“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…
The Busiest Time of the Year
“You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.” -John Rogers At some point in my education, a teacher told me that when you face a writing block, the best thing to do is to just keep writing. That is what I am doing…
How We Define Learning at AAS
“Learning at AAS is a dynamic and engaging process of inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking that prepares students to contribute purposefully to the world around them.”– Anglo-American School of Sofia Definition of Learning created 2024 As many of you already know, AAS is jointly accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New…
Teacher Spotlight: Beth Burnett
Today we present Beth Burnett, ES Learning Support Teacher. Introduce yourself using three words only, please. Genuine, Loquacious, Giving What’s something most people may not know about you? I almost bit my tongue off when I was three years old. While climbing on a kitchen stool, I slipped, fell to the floor and banged…
PTO in the Spotlight: Radostina Rashkova
This week we introduce Radostina Rashkova, PTO President and a mom of two beautiful girls. Introduce yourself using three words only, please. Positive, organized, empathetic How did you decide to choose AAS for the education of your child, and how has your perception of the school evolved since then? We choose AAS because of the…
Some Days Are Simply Meant for Playing
“This place is so pretty. I feel like I’m at a resort.” -Student-musician visiting from American School of Warsaw The weather. It has been a topic in most conversations I’ve had over the past few weeks. You might think, “Dr. Fries, you really need to work on your conversation skills,” and that is true. However,…
Greetings From the AAS Board
As we begin the third trimester of the year, I would like to take a moment, on behalf of the AAS Board of Directors, to recognize the outstanding achievements of our students, faculty, and staff so far this year. Listening to the presentations by our seniors during the Silver Tray Ceremony, I was sincerely impressed…