This feature was first published in Journeys Winter 2019.

This article was written by high school principal Stephen Ly.

When laughter echoes through the hallways at the high school, when positive values shape our choices, and when we together choose to stay true to our shared mission and vision, our school—our home away from home—thrives as part of a 63-year legacy.

Singapore American School is a powerfully diverse community. And this diversity offers wonderful opportunities for learning, friendship, and building bridges across cultures. When I made the decision to come to SAS back in 2015, the culture of the school was one of the things that stood out most. The strengthening of this positive culture—one based on deep care, inclusivity, gratitude, resilience, authenticity, and joy(!)—remains one of our focal points at the high school. This work on culture is complex, deeply satisfying, and inspiring.

CONNECTING INTENTIONALLY
How can we continue to build the culture and community we want at SAS? Community comes from connection, and deep human connection requires intentionality. I consider spending time and interacting face-to-face with community members both a responsibility and a privilege. Being out and about in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, gyms, fields, and anywhere else our students, faculty, and parents spend time is truly one of the best parts of my job!

Strong, mutually transformative relationships don’t form by accident. Over the course of the first quarter, countless large and small gestures have led to the strengthening of our school community. New students have been welcomed into long-standing friend groups. Parents have taken time out of their busy days to join us at PTA Coffees. Educators have reached out to families and to one another. I continue to encourage every member of this community to reach out to each other in these ways and to make a concerted effort to help each other feel known, heard, and cared for.

EXPRESSING APPRECIATION
As a community we have so much to be grateful for. As we continue to strive for excellence, I believe we also need to make time to express our appreciation for one another and to celebrate what we have accomplished and are accomplishing together. My hope is that this attitude of gratitude becomes second-nature to our community. I invite you to join us in this important work. No gesture is too small, no words too few when it comes to expressing appreciation.

CHARACTER
Our Eagles are many things: scholars, scientists, speakers, activists, athletes, performers, readers, writers, leaders, artists, gamers, inventors. The list goes on. But first and foremost, an Eagle is a person of character.

AUTHENTICITY
Our school is truly vibrant because of the uniqueness of each individual student. At SAS, we consider our diversity a source of incredible strength. On the first day of school, I asked students to bring their real selves to school. Doing that is a risk. It is also a gift to our community. Doing this takes commitment. It also takes courage: the courage to take risks, speak up, raise your hand if you need help, be genuine, and allow ourselves to be seen. Truly seen. Let’s show up authentically, help others to do the same, and remember that we’re all in this together.

As we strive daily for excellence, we hold firmly at the forefront of our minds the commitment we have made to our core values. That is the Eagle Way. And the Eagle Way has never been simply an internal reality. It guides our actions, our speech, our choices.

I am both encouraged and inspired by the small, simple, and remarkably compassionate gestures I see each and every day at the high school. Ordinary moments. Extraordinary impact. This is who we are. This is what it means to be an Eagle.

I am so proud to walk alongside you our students, and our faculty and staff. Let’s continue to celebrate both our unique identities as well as our shared identity. We are all Eagles. We are many, and we are one!