Shanghai American School Educational Programs Office

Attached is the link to the laptop Program presentation provided to the Puxi PTSA meeting on May 29, 2013.

Laptop Program Presentation 2013

The link below provides the full summary of results for the Community (parent) satisfaction survey.  Click the link to download the results.

08_13 SAS Parent Satisfaction Survey Results

From:

Andrew Torris, Deputy Superintendent, Shanghai American School

Re:
Technology Fee Breakdown

Introduction
The Shanghai American School delivers its educational services to the students via a multitude of means including the use of technology. Students in grades designated by the School (grades 6-12 for the 2013/2014 school year) are required to participate in this program through which the School provides resources, hardware, and licensed software. This program carries a mandatory fee of RMB 10,500. This fee will be re-levied every 3 years or if families choose, every 4 years. (*Please note that this fee was reduced from RMB 11,500 beginning of the 12/13 school year.)

Students coming from schools which required or provided 1:1 Macintosh laptops are allowed to bring their old machines for use at SAS and will be required to pay a fee of RMB 3,500 after having their machines certified to be compliant with the school’s requirements. In this case, students do not receive software from the school. The fee provides for network access to databases and other support for the classroom digital learning environment.

As part of the full technology fee, each child receives:
• a Macbook Pro
• a bag
• a lock
• software (network services, databases, SmartMusic, LCD projectors and Sound systems),
• ongoing software upgrades for 4 years if enrolled at SAS
• onsite service center support, and
• 3-year AppleCare warranty

Details of the breakdown on those prices are listed below.

Justification of School Ownership
The school retains ownership of the computer until the day the machine is past it’s time of use (3 or 4 years) and can use school site licenses to provide the software (Microsoft Office, iWork suite, iLife suite, Adobe Premier Suite and a variety of other software titles). Because the school retains ownership, more control over the use of the computer is able to be exercised, particularly the manner in which it is configured on our network and used by our students. The retention of ownership also provides accountability with disciplinary concerns.

The Importance of Program and Computer Consistency
When the program was designed for implementation, it was clearly determined that consistency of machine and software were key to the success of the 1:1 program. Initially, students were allowed to bring in their own computers. They were required to purchase their own software, and the school had no control over student use of the machines. This turned out to be very, very problematic due to the fact that the school could not provide software updates for the students with their own machines. This hindered the delivery of instruction in the classroom. In short, in the three years of the laptop program, the students with their own computers have lost more time in class due to a lack of software updates, ownership of the wrong software and the purchase of a different computer than their peers. My analogy for this relates to textbooks. Of course, textbooks are always the same in each class. We would not want the students to have three different versions of a course text.

The inclusive technology fee ensures that all students have identical software and programs, allows consistency in curriculum delivery, and provides for no lost time for software matching or other problems that arise when students have different versions of laptop programs.

Breakdown of the Fee
The breakdown listed below is for the full laptop fees as if you were to be purchasing the products off the street or Internet. (Links are provided where appropriate.)

This price reflects this year’s computer model. Please note that the prices listed below may be incomplete. Specialty software packages with specific costs (such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, Math Type, Smart Music, or Comic Life) may also be installed on the machine depending on the student’s courses and the assignments used in the student’s particular programs. This list also does not include any mention of upgrade costs for system or application software that often runs in the hundreds of dollars year in and year out.

This fee breakdown price assumes a 6.37/1 – RMB/USD:

Macbook Pro ¥8,186.00 or USD $1285.00
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/ProductView.aspx?catid=2

Bag ¥128 or USD $20.00
Lock ¥319 or USD $50.00
3 yr. warranty ¥1,398.00 or USD $219.00

Microsoft Office ¥699.00 or USD $109.00
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/AccessoriesVeiw.aspx?catid=41

Adobe Suite ¥1,980.00 or USD $310.
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/AccessoriesVeiw.aspx?catid=49

iWork ‘11
(Pages, Numbers
and Keynote): ¥382.00 or USD $59.97

Grand total: ¥13092.00 or USD $2055.00

As mentioned above, the full and required technology fee is RMB 10500.00 which represents a savings to students and their families of RMB 2592.00 as compared to current street and internet costs. Once again, this breakdown also does not encompass upgrade costs for software over a 3-year period of time, which is included in the full technology fee

Of course one could argue that they can get a better price. We can’t argue that point, but we feel the price is highly competitive and the guarantee of 3 years of software upgrades and on-site service is significant enough to continue to choose this option.

Dear Shanghai American School community members,

At its meeting on Monday night, the SAS Board of Directors approved the  2013-14 academic calendar.

The calendar can be downloaded here: Final_SAS_Calendar 20132014

Feedback was sought from parents, teachers, and administrators via an online survey. More than 600 people responded. Feedback from our community is very important to us and has resulted in changes to the draft calendar in each of the last six years.

Changes to the adopted calendar include:
1. Consolidation of both major holidays to reflect community input
2. April conferences were moved to a week earlier to avoid conflict with APAC season three sports, and the holiday associated with Tomb Sweeping Day was moved to April 7, thus providing a three-day weekend
3. Moving a professional development day to the pre-service days from October 4 to avoid conflict with family holidays and school study trips (e.g., Habitat for Humanity)
4. Moving staff development days at the end of Chinese New Year holiday to provide families with a long Chinese New Year Holiday, as reflected in the feedback on the survey.

Background

The draft calendar was built around the following parameters:
* 180 student days
* 191 teacher workdays (as prescribed by the teacher contract)
* Nine professional development days
* All Chinese holidays accounted for. (Note that Chinese holidays are not officially selected till after the New Year holiday; so on this calendar the designation of holidays relies on historical data and these are subject to change.

Features of the calendar are:
* School begins on August 13.
* Three-week winter holiday.
* One-week break for students and their families for October holiday.
* Families will have 11 consecutive days for Chinese New Year.
* One week for spring vacation, coinciding with the EARCOS teachers’ conference.
* School year ends on June 13.
* Minimum days (half days) have been eliminated except for a SINGLE minimum day on the last day of school.
* Parent conferences are scheduled a full day in the fall and spring with evening conferences the Thursday prior.

Thank you to all who submitted their opinion for consideration.

Sincerely,

Andrew Torris
Deputy Superintendent

The following are the options for draft calendars accepted for public review by the SAS school board.

Draft Calendar Option 1 SY 13-14

Draft Calendar Option 2 SY 13-14

The draft calendars were built around the following parameters:

- 180 student days.

- 191 teacher workdays.

- 9 professional development days

- All Chinese holidays are accounted for in this calendar.

* It should be noted that Chinese holidays are not officially selected till after the new year, so on this calendar the designation of holidays relies on historical data.

For comparison purposes, a quick survey of the number of days in the academic calendars of benchmark schools was completed. The range of the number of student days in an academic year varies between 177 (American School in Japan) to 182 (Seoul Foreign School).

Most schools operate on a 180-student contact day calendar. An additional comparison with stateside schools indicates that in that school systems academic calendar day’s range from 175 to 195 student school days. Individual state level department of education requirements most often determines this.

Features of the calendar Option 1 is:

- School begins on August 14.

- 2.5 week winter holiday.

- 1 week breaks for students and their families for October holiday and Chinese New Year. The October holiday is 4 days for teachers and staff and will include two days of staff development- one on Saturday.

- 1 week for spring vacation.

- School year ends on June 13.

Features of the calendar Option 2 is:

- School begins on August 13.

- 3 week winter holiday.

- 1 week breaks for students and their families for October holiday

- Chinese New Year from January 30-February 4 over a weekend.

- 1 week for spring vacation.

- School year ends on June 13.

Minimum days (half days) have been eliminated except for a SINGLE minimum day- The last day of school.

Parent Conferences are scheduled a full day in the fall and spring. Afternoon conferences will be held on the day prior.

致：上海美国学校社区成员

关于：2012-2013 学年校历

与往年一样，上海美国学校董事会和管理层就2012-2013 学年的校历草案现征求

所有社区成员的意见和建议。今年我们有两个校历草案可供考虑选择。这两个草案

都是按照以下要素拟定的：

• 学生课时天数为180 天

• 教师工作天数为191 天

• 教师培训日为9 天

• 包括所有的中国法定假日

请注意：所有中国法定假日的确切日期将在新年后才会正式宣布。因此，本学年校

历草案是基于往年资料拟定。

为了对比参照，我们也调查了其他国际学校的校历。其中，各个学校的学生课时天

数从177 天（日本美国学校）到182 天（首尔外国语学校）不等。大部分的国际

学校通常设定学生课时天数为180 天。与美国国内学校相比，美国学校系统通常

设定的课时天数为170-195 天，他们的确切课时天数则是由各个州的教育主管部

门规定。

2012-2013 学年校历草案一:

• 开学日期为八月十四日

• 寒假为两周半

• 中国国庆和春节学生各放假一周。教室员工国庆放假四天，另外两天是教师

培训日，其中一天安排在星期六。

• 春假为期一周

• 学年结束日为六月十三日

2012-2013 学年校历草案二：

• 学校开学日为八月十三日

• 寒假为三周

• 中国国庆节学生放假一周

• 中国春节假期起始日期是一月三十日至二月四日

• 春节为期一周

• 学年结束日为六月十三日

除了最后的学年结束日，整个学年不会再有半天教学日。

春秋两学期的家长会将安排成全天家长会，以往半天家长会将在全天家长会的前一

天下午举行。

수신: SAS

커뮤니티

제목:

2012-­‐13

학년 수업 일정

과거에도 그래왔듯이, SAS

이사회와 관리팀은 다음 학년도의 수업일정에 관하여

커뮤니티 여러분의 조언을 구합니다. 이번에는 두가지의 의견을 고려해 주시길

바랍니다. 두개의 초안은 모두 다음의 변수에 의하여 정해졌습니다:

• 180일 수업 일수

• 191일 교사 업무일수

• 9일 교사 교육 일수

• 모든 중국 국경일

중국 국경일은 새해가 지난후에 공식적으로 발표됩니다. 따라서 이 초안에 적흰

국경절 휴일은 역대의 기록에 의한 것임을 알려드립니다.

비교 목적으로, 기준 학교들의 수업 일수를 간단히 설문 조사하였습니다.

학생들의 수업 일수는 177일(일본의 미국학교)부터 182일(서울 외국인

학교)까지의 영역입니다.

미국내의 학교들과 비교하면, 미국내의 각 주별로

결정된 수업 일수는 175일에서 195일 사이입니다.

아래의 두가지 초안들의 주요 내용입니다:

Option

1

• 8월 14일 개학

• 2.5

주 겨울 방학

• 학생들과 가족은 10월 국경절과 구정 방학동안 각각 1주일씩(10월

국경절 동안 교사와 직원은 4일의 휴식과 토요일을 포함한 교사 교육 2일

적용)

• 봄방학 1주일

• 6월 13일 방학

Option

2

• 8월 13일 개학

• 3주 겨울 방학

• 10월 국경절 1주일 방학

• 1월 30일부터 2월 4일까지 구정 1주일 방학

• 봄방학 1주일

• 6월 13일 방학

오전 수업은 학년 마지막 날인 6월 13일 하루뿐으로 변경되었습니다.

가을과 봄의 학부모님과 교사의 컨퍼런스는 올해와 마찬가지로 하루 종일로

예정됬으며, 그 전날에는 오후 컨퍼런스가 열릴 것입니다.

Draft Calendar Option 1 SY 13-14

Draft Calendar Option 2 SY 13-14

Date:
2012 – 2013 School Year

To:
Whom it May Concern

From:
Andrew Torris, Deputy Superintendent, Shanghai American School

Re:
Technology Fee Breakdown

Introduction
The Shanghai American School delivers its educational services to the students via a multitude of means including the use of technology. Students in grades designated by the School (currently 7-12) are required to participate in this program through which the School provides resources, hardware, and licensed software. This program carries a mandatory fee of RMB 10,500 for the 2012/13 school year. This fee will be re-levied every 3 years or if families choose, every 4 years. (*Please note that this fee was reduced from RMB 11,500 beginning this academic year.)

Students coming from schools which required or provided 1:1 Macintosh laptops are allowed to bring their old machines for use at SAS and will be required to pay a fee of RMB 3,500 after having their machines certified to be compliant with the school’s requirements. In this case, students do not receive software from the school. The fee provides for network access to databases and other support for the classroom digital learning environment.

As part of the full technology fee, each child receives:
• a Macbook Pro
• a bag
• a lock
• software (network services, databases, SmartMusic, LCD projectors and Sound systems),
• ongoing software upgrades for 4 years if enrolled at SAS
• onsite service center support, and
• 3-year AppleCare warranty

Details of the breakdown on those prices are listed below.

Justification of School Ownership
The school retains ownership of the computer until the day the machine is past it’s time of use (3 or 4 years) and can use school site licenses to provide the software (Microsoft Office, iWork suite, iLife suite, Adobe Premier Suite and a variety of other software titles). Because the school retains ownership, more control over the use of the computer is able to be exercised, particularly the manner in which it is configured on our network and used by our students. The retention of ownership also provides accountability with disciplinary concerns.

The Importance of Program and Computer Consistency
When the program was designed for implementation, it was clearly determined that consistency of machine and software were key to the success of the 1:1 program. Initially, students were allowed to bring in their own computers. They were required to purchase their own software, and the school had no control over student use of the machines. This turned out to be very, very problematic due to the fact that the school could not provide software updates for the students with their own machines. This hindered the delivery of instruction in the classroom. In short, in the three years of the laptop program, the students with their own computers have lost more time in class due to a lack of software updates, ownership of the wrong software and the purchase of a different computer than their peers. My analogy for this relates to textbooks. Of course, textbooks are always the same in each class. We would not want the students to have three different versions of a course text.

The inclusive technology fee ensures that all students have identical software and programs, allows consistency in curriculum delivery, and provides for no lost time for software matching or other problems that arise when students have different versions of laptop programs.

Breakdown of the Fee
The breakdown listed below is for the full laptop fees as if you were to be purchasing the products off the street or Internet. (Links are provided where appropriate.)

This price reflects this year’s computer model. Please note that the prices listed below may be incomplete. Specialty software packages with specific costs (such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, Math Type, Smart Music, or Comic Life) may also be installed on the machine depending on the student’s courses and the assignments used in the student’s particular programs. This list also does not include any mention of upgrade costs for system or application software that often runs in the hundreds of dollars year in and year out.

This fee breakdown price assumes a 6.37/1 – RMB/USD:

Macbook Pro ¥8,186.00 or USD $1285.00
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/ProductView.aspx?catid=2

Bag ¥128 or USD $20.00
Lock ¥319 or USD $50.00
3 yr. warranty ¥1,398.00 or USD $219.00

Microsoft Office ¥699.00 or USD $109.00
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/AccessoriesVeiw.aspx?catid=41

Adobe Suite ¥1,980.00 or USD $310.
http://laptop.solutionkeys.com/shop/AccessoriesVeiw.aspx?catid=49

iWork ‘11
(Pages, Numbers
and Keynote): ¥382.00 or USD $59.97

Grand total: ¥13092.00 or USD $2055.00

As mentioned above, the full and required technology fee is RMB 10500.00 which represents a savings to students and their families of RMB 2592.00 as compared to current street and internet costs. Once again, this breakdown also does not encompass upgrade costs for software over a 3-year period of time, which is included in the full technology fee

Of course one could argue that they can get a better price. We can’t argue that point, but we feel the price is highly competitive and the guarantee of 3 years of software upgrades and on-site service is significant enough to continue to choose this option.

We have several interesting and educational events coming up over the next few weeks. Here are some reminders about places and times:

Deke Erh Book Launch and SAS Student Visual and Performing Arts Exhibition

Come down to Lane 210, #2-1 Taikang Road (in Tianzifang) on Sunday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. for the launch of Deke Erh’s new book: Deke Erh and 86 Shanghai American School Students and Teachers, 1937-1949.

SAS student musicians will be performing and the student visual arts exhibition will open.   Visual Arts Exhibition: February 12-26 during gallery hours Additional SAS student performances: February 18, 19, 25, and 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Robyn Treyvaud: An Evening of Learning How to Keep Your Kids Safe in Cyberspace

Robyn Treyvaud, founder and director of Cyber Safe Kids, will discuss how schools and parents can help protect and educate kids growing up in the digital world.   Pudong Campus Monday, February 13, Radisson Thumb Plaza – Century Park 6:30 p.m. – Keeping Your Kids Cyber Safe   Puxi Campus Wednesday, February 15, Library Media Center 8:30 a.m. – Meet & Greet  9:00 a.m. – Parent Chat     Brian Linden: 21st Century Learning and the SAS

Microcampus Brian Linden, founder of the Linden Centre, a Class A heritage site in Dali, Yunnan province.

Mr. Linden will discuss his pioneering work in Chinese ecological and cultural tourism and the new SAS microcampus pilot project, an inquiry-based learning experience for middle school students. He will be joined by teacher Craig Tafel, who has spearheaded the microcampus project at SAS.  Pudong Campus Tuesday, February 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Library Lecture Hall  Puxi Campus Wednesday, February 22, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Library Media Center

Dr. Yong Zhao: Conversations on Education in a Global Age

Dr. Yong Zhao, a leading comparative researcher on Chinese and American education and author of Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization, returns to SAS to work with staff, parents, and students. Six parent sessions are scheduled, from February 28-March 2. Click here for details or check the February 10 issue of the Eagle.

Edge for Excellence

The Edge for Excellence annual fund was established in 2008-2009 to offer community members the opportunity to make voluntary gifts to enhance the educational program at SAS. This additional financial support translates directly into greater learning opportunities for our students and raises our schools’ level of excellence. Giving to Edge for Excellence is an ideal way to celebrate the education of students, or to honor the service of a special teacher or administrator.

How to Give

It’s easy to give to Edge for Excellence—just choose the method that’s most convenient. All donors will receive a formal gift-acknowledgement letter from the school (valid for U.S. income-tax purposes if applicable).

1. Click here to make a secure online gift using a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card, issued in any country. Gifts online are processed through “Friends of Shanghai American School Foundation,” a not-for-profit organization incorporated under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to the Foundation are deductible for U.S. income-tax purposes.

OR

2. Drop off the special RED ENVELOPE with an RMB cash or check gift and a completed pledge form to the special locked boxes at each division office on either campus. Either you or your child may drop it off. Download a pledge form here.

OR

3. Bring your Visa, MasterCard or UnionPay credit card with a completed pledge form to the cashier’s office on either campus. You will get a receipt for your gift. Download a pledge form here.

OR

4. U.S. citizens may choose to write a bank check or arrange a wire transfer:

U.S. checks, payable to the “Friends of Shanghai American School Foundation,” may be sent to SAS, c/o Office of Advancement, 258 Jin Feng Lu, Huacao Town, Minhang District, Shanghai 201107 PRC; or directly to the Foundation at 15 Roszel Road, P.O. Box 5910, Princeton, NJ 08540 USA.

U.S. bank wire transfers may be made directly from your bank to the SAS Foundation account. Please click here to contact us for instructions.

Thank you for supporting Shanghai American School!

Draft Calendar 20102011