was the result of hard work over a number of years by both the players and coaches. Head Coach Terry Lagerquist explained that the game plan for the tournament relied on two things: putting their players in a position to succeed and focusing on the history of the tournament.

With seven to eight possible games to be played over the course of three days, Coach Lagerquist and Assistant Coaches Dave Montgomery and Anthony Joe, knew the best way to put their players in a position to succeed was by ensuring they were healthy and rested. "To achieve this," explained Coach Lagerquist, "we decided to play all of our players, from freshman to seniors, equally." This meant that the team was ready for each game, including the championship game.

The coaches also focused on the importance of the tournament's history. The last time a TAS boys' basketball team won the gold at IASAS was in 1995. That streak almost came to a close in 2009 when the boys lost at the very end to Singapore American School. By focusing on the past, the players understood what this game meant for the community, as well as the players and coaches that have come and gone over the past two decades.

The boys' gold medal win would not have been possible without the incredible support from a loyal fan base as well. Faculty and administration came out to support both the boys and girls basketball teams at every game, with some spectators racking up nearly 14 hours of basketball-watching over three days. Faculty members from the lower school even brought their classes to cheer on the boys and girls teams.

Athletic Director Ryan Mueller was overwhelmed by the faculty, administrators, students, parents, staff, the PTA Booster Club, the Athletic Council, the Spirit Committee, and a fan base that came to cheer on the players and make the tournament a resounding success. Ryan Mueller said, "I have never been in a space that size that was that loud and that crazy – it was an honor to witness TAS history." Many parents and Athletic Directors from the other IASAS schools commented that this tournament was so well run; it has raised the bar for future IASAS tournaments. Thanks to everyone that made it a success!

Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Basketball team and coaches for their win, and to Kevin C., Riley C., and Kevin H. for being named All Tournament. Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Basketball team for a well-played tournament and a 4^th place finish, and to Lauryn V. for being named All Tournament. And congratulations to all the students, parents, faculty, administrators, and especially to the TAS Athletic Department, that made this tournament a shining moment in Tiger Athletics history.

In addition to Basketball, other season 2 teams were competing in IASAS championships around Southeast Asia. Boys Tennis took silver and Tim S. and Andrew S. were named All Tournament. Girls Tennis finished 5^th. Touch Rugby won Bronze and Irene W. and Stephanie C. were named All Tournament. Rugby placed 5^th and Travis L. and James S. were named All Tournament. In swimming, Boys won Silver and Girls finished 5^th. For swimming, there were 71 personal best times from a possible 96 individual swims. Shawn L. broke four school records and one IASAS record, Jessica W. broke three school records, Mallorie H. broke three school records, and the girls 400m medley relay – Mallorie H., Karen W., Jessica W., and Cortney C. – broke the school record.

Go Tigers!

By Pana Asavavatana, KA-2 IT Integration Specialist, Leanne Rainbow, LS IT Coordinator, and Ramy Youssif, LS Art Teacher and Team Leader

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2015 Issue of The Window Magazine.

Technology use is an integral part of the curriculum in the lower school. Students in all grade levels learn how to create with technology. Laptops, iPads, 3D printers, and more allow students to extend their learning through interactive media, as well as document and showcase their work.

From Apps to Application
In just four short years, the iPad has opened up seemingly limitless new learning opportunities in early childhood classrooms. This tool's versatility lies in its exceedingly simple interface, which is easily manipulated by curious little hands. At the same time, the iPad opens up innumerable uncharted worlds for students to explore. With an experienced and tech-savvy approach to this phenomenal tool, teachers can act as guides for students as they expand the boundaries of their imaginations. Students from Kindergarten A to Grade 2 use their classroom iPads to show their understanding, extend their thinking, and explore their creativity.

The youngest members of our community are making great use of the iPad's photo and voice recording options to capture what they are learning. Using fun and open-ended apps such as Princess Fairy Tale Maker or Educreations, students can annotate their pictures and record themselves explaining their work. For example, Kindergarten A students have been working on recognizing initial letter sounds and positional language. They have practiced these skills by recording their voices saying letter sounds and describing objects in relation to their position around the classroom. Kindergarten students have been showing their understanding of numbers 11 through 20 by ordering them forwards, backwards, and comparing them using vocabulary such as 'more than' and 'less than'.

Our Grades 1-3 students have been using apps such as ThingLink and a coding app, Scratch Jr., to share their learning. Grade 1 students used ThingLink to share their knowledge on the characters they had read about in Reading Workshop. Students created video hot spots on a picture of their book characters; each hot spot shared a video of students reflecting on what their characters would 'think', 'say', and 'do'. Grade 2 students were given several options to share their knowledge of sand after their science unit on Pebbles, Sand, and Silt. Some chose to use ThingLink, while others used iMotionHD to show the story through stop-motion animation. Additionally, Grade 2 students have been reflecting on our TAS Values and learning to code at the same time! Using Scratch Jr., they have been creating short animations that show acts of kindness and courage.

Differentiating Instruction
phenomenal, new addition to the learning landscape at TAS is the recent addition of 1:1 laptops for all Grades 3 and 4 students. With 1:1 devices available in the classrooms, students now have convenient and immediate access to a powerful technology tool that can enhance, enrich, and improve student learning. Technology integration is no longer a contrived experience set aside for 45 minutes each week, but a natural integration into the school day when the student and their learning activity benefit from it.

The successful implementation of 1:1 laptops in Grades 5-12 at TAS has set the ground for an equally positive experience in Grades 3 and 4. In just a few short months, teachers and students have already noted many benefits from this new program. The ability to provide differentiated learning based on individual needs is one that comes up frequently. Walk into a classroom during a math period and you might find some students working with an online math program that individualizes the questions based on recorded strengths and areas for improvement, while others are engaged with the teacher in an individualized mini-lesson or working independently on an assignment. A similar experience can be noted next door during an English lesson, where some students are completing individual research for their nonfiction pieces, while other students, having found sufficient research material, have moved on to drafting, peer-collaboration, or formatting their writing pieces. In each case, the process of learning better meets the pace and needs of the individual student, as they are no longer limited to the minimal time they can book in the computer lab or utilize through a shared cart of laptops.

Another benefit that has been expressed by both teachers and students is the increased motivation and engagement that accompanies learning with laptops. Teachers have noted the enthusiasm students have for learning with laptops, and students have quickly and eagerly adopted this learning device. In a world where they thirst for opportunities to problem solve, express themselves, and communicate with others, the laptops give them the tool to do so. Earning a new virtual reward for success with their math program, persistently and powerfully programming an animated food chain with Scratch, or eagerly blogging about a recent learning experience in anticipation of the positive feedback of their online learning community are all examples of the type of high engagement activity our students thrive with that quickly translates into a truly meaningful learning experience.

Technology and Art
The lower school art department is very proud to have incorporated three-dimensional electronic art into the curriculum for the first time in TAS history. By introducing two different digital platforms to Grade 5 students, and having the exciting option to print student creations three dimensionally, there has been an increase in excitement and interest in art by our students. The results have been so well received that parents and teachers have even confused Grade 5 sculptures as middle school designs! In addition, all of our K-5 art students anticipate their opportunity to explore new creative outlets using computers, and of course, have their wonderful artwork come to life using 3D printing technology.

Groups of Grade 5 students were exposed to two different programs, SketchUp and MeshMixer. Students used their laptops during art class to practice and explore various tools in each of the programs, which allowed them to stretch, twist, push, pull, connect parts, and quickly build digital matter to create electronic sculptures. By teaching the students the various tools within each program, while also teaching art concepts related to three-dimensional design composition, they developed their artworks with consideration that all sides could be viewed. The ability to quickly see their ideas come to life on their screens, and be able to rotate their view around their creations as they worked, was an extremely engaging experience for our young electronic artists.

As electronic art and computer generated visual creations have rapidly evolved to inform and inspire our world, 3D printing provides enhanced learning opportunities. TAS students have access to such powerful and inspirational creative tools to complement the essential, traditional art skills and materials with which they are exposed. It is our hope in the art department to continue to extend the electronic art and learning experiences to other grade levels, and enable lower school art curriculum to evolve alongside 3D printing technology.

Whether it's in the art room or math class, on an iPad or laptop, technology has become a mainstay in the lower school. By exposing students to these tools at such a young age, they will have the opportunity to become tech-savvy individuals, prepared to tackle the challenges they will face in the middle school, upper school, and in a rapidly changing world beyond.

TAS is welcoming Richard Gill, Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence, to campus from April 6th – 11th. Mr. Gill will be spending one week with upper school musicians in preparation for the culminating performance, From Venice to London, which will take place on Saturday, April 11th at 7:30PM in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium. The performance will feature the TAS US choirs and orchestra, and the Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra.

A performer as well as an educator, Mr. Gill is the Education Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and was the former Director of the Victorian Opera and West Australian Conservatorium, as well as the Chorus Master of Opera Australia.

Tickets to the concert are available for NT$200 in the Tiger Shop.

This will be Mr. Gill's second visit to Taipei American School. He spent a week on campus in the spring of 2014, culminating in a community performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. At the culmination of the performance, Mr. Gill shared these words, "It is through dance, music, drama, and visual arts the imagination takes fire, the creative thinkers of the world are born, and great imaginations have a habit of infecting the world in a very fine way. All these children will do that; they have the capacity to do that. And it happens for two reasons: an enlightened administration supporting an enlightened faculty. Long live arts education at TAS."

Richard Gill will be returning for a third time in the spring of 2016 for an entire month as the Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence once more. The entire TAS community is thrilled to have such a distinguished educator as Richard Gill on campus.

The Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence program was made possible through a generous contribution to the Friends of TAS.

From April 13-24, TAS will celebrate the arts with a two-week long US Arts Festival. Students will showcase their talents in both the performing and fine arts. The TAS community is welcomed to attend these events.

The US Arts Festival began with a special concert on April 11^th, From London to Venice, conducted by the Joanna Nichols Artist in Residence, Richard Gill, and featured members of the US chorus, orchestra, and Sun Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra. A second musical performance will take place on Friday, April 24 at 7:00PM in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium.

Theater lovers will not want to miss a series of One Act plays taking place during the first week of the Arts Festival on April 13, 14, 15, and 16 at 4:00PM in the Kevin B. Held Black Box Theater. Each One Act play is entirely student produced, including acting, tech, and directing.

On Friday, April 17, The Poetry Slam Café will begin at 4:00PM in the US Courtyard and the Dance/Drama Mashup will start at 7:00PM in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium.

Fine Arts will be on display, beginning with the AP and IB Art Reception on Wednesday, April 15 at 4:30PM in the Guy Lott Jr. Auditorium Lobby. The Art Exhibition will run through the duration of the Arts Festival.

And finally, those interested in the art of filmmaking will not want to miss the Formosa Film Festival in the Kevin B. Held Black Box Theater on Friday, April 24 at 4:15PM.

View the Arts Festival Schedule!

Taipei American School welcomed three special visitors from Afghanistan - Tariq, Samir, and Murtaza* - to campus this year as a special delegation to the Taipei American School Model United Nations Conference (TASMUN). The delegates gave the keynote address at the TASMUN conference in addition to attending classes at TAS and exploring Taipei.

The three students came to TAS through a coordinated effort between the NGO Skateistan, UN-Habitat in Kabul, and members of the Taipei American School community. Upper school faculty member and TASMUN Conference director, Mrs. Darby Sinclair, organized the visit for these three students.

While at TAS, Tariq, Samir, and Murtaza learned about 3D printing; attended English, mathematics, government, theater, and international relations courses; went swimming; utilized the Tiger Center; and spent time with TAS MUN students.

TAS graduate, Dana Ter '07, chronicled their visit in an article in the Taipei Times. In the article, the students spoke about their lives in Afghanistan, their hopes and dreams for the future, and their impressions of Taiwan and TAS. Murtaza is quoted as saying, "Everyone [at TAS] is social and communicates with one another. The teaching is totally different from Afghanistan and teachers are friendly [towards] the students." You can read the full article on the Taipei Times website.

Taipei American School has hosted the TASMUN conference for the past 6 years. TASMUN Conference Assistant Director, Kristin Rowe, described the conference as one "that offers an expansive menu of experiences to suit every palate." The conference hosts nearly 500 participants from schools in Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

The theme for the 2015 conference was Transforming Our World Beyond 2015. "Inspired by the expiration of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals," explained Mrs. Sinclair, "TASMUN delegates debated the most pressing topics the global community faces in the near future." Six core-categories of sustainable development goals were the focus of this year's conference: justice, partnership, dignity, people, the planet, and prosperity.

The TASMUN Conference, coupled with the visit by the three students from Afghanistan, provided a rich, multi-cultural learning experience for everyone involved.

*The last names of the Afghan student delegates have been withheld for safety concerns.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2015 Window Magazine, titled Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): Significant and Appropriate Progess in All Recommended Areas by Dr. Catriona Moran, Assistant Superintendent for Academics.

The accreditation process is essential for schools. Accreditation provides assurance to colleges that the programs in which our students are enrolled meet the highest quality standards and that the school is engaged in an ongoing process of review and improvement.

TAS is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In March 2012, the Chair of the WASC Visiting Committee, Mr. Thomas C. Hudnut, President of the Harvard Westlake School in California, presented the accreditation report to the TAS community, noting that TAS is a "school in full bloom." After meeting with representatives of all stakeholders in the school and observing over 200 classrooms, he and his team awarded TAS a full 6-year accreditation.

Mr. Hudnut, along with Dr. Erin Robinson, Middle School Principal at Nishimachi International School Tokyo, returned to TAS in March 2015 for the WASC mid-term visit. The overriding goal of a mid-term visit is to ascertain that the commendations made during the accreditation are still deserved and that progress was made on the recommendations. Recommendations from this WASC visit will inform the school as it moves forward in the development of the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.

Mr. Hudnut and Dr. Robinson made the following commendations at the conclusion of their visit:

• Significant and appropriate progress in all WASC recommended areas
• World-class professional development
• The development of a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate character education program...[providing] an avenue for graduating students who embody the TAS Values
• Positive risk taking by pursuing innovation through a KA-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) program
• The creation of the position of Director of P.E., Sports, and Health
• Board's support of the TAS Strategic Plan 20122016 and for assuring that TAS maintains its position as a school of excellence in 21st century learning
• Sound financial stewardship

Furthermore, they recommended no additional areas of focus. Subsequently, the following recommendations represent areas that continue to deserve attention:

• Ongoing space needs, which have resulted from the success of the Robotics and Scientific Research programs
• Assure that faculty have a deep and common understanding of assessment terms and practices
• Capitalize on upcoming assessment professional development opportunities to ensure that all classroom based assessments are both reliable and valid
• Secure an online assessment data repository that best fits the need of TAS leadership and faculty

On Saturday, May 30, Taipei American School held its Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2015. Faculty, family, and friends gathered in the gymnasium to celebrate the graduating seniors as they crossed the stage to receive their diplomas.

Superintendent Dr. Hennessy addressed the graduates on the immense pride they should feel about their accomplishments. Board Director, Tina Koo, welcomed everyone and senior class president, Deepak V., addressed his fellow classmates.

In addition to diplomas, the program recognized graduates that have attended TAS from Kindergarten-A or Kindergarten, National Honor Society members, 3-Year Service award winners, 4-Year IASAS participants, Valedictorian and Salutatorian, and students with academic distinction.

Congratulations to the Class of 2015!

During the week leading up to the graduation, both the upper school and middle school held award assemblies celebrating individual student accomplishments. Below is a complete list of awards and recipients in both upper school and middle school.

Upper School

Middle School

By Veronica H., Sydney H., and Christine W., Grade 6 Students

This article first appeared in the Spring 2015 Window Magazine, when the authors were still in Grade 5.

The air crackled with excitement as Ms. Tenebrini's fifth grade class walked across the bridge on the 4th floor to an undiscovered part of the school: the Upper School Science and Technology Building. The students were on a mission to get expert writing advice from the students in the Interact Club. Nervous about spending time with 'big kids', the lower school students' hands trembled as they inched closer and closer to their destination. As they approached the classroom, they worried and wondered about the secrets within. But as they entered, the fifth grade students saw the upper school students smiling at them, and everyone relaxed. "This will be a great experience," they thought.

The Interact Club is one of many service opportunities for students in the upper school. The Interact Club strives to foster enthusiastic learners through reading and writing workshops. On the day described above, club members helped one fifth grade class polish up their latest writing pieces.

In preparation for the work session, the younger students had shared their current writing piece with the older students via Google docs. This allowed partners to get right to work after introducing themselves. Each partnership had a list of criteria, and the upper school students used it to help the fifth grade students revise their informational article. The buzz of conversation filled the room as the writing conferences began.

Both groups of students gained a lot from this exchange. Fifth grade student Selina said, "The Interact session was interesting. My partner taught me how to make my writing better by adding some details. She helped me a lot because she cared about my work." Interact Club officer Darren C. commented that upper school students benefited from this collaboration with lower school students. "If we want to pursue a field of work such as education, we will have some experience."

It's also special for the upper school students to remember their roots. Interact Club member Emily said, "We were all in fifth grade once, and I think for those students to receive feedback from upper school students is helpful. Personally, I had a lot of fun connecting with them, and I hope they had a lot of fun and learned a lot too."

As the session ended, the Interact Club members passed out gifts of kinder eggs, markers, and erasers to encourage students to keep writing. All of the fifth grade students were grateful to meet the talented upper school students. Jia commented, "I really liked interacting with the upper school students and thought it was an awesome experience." They believe that the upper school students were a big support in their progress as writers and hope they can have an inspiring experience like this again soon.

The idea for this exchange was born after members of the English Department read submissions for the Grade five writing showcase, Eye of the Tiger, at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Interact faculty sponsor, Monica Lin, and Grade 5 team leader, Ben Thompson, organized the initial exchange. Many fifth grade classes have benefited from the program.

By Dr. Robert Bruce, Faculty Sponsor of the Upper School Honor Committee
This article first appeared in the Spring 2015 edition of the Window Magazine.

It's 2 AM and my eyes open wide as I strain to make out the dark ceiling above me. I know it's not jet lag waking me up because I overcame that the night before. Flicking on the bedside light and grabbing my pen and notepad, I furiously race to record a flurry of ideas and facts gleaned earlier in the day before they permanently escape me. I've just finished the second day of the Honor Systems Conference at Campbell Hall School and Day 3 of the conference is approaching fast. After that I am to visit Harvard-Westlake School and The Webb Schools to learn about their Upper School Honor Code and Honor Committee programs. The aim, then, is to discuss and learn the best ways to implement and maintain Honor Code and Honor Committee programs, for which I am the TAS upper school faculty sponsor.

Character Education at TAS

One of the major endeavors undertaken by Taipei American School in the past several years has been to create and integrate a KA-12 Character Education program into the learning experience at all three divisional levels. The results have been truly worth celebrating. From the beginning of KA to Grade 12, students are actively taught about and encouraged to explore the five TAS Values – Kindness, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, and Courage – that serve as the bedrock of our school. The ultimate goal of this process is to ensure that our students develop habits of the heart rooted in a strong moral foundation and a steadfast commitment to character both in their own lives and in the world at large.

At the center of this Character Education program in all three divisions now stand two key pillars: (1) a character-focused document that every single student signs affirming his or her commitment to the five TAS Values, and (2) a dedicated student organization that is charged with promoting the five TAS Values to the wider student divisional body. In the upper school, these pillars are embodied by an Honor Code and an Honor Committee.

First, it is essential for all students KA-12 to sign a document such as an honor code because this makes the TAS Values personal to each and every student and encourages students to uphold the highest ethical standards in their lives. An Honor Code serves as a positive force in allowing the TAS Values to become concrete for all students. Furthermore, when students sign an Honor Code they not only personally commit themselves to upholding the TAS Values, but also state their expectation that other students do so as well. And so it binds the entire student body together as a group and leads to a better school. In the end, we all benefit by being part of a community that strives to uphold the highest ethical standards.

Second, it is essential to have a dedicated student organization that promotes the TAS Values to the wider student divisional body in a myriad of ways. While a Character Education program requires participation from all school stakeholders, the core of a truly successful program must be based on student ownership and leadership. This mandate becomes even more essential once students reach Upper School and begin to actively question, confront, and probe what character really means. The bottom line is that while adults must guide and educate students, it is the students' responsibility to learn truly about character and instill it into their own lives.

The Prototypical Honor System at Independent Schools

The Honor Systems Conference I attended at Campbell Hall in Los Angeles brought together faculty from twelve independent high schools, from Harker School in San Jose to The Hill School in suburban Philadelphia, to discuss strategies for implementing and maintaining the best Honor Code and Honor Committee programs. In addition, I had the privilege of visiting Harvard-Westlake School and The Webb Schools afterwards to learn about their own Character Education programs. What emerged from this trip was a singular theme: while some variations do exist, the vast majority of independent high schools in the United States with an Honor Code and Honor Committee follow the same standard format.

With respect to the Honor Code, the typical high school format consists of:

• An Honor Code that students sign in a single book. This book is typically shelved and not displayed for public viewing.
• Students sign the Honor Code only once - either in their freshman year or otherwise upon entering high school as a new student.
• A Values Pledge that is often signed by all students on each assessment, stating that the student has neither given nor received any unauthorized help.
• Estimates by schools indicate that often a majority of students typically aren't closely familiar with what the Honor Code says. This flows from the fact that students sign it only once in their freshman year.
• With respect to the Honor Committee, the typical high school format consists of:
• An Honor Committee with a dual mandate to: (1) hear student violations of the Honor Code in a court-like setting and recommend disciplinary action, and (2) educate the student body about the importance of character.
• In reality, the second mandate is rarely practiced, and instead the first one becomes the exclusive mission of the Honor Committee. The Honor Committee is thus better described as an "Honor Court" that serves a purely disciplinary function to hear cases of student violations of the Honor Code and recommend punishment to high school administrators.

The student body at large often supports the decisions of the Honor Court, but nevertheless commonly views the student members on the Honor Court as the "bad guys." Students who serve on Honor Committees in the United States report being labeled as "narcs" and "fascists" by their peers. Students at one school in Southern California bemoaned the fact that once they serve on their Honor Committee, they are socially ostracized by the wider student body.

The Upper School Honor Code and Committee at TAS

Given the above Honor Committee structure for high schools in the United States, it comes as no surprise that a budding trend among United States high schools is to try to find a way to actively pursue the second mandate of an Honor Committee, namely to educate the student body about the importance of character. Schools have indicated some level of frustration with a lack of time to positively educate their students on character, and feel sometimes as if their Honor Committees have become factory-like bodies churning out case after case of Honor Code violations.

At TAS, the Upper School Honor Committee is very fortunate to have a single mandate, namely to promote the five TAS Values and the Honor Code to the upper school student body. The Committee is self-run and self-governed by twelve students who undergo a highly rigorous selection process with input from students, faculty, and administrators. The emphasis is on student ownership and leadership of Character Education in the upper school. To achieve this, the Honor Committee undertakes an ambitious agenda each school year.

Activities include:

• An Honor Code Assembly in the Fall where all students are introduced to the Honor Code and the Honor Committee members, with an emphasis on why character is important;
• A series of Honor Code Signing Ceremonies at each grade level in the fall, where all students sign the Honor Code. In addition, each student receives an Honor Code pen to take with them as a reminder of the ceremony. The dress code is formal for students at these ceremonies as a reminder of the importance of what signing the Honor Code means, and it is only one of two times during the school year when upper school students are asked to dress up (the other time being the Awards Assembly at the end of the school year);
• Two series of student-led advisor groups (one in the fall and one in the spring), where Honor Committee members lead groups of students in activities designed to generate discussion and ideas about the TAS Values and character;
• The Gratitude Project in the fall, where the Honor Committee members lead students in writing thank-you letters to any adult at TAS who has made a meaningful impact on their life. This year, over 400 such letters by upper school students were distributed by the Honor Committee throughout TAS, thanking staff members, teachers, and administrators for the wonderful service they provide to our school;
• A bulletin board prominently located on the second floor of the D-block as a platform to illustrate character issues. This year, a "Person of the Month" from the news has been featured each month as a role model of character in action;
• The Speaker Series in the spring, where both faculty members and students are invited to speak about current events topics designed to show students that the five TAS Values apply not only here at TAS but also in the world at large. Past topics have ranged from the financial crisisof 2008 to Jeremy Lin to bullying. This year's current topics include responsibility in learning and music as a vehicle for social change;
• And surveys of the upper school student body in the spring to elicit feedback on what character issues most concern students and how the Honor Committee is doing as a student organization. These results are then shared with the wider student body.

Two years ago, the Honor Committee voted to add Courage as a part of the Upper School Honor Code, and then made a presentation to the full TAS Administration requesting that Courage be added schoolwide as a new TAS Value. As a result of this action, Courage has now become the official 5th Value at TAS at all divisional levels KA-12.

As a flexible and dynamic student body, the Honor Committee continually explores new ways to promote the Honor Code and TAS Values to the upper school student body. Indeed, I came away from the Honor Systems Conference and school visits with a range of new ideas for future activities that I have since passed on to the Honor Committee students for their consideration.

In addition to all of the information and ideas gathered on my trip, two main conclusions resonate: (1) we have much to celebrate at all divisions concerning our Character Education efforts here at TAS—we indeed have a phenomenal KA-12 program; and (2) in the Upper School, the Honor Committee is quite fortunate to have the freedom and time to focus exclusively on promoting character to the student body. And this indeed is what Character Education is really all about.