Support Services

The following courses do not fall into any of the specific subject areas required by the SAS graduation requirements. These courses “round out” a high school experience and can be used in meeting the overall SAS minimum graduation credit requirement.

Speech

Number: 41020       Grade: 9-12         Length: Semester         Credit: Unspecified

In this course, students will learn the skills of public speaking, including vocal delivery, body language and eye contact. They will acquire these skills through a variety of exercises involving interactions with small and large groups. They will develop an awareness of “self as communicator,” learning to read feedback from an audience in order to develop dynamic communication and to orient all aspects of communication to a specific purpose, specific audience and specific occasion. Students will use these skills in presenting various types of speeches: informative, persuasive, humorous and impromptu. Units on the college and job interview, group processes, and creative problem solving are included. Students will also read selections from literature to convey the textual and emotional meanings of the author. All speeches and exercises will be performed before and critiqued by the student’s peers. At least two formal speeches will be videoed and then critiqued by the speaker and the teacher.

Journalism: Yearbook

Number: 46401       Grade: 9-12         Length: Year               Credit: Unspecified/Computer Studies (see below)

Prerequisite: Instructor’s approval

This is a magazine production course whose final product is the school yearbook, the Islander. Students will study news, feature and sports writing, caption and headline writing, magazine design and layout, photography, graphic design and reproduction processes. All students will write copy and lay out pages in one or more sections of the book. This work requires competence with a word-processing program; students will learn how to use the InDesign and Photoshop programs on Macintosh computers. Coverage of all school events and production deadlines will require students to work after school and on some weekends. This course may be repeated and will be listed as Advanced Yearbook (course #46402). Completion of the second year of this course will fulfill the SAS Computer Studies requirement.

Journalism: Newspaper

Number: 46400       Grade: 10-12       Length: Year               Credit: Unspecified

Prerequisite: Instructor’s approval

This is a product-oriented course in journalism. While there will be some analysis of newspapers, study of press ethics and current events, the emphasis is on practical experience gained through the production of The Eye, the school’s newspaper. Students will write news, feature, opinion and sports stories. They will practice interview and note-taking skills, use research tools, study proofreading, copy preparation, photo selection and newspaper layout. Students should know a word-processing program and will learn how to use the InDesign layout program on Macintosh computers. This course may be repeated for credit. Students will be required to attend some after-school and weekend production sessions.

Leadership and Organizational Management

Number: 48500       Grade: 10-12       Length: Semester         Credit Area: Unspecified

This interactive course is designed to promote individual growth and leadership skills. Students will examine basic leadership theory through the use of research, collaborative interaction, discussion and simulations. Areas of concentration include the identification of personal leadership beliefs and leadership styles, working with school officials on short and long term projects, creativity, goal setting, time management, problem solving, analysis, assertiveness training, and a wide variety of other processes and skills. The course is especially appropriate for students interested in increasing self-awareness and applying learned skills to new situations.

Advanced Writing Seminar

Number: 41041       Grade: 11-12       Length: Semester         Credit: Unspecified

This course is for students with a vivid imagination and a passion for writing. The course draws on a range of stimuli (film, music, photographs and published texts) to conjure writing that is virile and visual. Students will learn to find their voice and fine-tune an individual style. Students will produce a project (a play, narrative or film script) to hand in at the end of the semester.

Interim Semester

Interim Semester is a required off-campus experience designed to enhance the curriculum by providing high school students with diverse educational experiences beyond the traditional classroom. Interim Semester courses offered vary slightly from year to year, but will range from activities in Singapore to excursions to other nations in Asia and beyond. Courses are held just prior to, and in some cases during, the Chinese New Year holiday. The following list includes a number of international course options that have been available in past years. In October students will receive specific information about courses that will be offered for that school year and will be asked to make their selection.

Guided Learning

Singapore American School offers limited services to meet the needs of students who need support, assistance, or further instruction in order to be successful in the regular academic program. The Special Services Program provides educational intervention to students identified as needing support in their academic course work. The goal of the program is to allow students with special needs to achieve meaningful success at SAS. Enrollment requires approval from the Special Services team.

Guided Learning

Number: 47501       Grade: 9-12         Length: Year               Credit: Unspecified

Prerequisite: Special Services, Counseling and Administrative approval

The goal of this course is to help students acquire the skills necessary for success in the regular academic program. This course is centered on providing students with small group assistance with their course work. The strengthening of students’ organizational skills and the development of learning strategies is also emphasized. This course may be repeated for credit. For students in grades 10-12 the course is numbered as 47502.