Monday, October 31, 2016

Books: Got To Catch Them All!

The SAS PTA elementary book fair will be held from November 30 through December 2 from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the elementary library. Click title to volunteer.

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2015-16 Annual Report

The year's report reflects many of the events and milestones, key academic indicators, new programs and instructional strategies in each division, the way that we steward our finances, and much more.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2eu8sU8

Digital Citizenship Week

Digital Citizenship Week is here! Your child will have the opportunity to engage in activities that promote the use of technology safely, responsibly, and respectfully.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2dXg6KI

Active Parenting Workshop Registration

Active Parenting is a six part program where each session builds on the previous workshop, facilitated by the elementary kindergarten to grade three school counselors.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2eu9Rdi

Books: Got To Catch Them All!

2015-16 Annual Report

Digital Citizenship Week

Active Parenting Workshop Registration

Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing

Pennyfarthing Homes brings a stunning new development to Vancouver's West side. This amazing development will consist of 1-3 bedroom residences ranging from 680 sq ft to 1,433 sq ft over 7 storeys.

The Hawthorne is situated next to the lovely Queen Elizabeth park and just a short walk along Cambie will bring you to the Oakridge mall where you will satisfy all you shopping and dinning needs.

Pricing has not yet been determined. Please register and join our VIP list to be one of the first to receive information

The post Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/2fxPwIh

Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing

Pennyfarthing Homes brings a stunning new development to Vancouver’s West side. This amazing development will consist of 1-3 bedroom residences ranging from 680 sq ft to 1,433 sq ft over 7 storeys.

The Hawthorne is situated next to the lovely Queen Elizabeth park and just a short walk along Cambie will bring you to the Oakridge mall where you will satisfy all you shopping and dinning needs.

Pricing has not yet been determined. Please register and join our VIP list to be one of the first to receive information

The post Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/2fxPwIh

Insulated Winter Hiking Boots FAQ: Expert Advice

Winter hiking boot FAQ

There are three kinds of winter hiking boots: insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots. Which kind of winter hiking boot is right for you? Here's a detailed guide that explains the differences between these so you can pick the right footwear for winter hiking, snowshoeing, winter backpacking, and winter mountaineering.

What should you look for when buying a pair of winter hiking boots?

Winter boots should be insulated and waterproof to keep your feet warm, they should have laces and not be slip-ons, they should be comfortable so you can walk or snowshoe in them all day, and they should be compatible with winter traction aids like microspikes, snowshoes, and crampons. While the amount of insulation you need will vary on the distance and temperatures you hike or snowshoe in, winter boots with non-removable synthetic insulation are the lightest weight and therefore the easiest to hike in. Boots made with synthetic materials are also lighter weight and more waterproof than leather boots. The most comfortable boots for winter hiking are the ones that come over your ankles like regular hiking boots:

While all winter boots are compatible with traction devices like microspikes and snowshoes, it important to make sure that they don't create undo pressure when attached to your boots that can lead to discomfort and blistering. Crampons are a little trickier, since you need the right type of crampon to work with the insulated winter hiking boots described above. This is explained further below.

What are the differences between insulated winter hiking boots and mountaineering boots?

Mountaineering boots have very rigid soles so they can be used with crampons for ice climbing and scrambling over ice-covered rock. Leather and synthetic mountaineering boots also tend to have less insulation, they're heavier, and less comfortable than most insulated winter boots, which have softer flexible soles that are easier to walk in. While special flexible crampons are available for softer-soled insulated hiking boots, they cannot be used for ice climbing which requires a rigid mountaineering boot sole and ice climbing crampon.

There are two types of mountaineering boots, single layer boots and double boots. Single layer boots are intended for day hiking in alpine terrain, unprotected by tree cover. Double layer insulated mountaineering boots have removable liners which make them warmer for people who get cold feet. They're also preferred for overnight and multi-day trips, since the liners can be removed and put into your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing overnight.

What are the differences between insulated winter hiking boots and pac boots?

Pac boots are winter boots that usually have a rubber lower half and a leather or synthetic upper, often with a removable liner.

Pac boots are designed to keep your feet warm in the harshest weather conditions but are ungainly for walking and snowshoeing because they are heavy, they run up well above the ankle, and they have very poor ankle support. In general, pac boots are best used for less vigorous winter activities like snowmobiling, hunting, or ice fishing.

Why can't I use my regular hiking boots for winter hiking?

It really comes down to waterproofing and insulation. Most insulated winter hiking boots are guaranteed waterproof out of the box. Many have lowers made with rubber or waterproof synthetics so you can tramp through puddles and wet snow without worrying about the fabric absorbing water. If you do get moisture in your boots because it comes over the tops or your feet and calves perspire heavily, insulated winter boots will still keep them warm. The same can't be said about regular leather or synthetic hiking boots, even when treated with waterproofing creams and sprays. If your regular hiking boots absorb water in winter, they can easily freeze, and lead to discomfort, frost nip, or frostbite in extreme cases, on long winter hikes.

How important is it to have Gore-tex or waterproof/breathable insulated winter boots?

You often don't have a choice. Most insulated winter hiking boots are only available with built-in waterproof/breathable membranes. While breathability is important in winter, perspiration is bound to accumulate in your socks and boots when your feet sweat, even if your boots are made with a waterproof/breathable liner. If your feet do get damp, the most important thing is to have insulated boots to keep them warm.

How accurate are warmth ratings for boots?

While some boot manufacturers provide warmth ratings for their products, there's no standard way for measuring the warmth of winter boots. Understand that these ratings are directional at best and that users will have varying experiences based on their activity level, health, weight, sex, metabolism, and other factors. My advice: read customer reviews and try to buy winter hiking boots that have been available for multiple seasons so more is known about their performance. Referrals from friends and trusted sources are best.

How much insulation should winter boots have?

Some insulated winter boot manufacturers publish the amount of insulation in their boots, while others don't. For example, some boots have 200 grams of Thinsulate insulation, a popular synthetic insulation, while others have 400 grams. While boots with more insulation are likely to be warmer, comparisons between different models depend on the type of insulation, boot design and individual user differences in terms of activity, health, weight, etc. That said, winter boots with more insulation are preferred for hiking in subfreezing temperatures on long hikes or for highly exposed alpine routes without vegetation cover.

What are the most popular forms of insulation in winter hiking boots?

Manufacturers use a wide range of synthetic insulations in winter hiking boots, many of them proprietary. One of the most popular forms of synthetic insulation is called Thinsulate and is made with polypropylene fibers. Boots with 200 grams of Thinsulate are best used in early winter or spring in moderate temperatures or for high activity levels. Boots with 400 grams of Thinsulate insulation or more better for much colder winter temperatures below freezing.

What are the most important features to look for on insulated winter hiking boots, beyond waterproofing and breathability?

Temperature rating: While you need to take manufacturer's temperature ratings with a grain of salt, they are a good indication of the relative warmth of a boot.

Amount of insulation: While it's difficult to make warmth comparisons between boots that have different kinds of insulation, knowing the amount of insulation used in boots can help you compare the warmth of different models made by the same manufacturer.

Reinforced toe cap: In addition to providing kick protection, a sturdy toe cap won't collapse the front of the boot and potentially cause blisters when used with tight-fitting microspikes or crampons.

Gusseted tongue: This is just like a regular boot or shoe tongue, except the sides of the tongue are closed and sewn to the interior of the boot. This helps prevent water from leaking through the laces and into the boot when you step in deep puddles.

Cuff: The top of your boot, where it surrounds your calf is called the cuff. Looks for boots with a soft cuff that closes off the gap between your leg and boot while staying comfortable during a long day of hiking. It will also trap heat and prevent snow from falling down your boot if you have to walk through deep snow.

Lugs: The soles of your boots should provide good traction when walking on loose or packed snow. Look for boots with a deep tread like a Vibram sole. When walking on ice, you're likely to augment your boot with traction-aids like microspikes or crampons.

Gaiter ring: A gaiter ring is a small ring attached to the top of the toe box that you can hook your gaiters onto to prevent them from riding up your leg. It's not the end of the world if your boots don't have one: you can still usually hook the gaiter to your boot laces, but most insulated winter hiking boots have them.

How should winter hiking boots fit?

It's important not to wear tight-fitting boots because they will restrict blood flow resulting in cold feet. There should be some wiggle room for your toes, you want minimize the amount of lateral movement in the boot without feeling like your foot is being squished, and make sure that your heel doesn't lift when walking with the boot laced up. Be sure to try on winter hiking boots with the socks you intend on wearing to hike, especially if you use thicker, warmer socks in winter. If you're between sizes, it's always easier to shim out the extra space by wearing thicker socks or by replacing the boot's insoles with higher volume insoles, like Superfeet, than trying to fit into boots that are too small.

How can you avoid getting blisters in winter hiking boots?

Make sure you break them in well before hiking in them in winter, even if it means sweating through some hikes in warmer weather to soften them up. Learn how to lace your boots to relieve any pressure on the top of your foot, eliminate heel lift, or keep your laces from slipping loose when you tie them. Test out and fit all of your traction devices in advance of needing them, including microspikes, snowshoes, and crampons, so you can identify potential hot spots and take the necessary corrective actions in advance. This may include taping your feet with leukotape, wearing different socks, or re-adjusting traction aids so they don't rub you in a bad place.

What are microspikes?

Microspikes are like tire chains for your boots. They're pointed pieces of metal connected to short chains and elastic bands which wrap around your boots to give you traction when walking on ice and snow. While they work with all boots, it's important to get ones that fit your boot size so they don't break when overstretched. You also want to make sure that the toe box of your boots doesn't collapse under them, which can cause discomfort and toe blistering.

What kind of crampons are compatible with insulated winter hiking boots?

Insulated winter hiking boots have softer soles that bend when you walk, flexing in the middle of the sole under the ball of your foot and the arch. If you want to use crampons, you need ones that have flexible center bar connecting the front and heel spikes than can bend with the sole and not break.

These attach to your boots with what are called universal bindings, plastic hoops that wrap around your heel and the front of your boots and are secured using webbing straps. They're not intended for ice climbing but are good for walking across crusty snowfields and low angle ice.

Are insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots all compatible with snowshoes?

Generally yes, but it can depend on the size of your boots and the length of your snowshoe bindings. High volume boots, especially double-layer mountaineering boots and pac boots, may require some binding adjustment such as longer binding straps or webbing. Be sure to test their compatibility before you need them on a winter hike.

How often do you need to replace winter hiking boots?

Winter hiking boot soles last much longer than regular hiking boots because you're hiking on snow and ice, not abrasive dirt or gravel. Winter hiking boots tend to wear out when one of their seams works loose and splits. You can usually extend their lifetime when this happens by having them repaired by a shoemaker or by pre-emptively strengthening your boot seams using Silicone seam sealer or Shoe-Goo to strengthen them.

This is an actively monitored web page, so if you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Support SectionHiker.com. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you.

Comments

Thanks Roger – Kind of a labor off love. Winter hiking is a ... by Philip Werner
Thanks for all the time and thought that went into putting this ... by Roger

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Insulated Winter Hiking Boots FAQ: Expert Advice

Winter hiking boot FAQ

There are three kinds of winter hiking boots: insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots. Which kind of winter hiking boot is right for you? Here’s a detailed guide that explains the differences between these so you can pick the right footwear for winter hiking, snowshoeing, winter backpacking, and winter mountaineering.

What should you look for when buying a pair of winter hiking boots?

While all winter boots are compatible with traction devices like microspikes and snowshoes, it important to make sure that they don’t create undo pressure when attached to your boots that can lead to discomfort and blistering. Crampons are a little trickier, since you need the right type of crampon to work with the insulated winter hiking boots described above. This is explained further below.

What are the differences between insulated winter hiking boots and mountaineering boots?

Mountaineering boots have very rigid soles so they can be used with crampons for ice climbing and scrambling over ice-covered rock. Leather and synthetic mountaineering boots also tend to have less insulation, they’re heavier, and less comfortable than most insulated winter boots, which have softer flexible soles that are easier to walk in. While special flexible crampons are available for softer-soled insulated hiking boots, they cannot be used for ice climbing which requires a rigid mountaineering boot sole and ice climbing crampon.

There are two types of mountaineering boots, single layer boots and double boots. Single layer boots are intended for day hiking in alpine terrain, unprotected by tree cover. Double layer insulated mountaineering boots have removable liners which make them warmer for people who get cold feet. They’re also preferred for overnight and multi-day trips, since the liners can be removed and put into your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing overnight.

What are the differences between insulated winter hiking boots and pac boots?

Pac boots are winter boots that usually have a rubber lower half and a leather or synthetic upper, often with a removable liner.

Why can't I use my regular hiking boots for winter hiking?

It really comes down to waterproofing and insulation. Most insulated winter hiking boots are guaranteed waterproof out of the box. Many have lowers made with rubber or waterproof synthetics so you can tramp through puddles and wet snow without worrying about the fabric absorbing water. If you do get moisture in your boots because it comes over the tops or your feet and calves perspire heavily, insulated winter boots will still keep them warm. The same can’t be said about regular leather or synthetic hiking boots, even when treated with waterproofing creams and sprays. If your regular hiking boots absorb water in winter, they can easily freeze, and lead to discomfort, frost nip, or frostbite in extreme cases, on long winter hikes.

How important is it to have Gore-tex or waterproof/breathable insulated winter boots?

You often don’t have a choice. Most insulated winter hiking boots are only available with built-in waterproof/breathable membranes. While breathability is important in winter, perspiration is bound to accumulate in your socks and boots when your feet sweat, even if your boots are made with a waterproof/breathable liner. If your feet do get damp, the most important thing is to have insulated boots to keep them warm.

How accurate are warmth ratings for boots?

While some boot manufacturers provide warmth ratings for their products, there’s no standard way for measuring the warmth of winter boots. Understand that these ratings are directional at best and that users will have varying experiences based on their activity level, health, weight, sex, metabolism, and other factors. My advice: read customer reviews and try to buy winter hiking boots that have been available for multiple seasons so more is known about their performance. Referrals from friends and trusted sources are best.

How much insulation should winter boots have?

Some insulated winter boot manufacturers publish the amount of insulation in their boots, while others don’t. For example, some boots have 200 grams of Thinsulate insulation, a popular synthetic insulation, while others have 400 grams. While boots with more insulation are likely to be warmer, comparisons between different models depend on the type of insulation, boot design and individual user differences in terms of activity, health, weight, etc. That said, winter boots with more insulation are preferred for hiking in subfreezing temperatures on long hikes or for highly exposed alpine routes without vegetation cover.

What are the most popular forms of insulation in winter hiking boots?

What are the most important features to look for on insulated winter hiking boots, beyond waterproofing and breathability?

Temperature rating: While you need to take manufacturer’s temperature ratings with a grain of salt, they are a good indication of the relative warmth of a boot.

Amount of insulation: While it’s difficult to make warmth comparisons between boots that have different kinds of insulation, knowing the amount of insulation used in boots can help you compare the warmth of different models made by the same manufacturer.

Reinforced toe cap: In addition to providing kick protection, a sturdy toe cap won’t collapse the front of the boot and potentially cause blisters when used with tight-fitting microspikes or crampons.

Lugs: The soles of your boots should provide good traction when walking on loose or packed snow. Look for boots with a deep tread like a Vibram sole. When walking on ice, you’re likely to augment your boot with traction-aids like microspikes or crampons.

Gaiter ring: A gaiter ring is a small ring attached to the top of the toe box that you can hook your gaiters onto to prevent them from riding up your leg. It’s not the end of the world if your boots don’t have one: you can still usually hook the gaiter to your boot laces, but most insulated winter hiking boots have them.

How should winter hiking boots fit?

It’s important not to wear tight-fitting boots because they will restrict blood flow resulting in cold feet. There should be some wiggle room for your toes, you want minimize the amount of lateral movement in the boot without feeling like your foot is being squished, and make sure that your heel doesn’t lift when walking with the boot laced up. Be sure to try on winter hiking boots with the socks you intend on wearing to hike, especially if you use thicker, warmer socks in winter. If you’re between sizes, it’s always easier to shim out the extra space by wearing thicker socks or by replacing the boot’s insoles with higher volume insoles, like Superfeet, than trying to fit into boots that are too small.

How can you avoid getting blisters in winter hiking boots?

What are microspikes?

Microspikes are like tire chains for your boots. They’re pointed pieces of metal connected to short chains and elastic bands which wrap around your boots to give you traction when walking on ice and snow. While they work with all boots, it’s important to get ones that fit your boot size so they don’t break when overstretched. You also want to make sure that the toe box of your boots doesn’t collapse under them, which can cause discomfort and toe blistering.

What kind of crampons are compatible with insulated winter hiking boots?

These attach to your boots with what are called universal bindings, plastic hoops that wrap around your heel and the front of your boots and are secured using webbing straps. They’re not intended for ice climbing but are good for walking across crusty snowfields and low angle ice.

Are insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots all compatible with snowshoes?

How often do you need to replace winter hiking boots?

Winter hiking boot soles last much longer than regular hiking boots because you’re hiking on snow and ice, not abrasive dirt or gravel. Winter hiking boots tend to wear out when one of their seams works loose and splits. You can usually extend their lifetime when this happens by having them repaired by a shoemaker or by pre-emptively strengthening your boot seams using Silicone seam sealer or Shoe-Goo to strengthen them.

This is an actively monitored web page, so if you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Support SectionHiker.com. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you.

Comments

Thanks Roger – Kind of a labor off love. Winter hiking is a ... by Philip Werner
Thanks for all the time and thought that went into putting this ... by Roger

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/2f9z8cL

IndieView with Michael Schreiber, author of One-Man Show

I really believe a wide range of readers will connect with the overriding “human interest” aspects of this book, from the way Bernard fully embraced living a long life of exploration, creativity, and adventure, to his insatiable quest for human connection.

Michael Schreiber – 31 October 2016

The Back Flap

Bernard Perlin (1918-2014) was an extraordinary figure in twentieth century American art and gay cultural history, an acclaimed artist and sexual renegade who reveled in pushing social, political, and artistic boundaries. His work regularly appeared in popular magazines of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s; was collected by Rockefellers, Whitneys, and Astors; and was acquired by major museums, including the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate Modern.

As a government propaganda artist and war artist-correspondent, he produced many now-iconic images of World War II. His portrait clients included well-known figures in the arts and politics. Among his most intimate companions were Vincent Price, George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Glenway Wescott, Leonard Bernstein, and Truman Capote.

From the 1930s on, he also daringly committed to canvas and paper scenes of underground gay bars, nude studies of street hustlers, and other aspects of his open and active gay life.

In One-Man Show, Michael Schreiber chronicles the storied life, illustrious friends and lovers, and astounding escapades of Bernard Perlin through no holds barred interviews with the artist, candid excerpts from Perlin’s unpublished memoirs, never-before-seen photos, and an extensive selection of Bernard Perlin’s incredible public and private art.

About the book

What is the book about?

I had the tremendous good fortune to know the American painter Bernard Perlin (1918-2014) in the last years of his long life. Together, we recorded his extraordinary life story through a series of interviews that supplemented writings he was working on toward a potential memoir. We also spent many hours together reviewing his life’s work as an artist. Bernard Perlin is perhaps best known for his work as a World War II propaganda artist and war artist-correspondent, as well as his postwar work as a “magic realist” painter. He moved in extraordinary social circles in the arts, counting many luminaries amongst his most intimate friends. He was also a fearlessly openly gay man during a fearfully closed period in our recent history. One-Man Show chronicles Bernard Perlin’s incredibly storied life – a life spent in pursuit of his remarkable creativity and passion for human connection.

How long did it take you to write it?

The interviews with Bernard Perlin took place over the course of two and a half years, from April 2011 through October 2013. I didn’t begin seriously working on the book, though, until after my first meeting with my publisher in New York in March 2014. When the project was greenlighted by Bruno Gmünder a full year later, I began burning the proverbial midnight oil to get everything done before a deadline set for fall of 2015. I had almost 100 hours of audio to listen through and transcribe, as well as images to collect and edit, and an introduction to write – all while maintaining a full schedule at my “day job” as a special education teacher. I’ve got permanent bags under my eyes to show for it, but a big smile is holding them up now that the book is done and out!

Where did you get the idea from?

I first came to know Bernard Perlin not through one of his extraordinary paintings, but through an exquisite photographic portrait taken of him in 1940 by the legendary photographer George Platt Lynes. I was instantly intrigued by this mysterious figure, about whom very little information was then available online or in books, aside from some images of his own evocative artwork. Compounding the fascination for me was the fact that I had found the name of this mystery man, Bernard Perlin, threaded through all of the books I was then reading about the illustrious gay social and artistic circle of which George Platt Lynes had been a part from the 1930s through the 1950s. It seemed that Perlin had been intimately connected with this great New York gay “cabal,” whose members and visitors had included such artists as Paul Cadmus, Jared French, George Tooker, and Pavel Tchelitchew, the impresario Lincoln Kirstein, and such literary figures as Glenway Wescott, E. M. Forster, Somerset Maugham, Christopher Isherwood, and Truman Capote. Bernard Perlin was the last living member of this extraordinary company, and so I worked up my courage and sent him what was essentially a “fan letter.” He responded with a phone call that left me completely in his thrall. Bernard, I quickly realized, was a storyteller the likes of whom I had never before encountered. After a flurry of further friendly phone calls and letters, I was summoned out to his home in Connecticut for an in-person meeting.

When did you start writing the book?

Without realizing I was starting a book, One-Man Show truly began after my first weekend visit with Bernard Perlin in April 2011, when I transcribed my audio recordings of our first long conversations about his life and art. I sent these transcripts to Bernard, who enjoyed them so much that he encouraged me to keep recording our talks. I began thinking that perhaps this would lead to some sort of “oral history” project about Bernard’s life and artistic career that I would eventually give to the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian. But then that summer he showed me several essays he had written toward a potential memoir. I in turn encouraged him to keep writing these, but he ultimately abandoned the endeavor as our “recording sessions” continued on in earnest. As wonderful and as authentic to his voice as his writings are, he decided that he preferred to let the rest of his story unfold in a raw, conversational way between us. He thought this approach was “less pretentious, more honest, more real.” And so, between his writings, our growing stack of transcribed conversations, and the images of his artwork that I had been acquiring, a book started to seem like an inevitability.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Bernard was a wonderful storyteller. However, his tales often meandered down rabbit holes that I rarely interrupted, as his side stories were usually just as captivating as the topic we’d started off discussing. He also told many of the same stories again and again, but often added new information or corrections in his retellings. So needless to say, this all made editing a gargantuan task.

What came easily?

Interviewing Bernard Perlin for the book was always an easy and very enjoyable task. Bernard was an extraordinarily enthralling storyteller. It also certainly helped that most of our long conversations were accompanied by many glasses of wine or scotch!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

As much of a “larger than life” figure as Bernard Perlin was, and as incredible as the stories of his life’s adventures may seem, One-Man Show is remarkably all true. Well, except for a few of Bernard’s “dirty” jokes!

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

In hindsight, One-Man Show truly owes a debt of gratitude to a book my parents gave me from my Christmas wish list when I was just 15 (many eons ago!): Edie: An American Biography by Jean Stein, edited with George Plimpton. I remember being as enamored by Edie Sedgwick’s compelling life story as I was by the unique way in which the book told it: almost as though it was the transcript to a documentary film, reconstructing her story through the memories and observations of people who either knew her or could provide some context about the worlds through which she moved. More recently, the marvelous book that accompanied the film Salinger, by David Shields and Shane Salerno, approached its subject in this same documentary script style. I had the good fortune to be in direct communication with my subject for One-Man Show, but you might say that books like these indirectly influenced its interview format, and the decision to include quotes throughout the book from various other “voices” – art scholars and reviewers – about Bernard Perlin’s work.

In terms of my research for One-Man Show, I am also indebted to and was certainly influenced by the many extraordinary books I’ve devoured through the years about the great artistic and social circle of which Bernard Perlin was a part. I am still constantly poking around in these books. They include Jerry Rosco’s Glenway Wescott Personally and Wescott’s published journals (Continual Lessons and A Heaven of Words), Anatole Pohorilenko’s When We Were Three (with essays by Pohorilenko and James Crump), and David Leddick’s Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kirstein, and Their Circle (for which Bernard Perlin wrote the most delicious foreword!). Lincoln Kirstein’s memoirs and Martin Duberman’s The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein were essential reading, as was George Tooker by Robert Cozzolino, Marshall Price, and Melissa Wolfe. Cozzolino is tops when it comes to scholarship and great writing about Perlin’s artistic contemporaries. Other writers whose work on the subject of that intriguing circle I very much admire are Steven Haas, Allen Ellenzweig, and Philip Eliasoph. New favorites are Aaron Rosen, Samantha Baskind, and Erika Doss, who recently contributed incredibly insightful essays about Bernard’s most famous painting, Orthodox Boys, to the Tate’s “In Focus” project.

Do you have a target reader?

Not a specific reader particularly. In Bernard Perlin, I was blessed to have observed a fellow human being who had the ability and the courage to embrace and to dominate his life – a man who was fully occupied with living, loving, and leaving nothing unexplored that interested him. So I think his story and his art have wide appeal, in that both demonstrate that it’s not only OK but important to see and feel and live and love the way each of us uniquely does.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

When I’m writing a magazine piece or a blog post, I typically start by sketching out a rough outline, although I rarely follow it from beginning to end while actually writing. That outline then becomes like the picture on a puzzle box, and my writing style the random picking up of pieces of that puzzle as I put together a fragment here, a whole sentence there, sometimes a small chunk of text until I finally have the whole picture/story filled in. In other words, I’m sort of all over the place. This is certainly how I approached writing the introduction to One-Man Show as well as the questions I prepared for my interviews with Bernard Perlin. The bulk of the work on that book, however, was in editing Bernard’s own telling of his life story through our interviews and his own writings.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

As One-Man Show is really a combined biography/memoir/art book, I had the advantage of having a built-in outline: the chronology of Bernard Perlin’s life. So I was able to differentiate out my chapters fairly easily according to general periods of his life: his early years, his time as an art student, his work as a war artist, etc. I did then outline pretty extensively under each of those headings, listing key events and people that I wanted to make sure were discussed. This was really helpful when cutting up and placing sections from my interviews with Bernard (his storytelling often went all over the place!). It also helped guide some of our later conversations, knowing there were some gaps in his life story that we needed to discuss and fill in. We got to many of these but unfortunately not all before his passing in January 2014.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I am constantly reviewing and editing as I go.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I sometimes listen to classical music (anything with lyrics is too distracting!), but mostly like it “quiet” while writing or editing text.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents? N

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Initially, I sent out “pitch” emails to about a dozen major publishers and indies. Those that replied kindly said it was a worthwhile project, but not something they thought they could “sell” without there being a major multiple-city museum exhibition of Perlin’s work. In short, Bernard Perlin just wasn’t “famous” enough for an art book, and I wasn’t willing to try re-pitching only the manuscript for a potential text-only book. The book is as much about Bernard Perlin’s incredible art as it is about his extraordinary life story, and I just couldn’t fathom separating out the two. A few indies offered to publish the book if I would entirely “crowdfund” it. I thought in that case, why not just self-publish and maintain full artistic control? That was my plan when the Berlin-based publisher Bruno Gmünder came forward and expressed interest. However, it was a full year before they were able to greenlight the project, so in the meantime I forged on with getting the manuscript together. And happily, Gmünder allowed me a great deal of input (and veto power) regarding layout and the choice of images.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself? I

sent my publisher a shortlist of potential images to use for the cover – examples of Perlin’s artwork and photos of Bernard. His extraordinary painting, The Bar, which is at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was always my top choice for the cover. Happily, my publisher agreed, and took it from there.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

It’s become a collaborative effort between my publisher Bruno Gmünder and myself. They’re an indie gay publisher, so are marketing to their core audience. I’m jumping in on some of that, but am also pitching to the art market and to general interest readers. Bernard Perlin’s art and life story truly transcend any one or two categories. As I said above, I really believe a wide range of readers will connect with the overriding “human interest” aspects of this book, from the way Bernard fully embraced living a long life of exploration, creativity, and adventure, to his insatiable quest for human connection. His own story is just as fascinating as are the titillating tales he tells about his many famous friends!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Persistence and patience pay off!

About You

Where did you grow up?

In North Dakota.

Where do you live now?

I shuttle between homes in Chicago and northeastern Iowa.

What would you like readers to know about you?

As curator for the estate of Bernard Perlin, I’ve helped organize exhibitions of the artist’s work in New York, Missouri, and Virginia. My husband Jason and I are also the creators of the blog This American House, which chronicles our adventures restoring our Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in rural Iowa.

What are you working on now?

I have been so intensively working on One-Man Show this past year and now on its promotion that I’ve only been irregularly contributing to This American House. So I have quite a long list of posts I’m wanting to write for the blog this fall. Also, One-Man Show is being adapted into a documentary film, so I’ll be starting work soon on the script (AND grant writing!). I’m very excited about exploring that new (to me) world of writing!

End of Interview:

To delve deeper into Bernard Perlin’s art and life, visit this website. If you’d like to read more about Michael and his husband’s home restoration, visit This American House.

Get your copy of One-Man Show from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

from The IndieView http://ift.tt/2f0nu7M

IndieView with Michael Schreiber, author of One-Man Show

I really believe a wide range of readers will connect with the overriding "human interest" aspects of this book, from the way Bernard fully embraced living a long life of exploration, creativity, and adventure, to his insatiable quest for human connection.

Michael Schreiber – 31 October 2016

The Back Flap

From the 1930s on, he also daringly committed to canvas and paper scenes of underground gay bars, nude studies of street hustlers, and other aspects of his open and active gay life.

In One-Man Show, Michael Schreiber chronicles the storied life, illustrious friends and lovers, and astounding escapades of Bernard Perlin through no holds barred interviews with the artist, candid excerpts from Perlin's unpublished memoirs, never-before-seen photos, and an extensive selection of Bernard Perlin's incredible public and private art.

About the book

What is the book about?

I had the tremendous good fortune to know the American painter Bernard Perlin (1918-2014) in the last years of his long life. Together, we recorded his extraordinary life story through a series of interviews that supplemented writings he was working on toward a potential memoir. We also spent many hours together reviewing his life's work as an artist. Bernard Perlin is perhaps best known for his work as a World War II propaganda artist and war artist-correspondent, as well as his postwar work as a "magic realist" painter. He moved in extraordinary social circles in the arts, counting many luminaries amongst his most intimate friends. He was also a fearlessly openly gay man during a fearfully closed period in our recent history. One-Man Show chronicles Bernard Perlin's incredibly storied life – a life spent in pursuit of his remarkable creativity and passion for human connection.

How long did it take you to write it?

The interviews with Bernard Perlin took place over the course of two and a half years, from April 2011 through October 2013. I didn't begin seriously working on the book, though, until after my first meeting with my publisher in New York in March 2014. When the project was greenlighted by Bruno Gmünder a full year later, I began burning the proverbial midnight oil to get everything done before a deadline set for fall of 2015. I had almost 100 hours of audio to listen through and transcribe, as well as images to collect and edit, and an introduction to write – all while maintaining a full schedule at my "day job" as a special education teacher. I've got permanent bags under my eyes to show for it, but a big smile is holding them up now that the book is done and out!

Where did you get the idea from?

I first came to know Bernard Perlin not through one of his extraordinary paintings, but through an exquisite photographic portrait taken of him in 1940 by the legendary photographer George Platt Lynes. I was instantly intrigued by this mysterious figure, about whom very little information was then available online or in books, aside from some images of his own evocative artwork. Compounding the fascination for me was the fact that I had found the name of this mystery man, Bernard Perlin, threaded through all of the books I was then reading about the illustrious gay social and artistic circle of which George Platt Lynes had been a part from the 1930s through the 1950s. It seemed that Perlin had been intimately connected with this great New York gay "cabal," whose members and visitors had included such artists as Paul Cadmus, Jared French, George Tooker, and Pavel Tchelitchew, the impresario Lincoln Kirstein, and such literary figures as Glenway Wescott, E. M. Forster, Somerset Maugham, Christopher Isherwood, and Truman Capote. Bernard Perlin was the last living member of this extraordinary company, and so I worked up my courage and sent him what was essentially a "fan letter." He responded with a phone call that left me completely in his thrall. Bernard, I quickly realized, was a storyteller the likes of whom I had never before encountered. After a flurry of further friendly phone calls and letters, I was summoned out to his home in Connecticut for an in-person meeting.

When did you start writing the book?

Without realizing I was starting a book, One-Man Show truly began after my first weekend visit with Bernard Perlin in April 2011, when I transcribed my audio recordings of our first long conversations about his life and art. I sent these transcripts to Bernard, who enjoyed them so much that he encouraged me to keep recording our talks. I began thinking that perhaps this would lead to some sort of "oral history" project about Bernard's life and artistic career that I would eventually give to the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian. But then that summer he showed me several essays he had written toward a potential memoir. I in turn encouraged him to keep writing these, but he ultimately abandoned the endeavor as our "recording sessions" continued on in earnest. As wonderful and as authentic to his voice as his writings are, he decided that he preferred to let the rest of his story unfold in a raw, conversational way between us. He thought this approach was "less pretentious, more honest, more real." And so, between his writings, our growing stack of transcribed conversations, and the images of his artwork that I had been acquiring, a book started to seem like an inevitability.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Bernard was a wonderful storyteller. However, his tales often meandered down rabbit holes that I rarely interrupted, as his side stories were usually just as captivating as the topic we'd started off discussing. He also told many of the same stories again and again, but often added new information or corrections in his retellings. So needless to say, this all made editing a gargantuan task.

What came easily?

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

As much of a "larger than life" figure as Bernard Perlin was, and as incredible as the stories of his life's adventures may seem, One-Man Show is remarkably all true. Well, except for a few of Bernard's "dirty" jokes!

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

In hindsight, One-Man Show truly owes a debt of gratitude to a book my parents gave me from my Christmas wish list when I was just 15 (many eons ago!): Edie: An American Biography by Jean Stein, edited with George Plimpton. I remember being as enamored by Edie Sedgwick's compelling life story as I was by the unique way in which the book told it: almost as though it was the transcript to a documentary film, reconstructing her story through the memories and observations of people who either knew her or could provide some context about the worlds through which she moved. More recently, the marvelous book that accompanied the film Salinger, by David Shields and Shane Salerno, approached its subject in this same documentary script style. I had the good fortune to be in direct communication with my subject for One-Man Show, but you might say that books like these indirectly influenced its interview format, and the decision to include quotes throughout the book from various other "voices" – art scholars and reviewers – about Bernard Perlin's work.

In terms of my research for One-Man Show, I am also indebted to and was certainly influenced by the many extraordinary books I've devoured through the years about the great artistic and social circle of which Bernard Perlin was a part. I am still constantly poking around in these books. They include Jerry Rosco's Glenway Wescott Personally and Wescott's published journals (Continual Lessons and A Heaven of Words), Anatole Pohorilenko's When We Were Three (with essays by Pohorilenko and James Crump), and David Leddick's Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kirstein, and Their Circle (for which Bernard Perlin wrote the most delicious foreword!). Lincoln Kirstein's memoirs and Martin Duberman's The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein were essential reading, as was George Tooker by Robert Cozzolino, Marshall Price, and Melissa Wolfe. Cozzolino is tops when it comes to scholarship and great writing about Perlin's artistic contemporaries. Other writers whose work on the subject of that intriguing circle I very much admire are Steven Haas, Allen Ellenzweig, and Philip Eliasoph. New favorites are Aaron Rosen, Samantha Baskind, and Erika Doss, who recently contributed incredibly insightful essays about Bernard's most famous painting, Orthodox Boys, to the Tate's "In Focus" project.

Do you have a target reader?

Not a specific reader particularly. In Bernard Perlin, I was blessed to have observed a fellow human being who had the ability and the courage to embrace and to dominate his life – a man who was fully occupied with living, loving, and leaving nothing unexplored that interested him. So I think his story and his art have wide appeal, in that both demonstrate that it's not only OK but important to see and feel and live and love the way each of us uniquely does.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

When I'm writing a magazine piece or a blog post, I typically start by sketching out a rough outline, although I rarely follow it from beginning to end while actually writing. That outline then becomes like the picture on a puzzle box, and my writing style the random picking up of pieces of that puzzle as I put together a fragment here, a whole sentence there, sometimes a small chunk of text until I finally have the whole picture/story filled in. In other words, I'm sort of all over the place. This is certainly how I approached writing the introduction to One-Man Show as well as the questions I prepared for my interviews with Bernard Perlin. The bulk of the work on that book, however, was in editing Bernard's own telling of his life story through our interviews and his own writings.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

As One-Man Show is really a combined biography/memoir/art book, I had the advantage of having a built-in outline: the chronology of Bernard Perlin's life. So I was able to differentiate out my chapters fairly easily according to general periods of his life: his early years, his time as an art student, his work as a war artist, etc. I did then outline pretty extensively under each of those headings, listing key events and people that I wanted to make sure were discussed. This was really helpful when cutting up and placing sections from my interviews with Bernard (his storytelling often went all over the place!). It also helped guide some of our later conversations, knowing there were some gaps in his life story that we needed to discuss and fill in. We got to many of these but unfortunately not all before his passing in January 2014.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

I am constantly reviewing and editing as I go.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I sometimes listen to classical music (anything with lyrics is too distracting!), but mostly like it "quiet" while writing or editing text.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents? N

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Initially, I sent out "pitch" emails to about a dozen major publishers and indies. Those that replied kindly said it was a worthwhile project, but not something they thought they could "sell" without there being a major multiple-city museum exhibition of Perlin's work. In short, Bernard Perlin just wasn't "famous" enough for an art book, and I wasn't willing to try re-pitching only the manuscript for a potential text-only book. The book is as much about Bernard Perlin's incredible art as it is about his extraordinary life story, and I just couldn't fathom separating out the two. A few indies offered to publish the book if I would entirely "crowdfund" it. I thought in that case, why not just self-publish and maintain full artistic control? That was my plan when the Berlin-based publisher Bruno Gmünder came forward and expressed interest. However, it was a full year before they were able to greenlight the project, so in the meantime I forged on with getting the manuscript together. And happily, Gmünder allowed me a great deal of input (and veto power) regarding layout and the choice of images.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself? I

sent my publisher a shortlist of potential images to use for the cover – examples of Perlin's artwork and photos of Bernard. His extraordinary painting, The Bar, which is at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was always my top choice for the cover. Happily, my publisher agreed, and took it from there.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

It's become a collaborative effort between my publisher Bruno Gmünder and myself. They're an indie gay publisher, so are marketing to their core audience. I'm jumping in on some of that, but am also pitching to the art market and to general interest readers. Bernard Perlin's art and life story truly transcend any one or two categories. As I said above, I really believe a wide range of readers will connect with the overriding "human interest" aspects of this book, from the way Bernard fully embraced living a long life of exploration, creativity, and adventure, to his insatiable quest for human connection. His own story is just as fascinating as are the titillating tales he tells about his many famous friends!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Persistence and patience pay off!

About You

Where did you grow up?

In North Dakota.

Where do you live now?

I shuttle between homes in Chicago and northeastern Iowa.

What would you like readers to know about you?

As curator for the estate of Bernard Perlin, I've helped organize exhibitions of the artist's work in New York, Missouri, and Virginia. My husband Jason and I are also the creators of the blog This American House, which chronicles our adventures restoring our Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in rural Iowa.

What are you working on now?

I have been so intensively working on One-Man Show this past year and now on its promotion that I've only been irregularly contributing to This American House. So I have quite a long list of posts I'm wanting to write for the blog this fall. Also, One-Man Show is being adapted into a documentary film, so I'll be starting work soon on the script (AND grant writing!). I'm very excited about exploring that new (to me) world of writing!

End of Interview:

To delve deeper into Bernard Perlin's art and life, visit this website. If you'd like to read more about Michael and his husband's home restoration, visit This American House.

Get your copy of One-Man Show from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

from The IndieView http://ift.tt/2f0nu7M

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Hair Q&A – Why your hair won’t grow as long as when you were young

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

I always get emails asking why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young.

It seems like a simple question, but it had me puzzled for a while.

On one hand, it's true that your hair growth cycle does change as you age but there's more to this question.

How your hair growth cycle changes

As you get older, your metabolism slows down and so does your hair growth. Plus as we age, we tend to cut out hair, colour it more often and use heat styling products which will also change the growth cycle of our hair.

But the answer to the question of "when I was younger my hair use to grow right down to my lower back and now it only reaches my bra strap" might be even simpler.

Another way to look at the problem

Think about when you were nine or ten and compare it to now. You are probably a lot taller. Your hair may be exactly the same length but visually it doesn't reach as far down your back as it did when you were younger.

The actual length of your hair from the root to the tip may still be the same length but just looks quite different on your body now as compared to when you were younger.

However if you grew early, a bit like I did, and have been the same height since you were about 13 or 14, then you have to look at other factors as to why your hair isn't as long anymore.

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

A reason your hair may not be growing…

The usual culprit to blame for slow hair growth is heat styling.

Trust me when I say how much I love heat styling, but it does affect my hair growth.

The heat actually can slow your hair growth and it can also cause physical damage to your hair. This means you need more haircuts to get rid of split ends and this cuts off any signs of hair growth as well.

I'm not putting away my heat tools any time soon, but I'm just being little bit more mindful and using them only when I need to.

Long hair growth tips

If long hair really is your goal you need to keep it as natural as possible: eat fantastic foods, exercise and look after your body as a whole. That's the only way to get long and healthy hair.

If you're looking for a shortcut (like I always am!) clip-in hair extensions are so the way to go. They're quick and easy to style. You can just can pop them in when you want long hair.

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

So tell me, have you noticed that your hair growth has slowed as you have got older? Or do you think it's because you're just taller?

Let me know your experiences in the comments below.

The post Hair Q&A – Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young appeared first on Hair Romance.

from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2eJFeDP

Hair Q&A – Why your hair won’t grow as long as when you were young

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

I always get emails asking why your hair won’t grow as long as when you were young.

It seems like a simple question, but it had me puzzled for a while.

On one hand, it’s true that your hair growth cycle does change as you age but there’s more to this question.

How your hair growth cycle changes

But the answer to the question of “when I was younger my hair use to grow right down to my lower back and now it only reaches my bra strap” might be even simpler.

Another way to look at the problem

Think about when you were nine or ten and compare it to now. You are probably a lot taller. Your hair may be exactly the same length but visually it doesn’t reach as far down your back as it did when you were younger.

The actual length of your hair from the root to the tip may still be the same length but just looks quite different on your body now as compared to when you were younger.

However if you grew early, a bit like I did, and have been the same height since you were about 13 or 14, then you have to look at other factors as to why your hair isn’t as long anymore.

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

A reason your hair may not be growing…

The usual culprit to blame for slow hair growth is heat styling.

Trust me when I say how much I love heat styling, but it does affect my hair growth.

I’m not putting away my heat tools any time soon, but I’m just being little bit more mindful and using them only when I need to.

Long hair growth tips

If long hair really is your goal you need to keep it as natural as possible: eat fantastic foods, exercise and look after your body as a whole. That’s the only way to get long and healthy hair.

If you’re looking for a shortcut (like I always am!) clip-in hair extensions are so the way to go. They’re quick and easy to style. You can just can pop them in when you want long hair.

Hair Romance - Hair Q A - Why your hair won't grow as long as when you were young

So tell me, have you noticed that your hair growth has slowed as you have got older? Or do you think it’s because you’re just taller?

Let me know your experiences in the comments below.

The post Hair Q&A – Why your hair won’t grow as long as when you were young appeared first on Hair Romance.

from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2eJFeDP

Friday, October 28, 2016

Contessa at Queen Elizabeth Park – Spacious Cambie Corridor Presale Luxury Condos

Pure West Property Investment in partnership with GBL Architects is proud to bring you their new Luxury Development Contessa located in the very popular cambie corridor. This stunning development will feature a six-storey mid-rise building which will include 18 1-bedroom, 19 2-bedroom, and eight 3-bedroom condominiums. Sizes will range from 608 to 1,177 sq ft. There will also be 3 lane way townhouses. Located on the corner of West 37th enjoy the stunning views of Queen Elizabeth park and withing close proximity you will also have great shopping and dining options.

Be apart of an Amazing community and register now for more information and pricing.

The post Contessa at Queen Elizabeth Park – Spacious Cambie Corridor Presale Luxury Condos appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/2f0kg0g

Contessa at Queen Elizabeth Park – Spacious Cambie Corridor Presale Luxury Condos

Be apart of an Amazing community and register now for more information and pricing.

The post Contessa at Queen Elizabeth Park – Spacious Cambie Corridor Presale Luxury Condos appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/2f0kg0g

School Finance 605: Student Demographics Part 2

School Finance 605

Student Demographics, Part 2

Several weeks ago, we shared demographic information about where SAS students come from (read Finance 603 here). We now move on to information about why SAS families are in Singapore, how long students stay at SAS, and where our families live.

What brings SAS families to Singapore?

Most SAS students are here because of a parent's job. This year, 50% of SAS parents' jobs are in one of three sectors: 25% in finance, 15% in manufacturing (semiconductors, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals), and 10% in information, communication, and technology. Another three sectors account for around 7% each: oil, gas, and energy; consumer goods; and professional services (accounting, consulting, law, relocation, and outsourcing). Compared to last year, slightly more parents now work in finance, while 2% fewer work in manufacturing. The other sectors, including oil, gas, and energy, have remained constant since last year.

Other sectors employing over 3% of SAS parents include SAS itself, government (including the U.S. embassy and navy), and higher education. Smaller numbers work in trade, shipping and logistics, hotels and entertainment, nonprofits, healthcare, property and architecture, food and beverage, and mining. Around 5% of SAS parents provided no data on employment, while 0.1% reported themselves self-employed.

How long do students stay at SAS?

The total time the average student spends at SAS, meaning the tenure of students who are leaving (including graduating seniors), was 4.5 years in June 2016. If we turn to the average tenure for current SAS students (assuming they stay through the current school year), we see this remains at 3.9 years. This number factors in our youngest students, who "bring down" the average because, of course, they can only have been enrolled at the school as long as there have been grades to serve them; a preschool student, for example, can only have been here one year.

Average years of enrollment

Looking at current students' tenure by grade level, it is not surprising that tenure increases each year in the lower grades, hitting the overall average at grade 6. Middle and high school students' tenures continue to rise, spiking to 6.5 years in grade 12. This indicates that many families make special efforts to keep their children at SAS through the socially and academically critical years before graduation. Currently, 7% of our total enrollment has attended SAS for ten or more years.

Average years of enrollment by grade

One interesting subset of SAS students that stays significantly longer than average is our group of Student Pass (SP) holders. These children, who make up 11% of SAS students, hold SPs instead of dependent passes, for three main reasons: they have come to Singapore primarily to go to SAS; they are staying here to continue at SAS after a parent's job has moved on; or they are the children of Permanent Residents who do not themselves have PR status. Many students on SPs live here with one parent, or with a guardian. Current SP students' average tenure at SAS stands at 6 years, compared with 3.9 years for all students, indicating that this group is particularly committed to remaining at SAS.

Student pass holders, 2016-17

How many students who started at SAS with my child will graduate with him?

Children who enter SAS in the younger grades will see many of their friends move away as they get older, but a few friends will remain right through to graduation day. This year, out of our senior class of 285, we have 23 students (8%) who started here in either the Early Childhood Center or kindergarten: three who enrolled in preschool, seven in pre-kindergarten, and 12 in kindergarten. A further 15 arrived in first grade and 24 in second grade, so over one-fifth of this year's graduates will have been at SAS for ten years or more.

Of course, the later a student enters SAS, the more friends he will have who have been here the same amount of time or longer. And there is a positive aspect to our student body's fluidity: many SAS students find that they become skilled at making new friends and more open, flexible and resilient as they go through life.

Where do SAS students live?

Our students live all over Singapore, with the largest concentration of SAS families in the area bounded by the PIE, CTE, AYE, and Clementi Road. This area includes neighborhoods near roads such as Bukit Timah, Dunearn, Newton, Stevens, Orchard, Tanglin, Grange, Holland, and River Valley, as well as the areas surrounding the American Club. The Woodlands neighborhood is also popular with SAS families, accounting for around 450 students. This number has declined since last year, and at 11% of students is lower than most people assume. Other areas with notable concentrations of SAS families include Sembawang, Upper Bukit Timah, Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, the ECP and West Coast Highway areas, and Sentosa.

2016-17 distribution of SAS families in Singapore

Each dot indicates a house, condo, or apartment building housing at least one SAS student

We hope that this article helps you more fully understand this year's SAS community. As always, we welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions for future articles. Please send them to William Scarborough, Chief Financial Officer, at wscarborough@sas.edu.sg. We look forward to hearing from you.

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