“A dark night, lightened up by thousands of glowing fireflies. It is magical.” – Ama H. Vanniarchchy To me, lightning bugs mean summer. Growing up in the Seattle area, I didn’t see fireflies as a child, but somehow the luminescent beetles (lightning bugs are beetles not flies) epitomize summer. Our kids first saw lantern flies…
Did you have a good year?
Did you have a good year? Yes or no? Did you have a good year? “YES!” The only honest, accurate answer has to be “Yes.” …
ELOISE (Gr.10) ON THE POWER OF HELPING: “IT’S A FEELING THAT DOESN’T GO AWAY.”
Briefly introduce yourself. When did you join AAS and how did your journey at AAS evolve? My name is Eloise. I’m from England. I have two younger sisters and I’m 16 years old. I play the violin. It’s my hobby and my passion. I came to AAS in third grade when I was eight years…
AAS Esports: An Extraordinary Journey
The AAS Esports team has been competing internationally for over a year now. Middle and high school gamers have competed each trimester against other schools all over the world. In that time, our team has won the world championship for competitive Minecraft and we are quickly building a name for ourselves in a new game…
Hellos and Goodbyes
After working in international schools for 14 years, this time brings the same mix of emotions, chaos, and celebrations regardless of what country or school I am at. Spring is here to remind us that we can be excited about the renewal of life. And, at the same time, the end of the school year…
The Valley of Thracian Kings
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…
