Shanghai American School
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| Shanghai American School | |
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| Location | |
|---|---|
| Shanghai, Shanghai, China | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Established | 1912 |
| Superintendent | Dennis Larkin |
| Faculty | 377 |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Enrollment | 2987 |
| Student:teacher ratio | 9:1 |
| Campus | 29 acres (120,000 m2) in Puxi 23 acres (93,000 m2) in Pudong |
| Color(s) | Red, White, and Blue |
| Athletics | 17 sports |
| Mascot | Bald Eagle |
| Average SAT scores | 510-650 Verbal 590-710 Math 1100-1360 Total (2007) |
| Website | www.saschina.org |
Shanghai American School is an international K-12 school located in Shanghai, China. Originally established in 1912, it accepts expatriate students from all countries around the world, and fosters them with an American educational environment.
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[edit] History
The Shanghai American School (SAS) is an independent, non-profit, coeducational day school that is sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. It is owned and managed by the SAS Association of Parents. Every parent of a child at the school is automatically a member of the association.
Shanghai American School has a long history in China's largest metropolis. It has proudly maintained a tradition of quality education throughout the years.
In the early 1900s, enrollment reached well over 500 students in grades K-12. Students came from missionary, diplomatic and expatriate business families. SAS closed in 1949. The school reopened in 1980 on the grounds of the U.S. consulate. A growing foreign community and expanding foreign business activity created an increasing enrollment that prompted a move in 1989 to the campus of the Shanghai Number 3 Girls' Middle School. When that campus became too small to accommodate enrollment, SAS moved to two new locations - one in suburban Zhudi, on the Puxi, or west side of Shanghai, and the other on the east, or Pudong side, of the Huangpu River.
Significant student growth and ever-increasing program offerings necessitated this expansion of facilities. From 1980 until 1992, the school offered self-contained classes through grade eight. Beginning with the 1992-93 school year, a middle school was established for grades 6-8. In 1993-94, a ninth grade was added. At this time, the Associated Student Body became active and the first SAS dance since 1949 was held. Beginning with the 1994-95 school year, grades 10, 11 and 12 were added to the Puxi campus in order to enable SAS to provide a complete Pre-K through 12th grade educational program. The Pudong campus was able to provide a complete Pre-K through Grade 12 program much later in the year 2007 when 12th grade was finally added for the 2007-2008 academic year. The school grew from approximately 20 students when it reopened in 1980 to about 2900 for the 2007-2008 academic year. SAS is the largest school for the expatriate community in Shanghai and the largest international school in China. SAS students come from more than 40 countries. The more than 342 SAS teachers come from 16 countries. On both the Pudong and the Puxi campuses, SAS has fine new facilities specifically built to support a comprehensive and carefully coordinated curriculum. Classrooms, science labs, facilities for drama, art and music, gymnasiums and sports fields are the most developed in all of China and comparable to the best any international school has to offer. SAS takes special pride in its extensive technology resources and the way they are used to support and enhance student learning. There are multimedia, internet-connected, computer labs and hundreds of stand-alone computers to serve students. The Pudong campus moved into new facilities in 1998 and the Puxi campus completed the move to its new campus at the start of the 2000-2001 academic year. Since then, facilities on both campuses have been expanded and improved. The scope of academic program has kept pace with added enrollment in both scope and enhanced sophistication. High school students can choose an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program and/or Advanced Placement (AP) courses to supplement a top quality U.S. high school diploma. There are also 5 councils in high school formed of students and elected by students. The councils are the Freshman Council, the Sophomore Council, the Junior Council, the Senior Council and the Executive Council. From a historical perspective, SAS enjoys the unique distinction of having an active alumni. The group of alumni is made up largely of members who were students and graduates of SAS prior to 1949. A regular newsletter is published and each year there is a major gathering of alumni in the United States.
[edit] Present
More than 2600 pupils attend from over 30 countries. Any child may apply, if holding a non-Chinese passport for local students. Both the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement Program are available, and boast extremely high results. In the 2006 year, 36 students qualified for the IB full diploma, with an average of 36 points. There were 576 AP exams taken by 227 students in the same year, also achieving impressive scores.
SAS has an extensive and exceptional faculty and staff of 498, with the 51% holding a master's degree and 3% holding a Phd. The school also includes 14 counselors and 2 psychologists. The student-teacher ratio of 9:1 demonstrates a high level of communication and connection between the two.
Teacher Nationalities:
- American 56%
- Canada 15%
- China 10%
- New Zealand 7%
- Australia 7%
- Other 5%
Currently, there are two campuses:
- Puxi Campus, 1998 (K-12)
- Pudong Campus, 2000 (K-12)
The Puxi campus sits in Zhudi Town, Shanghai's southwest portion, west of Hongqiao International Airport. Encompassing 29 acres (120,000 m2), it boasts a wide range of buildings. There are currently separate buildings for the Elementary/Kindergarten, Middle School, and High School, with a separate building for the HS Social Studies classrooms. Additional facilities include a finance house, library/media center, and two connected cafeterias. Sports facilities include two grass pitches capable of hosting sports such as rugby, soccer, and baseball, a track and field, three sports halls with basketball/volleyball courts, a fitness center, theater, and an aquatics center.
The Pudong campus is based inside the grounds of the Shanghai Links Executive Community, several miles north of the Pudong International Airport. This complex includes an elementary school, middle school and high school building that are all interconnected. A cafeteria, gymnasium/performing arts center, and three fields are also present in this 23-acre (93,000 m2) school.
[edit] School Activities
SAS is currently an active member of Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC), and participates in many sports such as volleyball, softball, soccer (football), rugby,baseball, and basketball, or the arts such as band, orchestra, and theatre. It is also a participant of the China Cup of sports. The Middle School participates in the China International Schools Sports Association (CISSA) League. The student newspaper, the ShangHigh Echo, is also a better newspaper than the "professionally" run school newsletter, ParentTalk.
SAS offers a wide variety of after school activities, ranging from intramural sports to the internationally-renowned Roots and Shoots. Activities include National Honor Society, Model United Nations (MUN), Quiz Bowl, Forensics, Amnesty International, Roots and Shoots, Habitat for Humanity, Community Service, Documentary Film Making, cooking, jewelry making, a student-run lacrosse activity, music ensembles, and many more.
SAS, which has attended the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament twice, was recently commissioned by NAQT to operate a tournament, the 2007 Asian Championship, expected to be attended by several schools from East Asia.
SAS also hosted the very first Relay for Life event in Shanghai in April 2007.
SAS is the host of the Shanghai Student Film Festival, an international student film festival.
[edit] Mission and Vision Statements
Mission
Shanghai American School, in partnership with parents, fosters the development of each student's personal potential through a balance of the academic, physical, social, emotional and ethical aspects of life. SAS provides a challenging American core curriculum with an international perspective that inspires a passion for learning and intellectual vitality.
Vision
By 2012, the Shanghai American School will be recognized as a leading international school in Asia and the world by providing a rich cultural and social learning environment for families who seek an exemplary core American educational program. SAS will prepare each child for academic and personal success in higher education and life in a global society.
To accomplish this vision, SAS will:
1. Maximize benefits derived from the cultural and linguistic learning experiences in China and from the rich multi-cultural backgrounds of SAS families.
2. Provide well-balanced co-curricular activities and community service programs.
3. Serve, with honor and respect, a broad range of children as identified through a fair and well-defined admission process and complementary learning support programs.
4. Use technology in innovative and authentic ways to enhance learning and communication.
5. Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school and to celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.
6. Engage and support teachers, administrators, and staff in a unique professional learning community that provides opportunities to grow, develop, and learn together in all aspects of their professional lives.
7. Be financially secure and constantly strive to assure future financial strength.
[edit] Core Values
Expectations For Students
- SAS students should demonstrate high-level skills for thinking and problem solving.
- SAS students should have a mastery of the core concepts and factual information needed to function effectively in our current and future society.
- SAS students should recognize the dignity and worth of others in the global community.
- SAS students should exhibit positive attitudes towards themselves.
- SAS students should exhibit an understanding and appreciation of Chinese language and culture.
- SAS students should exhibit attitudes for life-long learning.
- SAS students should exhibit a range of interests and skills beyond what is taught in the classroom.
Near the end of the 2006-2007 school year, the SAS Student Programs Committee began using a new SAS acronym to sum up these student expectations. The acronym was EAGLES, which encouraged students to exhibit the six following traits:
- Empowered to be life-long learners, take risks, imagine, innovate, interact with the world around them, demonstrate leadership through collaboration and teamwork, and adopt a healthy, well-rounded life-style.
- Adaptable as resilient, flexible, self-motivated learners and problem solvers, negotiators, and collaborators.
- Global-Minded citizens who act with the past and the future in mind; embrace diversity with compassion, empathy, and acceptance of others; respect and support family and community; engage responsibly in the world's problems; and protect and advocate for local and global environments.
- Literate individuals who are able to communicate articulately through reading, writing, speaking, listening, and artistic expression; analyze information to create new knowledge and develop understandings; and use information and communication technologies effectively.
- Ethical human beings who demonstrate citizenship and generosity through authentic community service activities and integrity and honesty to themselves and others in words and actions.
- Skilled inquirers who apply content knowledge and skill to authentic situations and broader systems, strive for academic excellence, reason soundly and critically, and explore other languages and cultures.
Expectations of the Community
- SAS should prepare students for acceptance into institutes of continuing education of their choice, including the finest universities in the world.
- SAS believes that school should be a happy place, where students gain satisfaction from genuine accomplishment in a supportive, caring and safe environment that nurtures student's social and emotional well being.
- SAS believes that education is a shared responsibility between parents and school.
- SAS should recognize the dignity and personal worth of each student.
- SAS should ensure sound resource management practices.
- SAS should provide a challenging education based on the American core curriculum, consistent with the individual academic capabilities and personal and social needs of each student.
- SAS should value its international diversity and the global perspectives found within its school community.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
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