Our alumni look back at their time on campus with great affection for the adults in their lives here, the deep connection with their classmates, and appreciation for the preparation for life they received.
Our school has been working hard over the last several years to ensure that we continue to offer our students the best variety of programs that are personalized for their interests and learning styles. The devotion and professionalism of our faculty hasn't changed, but they are ever more deliberate about the way that they relate to students and impact their learning and their lives. And our leadership and faculty have put great time and energy into creating opportunities for students that will help them become truly exceptional thinkers, in a time where the world continues to change more rapidly every year than we ever imagined it could.
Realizing Our Vision
As the school continues to develop its new strategic plan, we acknowledge that much of what we seek to do is ambitious. In our relentless pursuit of offering the best programs, the highest quality instruction, and the very best teachers and counselors to deliver it, we know that realizing our vision will not come easy or inexpensively. But we believe that our direction is the right direction for our students – your children – and that we are poised to truly realize it. And if we want to do these bold visionary things, we need more than what tuition brings in.
Fundraising allows our school greater freedom and flexibility to realize our vision and see our new programs and courses come to life, recruit the very best faculty and provide the training to keep them sharp, and create innovative spaces with cutting edge learning technology. Philanthropy efforts in our community enable our incredible school to become even better. All great institutions raise charitable funds, and it is often fundraising that enables them to be great.
The Practical – and Necessary – Side of an Endowment
Aside from our aspirations of continuing to provide exceptional experiences, giving solves a practical need for our school, too. While we are blessed to operate in a solid and stable financial position, we know that we are not immune from circumstances beyond our control. With the Asian financial crisis of a few years back and SARS before that, SAS has felt the impact of factors that have negatively impacted the wider expatriate community. Some of our sister schools in neighboring countries have faced even greater challenges in the wake of natural disasters. Stemming from such possibilities, we recognized a need to create an endowment that would provide reserves and remove some of the pressure that comes from operating on what tuition alone provides. The endowment has provided great peace of mind for our school and the need for it should never be underestimated.
Standing Ahead of the Competition
Fundraising also helps us set ourselves apart from the competition. As competition among international schools continues to increase, we will set ourselves ahead of the pack with charitable gifts for people, programs, and places that make SAS exceptional. While I believe without a doubt that SAS is the best educational experience available in Singapore, the gifts that enrich our school and the experience we can offer students will continue to allow us to offer what no other school can.
The Eagle Society
Soon you will hear about our new Eagle Society, a recognition society for SAS donors. We hope that you will give to SAS this year and each year after because you believe in the impact that your gifts have on SAS students today and in the future.
Singapore American School is designated by the Singapore government as an institution of public character. Under our IPC status, for Singapore's 50th anniversary, the tax break will be extended to 300 percent. IPC status will likely be removed from foreign system schools as the Singapore government narrows its focus on IPCs that most directly impact Singapore citizens next year, so from a tax perspective, it is more important than ever to get your annual gifts in before December 31. If you have any questions about the Eagle Society or about giving, please contact our chief advancement officer, Sarah Morris, at smorris@sas.edu.sg.
See more about the importance of giving at SAS in the new video People, Programs, and Places that Make SAS Exceptional.
Singapore American School is a remarkable place. Kids at SAS have access to opportunities that only a small fraction of the rest of the world gets. When I reflect on what we as a community are doing together at Singapore American School, I realize that this work is about changing lives. We can make a difference in our kids' lives by offering experiences that shape their minds, their thinking, and their hearts. It will make them better people and it will make the world a better place. And they are going to be able to do that because of you. Thank you for supporting our kids and our school.
Warm regards,
Chip
Dr. Chip Kimball
Superintendent
from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2rt1uFS
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