Over the last several weeks, AAS students across all 3 divisions have been learning about topics related to Health and Wellness. In the Middle School, this unit is known more informally as Sex Ed. For some of our readers, those words may conjure up awkward teenage memories of bananas and condoms. We have enjoyed creating…
Teacher Spotlight: Alex Coleman
Introduce yourself in one sentence, please. Hi, I am Alex Coleman. I am a husband, hiker, teacher, and lover of all things sports and coffee. Why did you choose AAS and what are your expectations? Some teachers from my previous school were already at AAS and they had wonderful things to say about the school…
The One Parenting Skill for Every Situation (Including Conferences)
In my years as a principal working with families in high school, middle school, and elementary school, I have had hundreds of conversations with parents about challenging situations with their children. In my office, parents have talked with me about academic struggles, friend problems, personal habits, technology use, drugs, sex, mental health, future planning, and…
Athina Tsellou on Focus
Bright, proactive and always smiling, Athina Tsellou is one of those people who radiate positive energy wherever they go. A former member of AAS PTO, Athena is a certified life coach. She feels most alive when empowering others and helping them reach their full potential. What is focus, really? Experts define focus as the act…
Wellbeing at University
Every few weeks the counselors at AAS write an article on the theme of “Wellbeing”. As the university counselor at AAS, it makes sense that I write about a wellness theme that relates to university. First, we should establish what “wellness” means. Wellness is “the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to…
The Martenitsi Tradition
Dear community, March is almost here and so is spring. The tradition of wearing Martenitsi on the 1st of March in Bulgaria is a long and favorite one. If you wonder what a martenitsa is – please check this link or this one and this video. On March 3rd, Bulgaria also celebrates its liberation. In…
Spotlight the Daily Wins
“There’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait.” – Hamilton (musical) Last night I had the pleasure of watching the AAS students’ performance of Cabaret. It was an incredible show! Through the years, I have enjoyed and been impressed by all of the AAS musicals. The addition of the Rila Theatre has…
Culture of Learning
How would you respond to the statement, “Education does not end when you leave the classroom”? This was the prompt for the championship round at a recent CEESA Speech and Debate competition in which an AAS student won first place. Students had to come up with an impromptu speech to share their thoughts on this…
AAS Wolves Esports Team: At the Top of Their Game
In the beginning of December 2022, AAS Wolves Esports Team won the world championship of the International Schools Esports League. Their game sense, revolutionary strategies and constant drive for improvement are beyond impressive. Last week we interviewed five of AAS Esports winners and learnt more about their journey to international success. How did you find…
Easing Into the Post-Holiday Season
While some are feeling the post-holiday blues, I am in introverted bliss. Sure, I miss the holiday decorations, Christmas markets, and vacation time. However, as someone who truly appreciates time at home, I love when January hits and all of a sudden it becomes “acceptable” to hibernate for the next few months. This is the…
Student Spotlight: Grace, Grade 12
Introduce yourself in one sentence, please. My name is Grace, I’ve been at AAS for 9 years now, and I am a Senior this year. Can you tell us a little bit about your experience at AAS and what you love most about the school? I have seen the school change quite a bit over…
On Learning in an AI World
Since late November, ChatGPT has dominated the news headlines. For the uninitiated, Chat GPT is a cutting-edge language model developed by OpenAI. It can generate human-like text, allowing it to engage in natural language conversations and perform various language-based tasks like; writing compelling stories or essays, answering complex math problems, and writing basic code. So,…
