2021-2022 Issue #11 January 10, 2022

Dear KAS Community,
親愛的KAS家人您好:

Welcome back to school, and welcome to 2022! I hope that everyone in our community is recharged for a busy semester of learning.
歡迎大家回來上課，也歡迎2022年的到來！希望KAS大家庭的每一份子都是在充飽電的狀態下回來繼續學習。

On Wednesday I went to I-Shou to watch our varsity boys basketball team play. It was such a pleasure to see a small group of students so intent on playing hard and playing together. In the second quarter G10 student Ben came into the game and at one point playing defense, he slammed the ball away in a commanding block that made the crowd roar. I think he grew three inches taller in that moment. With confidence and joy, he continued to block shot after shot, shutting the other team down.

星期三我(總校長)去義守看了我們男籃的比賽。 很高興看到代表隊學生如此熱衷地努力和團結。比賽進行到第二節時， G10 學生 Ben 上場，在一次防守時，他一個卡位擋人將球傳出，讓全場沸騰。 在那一刻，我覺得他長高了三英寸。 帶著信心和喜悅，他繼續一個接一個地蓋火鍋，將對方球隊拒之門外。

It was only a basketball game, but for me it reinforced the importance of our BIG mission at Kaohsiung American School. The KAS Dragon community embraces BIG learning—balance, independence and global mindedness. Research tells us that adolescents and teens who find confidence and balance are better learners and perform higher academically. Students can build that confidence in school or outside in other pursuits. I encourage all our parents to be sure that striving for higher grades (which we all want for our children) is more than simply tutoring, or studying late into the night. Sports, creative writing, playing the violin, graphic design, cooking, sailing or anything else that might inspire your child with confidence will help them find balance and independence, and will help them achieve even more in their academic pursuits.

這只是一場球賽，但對我來說，這也提醒了我高雄美國學校 BIG使命的重要性。高雄美國學校大家庭採納BIG學習方式：平衡、獨立和全球意識。研究告訴我們，找到自信和平衡的青少年會成為更好的學習者，並且在學業上表現更好。 學生可以在校內或外部的其他事務中建立這種信心。 我鼓勵我們所有的父母知道爭取更高的成績（我們都希望孩子能有好成績）不僅僅只是請家教，或讓學生讀書到深夜。 運動、創意寫作、演奏小提琴、平面設計、烹飪、帆船運動或其他任何可能激發孩子自信的事物，都將幫助他們找到平衡和學習獨立，進而幫助他們在學業上取得更大成就。

Next week our Grade 10 students will exhibit their Personal Projects (PP), which is a highlight of the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The PP gives students the opportunity to dive deeply into an area of interest or strength to produce an original piece of work or original research. It’s another way that KAS demonstrates its commitment to our mission and to BIG learning.
​​我們的 10 年級學生將在下週展示他們的個人專題 (PP)，這是中學課程 (MYP) 的一個亮點。 PP 讓學生有機會深入研究感興趣或他們擅長的領域，以創作原創作品或原著研究。 這是另一個 KAS 展示對我們的使命和 BIG 學習承諾的方式。

During the holiday we offered two Winter Camp experiences for KAS elementary students. 45 children enrolled with Summershine for an Overnight Christmas Camp (22 students and 7 counselors), which featured a three-day, two-night camping trip in a private campground on the south east coast of Taiwan. Their Art Park Camp in the second week of the break featured three days of outdoor games and activities, followed by a field trip by bus into the countryside to enjoy nature and fresh air. There were 23 children and 5 counselors.
在寒假期間，我們為 KAS 小學部學生提供了兩次冬令營體驗。 45 名孩童參加了 Summershine 的聖誕露營（22 名學生和 7 名輔導老師），其中包括在台灣東南沿海的一個私人露營地進行為期三天兩夜的露營之旅。 在寒假的第二週，他們的藝術營進行了為期三天的戶外遊戲和活動，隨後搭乘公車到郊區進行實地考察，享受大自然和新鮮空氣。 共有23名孩童和5名輔導老師參加。

Our second Winter Camp was offered by Skyrock for three weeks, and 25 elementary students participated (with several high school students as assistants).
我們的第二個冬令營由 Skyrock 提供，為期三週，有 25 位小學生參加（有幾位高中學生幫忙擔任營隊助教）。

PARENTS! January 26 will be a 1:30 dismissal for all students, so please make plans to pick up your students early on that day. All teachers and teaching assistants will be working and learning together on that afternoon. We will have limited supervision and activities for the children who cannot be picked up or cannot leave campus on time at 1:30 PM, so I encourage you to make plans soon. This early dismissal Wednesday will be repeated four more times later this semester, as we give our faculty time together for curriculum planning and professional development activities, as many other good international schools do. Our teachers need this time to offer high quality learning for your students and we appreciate your cooperation.

家長們！1 月 26 日所有學生將在下午1點30分放學，因此請計劃在當天提早接您的孩子。 當天下午，所有教師和助教將一起工作和研習。在這學期，週三的提早放學將再重複四次，因此能讓我們的教師有時間一起進行課程規劃和專業在職進修的活動，就像許多其他優秀的國際學校一樣的方式。我們的老師需要這些進修時間來提供高品質的教育給您的孩子，我們感謝您的配合。

On Friday 300+ students received their second Pfizer vaccination at school. Other students had their second jab against the coronavirus during the holiday, and about 88% of our students will be fully vaccinated. We’re all watching the omicron variant’s spread globally with alarm. The community spread of the virus is still low, but it seems likely to happen. In December we relaxed some of our mask-wearing protocols (with the Board of Education’s permission) for lecturing in classrooms and for PE lessons & recess. This week we had to return to universal mask-wearing, and next week our cafeteria partitions will go back up. Our principals and teachers are reviewing our plans and practices for online learning, if it becomes necessary in Kaohsiung soon. I encourage all our families to be safe and to limit social interaction. It seems inevitable that the omicron variant will disrupt our lives and our educational programs. With care and discipline, I hope we can all remain healthy and can limit any disruptions to the minimum.

今天有超過400名學生在校內接種第2劑輝瑞疫苗。其他學生在假期期間進行了第二次針對新型冠狀病毒的疫苗接種，大約 88% 的學生將完整接種疫苗。我們正保持警覺地觀察 omicron 變種病毒在全球範圍內的傳播情形。omicron在社區的傳播率仍很低，但也不是沒有可能發生社區感染。 12 月時，我們放寬了一些戴口罩的規定（經教育局許可），以便教師在課堂上講課以及學生上體育課和課間休息時需要。本週我們不得不恢復普遍戴口罩，下週，我們的學生餐廳將恢復隔板用餐。校長們和老師們正在審查我們的線上學習計畫和練習，以準備高雄市政府宣布開始實施線上授課。我鼓勵我們所有的家庭保持自身安全並減少社交互動。omicron似乎不可避免地會擾亂我們的生活和我們的教育計劃。透過管理和紀律，我們希望大家都能保持健康，並將任何干擾都限制在最低限度。

Best regards,

Mr. Laney, Head of School

Ms. Clark, High School Principal

Mr. Payne, Middle School Principal

Mr. Coyle, Elementary School Principal

Future Leaders Program 未來領袖計畫

Spring 2022 applications are now live! Students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade have the opportunity to apply to intern at Brogent Technologies, Jenn-Liang Medical Clinic, Jiu Zhen Nan Foods, and Weiwuying. Weiwuying has also opened up their program to interested 9th graders. All high school students have received an email and application form with the deadline and other details, and are encouraged to apply.

2022 春季的實習機會即日起開放申請！這學期，十、十一、十二年級的學生可以申請在智崴科技，振亮診所，舊振南，或衛武營實習。衛武營的學習計畫也開放給九年級的學生。高中生（九至十年級）都有收到電郵還有申請表，內含截止日及其他細節，有興趣的學生都可以申請看看。

Future Leaders Program Winter Recap 未來領袖計畫寒假回顧

This winter, four KAS interns helped out at Summershine Camps and were able to meet some of the younger Dragons attending the camps. Two went with students on the three day two night overnight camp, while two helped out during the week of day camp. Interns led activities, told ghost stories, and even helped out in the kitchen. Interns mentioned that throughout the camps, they were impressed by the teachers’ patience and positivity, and learned a lot about the effort and structure it takes to center the student experience in a successful camp.

At Brogent Technologies, three interns experienced a week of full-time work days, operating equipment and leading customers through Brogent’s current product at i-Ride Kaohsiung. The current event features films such as FlyOver Australia and FlyOver Europe, to bring customers the experience of traveling the world while staying in Kaohsiung. Brogent will be offering this same internship opportunity to students this semester. On top of that, Brogent Technologies is still offering all KAS students and faculty a special discount on the i-Ride!

在智崴科技公司，三位實習生在 i-Ride 高雄體驗一週的全職時數，幫忙操作設備、帶顧客體驗現在的活動。這次的檔期是「下一站去哪裡」，包含飛越澳洲、飛越歐洲等 i-Ride 影片，希望帶給大家「偽出國」的體驗。這學期，智崴將給 KAS 的學生同樣的實習機會。智崴集團繼續為 KAS 的學生及教職員提出優惠價！

At Jiu Zhen Nan Foods, two interns learned about Han Bing Culture, the small steps and hard work required behind the scenes of a successful business, and their own interest in going into business in the future. Interns worked with Ms. Lee, Jiu Zhen Nan’s executive assistant to the CEO, shadowing her during the work day and helping her with tasks, and spent time at Jiu Zhen Nan’s Han Bing Culture Museum. Jiu Zhen Nan will be offering the same opportunity to KAS high schoolers this semester.

在舊振南，兩位實習生認識了漢餅文化，體驗了成功的百年老店背後瑣碎但重要的工作，也確定了自己對以後學商業管理的興趣。實習生幫助 CEO 特助，從她身上學習，也花時間在舊振南漢餅文化館學習、幫忙。這學期，舊振南將繼續給 KAS 的高中生同樣的實習機會。

At Jenn-Liang Clinic, one new and a few returning interns (whose sessions have been postponed due to the pandemic) worked closely with Dr. Lin. Interns mainly help with filing and other administrative tasks to minimize contact with the general public, design posters and other infographics, assist with patient care via phone calls and by measuring patient blood pressure and temperature, and shadow the doctor, receptionist, nurses, or any other employee at the clinic.

振亮診所的林醫師今年寒假帶領 KAS 的一位新的實習生及幾位半年前因疫情而須延後完成的實習生。實習生主要幫助整理資料及其他不會與太多陌生人接觸的行政作業，設計醫學常識及宣導的海報，協助量血壓及體溫或是透過電話關懷病患，及觀察、協助醫師、櫃檯服務、護士、或其他診所的工作人員。

Winter Service Trip with V Taiwan 與 V Taiwan 合作的寒假服務計畫

KAS high school students and a few student-leaders from 8th grade went on a four day three night trip to Liouguei over winter break. Students got to know elders in the area through assisting with monitoring health and leading activities. Students also raked leaves and painted a wall. Apart from helping the community, students also bonded with each other, learned about tea culture, and roasted their own corn, sweet potato, and chicken. Every day, students posted their own journals and a group reflection.

寒假期間，KAS 的高中生（九到十二年級的學生）及幾位八年級的學生領袖到六龜的新開部落。在四天三夜的行程，學生每天都協助幫當地的長者量體溫、血壓及帶領、參與不同的活動。在其餘的時間，學生還有機會從掃地、清樹葉開始幫助社區活化，在服務中心畫上壁畫。除了服務社區以外，學生還透過這次的活動認識學長姐學弟妹，也一起體驗挖土窯及在地青創家茶農及山茶儀式。每一位學生每天都上傳了個人心得及小組的感想。

Lydia Tang ‘22 says that at first, “the purpose of going on this trip was because of the 40 social service hours I need in order to graduate. However, it was really fun and meaningful, besides, I feel I became a more mature and independent person [...] Even though most of us cannot speak Taiwanese, [the dialect the elders spoke], I can still feel the elders’ kindness and happiness when we’re with them.”

十二年級的 Lydia Tang 說她一開始是為了高中生畢業前需要完成的社區服務時數（40小時）而報名參加這次的寒假服務學習活動的，但參加之後，她覺得這次的活動很好玩也很有意義，也覺得自己變得更成熟、更獨立。雖然同學幾乎都不會講台語，與只會講台語的長輩互動時還是感受得到他們的善良及愉悅。

We hope to bring a similar opportunity this summer for students who didn’t have a chance to go this time.

期待在暑假期間帶給學生類似的經驗，讓這次無法參加的同學也有機會體驗這樣的活動。

Our Class of 2023 juniors are excited to get started this month with one-on-one counselor meetings. We will also be talking about how to ask teachers for letters of recommendation. Teacher letters of recommendation are a highly valued and important aspect of the university application process. Students should carefully select 2 teachers to write letters of recommendation, and it is suggested that students choose teachers who have taught them during G11. For UK schools, typically only 1 referee letter is required. Some schools do not require any teacher letters of recommendation at all - for example, Arizona State, University of California schools, and Purdue University. Most importantly, students should select teachers who know them very well and can speak to their academic potential and character. Ideally, choose 1 teacher recommendation in a subject area related to their potential major or course of study. We recommend asking teachers in spring, before the summer vacation.

我們的11年級生很高興可以開始進行他們和大學輔導的一對一面談。我們還會討論到如何請老師寫推薦信，教師推薦信在大學申請程序中是很重要的一環，學生應該要很小心的找出為自己寫推薦信的2位老師，建議從11年級時上過課的老師中尋找2位適合人選。英國的大學通常只要求一封推薦函。有些大學不會要求任何推薦信，例如 Arizona State, University of California schools, 或 Purdue University等。最重要的是，學生應該知道哪些老師能明確說出學生本人的潛力和個性。建議找和自己志願相關科目的老師，最好在春假或暑假之前找好寫推薦信的老師。

Teachers are asked on the CommonApp to report on these 16 qualities and characteristics:

老師們需要在CommonApp上回覆這16個問題：

Summer Programs 暑期活動

Are you wondering about how their students can plan ahead for summer enrichment programs that are important for their future in college? The summer months are a good opportunity for students to engage in meaningful activities that build experience, character, life skills and exposure to possible career pathways. Colleges want to see students who are pursuing their passion and challenging themselves with new experiences, not just more SAT prep and “pay to play” academic-based programs, especially as many schools continue to be test-optional. Does your child enjoy computer coding, making films, creative writing, or working with animals? There are a lot of choices!
您是否好奇學生如何提前計劃他們申請大學前重要的暑期課程？暑假是學生參與有意義活動的好機會，這些活動可以建立經驗、性格、生活技能和接觸到未來可能選擇的職業。大學希望看到學生的學習熱情並通過新體驗挑戰自我，而不僅僅是更多的 SAT 準備和“付費玩”學術課程，尤其是在許多學校延續自由提出考試成績的情況下。您的孩子喜歡程式編碼、製作電影、創意寫作或與動物一起工作嗎？這裡有很多選擇！

The professional association that guides international counselors recently released their list of 2022 Summer Enrichment Programs.

國際學校輔導協會也釋出了2022 Summer Enrichment Programs暑期活動的資訊。

“Colleges and universities are offering short-term online and on-campus programs that offer a taste of what life would be like at their institution. Some offer a mixture of academic and social content, courses taught by tenured professors, and even an opportunity to earn credit. These programs provide a fantastic way to discover college life and an enriching summer experience.”

大學提供短期的線上和實體課程，讓您體驗他們的生活。有些內容混合了學術和社交，由終身教授帶的課程，甚至有機會獲得學分。這些課程提供了一種探索大學生活和豐富暑期體驗的絕妙方式。

You will also find many universities offering summer classes and programs on campus such as Purdue, NYU Film courses, and UCLA summer sessions. Taipei American School Summer Academy is also open to non-TAS students, with registration starting in spring. However you decide to use the summer, we encourage you to make meaningful connections to your interests and academic learning because that personal growth is what will translate into stronger, more authentic college applications.

您還會發現許多大學也提供暑期課程和課程，例如Purdue, NYU 的電影課程和UCLA的暑期課程。台北美國學校暑期課也對非TAS學生開放，春季開始註冊。無論您決定如何利用暑假，我們都鼓勵您建立興趣和課業方面有意義的聯繫，因為這些都將轉化為更強大的大學申請實力。

In service and with gratitude,

Cerise Roth-Vinson, crothvinson@kas.tw
College Counselor 大學輔導老師

Lori Dietrich, ldietrich@kas.tw

HS Counselor/College Counselor 高中諮詢輔導/大學輔導老師

Students are assigned college counselors alphabetically based on their last name:

學生的大學輔導是根據姓氏的字母排序：

字母A-L Cerise Roth-Vinson, crothvinson@kas.tw
字母M-Z Lori Dietrich, ldietrich@kas.tw