“So…is that your new mantra?” my son asked a few weeks back. “What do you mean?” “Well,” he responded, “you’ve said ‘AND’ like four times in our conversation. So, is that your new mantra?” Poor kid. He’d been surviving my sayings for a couple decades. He had just got past me overusing the word “YET.” …
Memories Are Made Of This
Our intrepid AAS Secondary School students explored beautiful Bulgaria this week on their Cultural Trips. A number of students asked their teacher-chaperones if there was any way their adventures away could be extended! Perhaps you saw them? Were they in front of you in the queue to taste chocolate at the Plovdiv chocolate museum? (Grade…
Ralitsa Vladimirova: You can Overcome Anything If You Have the Right Tools
This past week was ‘Angelia’ week at AAS – the AAS community fundraised money for the ‘Angelia’ foundation that helps children battling cancer. The activities culminated in the ‘Angelia’ Run earlier today, where everyone joined in running or walking around the campus to show their support for the cause. However, the most inspiring event was…
Class of 2017 Kalina Batkova: Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Introduce yourself using three words only. Singer, songwriter, creative. Briefly describe your experience at AAS. How many years did you spend at the school? I spent five years at AAS – from eighth to twelfth grade. I graduated in 2017. What was the most important lesson AAS taught you? The most important lesson AAS taught…
ES Principal Julie Villers: Be Honest With Children If You Want Their Respect
Julie Villers has been working in education since 1999, first as an Early Years educator, teaching students from Preschool to Kindergarten, then as an Elementary School leader. Originally from France, she moved abroad in 2000 to work at a French school in California, USA, where she met her husband James, a California native, who was…
Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year
“I’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings” – Jenny Han Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at AAS-Sofia! I hope that you had a pleasant summer with family and friends. The start of a new school year is a…
What Is Your Song For the Summer?
“So often you find that the students you’re trying to inspire are the ones that end up inspiring you.” – Sean Jenkins Over the summer, the main administration office will have some improvements done. In preparation for that work, I cleaned out my office and moved to a temporary office space. While cleaning out my…
Nellie Bridge: Make Trying Your Goal
Our HS English Teacher, Ms. Nellie Bridge is also a poet. She recently got some of her poems translated in Bulgarian and published in the reputed Bulgarian literary newspaper ‘Literaturen Vestnik’. We asked her a few questions about her interest in writing and her creative process. What initially sparked your interest in literature? How did…
Thank You For Volunteering Your Time
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” -Elizabeth Andrew As we approach the final 9 school days of the 2023-24 school year, I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize two vital parts of the AAS community, the PTO Board and the AAS Board of Directors. Both the PTO Board…
Dominic Carrillo: Interactions With Students Inspire Me to Write
Dominic Carrillo is a High School English & Social Studies Teacher at AAS and a YA author. More about his books can be found here. What inspired you to become an author alongside your career in education? I was inspired by my students. We worked on projects to publish their short stories in paperback books….
Repairing My RAFT
The end of the school year always brings a storm of emotions with a long “to-do” list. Preparing for these final weeks could feel impossible for those leaving AAS, including myself. For decades, international schools have supported departing families with the acronym RAFT: Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Think Destination. It seems straightforward: leave on a…
Who Are Your Children?
“No, we’re pretty much done. This is who we are.” A few weeks back in a Grade 12 Health class, we were discussing how personality and character evolve over time, and how the role one plays in relationships likewise changes as you learn more about yourself and how the world around you reacts to your…
