In April and May 2008, we'll feature teachers that taught classes many alumni will remember. Five teachers who've taught at SAS for more than 10 years apiece are leaving SAS in June 2008. The High School newspaper, The Eye, has featured their work in the April 20, 2008 issue, which we reproduce here:

 

Roopa Dewan (1991-2008), article by Amanda Tsao

 

In elementary school English, every story has a moral. In high school English, every work of literature has a three-dimensional character, and in every of Dr. Roopa Dewan's classes, that character came to life. "I love how when she talks about what we're learning, she expects us to love it just as much as she does," senior Alison Tan said. "There's nothing more encouraging."

 

Dr. Dewan started teaching literature at an Indian university at the age of 21, right after graduating from university in 1972. She married soon after and moved to a different city in India, but was offered a lien on the job. Every time her husband traveled for work, Dr. Dewarn went back to teach at the university. "Even when I was on maternity leave, I still went back," Dr. Dewan said.

 

She later moved to the Philippines, where she stayed for 17 years. But she couldn't work because of her dependent visa. "I couldn't teach, but I did. There were ways around it," she said. While she couldn't work, she enrolled in a doctoral program in bi-lingual education and became president and vice-president of the nursery school her children attended. Then she got a teaching position at the elementary school in the International School of Manila.

 

When she got there, the director of personnel was so impressed with her curriculum proposal and gradaute work that he put her as a language teacher for ESL children. After developing a new English as a Second Language program, she was moved to the middle school, then to the high school, all while completing her PhD.

That was just her day job. In the evenings, she taught law and a post-graduate business program at LaSalle University's Manila campus. When her husband's work took the family to Singapore, she applied for a teaching job at SAS. Two of her children graduated from SAS in 1994 and 1999.

 

Since her arrival in 1991, Dr. Dewan has taught eight different courses, including AP English Literature, Asian Literature, Contemporary American Literature and grade level English. She invented the Global Issues course, a class designed for students to think up their own ways of saving the world. The club Peace Initiative was born from this class. She recalled the club's start, when the superintendent threw away a letter from Amnesty International addressed to the class. He thought the club was involved in something considered subversive to the Singapore government. Because Amnesty International was banned in Singapore, the club came up with an alternative name: Peace Initiative. Its clearance as a club set off a string of other legendary SAS clubs: Caring for Cambodia, Global Giving, Leprosy Home, SAVE Club, all started by students enrolled in her Global Issues class.

 

Her room hosted heated debates. Mersault, Raskolnikov, Hamlet and Medea were put on trial year after year, with students finding new ways of defending and attacking them. Emotions ran amok, debates ran over into breaks and lunches.

 

"I used to have kids leave the room crying," she said. "I love it when kids are passionate about literature."

 

"She just really loves teaching, and you can tell," senior Brit Hvide said, "She's made my writing infinitely better. And I really like her fashion sense."

 

Dr. Dewan will leave SAS at the end of this school year. She hopes to continue teaching and doing humanitarian work. Junior Spencer Anderson, an officer of Leprosy Home and Peace Initiative, said she has a genuine passion for helping people. "A lot of people talk about how much they care. But so few people are willing to hug a man who's lost his limbs to leprosy and wants to kill himself," he said. "But I've seen her do it. With her it's always personal."

 

At the center of a fable is a the moral. But when a work contains several morals it is elevated to literature, considered art. Dr. Dewan's story at SAS leaves no single moral.

 

"She makes teaching an art," Anderson said.

 

Patricia Kuester (1987-2008), article by Amber Bang

 

Patricia Kuester has crossed the borders of Germany, former Yugoslavia, northern Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, all in an 18-year-old Volkswagen. Her life has been, in essence, a constant journey. Kuester, director and English teacher, has lived in Singapore working at SAS for the past 21 years, the longest time she has spent in one country since she left home. Kuester's family is originally from Hungary, but moved to Australia shortly before she was born. She grew up in Australia, and left with the intention of traveling throughout Asia and then Europe. Immediately after graduating from university where she majored in psychology and theater, she spent three years teaching in order to earn money for her trip. During this time, Kuester began to dabble in filmaking and community theater as well.

 

Her journey began on a bus ride from her hometown to Darwin, where she then made her way to East Timor, which was known as Portugese Timor at the time. From there, she traveled to Bali, where she met her late husband who was working as a translator. He spoke German, English, Bahasa and Balinese. Kuester herself speaks English, German, Hungarian and French. They lived together, moving back and forth between Laos, Thailand and Bali. From there, the two moved to Germany where they lived for a few years after getting married. As he had begun studying Mandarin while in Germany, they decided they would both make their way to Taiwan by a mostly overland journey.

 

When Kuester and her husband arrived at the border of India, they were told they would have to pay a fee to drive over the border. Deciding the fee was not worth the price of the car, they abandoned the car at the border, and found other methods of travel throughout India. From there, they traveled back to Southeast Asia, and finally to Taiwan. In Taiwan, Kuester's husband attended university while she taught English at various schools throughout Taipei until someone informed her of possible positions at the Taipei American School.

 

She began teaching at TAS in 1978, first teaching yoga classes for a few weeks before she was given a position teaching AP English and rama. Kuester built up the drama program over the few years she taught at TAS, even studying theater in London during a one-year sabbatical. She moved to Singapore to work at SAS in 1987 where she has continued to teach both English and drama.

 

"I've loved the students, and I've loved the program," Kuester said. "Now I'm looking forward to moving on and being stimulated by new things."

 

Kuester will be moving to Westport, Ireland, at the end of the school year where she then hopes to continue being involved in theater, both directing and acting.

 

"I know I won't be able to stay away from theater for very long," she said.