Note: This article includes some content from Singapore's Eagles by Jim Baker. 

Singapore American School sprang to life amid birthday parties, American Women’s Association meetings, and other lively gatherings of American families in Singapore. In these moments of connection and community, the vision for an American school in Singapore came to life. 

Creating the school was a community effort. The American Association of Singapore gave the school institutional backing. It took three years for the American community to embrace the thought and raise S$100,000 with support from American companies, missions, and individuals who made contributions in amounts of up to $20,000. 

SAS first opened its doors on January 3, 1956, in a colonial-style bungalow at 15 Rochalie Drive. Students had a garage for a science lab, servants’ quarters for music and preschool, bedrooms for classrooms, and a dining room for assemblies. They shared their softball field and an outdoor basketball court with chickens raised by a Malay family that lived on the property. 

There were 105 students on the first day of school; 57 were Americans, and 41 belonged to other nationalities. A typical day at SAS started at 8:15 a.m. with a rendition of “God Save the Queen” in assembly. Without air-conditioning, the cooler morning hours were reserved for academic classes. Students went home for lunch and a rest, and returned at 3:00 p.m. for music, PE, art, drama, and other enrichment activities. Parent volunteers manned the office, provided snacks, and managed extracurricular activities. In its first year of operation, SAS had to close down twice because of islandwide curfews to quell civil disorder.

In June 1962, SAS moved to a purpose-built school campus at 60 King’s Road, accommodating 307 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Missions and companies donated the use of trucks and cars. Students and custodians packed and carried books, boxes, and furniture to the new campus.

Reimagining the school, gathering the funds needed to build it, and seeing it through to completion was no small feat. Purchasing land and building a new campus was a multi-million dollar project for an organization operating on an annual budget of S$250,000 to S$300,000. The community again went to work, lobbying the US State Department to obtain a grant for S$450,000 and soliciting funding from 42 companies and 37 individuals, making it possible to reimagine our students' learning journeys.

By the fall of 1971, the King’s Road campus taught students from seventh through twelfth grade. Students from kindergarten through sixth grade were in temporary quarters in the former British military’s Alexandra Junior School. The arrangement lasted for two years while students in kindergarten through eighth grade awaited the completion of the new Ulu Pandan campus.

Situated in a flood-prone zone, SAS still had an occasional “flood day” that made it difficult for families to get to school. According to associate director of admissions Farouk Maricar, who has been with SAS for 30 years, “When it rained, the walkway leading to the campus would flood near the church, making it difficult to reach the campus without getting wet.” To solve the problem, the school built a water tower, which, over time led to students painting on the tower. The classes of 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968 were inevitably caught and made to scrub the tower clean! 

The 1970s was the most challenging decade for SAS. The school grew at an unbelievable pace, doubling from 750 students in 1968 to more than 1,500 in just three years. Growing pains, fundamental cultural changes within the school community and in Singapore, a changing student body, and operating out of two campuses—King’s Road and Ulu Pandan—meant learning many a valuable lesson for future challenges. 

Former educator Dr. Vicki Rogers (class of 1995) has experienced all three campuses as a student and teacher (17 years at SAS). “It’s impossible to pick just one favorite memory! Some forever memories include the ‘learning communities’ in the Ulu Pandan and the King's Road campuses—each community was an intimate space that created a culture of connection for faculty, students, and parents.”

SAS educator Steve Early reminisces about the high school at King's Road, where he enjoyed its timeless charm. He fondly remembers Mr. Hoe and the friendly greeters at the gate, the majestic old trees, and the proximity to Empress Road Hawker Centre stalls for delicious noodles.

Although SAS alumni have held annual reunions for many years, the first one held in Singapore was in the summer of 1995. Over 100 alumni and their families came to say goodbye to the King’s Road campus and see all of the changes that had taken place in Singapore. They visited their favorite haunts, tracked down old classmates, renewed friendships, and forged new ones.

After moving twice in three years, SAS educators were relieved to call Ulu Pandan home. Life at the Ulu Pandan campus was considerably different. Students in different divisions did not have to share facilities, and decisions about programming and scheduling could be made without considering the needs of other grades and classes. New classroom spaces offered opportunities for curricular changes, and the campus thrived. 

It was from this campus that the first Interim Semester trips took place. Students enjoyed playing sports against other IASAS schools, and drama and dance took on new life. In 1981, SAS educators put on the first faculty musical, a tradition that continues today. 

Another former educator, Alice Early, says, “We have such fond memories of the Ulu Pandan campus with its open and welcoming atmosphere. What a wonderful community! Steve (Early) was fortunate to work with the talented seventh grade teaching team to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact statement for the ‘new’ Woodlands campus. This led to a substantial booklet filled with historical interviews with nearby Singaporean citizens, photos, plant and animal identification, and an inspiring idea from the seventh graders: to preserve a small corner of high ground as a rainforest for future generations. Despite deforestation and fruit tree planting, the area had been left wild long enough to reveal its potential, an idea the architect and board embraced.”

In 1975, SAS had 1,820 students enrolled at the 2,400-capacity Ulu Pandan campus. Year after year, massive swings in student enrollment played havoc with the school’s budget and operating costs. The 1980s and 1990s reverberated with radical changes as the school overcame challenges and embraced opportunities. The new millennium began with a 3,700-strong student body—a feat unimaginable in the previous years. With visionary leadership and a S$65 million expansion, SAS became the largest single-campus American school outside the United States—a distinction it still holds. True academic rigor, a culture of care and excellence, and a flourishing American spirit were characteristic of SAS and remain so to this day.

 

Even in 1990, the Ulu Pandan campus was at capacity and had a growing waitlist. Besides the changing make-up of the American community, much like it is today, what was remarkable was its sheer size. This growth of the expat community raised important questions about the future of our school. Board minutes from the early 1990s indicate that government officials felt that SAS should move and expand—a testament to the importance of a growing American community and Singapore's economic future. This meant selling the King’s Road property in exchange for a leasehold at a new location. 

A few options were on the table: 1) Stay at King’s Road and Ulu Pandan and increase the capacity of both campuses; 2) Build a new middle school, or 3) Build a completely new school to accommodate all grades on one campus. The board embraced the recommendation to build a new campus, and the King’s Road property was sold for S$52,300,000 in 1994, with the profit providing the bulk of the funds to lease and build our current 36-acre Woodlands campus. The plans for the new school included two swimming pools, three and a half gyms, six playing fields, a track, four theaters, and a host of other facilities the community could enjoy. 

In June 1996, the last students wearing white and blue walked off the King’s Road campus, ending an era. Today, as you enter the Woodlands campus, it is a far cry from 60 years ago! But the American spirit still endures. The hallways echo with passion, excitement, and a drive to learn; the walls display the achievements of Eagles across academics, sports, and the performing and visual arts; and a sense of pride and belonging, of knowing that one is an Eagle for life, prevails.

Since 2014, SAS educators have been transforming an existing, successful school to serve students better as we prepare them for a constantly changing world. Initiated by former Superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball, the research and design process was designed to challenge deeply held assumptions, engage educators, and shape culture. It included thousands of hours of research and visitations to over 100 schools worldwide. Over 100 college admissions officers were interviewed, internationally known educational leaders were consulted, and a strategic plan informed the creation of spaces on campus that could be prototyped for what new learning environments in the new campus might yield. These illustrative and investigative projects, dubbed “pathfinders”, allowed educators to develop practices and systems within a flexible learning environment to support our strategic plan.

The pathfinders proved to be excellent learning tools, and the lessons learned from their implementation informed and guided the design of future spaces at SAS. These prototypes highlighted what works and does not work and their impact on teacher relationships, student relationships, and student development of future-relevant skills. “Learning walks” became an integral part of community engagement, and over 400 parents toured the pathfinders on these guided tours, which helped them better understand the school’s vision for learning and learning spaces.

On April 15, 2021, Singapore American School announced a S$400+ million campus upgrade project that reimagines school—one that reimagines the role of classrooms and buildings in the learning journey to provide unmatched opportunities for students and teachers. SAS Reimagined is the result of several years of planning and community engagement, including thousands of parent, educator, and student voices sharing thoughtful feedback throughout the development process. The school board unanimously approved the project in spring 2020, and we began phase one in May 2021. We’re deeply grateful to those in our community whose philanthropic support has supported and continues to support the transformation of our campus.

It’s not very often that students have the opportunity to co-construct spaces alongside their teachers and design experts. We are excited to be able to connect educators, leaders, and students so they continue the work to develop spaces in our community further, whether they are athletics spaces, learning spaces, dining spaces, or play spaces. Our SAS Reimagined project has already seen many new spaces open, including The Eagle’s Perch dining space, the sports wing, the west fields, the renovated high school cafeteria, and new ninth grade learning communities.

We have also been excited to open renovated rooms supporting high school and middle school robotics and coding, computer science, and the health center. Earlier this year, we officially opened our new artificial turf field with our first-ever Eagle Friendly soccer game, which included students, educators, parents, and alumni. We also celebrated the opening of our APEx health and wellness center—the culmination of student agency and collaboration since 2012. 

Former student Faith Jorgensen (class of 2021) couldn't be more pleased with all these upgrades. “I’m excited about the opportunity for our school to be designed and for classrooms and spaces to be built specifically for their purpose. Whether it be to play and eat with friends, conduct experiments, work in groups, or prepare for Advanced Placement exams, there will be a space for each student to learn and have fun in school.”

Click here to learn more about how we're reimagining SAS.