If you are concerned about your child’s safety, it may be difficult to talk with them about your concerns. Use these pointers to get started:

• Use appropriate anatomical language

• Ask limited, open-ended questions

• Respect your child’s right to privacy

• Support, believe, and reassure your child

• Avoid showing shock or other emotions

• Avoid making assumptions or promises

• Partner with your child’s counselor, who 

  • is a trained professional in this area

  • gives “body safe” lessons to kids every year and understands their developmental level

  • can advise you about how to bring the issue to the appropriate person at school

SAS has established a team or counselors and school leaders who have the training, knowledge, and experience to handle instances of suspected child abuse: 

• The team includes representatives from each division and relevant departments

• A community member may contact any member of the team

• Use this information to contact a child safeguarding team member: 

  • Jeanette Dari, elementary school counselor: jdari@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6212

  • Lindsey Powell, elementary school counselor: lpowell@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6114

  • Ben Robertaccio, middle school counselor: brobertaccio@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6428

  • Carmine Filice, high school counselor: cfilice@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6586

  • Simon Thomas, director of facilities and services: sthomas@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6373

  • Kim Criens, director of student life and co-curricular programs: kcriens@sas.edu.sg, 6360 6304

  • alternatively, email childsafeguarding@sas.edu.sg to communicate your concern

The school has a procedure in place that is activated when a credible child safeguarding concern is raised. Steps that may or will be taken include:

• Meeting or other consultation with the parents

• Internal consultation with our child protection team

• Partner with Singapore’s child protective services or police as needed to keep the child safe and ensure no further harm

• Provision of social-emotional support to the child and the family (though counseling and/or external referrals)

We are developing a partnership program with our parent community to help interested parents receive training to eventually act as contact points in the community. They will be available to help any parents with child-safeguarding questions and concerns to navigate the school’s and community’s resources and processes. If you are interested in joining this effort, please contact us at safeguarding@sas.edu.sg.