Dispatch, March/April 2014 - The Anglo

Dispatch, March/April 2014 - The Anglo

Dispatch
The Anglo-American School of Moscow
March/April 2014
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The Anglo-American School of Moscow
www.aas.ru
DISPATCH
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
f discovery concluded oh it sportsman.
mission
AAS empowers each student to:
Respect Self & Others,
Love Learning, and
Contribute as a Globally Aware Citizen
in order to achieve individual academic and
holistic excellence.
Welcome to the Dispatch! The Dispatch is an all-school
magazine that is published every two months. The
entire school community is welcome to submit articles,
photos, and advertisements to this publication.
Please send to: rita.ehrman@aas.ru.
vision
We inspire student learning:
• Through a dynamic and caring
environment
• With innovative and effective instructional strategies
• In collaborative relationships, and
• By using current, relevant technologies,
and the rich resources of our diverse
community.
core values
AAS believes equally in the value of:
• Making decisions based on the
students’ best interests.
• Developing the whole child.
• Supporting student success through
community partnerships.
• Delivering a challenging and inquirybased curriculum in an engaging
manner.
• Reviewing curriculum via a reflective
and dynamic process.
• Respecting self and others.
• Providing an emotionally and physically safe environment where people want
to come each day.
• Providing students with an international perspective in order to prepare them
for future challenges and contributions.
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PTO Spring Gala 2014
We hope you enjoy this edition of the Dispatch. Please
feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or
suggestions!
Happy reading!
Rita Ehrman
Crita.ehrman@aas.ru
page 1
contents
PYP Exhibition
page 11
ECO Fair
MS Drama
4 FROM THE DIRECTOR
5 FROM THE BOARD
6 VISITING POET TAYLOR MALI
8 PTO SPRING GALA
12 PYP EXHIBITION
14 ECO FAIR
16 PORTRAIT OF AN ALUM
20 PTO INTERNATIONAL FAIR
21 IB VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION
22 THE PTO EXCHANGE
24 FOR SALE/FOR RENT
26 LIBRARY NEWS
27 PTO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
28 PENGUIN LIFE
38 2015-2016 CALENDAR
“Like” us on Facebook! It’s an easy way to
get updates from us! Click on the logo.
CEESA Swimming Championships
3
FROM THE
director
Happy May, Everyone!!
We hope this issue of the Dispatch finds you well and
enjoying the many activities that come with this season
of the year. In this issue of the Dispatch you’ll see many
of the activities your children have been taking part in
lately. With Grade 5 Exhibition just complete and our
seniors heading into IB exams, we find ourselves feeling so proud of our students and their accomplishments.
Spring is a time that reminds us of renewal. With each
passing day, Mother Nature brings birth and growth back
from the deep sleep of winter. Similarly, as our school year
moves into its final stage, the learning that has been connecting just below the surface takes shape in final projects and
culminating activities. Our recent elementary student-led
conferences were a perfect example of students articulating
their learning journey and sharing with parents their personalized version of individual academic and holistic excellence.
Grade 3 Young Entrepreneurs’ Fair, May 1
Similarly, in a few short weeks, seniors will cross the stage
and celebrate one of the most pivotal moments of their lives.
It constitutes both a culmination and a new beginning with
each tassel flip. There will be many moments of success in
the final weeks of the year. Let’s celebrate each one, no matter how small, with pride on our faces and love in our hearts!
Alumni College Fair, April 29
Veterans’ Visit, May 5
FROM THE
board
The following information was emailed to all parents on April 29, 2014.
Dear A AS Community,
The A AS Board of Directors has an opening for a non-Embassy appointed
Board member. Under the A AS Charter and Bylaws, new non-Embassy Board
members are appointed by current Members of the Board upon the recommendation of the Board Chair, and serve without term limit at the discretion of the
Board. Board members have traditionally taken an active role in A AS community
life. Positions are unpaid and the full Board normally meets every six to eight
weeks for two to three hours each session. Board members also serve on one
or more of the Board committees, which often meet at more frequent intervals
and at various times. They also get together in a Board Retreat held in September each year.
The Board itself is responsible for protecting and ensuring the continued existence and future of the School, including its fiscal well-being. It establishes
basic policies and major programmes, and delegates to the School Director,
whom it employs, the day-to-day administration of the School and the carrying
out of these approved policies and programmes. In so doing, Board members
are expected to actively support the School Director and demonstrate this support within the School community.
A successful candidate for Board membership will have already shown commitment to A AS and its community of students, families and faculty. The candidate must not have any substantial financial or other interests that conflict with
the interests of the School. Candidates need not have academic or professional
experience in the field of education, however, business experience including financial, construction, management and facilities management, or human
resources expertise, would be advantageous. Oral and written proficiency in
English will be essential, as will the ability to listen and debate with discretion
and confidentiality in meetings.
If you would like to be considered for the role of non-Embassy appointed
Board member, please send your resume and cover letter outlining your experience and interest to the A AS Board Nominating Committee Chair, Tom Oppenheim, through Zhenya Ivanova. Applications can be delivered to Zhenya at the
A AS Director’s Office or sent by email to zhenya.ivanova@aas.ru . All applications must be received by Thursday, May 8. Short-listed candidates will be
invited for interview.
Tom Oppenheim
Nominating Committee Chair
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Taylor Mali
PERFORMANCE POET
May 1-7
We are thrilled to welcome slam poet Taylor Mali to AAS May 1-7 as part of our PTO
Visiting Artist program. Taylor comes to us highly recommended and should be a
great inspiration to our upper elementary, middle school and high school students.
New York City performance poet Taylor Mali is one of the most well-known poets to
have emerged from the poetry slam movement and one of the original poets to appear
on the HBO series “Def Poetry Jam.” He is a four-time National Poetry Slam champion
and the author of three books, most recently “What Teachers Make: In Praise of the
Greatest Job in the World.”
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Newsletter Template
May 6
Parent Session
14.10-15.30
MS/HS Library
May 7
Arts Cafe
15.45-17.10
Bolshoi
Students, staff, and parents welcome!
Would you like to perform?
Email: john.bishop@aas.ru
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8
Click here to view more photos.
A huge thank you to all of our corporate and individual sponsors as well as to all of you who purchased gala
tickets and to everyone who participated in the Live and Silent Auctions. Thanks to your generosity, this year’s
Gala raised a total of $172,910. The funds raised cover all of the PTO’s programs for this year - Visiting
Artists, Craft Fair, Newcomers programming, MS socials, HS BBQ, ES class parties, International Fair...and the
list goes on. The PTO will also increase the Enhancement Grant funding available for this year.
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THANK
YOU!!!
It was a whole-community effort that made the PTO Spring Gala 2014 so successful!
Thank you to our gala team, volunteers and generous sponsors for their help in raising funds that will go toward enhancing our students’ education!
PTO Spring Gala 2014 Coordinator: Beth Kirkham
Space Design: Alexandra Torre
Ticket Sales & Finance: Luisa Soto Carrizo
Sponsorships & Donations: Anastasia Sazonova
Beverage/Alcohol Procurement: Tatyana Latinsky
Silent Auction & Prizes: Hanna Lindqvist, Kelly Chandgie
Art Procurement: Hien Tran
Marketing & Communications: Tanja Blume-Jantos
Thank you to our Major Monetary Sponsors:
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Chapiteau d’Or
$12,000
Chapiteau rouge
$10,000
Chapiteau bleu
$8,000
BP
Chevron Neftegaz Inc.
ExxonMobil Russia Inc.
Probusinessbank
Unilever
Mr. Marco Mariotti,
President of PMI Affiliates
in Russia and Belarus
Anonymous
PepsiCo Russia
Coca-Cola Hellenic
DirectGroup
Mareven Food Central LLC
Procter & Gamble
Schlumberger
Entertainment
$5,000
Teachers’ Table
$2,500
Hines Pokrovsky 1, Ltd.
ZAO Citibank
Procter&Gamble
Thank you to Sodis Travel for donating a Dream Weekend in
Greece! Book your own dream vacation with Sodis Travel!
SODIS Travel Agency has been offering premium travel services on the Russian market for over 25 years.
Individual tours to 80 countries and VIP services. When booking the first trip the members of the AAS community are entitled to SODIS Gold Membership card which gives 7% discount for the purchased trip and for all
future trips with SODIS! Consider the SODIS Cyprus vacation in an Exclusive Hotel Anassa*****. Anassa hotel
is situated in a picturesque Latchi bay, not far from the famous Aphrodite’s baths. BONUS: adjoining room for
children is free of charge!!! Call for details!
Trip dates: before June 30, 2014
Rooms: Studio Suite and Garden Studio Suite
When buying at least 5 nights the second room in the same category for children under 12 is free including
breakfast. Maximum 3 children in one room.
Sodis Travel Agency
+7 (495) 933 55 33
www.sodis.ru
Imperial Porcelain Gallery
This year the Imperial Porcelain Gallery supported the AAS Gala by donating
one of its trademark items, the “Cobalt Net” Tea Set. The Modern Porcelain
Art Gallery is a unique place. It is the flagship store of the Imperial Porcelain
retail network. It exhibits exclusive creations of Imperial Porcelain Manufacture artists as well as replicas of famous imperial vases, sculptures and
porcelain sets from the State Hermitage Museum and other leading museums in Russia. The Gallery holds exhibitions, presentations and porcelain
decoration master-classes. Visit the Gallery and enjoy Imperial Porcelain
Manufacture artists’ new collections.
Modern Porcelain Art Gallery by the Imperial Porcelain Manufacture
17 Kutuzovsky Prospect, 2nd Floor, Kievskaya Metro Station
Mon – Sun 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
+7 (925) 755 6747 and +7 (499) 678 0248
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P
12
Y
Exhibition
P
April 29-30
This year’s PYP exhibition’s theme was “What’s My Passion!? How do people’s passion provoke and
sustain learning and creativity while providing a way for them to contribute to the community.” The
students demonstrated their passions in 5 minute presentations ranging from tuba playing to soccer, art to engineering, photography to rock bands. Well done, Grade 5! Click here for video 1. Click here for video 2.
green
FAIR 2014
eco-
april 22
The Eco Green Fair just keeps getting better and better each year! Thank you to Mary Shea,
Masha Sumina, the ECO Green Committee and all the volunteers who worked together to
bring this interesting and educational event to AAS! The Hall of Flags was filled with educational displays from ES and HS environmental clubs, the AAS recycling company “Spera Ecologii,”
the World Wildlife Fund, US Embassy Environmental Cooperation Initiatives, Ecological School
#222, and many others. Even organic food from Lavka-Lavka was on sale throughout the day!
The Upcycled Yard Sale was a big hit. Take a look at the photos on these pages that show the
beautiful recycled book projects! The PTO General Meeting also got a musical treat from the
“Recycled Rhythms” 7th grade elective in which students played instruments made from recycled materials. What a day! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO.
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our mission
To reduce, reuse and recycle as many consumables in the school
as possible. We aim to involve students, staff, faculty and
parents as we strive to model environmental sustainability and
to reduce our school’s carbon footprint.
15
ALUM
PORTR A I T
STEFAN STAERTZEL
CLASS OF 2012
What have you been doing since
graduating from AAS?
After graduating, I moved to Madrid to attend IE University
for my Bachelor of Business Administration degree with
a specialization in finance. I’m finishing my second year
there, and my program is four years long.
What do you like best about your
university experience so far?
I’m very interested in entrepreneurship. I found that
passion here through PenguinLIVE Stream. We started
that project and built it from nothing to something that is
the largest student-run organization at AAS. That gave
me the entrepreneurial drive and interest.
What I really like about my school now is that a lot of
people are studying companies and ventures. They push
entrepreneurship at my school. In the time I’ve been
there, I’ve worked on multiple business plans and am
launching a few ideas myself, including the “Cuidado
Verde” project for the Hult Prize. [Please see page 18 for
Hult Prize story.)
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Looking back on AAS, what are
some of your fondest memories?
I have a lot of good memories of the city itself. It’s a
big and exciting city with lots of things to do. I really
liked AAS a lot. It was a very interesting environment
with lots of people from different areas of the world
who have seen different things from you. You can
learn a lot and gain new connections from that. The
teachers also have done a lot of different things, so
they have a lot of experience. It’s a constantly moving
environment, which is very interesting.
How do you think the IB
prepared you for university?
In the IB, you had to work very, very hard – you
had to learn how to study, analyze things, and write
papers. Because there was so much information,
you really had to learn time management and how
to prioritize what to study. In my classes now, I know
exactly how to prioritize. There’s a lot less material
in each course now, so if I study the same way I
studied for my IB exams, everything goes well.
What kinds of extra-curricular activities did you do in high school?
How did they prepare you for university?
My major time commitments were starting PenguinLIVE Stream, being the captain of the soccer team, being part of the
lifeguard team, and National Honor Society. Six or seven of us started PenguinLIVE, and it was a lot of work. I was in charge
of marketing, so I had to talk to different schools and have a lot of meetings.
AAS was always open to starting new groups, and the students were always motivated to do it. We had the opportunity to
start student clubs, and in other places it’s not so easy to get that kind of support from the school. My clubs, along with the
IB, also helped me learn time management and be effective with my free time.
What advice would you give to today’s AAS students as they plan
for the future?
I would tell them that if you’re 100% sure you know what want to do, then do it, but if you’re not so sure, don’t commit to it.
Don’t do things because others tell you they think you would be good at it. If you’re not sure what you want to do, try different
things and see what you like, which should help you figure it out.
I’m lucky because I figured out what I wanted to do while I was doing the IB. I know a lot of people who still aren’t sure what
they want to do in their lives, but it’s better if you don’t commit to something you don’t want to do. Follow whatever you really
want to do. In Europe, you really need to focus because you apply to a specific program, but in America, there are more
general education classes, so you have more time to figure it out.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be classes. You can also join different kinds and clubs with different environments to find out
what you like. I think the IB puts pressure on you because you have to choose classes in line with your future path, but don’t
worry if you don’t know what you want to do right now.
How do you feel AAS shaped the person you have become?
All of the classes taught me something useful in my life, but since I’m studying business and finance, my math and business
classes really helped me in my university courses. They gave a very good basic knowledge. Before I came to AAS, I didn’t
really know what I wanted to do in the future, so I thought I would go to college in America and figure out what I wanted to
do later. But when I came here, I realized that I wanted to study in Europe and do business and entrepreneurship. Here at
AAS, there were lots of things to do and clubs to be part of, so I found my path for what I wanted to do in the future.
Stefan and other students started PenguinLIVE in 2011.
The
Hultz
Prize
STEFAN STAERTZEL
CLASS OF 2012
The Hult Prize is an annual social impact business plan challenge. It’s the largest student
competition in the world. It is organized by Hult University and supported by the Clinton
Global Initiative. 10,000 teams apply and 250 are accepted in six different regions (Dubai,
London, São Paulo, San Francisco, Boston, and Shanghai). AAS alum Stefan Staertzel’s team
was accepted in the Dubai region. Article below written by Stefan Staertzel.
Every year, teams are given an idea to address
with their business plan, and they give you $1
million for your new start-up if you win. This year’s
idea was addressing chronic diseases in slums.
You could address it from any angle – care,
prevention, or treatment. My team was the only
undergraduate team to be accepted. After we
created our business plan and pitched our first
idea, the top four teams are chosen and their
ideas are pitched in front of all the people at the
conference. We were one of the top four. In the
end, we placed second.
We were competing against 50 teams of doctors,
engineers, PhDs, and so on, so didn’t want to
approach the problem from a medical aspect, but
since we’re business students we tried to find a
business model. We figured out an innovative
financing idea, focusing on slums in Peru. We
didn’t want to directly finance micro health
insurance, but we wanted to focus on prevention
and early detection. We needed it to be a feasible
and sustainable business.
In 80% of slums in South America, trash isn’t
collected. Collecting trash and selling it is a very
big business right now. Our plan is to collect trash
18
from the slums and sell it to companies that want to recycle it or mold it
into something new. You make about $1.20 per kilo of trash. We’ll have
long-term and immediate returns. It’s hard to educate people about trash
collection, so we have incentives for them to bring trash. Part of the money
goes into a coupon system where they can redeem it for food, which means
we can also regulate their diet if they’re showing symptoms of diabetes
or cardiovascular disease, so more serious symptoms can be prevented.
The long-term benefit is micro health insurance. We don’t directly cover
treatment because most countries have a good health care system where
treatment is financed, but for us the main thing is early detection and
monitoring. People in our system will get free health checkups every year.
A lot of our plans are still being developed and changed, but the most
important aspect is for it to be scalable. We were told that our plans should
ideally be able to reach 25 million people within five years. Obviously, this
idea can scale, because every place has trash or resources that can be
exploited. In slums there are always places with bad health care, so that’s
what we’re trying to target.
From what we were told, we had the best idea in the Conference, but we
weren’t the best team to invest in because we were too young. In the team
that won, everyone was working in health care and NGOs. They had their
MBAs and were ready to implement their idea. For us, we are still students
and don’t have much experience.
Our idea looked at the health problem in 360 degrees. If you have poor
sanitation, it can cause diseases too, so we’re creating a more sustainable
living environment for the people in the slums.
MS DRAMA
Ashie’s World
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IB VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION 2014
Fourteen talented Grade 12 IB Visual Arts students displayed
their work to the community April 1-4. This exhibition is the culmination of two years’ of work for the students. You can view a video
of the exhibition and listen to artists’ interviews by clicking here.
Please click here to view photos of the students’ work.
21
he PTO
C A GE
Now open! Year ‘round swap of
books, uniforms and skates!
PTO
he
22
C A GE
What is the Exchange?
It’s a place to swap and/or purchase used books, uniforms, and skates. It’s located in the PTO Office in the
Student Lounge – across from the PTO Store.
How Does It Work? Bring your used books, uniforms or skates to The Exchange during opening hours to
receive your swap tickets. You can also drop off books to either library and receive tickets. Items can be
purchased in The Exchange for swap tickets or rubles!
Swap Ticket Information: New tickets have been issued since March 2014. Old uniform and book and
skates swap tickets will be honored for the rest of the 2013-2014 school year. Toward the end of the schoolyear we would request that all people holding old book bucks, uniform or skate-swap tickets bring them in
for a “currency exchange”, ticket for ticket. Old tickets will expire June 20. Only new tickets will be
accepted in the 2014-2015 school year.
hours
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays
15.00-16.00
Wednesdays
08.00-09.30
Tuesdays after the PTO meetings
10.00-16.00
Newsletter Template
23
what’s
happening
no school
May 8 & 9
24
On Thursday, May 8 there is a professional
training day. The school will effectively be
closed to visitors during the day other than
for appointments. This includes the cafeteria
and any scheduled daytime FUBOG activities
with the exception of the after-school wellness
programme. Sportszone will be open in the
evening as normal. Friday, May 9 there is a total
school closure day to mark Victory Day. The
school will be completely closed all day.
CAR
FOR
SALE
2011 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD SUV,
$13,000. Great car and solid handling
in all Moscow weather/traffic conditions.
Auto Transmission, Traction Control,
ABS Brakes, Side/Overhead/Dual
Airbags, Alloy Wheels, Power Steer/
Windows/Locks/Mirrors, Rear Defrost,
Aux Audio Input, CD Audio, A/C, Cloth
Seats. Great Condition! Well maintained and recently serviced. 46,000
miles. KBB Value = $15,500. Available in June. Please contact Tim at
tlfinnegan2269@gmail.com
BIKE FOR SALE
BMC Time Machine, $1000 OBO
We invested in this amazing tri bike a few years
ago, but it has been ridden only occasionally. In total
it has about 200km on it, all in the dry, and it has
been regularly tuned and maintained. The bike is
light as a feather and moves like the wind. The seat
tube is 488mm and the top tube is 520mm. It is fully
kitted out with an Easton EC 70 fork, carbon seat post,
and Shimano 105s. Please contact Matt Groves at
Matthew.Groves@aas.ru
Car for Sale (Diplomatic Sale Only)
2008
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Saturn Vue XE
21,700
4 cylinder
222 hp
24 mpg combined
MP3 &CD
Excellent Condition
Black
Grey Interior
Power locks & windows
A/C
$11,500
Click on the following link for photos:
http://goo.gl/Tf7paF
for sale
Apartment for Sale - AAS parent. 175 square meters. Near
metro. Near Gazprom. Great layout,
western design.
Call +7 919 766 5951
http://www.cian.ru/sale/flat/2370985
for rent
HIGH LEVEL APARTMENT FOR
RENT
Near Moscow center a modern,
elegant 3 bedroom 140 sqm
apartment for rent in a respectable house on Moscow river. 24h
security, CCTV, restricted access, kids’ playground, baskeball
field, own parking place, open
river and city views from 19th
floor. Safe and ecological place
near Serebryany Bor. Rented
with or without furniture. Address
Karamyshevskaya naberezhnaya 56-1. Travel time to AAS is
c.20 min.
Rent 3900 euro per month.
Inquiries Ms. Alla Vikstrom,
+7 915 111 6765.
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What’s
going on
in the library?
You may have noticed a lot of movement around the library of late, and we would like to take
a moment to let you know what is happening here at AAS. After several years of planning, and
initial remodeling steps toward this goal, we are finally completely joining the two libraries together.
This summer, the remaining walls between the Elementary and the Djupedal libraries are coming down, and a new combined library team will
be serving the needs of our patrons. We have observed that we have a
duplication of staffing and collections here at AAS, and the remodel is a
response to the comments and issues that we have noted over the years.
We hope that we will be able to work smarter, and more efficiently by
joining the two libraries together.
That does not mean that we are diluting the library experience for our
customers, quite the contrary. The remodel will allow us to create additional specialization by creating a distinct section for Early Childhood,
as well as a special section for our students who are just learning to read. We are creating a
classroom space, and a story-time nook, and we are combining the upper elementary level
novels with those for Middle School to create a new Middle Grades collection. Finally, we will
be separating the harder fiction into a section meant for upper High School and parents. These
sections are not meant to exclude anyone from moving from one section
to another, but rather meant to keep the materials most interesting to
particular groups together so as to aid in finding the right reading material for a particular age or reading level. We are also attempting to group
the movies into interests as well, though it’s sometimes really hard to
know the difference between film genres… where do you put a romantic,
mystery or a funny, classic, horror film? We’ll do our best.
You will notice a great movement of books and materials between now
and the end of school. This is being done now so that the libraries will
not need to close before the end of school, and will be open when school
resumes in August. We are not throwing anything out. We are taking
materials that have low circulation records, and moving those materials into our storage collection. That means that the materials will still show as available in the online catalog, but will be
in a room nearby should anyone want to check them out. Staff will go and collect any materials requested from storage, so you still have access to all the library materials throughout the
remodeling process.
As always, thank you for your support. We are so lucky here at AAS to have such a robust
library collection to meet the needs and interests of the entire school community. The remodel
is just another sign that the school values libraries greatly, as much as it values making our
library an even more vital part of this learning community.
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PTO 2014-2015
All the new and continuing candidates for PTO Executive Committee positions were
approved by the Membership by an overwhelming majority. We welcome the new
members of 2014/15’s Executive Committee!
Michelle Robson - Secretary
Hülya Tardell & Annelize Smith - coVPs MS
Nienke Smulders - VP Internal
Yelena Ernst - VP External
They will join returning Executive members:
Becca Meurer - President
Alex Badiola - VP HS
Sharon Jones - VP ES
Luisa Soto Carrizo - Treasurer
Kristina Tadic - PTO Store Manager
Seniors’ Lunch. Good luck on your exams!
27
2014 CEESA MS CHOIR
On Wednesday, February 5, eleven AAS middle school choir students headed off to Prague to
participate in the CEESA Middle School Choir Festival. Accompanying our students were AAS Choir
Director Bruce W. Nelson and AAS vocal-music assistant / strings instructor, Maria Lazareva. Bruce
Nelson served as musical director for this year’s festival with Michelle Rohyans from Bucharest sharing
in conducting duties. Miss Lazareva served as one of the two festival piano accompanists.
Joining with our students for the festival were 83 other choir students from the international schools of
Belgrade, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, Kiev, Krakow, Helsinki, Bucharest, Ljubljana and Sofia. This
was a new record for the number of schools participating in this festival.
Thursday and Friday were particularly grueling days for our students. Following the long day of
rehearsals, all the students were transported by busses to Prague’s “old town” for the Prague “ghost
tour.” Since the weather was comparatively mild, the students really enjoyed this outing. Friday’s
rehearsals were similarly lengthy and challenging. In the afternoon, both the choir and band ensembles
staged a short “preview concert” for a mixed-age group of students from the International School of
Prague. This concert gave us the opportunity to try out a few of our pieces for a live audience and
gave the choir their first chance to test the acoustics in the school’s auditorium.
On Saturday, we spent the day alternating between large and small group rehearsals. Since the
students were getting vocally exhausted, it was decided that a break was needed in the afternoon, so
Mr. Nelson, Miss Lazareva, Ms. Rohyans and Mr Jones (choir director from Kiev) staged an impromptu
concert consisting of a number of Mr. Nelson’s compositions. Once again, our students were among
the most well-prepared, well-mannered, and well-rehearsed students at the festival.
Bruce Nelson, Choir Director
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The Hague International
Model United Nations
(THIMUN)
THIMUN 2014 was a great
success for all the students
involved.
The integration of
students from grades 10, 11
and 12 provided an atmosphere
in which all students were able
to contribute to the group’s
achievements. Each student
worked hard in the eight weeks
of preparation for the conference
and this hard work served them
well when they entered into the
process of lobbying resolutions
and merging clauses, and finally
in the cut and thrust of debate
in the noble attempt to reach
consensus on the wide range of
issues being dealt with in each
MUN committee.
The days were busy. They were full of lobbying, merging and the rewriting of clauses and resolutions. Several
students co-authored resolutions that were accepted for discussion on the following days. All of the delegation
gave speeches and did an impressive job of holding their own answering questions.
Many of our students were recognized for their performance as MUN Delegates and it became clear that
we had proven ourselves to be strong contributors to the conference and that the organizers are more than
happy for us to return next year with an equally committed group of delegates.
We found the conference to be well hosted and run professionally. We were made to feel welcome and
the students from AAS soon became fully involved in every aspect of the role of an MUN Delegate. The
AAS students all performed well and had a very academically stimulating and very enjoyable time. Several
students had their clauses included in resolutions that were then chosen for debate and at least seven
resolutions that our students were the main or major contributors to were debated and passed in committee.
All of the students expressed a desire to participate in future MUN conferences and several are eager to take
on the role of student officers at these conferences by chairing committees etc. The students behaved well
and were strong ambassadors of AAS.
Paul Pickering, MUN Director AAS
29
Varsity Boys Basketball: A successful season!
The 2013-14 Varsity Boys Basketball season drew to a close with an overall team record of 16 wins and
5 losses, first place in the Penguin Invitational Tournament, second place in our KES League division,
and third place in the CEESA Tournament. In the CEESA Tournament in Budapest, we finished 3-1 in the
group stage with our loss coming to eventual champions Warsaw. Unfortunately, we came up short in the
semi-final game versus Bucharest, but bounced back to defeat Istanbul for the 3rd place bronze medal.
Jonatan Haviv again earned all-tournament honors, this time joined by Kosta Vafeidis (Grade 10).
The Varsity Boys team was co-captained by Jonatan Haviv and Loic Jacquemin (Grade 12), and their
leadership both on and off the court helped move the team to a higher level of competition, motivation,
discipline, and teamwork. They were stalwart team leaders, and their commitment is greatly appreciated.
Jonatan led the team in rebounding and blocked shots, and Loic contributed greatly with hard-nosed
defense and rebounding. David Ismailov (Grade 11) and Kosta Vafeidis were our leaders in scoring, and
Mehmet Cankaya led the team in assists and steals.
We bid farewell to Grade 12 players Bennett Parrish, Chris Belnap, and Patrick Moon. Bennett’s role as
a defensive stopper, Chris’ big man inside presence, and Patrick’s willingness to play multiple roles to
support team are gratefully acknowledged and highly valued. We also look forward to the return of four
starters—Mehmet Cankaya, Daniel Casado (Grade 11), Kosta Vafeidis, and David Ismailov—as well as
reserves Ethan Fogel and David Abaev. They, along with a host of rising JV players, will form the core
of next year’s Varsity Boys Basketball team as we strive for PI, KES, and CEESA gold! Coach Stratton
and Coach Knudson would like to thank the players, families, and school for the opportunity to coach this
year’s team, and look forward to even better things next season.
Coaches: Stratton and Knudson
30
varsity
basketball
Varsity Girls Basketball: A turn around year
The Varsity Girls team this year was a talented one with some strong freshman joining many
returnees from last year’s team. Last year’s team finished a disappointing last place in the CEESA
tournament, but the team was determined to get Penguin Varsity Basketball back on top where it
belongs.
The team had a good Penguin Invitational Tournament losing in the final against a very good Russian Department of Defense team. The girls also competed in a new local-school league finishing
second in our district. Overall, the girls had a very solid build up to the CEESA tournament and
they were poised to shoot for a title.
The CEESA tournament this year was in Bucharest and the girls were rolling from the opening tipoff and cruised into the semi-final against the hosting school. In the semi-final the girls were down
by 3 points with 5 seconds to play when Lucy Whyte made a three point shot from just inside the
center line to put the game into overtime where team eventually won.
The championship final was a hard fought affair against a veteran Warsaw team and the girls
were simply out played and took home second place.
The team should be proud of their accomplishments and turnaround from the 2012-2013 season.
The Penguins are back on top in CEESA where we belong!!
Coaches: Schnell and Delane
31
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball
Getting better each minute!
Hoops future is a bright one!
The Junior Varsity Girls came together over
the season and gelled as one solid unit on
and off the court. Many of the girls had limited
experience coming into the season, yet were
thrown into the competitive arena early at the
December German School tournament and our
Penguin Invitational. In both events they faced
more mature teams, yet absorbed what they
learnt and traveled to Warsaw with a spring of
confidence in their steps.
The tournament in Warsaw was a small one
this year, as only Kiev, Bucharest and are girls
made the trip. The four teams had a double
round-robin over two days and in the final day
the team found themselves in the final versus
Kiev. The play was intense and the girls played
one of their best games of the season losing a
close one.
The team came together as one and they should
be proud of their season.
Coaches: O’Carroll and Pellerin
32
The Junior Varsity Boys Basketball
had a successful season. They
competed hard just coming up
short in the Penguin Invitational
against more mature opposition.
They traveled to Prague for the
annual CEESA Tournament feeling
confident after late season wins
against local competition. The team
went undefeated on day one and
on the second day advanced to the
championship final. The team faced
a strong Warsaw team who had
the game of their season narrowly
defeating our young Penguins.
Junior Varsity athletics is about
development and many of these
boys will be pushing for spots on the
Varsity team next year.
Coaches: Fusco and Hughes
33
middle school
Three year “Gold Rush” run at CEESA Tournament!
This season was another success for the Middle School Girls Basketball team. We had twenty four
girls that ended the season. The ten girls that represented AAS at the CEESA tournament did another
great job of playing basketball and representing our school. The girls went undefeated on their way to
winning their third consecutive CEESA championship. Throughout the season, most of the girls had the
opportunity to gain lots of game time experience. Ten other girls also represented AAS at a tournament
held in Helsinki, Finland. They came away from the tournament with a 1-3 record, but two of their loses
were by less than 3 points. We also had two teams for the MISAS tournament held here in Moscow
with local international schools. The CEESA team won their tournament and went undefeated, while
the Helsinki team went 1-4. Overall, the season was a tremendous success; there was lots of growth,
games, and fun.
Coaches: Kern and Wolf
34
basketball
Boys Run Away with Title!
The 2013-14 basketball season proved to be another
successful season for the Penguins. When practices
began back in November we had close to 60 boys
come out to participate. Our first tournament of
the year was in January and it was hosted by the
International School of Helsinki. Our boys traveled
to compete against the International School of
Helsinki and Marymount International School from
Paris. The boys played well that weekend and came
home with first place. Our second tournament of the
year was here in Moscow and was hosted by the
International School of Moscow. At this tournament
we were able to enter two teams. Both teams played
well and one of those two teams went on to take
second place. Our final CEESA tournament of the
season was hosted here at AAS and we entered
two teams to compete. Our second team stood out
on the first day of competition, as they played great
basketball and were able to win their pool. Our first
teams, led by a group of talented boys in grade 8
and grade 6, were a dominant force on both days
of the tournament and went undefeated to win the
CEESA championship. We are extremely proud of all
of our basketball players and look forward to another
successful season next school year!
Coaches: McCullough and Schnell
35
CEESA High School Swimming
This year’s CEESA Swimming championships were held in Moscow and it was all about
“Good Times!”
Highlights of the meet include:
• High School Boys: 1st place!
• High School Girls: 1st place!
• Katya Yamomoto: School record in the 50 fly (32.05), 100 fly (1:14.63) and 50 back (36.07)
• Filip Butula: School and CEESA record in the 50 free (24.63)
• Kostya Schvedev: School record in the 50 (33.38) and 100 breaststroke (1:14.45)
• Andro Tikvica: School and CEESA record in the 400 free (4:26.27); School record in the 200 free (2:03.48); School record in the 200 IM (2:23.18)
• Filip Butula, Paul Degroot, Andro Tikvica, and Kostya Schvedev set new School and CEESA
records in the 200 free relay (1:44.29) and 200 medley relay (1:58.16).
• Laura Butula: School record in the 50 free (30.58) and 100 free (1:08.35)
• Laura Butula, Katya Yamomoto, Emily Busvine, and Tirza Debruin 200 Free Relay (2:06.08)
Congratulations to all HS Swimmers! 2014 CEESA Champions!
CEESA
Swimming
Championships
March 7-8
36
Newsletter Template
CEESA Middle School Swimming
The back of this year’s competition T-shirts reads “It’s all about
good times. This was certainly true for the Middle School
Swimmers. During a normal CEESA swim meet at team is allowed to bring 5 scoring and two exhibition swimmers. Due to
the fact that we were hosting we were able to bring unlimited
exhibition swimmers. This was a fantastic opportunity for all
members of the team to compete and feel what it is like to swim
in a “big” meet.
The one thing that really stands out with this team is how hard
they all worked during the entire season. The dedication to
the practices and the focus on the fundamentals such as, good
stroke technique, streamlining off the walls, starts and turns
really led to incredible improvement for all swimmers. In fact,
every swimmer on the team achieved personal best times during the meet!
On the boy’s team, the exhibition swimmers, Greg A., Tyler M., Ean L., David S., Olivier S., Liam W., Sasha
P., Vassily P., Cal S., Ryan L., Marco R. and Niccolo M. swam their hearts out in every race. Ryan, Marco and
Niccolo actually swam times that placed in the top 6 swimmers at the meet in the butterfly event. All the boys
also swam relays where they raced hard against the other CEESA teams. Arthur B. (2nd 50 fly, 3rd 400 fr. 4th
200 fr. 5th 100 bk.), Lucas M. (3rd 50 fly, 5th 50 fr.), Sean M. (4th 50 fr., 4th 100 fr., 5th 50 bk.), Andrei K. (4th
400 fr., 6th 50 br.) and Ivan K. (2nd 100 br., 3rd. 100 IM) were the scoring swimmers during the meet. The MS
boys also placed 2nd in both the Free and Medley relays. These results were excellent and secured the 2nd
place in the meet behind Warsaw. With such a young and motivated group of swimmers this boys’ team looks
in very good shape for the future.
Lera K., Rebecca Z., Ekin S., Sasha B. and Anna L. swan in the exhibition category during the meet. These
girls raced really well as well as challenged themselves by swimming events that were new to them. Robin K.
(3rd 50 bk., 3rd 100 IM, 3rd 50 fly, 5th 50 fr.), Meredith W. (2nd 100 fly, 3rd 50 fly., 5th 50 fr.), Polina P. (3rd,
200 fr., 3rd 400 fr., 4th 100 fr.) Natalie N. (4th Med. Relay, 2nd, Fr. Relay) and Kate L. (1st 200 fr., 1st 100 fly,
1st 400 fr. -new school record!) were the scoring girls for the teams. The girls also came 4th and 2nd in the
relays. Overall, the girls came in second behind Warsaw in the points score.
Congratulations are also due to the four elementary swimmers, Jakub J., Amelie M., Julia S. and Sophie D.
who trained with the team all season and competed with pizzazz at the meet.
It was a pleasure to coach all the swimmers on the team this year. It was also wonderful working with Coach
Tati who helped the team improve so much. All the swimmers are encouraged to keep swimming during the
Spring. See you all on the pool deck!
Calendar 2015-2016
S M
T W T
F
S
August
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
September
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
October
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
November
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
December
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
January
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
February
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
3
10
17
24
March
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
April
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
May
1
8
15
22
29
Approved by the AAS Board of Directors, March 27, 2014
12-14
15
17
18
Faculty In-Service
New Family Orientation
Open House
First Day of School
2
16
26-30
Faculty In-Service, No School for Students
End of Quarter I
Autumn Break - No School
5
12
19
26
18-31
Winter Break - No School
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
1-8
22
Winter Break - No School
End of Quarter II & Semester I
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
15-19
February Break - No School
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
4
7
8
Faculty In-Service, No School for Students
International Women’s Day observed - No School
International Women’s Day - No School
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
1
11-15
End of Quarter III
Spring Break - No School
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4 5 6 7
11 12 13 14
18 19 20 21
25 26 27 28
6
9
Faculty In-Service, No School for Students
Victory Day - No School
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
4
15
17 18
24 25
16
End of Quarter IV & Semester II
Last Day of School for Students
Last Day of School for Faculty
June
5
12
19
26
July
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
2
9
15 16
22 23
29 30
Semester I
92 days
Quarter I: August 18 - October 16
43 days
Quarter II: November 19 - January 22 49 days
38
Newsletter Template
3
10 11
1
8
Semester II
Quarter III: January 25 - April 1
Quarter IV: April 4 - June 15
88 days
42 days
46 days
AAS Campus is officially closed on
December 31, January 1, January 7,
March 8 and May 9.