Did you miss the middle school parent coffee on Monday, November 29? Learn more about how you can talk to your adolescent about sex.

Did you miss the elementary school parent coffee on Monday, November 15? Learn how we use Responsive Classroom strategies to strengthen student-teacher relationships, build a positive and inclusive community, and increase student engagement.

Did you miss the elementary school parent coffee on Monday, March 15? SAS's deans of student life talk about our disciplinary guidelines, including effective preventative strategies and interventions for repeated or significant behavior.

The need for certainty is so powerful it can lead us to make faulty predictions and actions. During adolescence, anxiety commonly manifests in academics, interpersonal relationships, and athletic and artistic performance. Without healthy coping skills, kids are prone to maladaptive outcomes. How can adults help?

Did you miss the middle school tech parent coffee on Monday, October 26? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on how parents can create expectations with their child at home and ways to support healthy relationships with technology. 

Did you miss the discussion on preparing our seniors for the transition after high school? Here are the highlights and resources from this session.

In addition to teaching kids right from wrong, parents are also responsible for cultivating gratitude. High school personal academic counselor Dr. Jeff Devens shares some suggestions on how parents can help foster an attitude of gratitude.

Despite all of the unknowns, students have identified the ‘silver linings’ and most remain hopeful. However, we recognize that everyone is dealing with things in their own way and this change in “normalcy” hasn’t been easy for everyone. Here are some tips on how to help your child with distance learning and overall well-being.

Throughout the remainder of this online journey, students and faculty will continue to attempt to make heart connections—through online advisory as well as online classes. We look forward to a time when we can be physically together, on campus, welcoming new and returning members of the SAS community.

Did you miss the high school college counseling talk on Tuesday, March 17? Here are the highlights from the recent talk on the various admissions process for universities around the world.

Did you miss the middle school parent coffee on Monday, March 16? Here are the highlights from the recent parent coffee on technology use and well-being check-in.

Did you miss the elementary school parent coffee on Monday, March 16? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on the Responsive Classroom approach in elementary school.

Every year when high school course sign-ups open, counselors collect some interesting questions and queries. Read on to learn more about the top ten myths and rumors about course sign-ups.    

Counselors the world over acknowledge the large increase in the number of students suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression. These worries stem from their fear of the future and their drive to tick all of the boxes. Middle school counselor Mark Swarstad shares how we should pause and reflect when things get too hectic.

Perfectionism is sometimes viewed as a positive personality trait that increases a person's likelihood of success; however, perfectionism, when accompanied by self-defeating cognitive distortions and corresponding maladaptive behaviors, actually makes it more difficult to achieve goals. High school personal academic counselor and psychologist Jeff Devens shares some suggestions on how you can help your child who might be struggling with perfectionism.

The Singapore American School college counselors know that many middle school parents have questions about preparing for college. With that in mind, they would like to explore some college-related myths that they have heard in recent years at SAS.

Did you miss the high school parent coffee on Monday, November 4? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on the Quest program and an overview on the work we are doing to foster students' social-emotional wellbeing and learning.  

Did you miss the middle school parent coffee on Monday, October 21? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on the well-being surveys in middle school.

Alcohol kills more teens each year than all other drugs combined! Even with opioid-related deaths making headlines of late, alcohol continues to be a factor in the top three causes of death among those aged 15 through 24. High school personal academic counselor and psychologist Dr. Jeff Devens provides parents with some data as well as some advice to help support their high schooler who may be consuming alcohol.

How can you guide your child through setbacks and mistakes without solving their troubles for them? In order to help your child start building that tolerance for discomfort and failure, here are 10 mistakes that you should allow your middle schooler to make.

Did you miss the middle school parent coffee on Monday, August 19? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on common challenges and strategies for parenting through the middle school years.

Each year roughly three to five percent of students experience significant periods of anxiety and/or depression resulting in school refusal. High school personal academic counselor Dr. Jeff Devens shares how parents can help their child when experiencing school refusal.

Promoting high self-concept is important because it relates to success and happiness as children learn to approach life with resilience. So how can parents support this journey and help their child develop a strong sense of self-identity? Communications specialist Charlotte Hewson asked our school psychologist to share some advice.

In this three-part series, high school personal academic counselor Dr. Jeff Devens shares how parents can help their children settle in as they transition into a new culture, school, and country.

In this three-part series, high school personal academic counselor Dr. Jeff Devens shares how parents can help their children settle in as they transition into a new culture, school, and country.

In this three-part series, high school personal academic counselor Dr. Jeff Devens shares how parents can help their children settle in as they transition into a new culture, school, and country

Navigating the college research and application process may seem daunting at first, but it can be a meaningful learning opportunity if students time it correctly and break it down into its component parts. Here are some steps to help students begin this process.

Communications intern Kaori Yoh shares her takeaways after attending an elementary school parent coffee on social and emotional journeys faced by elementary school students. 

Although students take academic achievement more seriously in their junior and senior years, many experience a slump in their progress. High school psychologist Dr. Jeff Devens shares how we as parents, teachers, or coaches can help them achieve a balance.

Did you miss the high school college counseling parent coffee on Thursday, April 25? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on the vast world of college rankings—what they measure, how they are compiled and, the flaws in various systems.

Did you miss the high school college parent coffee on Tuesday, March 19? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on the performing arts college programs and applications process.

Did you miss the middle school parent coffee on Monday, March 18? Learn what parents can do to help children develop executive functioning skills that are not only essential to a successful school experience, but also essential to helping all of us govern our daily lives.

Did you miss the middle school and high school parent session by Dr. Jeff Devens on Wednesday, March 13? Here is a summary of the session on the prevention of suicide. 

Did you miss the high school parent coffee on Wednesday, March 6? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee on SAS Advanced Studies program and college admissions process.

Did you miss the high school parent coffee on Monday, March 4? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee regarding alcohol and other mood-altering substances as well as an overview of what is trending at the high school.

Rather than addressing complex social, political, and moral issues utilizing reason and logic- enlightenment principles, an appeal to "truth" is made with emotional fervor, fear, groupthink, and in some cases violence. How did we arrive at this inflection point? 

Middle school counselor Mark Swarstad shares how effort and attitude can change the outcome of the learning experience. It's all about the mindset!

Did you miss the high school parent coffee on Monday, February 11? Here are the highlights from our recent parent coffee.

Relationships have the potential to develop into something truly special. High school psychologist, Dr. Jeff Devens shares his story with the Class of 2021 through this engaging presentation. 

Middle school counselor Mark Swarstad shares his tips on how we can avoid getting too emotional in certain situations. Learn more about the various breathing techniques recommended to help build strong neural pathways.

Your thoughts can take you away from being present. As a result, you are not able to connect with others or build strong relationships. Middle school counselor Mark Swarstad shares how one can be present while in conversations. 

School holidays can be a lot of fun but it's also important to maintain a routine for your children. Elementary school counselor Jennalee Murray offers a few tips on how to stick to a healthy holiday routine. Happy Holidays! 

Every high school student has experienced the infamous ‘Day 1’ of advisory, walking into the room, making futile attempts at small talk with the people you will be required to see every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of your high school career. After a year in advisory, sophomore Sarah Hilty lists her key takeaways.

Internet addiction. Smartphone addiction. Technology addiction. Call it what you may, but a lot of parents today are expressing worries that their children are addicted to their devices. How do we know? What can we do?

Having taught second and third grade at SAS, Sarah Farris is now part of the elementary school counseling team. Here she talks about her life at SAS and in Singapore.  

How do you talk less and say more? Check out these skills to help you be more influential and make things happen in a distracted, attention-deficit world.

Elementary school counselor Adrian Elmo is much loved among the students at SAS. Check out what he had to say when he first started at SAS. 

This past year, counseling became two different departments—the personal and academic counseling department and the college counseling department—devoting time to two significant areas of the SAS high school experience: social-emotional learning and guidance through the college application journey. Multiple changes created a glaring need for someone to lead the student life department. A new position in the counseling department was created—the Dean of Student Life.

How can we best serve our students so they continue to learn, excel, and feel ready to take on a new chapter in their lives? SAS counselors highlight how the new model fosters a culture of excellence, extraordinary care, and possibilities for each child.

As research shows us and children tell us, the role of relationships is key—inside the classroom, or outside, between friends, teachers, or families, relationships are the glue that sustains student growth and success. 

If you think parenting is tough, you are not alone. Over the years, the concerns brought to the counseling office from parents have remained relatively the same. The big one—technology use. Ben Robertaccio, middle school counseling department chair offers tips for responsible technology usage! 

Any ardent fan of multitasking will tell you that accomplishing so many tasks at once brings a sense of pride. But is it all in the head? Kyle Aldous, director of communications at SAS, debunks the myth of multitasking. 

Elementary school counselor Jennalee Murray shares a little about her life and how she hopes students remember to always have courage and be kind! 

With our 24/7 connected technology, many parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend online. Here are a few tips from our middle school technology coordinator. 

Summer break is over. The homework, the assignments, the reading… the roller-coaster ride of the year that is, has only just begun. Here are some ways to beat the back-to-school blues and have an amazing year ahead.

The day is done. Your child has finished school. One of the first questions you fire is "How was school today?" The next time you see your child after school, try these questions instead.

How do you tell which schools do a good job of educating your child? With so many schools offering different environments, teaching styles, and approaches, the struggle is real! Here are five most important questions that should influence your decision. 

Extraordinary care begins by meeting students where they are on their own personalized learning journey. High school personal academic counselor and psychologist Jeff Devens shares his own story and talks about shifting the focus of learning from the outcome (i.e., meeting the standard, earning high marks) to the process (i.e., effort, time management, emotional regulation, good decision-making skills, etc.). 

I have no idea what I want to do with my life. All I know is that I want to contribute something to society and be recognized for it. I want to win a Nobel Prize. I want to become the world’s best actress (acting is not my forte). I want to be a famous pastry chef with my own bakery.

The only thing I’m absolutely sure of is that I want to study Computer Science (CS) in college, and that I want to start a company.

How much does the college you attend really matter? Do big names attract the most desirable and high-paying companies? Recent research shows that perhaps SAS students are missing out on some tremendous opportunities.

n spite of our efforts to help our children focus on self-improvement, the tendency remains for them to look outward for inward validation. Case in point: what’s the first thing kids do after receiving a grade on an exam, quiz, or project? They look at their peers’ scores and rank order themselves accordingly.