Dear community, The Rose Festival in Bulgaria is in full speed and the culmination and the main events will happen this weekend (more info here). If you are planning to attend the Rose Festival, why not experience something as unique as the rose festival itself – a glimpse of the Valley of the Thracian Kings….
Former AAS Student Can Bingol : ‘AAS is All About the People’
Briefly introduce yourself, please. My name is Can Bingol. I was born in Istanbul, Turkey. My family and I moved to Bulgaria when I was 10 years old. I studied at AAS-Sofia for five years, from 1980 till 1985. At the age of 15, I had to go back to Turkey where I graduated high…
To Have or Not to Have (Dessert)
“I’m hungry. I hope there’s pudding.” – Luna Lovegood Earlier this week, I received a letter from Liana, a 2nd grade student at AAS. It was a well written opinion letter with proper form. The letter had a good introduction, three solid arguments supporting her opinion, and a clear conclusion. As expressed in her letter,…
Dr. Jasmina Dedic-Hagan Training Ukrainians to Save Lives
It was late February 2022 and our home was in complete chaos. Boxes everywhere. We were about to leave Australia and move to Sofia, Bulgaria. I was managing my stress the usual way – running with my AirPods on. For days, on my runs, I had been hearing about Russian troops gathering along the Ukrainian…
The Power of Nature for Our Moods and Our Cognitive Abilities
I grew up in a family who valued getting out into nature. My parents met while participating in the backcountry ski patrol and ski touring clubs in Washington State. I like to joke that if it were not for the outdoors, I might not exist. Rain, snow, or shine, my brother and I were taken…
Words Change Your Child’s Body
As educators, we spend significant time talking about how “mindset” is important in education. This has always been en vogue in our field; attitude matters! Growth mindset! Grit! We are taught to not allow students to give up, to become comfortable with failure. Teacher education programs have always reveled in this kind of theory. There…
Carpet Weaving in Bulgaria
Dear community, There is one thing in common between the British royal family, dukes, politicians, wealthy families, and museums – they all step on beautiful carpets that are handmade in Bulgaria (detailed information in here). In this issue of the Bulgarian Culture Corner, you will learn more about one of the oldest crafts in Bulgaria…
Welcome Back After Spring Break
“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” – Yogi Berra I hope that you had a relaxing and fun Spring Break. We had the good fortune to visit Scotland and Ireland over the holiday. As is the way with travels, we had some expected and…
The Far-reaching Effect of Artificial Intelligence
Spring in Bulgaria requires constant monitoring and adjustment. Sunny skies and high temperatures require us to pull out t-shirts and rake the yard, while hail and snow impact driving conditions and plans for Easter egg hunts. Weather has the potential to impact every area of our lives. The far-reaching effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is…
Opening the Door
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…
