Taipei American School

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Taipei American School

Taipei American School Seal

Established 1949
School type Private International School
Superintendent Dr. Sharon D. Hennessy
Location 800 ZhongShan N. Road,
Section 6,
Shilin District
Taipei 111
Taiwan, Republic of China
Phone +886.2.2873.9900
Enrollment 797 lower school,
571 middle school,
835 upper school
Tuition Roughly $15,000 USD for High School
Faculty 250
Campus Urban, 15 acres (61,000 m²)
Sports teams Tigers
School colors Blue and Gold
Website www.tas.edu.tw

Taipei American School (traditional Chinese: 臺北美國學校; pinyin: Táiběi Měiguó Xuéxiào; Wade-Giles: T'ai-pei Mei-kuo Hsüeh-shiao; abbreviation TAS) is a private international school with a largely American-based curriculum located in Tianmu (T'ien-mu), Shilin District (Shih-lin), Taipei City. Founded in 1949, the school served as a U.S. Department of Defense contract school during the U.S. military presence in the Republic of China from the 1950s to 1970s. Upon the termination of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of China in 1979, TAS was reorganized into a private international school. The school is operated by the Taipei American School Foundation under contract to the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States' quasi-embassy in Taiwan.

Most gradates of TAS go on to attend schools in United States, although some choose to attend schools in other countries. As required by ROC law, the school is only open to students who hold foreign (i.e. non-ROC) passports. The current student body is primarily made up of children of expatriate business people and other foreigners, as well as Taiwanese students holding foreign passports.

Contents

[edit] Mission

The mission of the Taipei American School is as follows:

Taipei American School is an innovative 21st century learning community. Our mission is to inspire each student to be a confident, creative, caring and moral individual prepared to adapt and succeed anywhere in a rapidly changing world. We provide an American-based education with a global perspective that results in a love of learning, academic excellence, a balanced life, and service to other.

—[1]

[edit] History

The first meeting of Taipei American School took place on September 26, 1949 in the basement of Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Zhongshan North Road, with 8 students. This marked the beginning of the "missionary era" where Chinese and American medical missionaries were instrumental in founding TAS and providing it with students. The first class of students included American, European, and Chinese students.

By 1951, the influx of missionaries and businesspeople escaping from mainland China caused enrollment to grow to 120 students. By 1952, TAS was forced to relocate to Nong'an East Road to provide enough space for the growing student population.

In 1953, the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group was established in Taiwan. This brought to the island a large number of U.S. military personnel. Along with these military personnel came their families, including a large number of children needing an American-style education. TAS became the school for the children of the U.S. military personnel. In the summer of 1953, TAS constructed a much larger campus at Chang'an East Road. This marked the beginning of the "military era."

In 1956, TAS graduated its first class of 14 seniors. By then, the Chang'an campus had approximately 50 faculty members and 1,000 students. In 1957, Mr. Wayne Nesbitt served as the first superintendent of the school.

In 1959, TAS purchased a 22 acre (89,000 m²) site in Shilin for a new campus. In March 1960, the kindergarten and lower school moved into a 36 classroom 5-wing complex on the site. The upper school remained at the Chang'an campus until 1967, when the last upper facilities was completed. By 1969, TAS enrollment reached its highest point ever with nearly 3,000 students.

The 1970 to 1977 period has been termed the "labor-intensive industries era."[citation needed] Taiwan's transforming economy brought foreign businessmen and overseas Chinese into the local economy, setting the stage for TAS's later transformation even as enrollment shrank dramatically as U.S. military pulled out of Taiwan. By the late seventies, student enrollment dropped to approximately 650 to 700 students. However, within a few years enrollment started to increase again as overseas Chinese with foreign passports arrived in Taiwan searching for first-class American educational facilities for their children. The early eighties marked the start of the "Chinese-American era," where the majority of students were ethnically Chinese and also U.S. citizens. The conditions are still the same now.[citation needed]

On September 2, 1989, TAS officially relocated to its present campus in Tianmu. To obtain use of the government land in Tianmu, TAS exchanged title to its Shihlin property for a long-term lease on the Tianmu site at a concessionary rent.

The 50th anniversary of Taipei American School was celebrated in 1999. As part of this celebration, TAS published a book documenting the history of the school, "Ties That Bind."

[edit] Campus

Guy Lott, Jr. Auditorium.
Guy Lott, Jr. Auditorium.
Indoor swimming pool
Indoor swimming pool
Upper Gym
Upper Gym
Football field and track
Football field and track

The current 62,192 square meter campus, completed in 1989, consists of a four story complex with a total floor space of 44,000 square meters. The campus contains the following facilities:

  • A library
  • A main auditorium and a small theater
  • A cafeteria with a snack bar, a salad bar, a pizza bar, a baked potato bar, a hot meal line, and a coffee shop by the upper school library,
  • Two gymnasiums and an indoor swimming pool
  • A dance studio and gymnastics room
  • Outdoor basketball courts and outdoor racketball courts
  • Outdoor rock climbing wall and confidence course
  • Indoor rock climbing room
  • 2 softball fields
  • Indoor and outdoor tennis courts, are sometimes also used for badminton
  • A Football field with artificial turf (installed in 2005)
  • Track and field facilities
  • 5 libraries: lower school, middle school, upper school, Mandarin and audio visual (AV) for a combined total of four floors
  • Over 9 separate computer labs

The independently operated Taipei Youth Program Association (TYPA) is located at TAS and uses the campus facilities. The school is located directly across the street from Taipei Japanese School.

[edit] Organization

Headed by a 9-member parent-elected Board of Directors and a superintendent, TAS is divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Schools. The Lower School is equivalent to an elementary school, separated into pre-kindergarten (known as Kindergarten A), kindergarten, and grades 1 through 5. The Middle School is equivalent to a junior high school, separated into grades 6 through 8. The Upper School is equivalent to a high school, separated into grades 9 through 12.[1]

In the 2004-2005 school year, 89.6% of the School's income was derived from tuition and fees. Annual tuition rates are approximately US $12,000-13,000.[1]

[edit] Student body

The combined KA-12 school enrollment is approximately 2,200.

TAS abides by the Republic of China Foreign Schools Law, which requires all international schools to only admit students who hold non-ROC passports. In compliance with the law, TAS verifies that each student has a non-ROC passport during the initial application process and during re-registration each spring. As of 2004, approximately 70% of the students hold U.S. passports.

[edit] Academics

The ever present thinker is now located in the main Lobby, after stints at other locations on campus.
The ever present thinker is now located in the main Lobby, after stints at other locations on campus.

The Upper School offers 19 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, including Art History, Computer Science, Environmental Science, and Music Theory. Additionally, the school also offers International Baccalaureate (IB) programs for those seeking an IB diploma, providing over 20 IB course offerings.

The curriculum in the lower school (PK-grade 5) is centered around the following 4 goals: to teach the essential basic skills; to develop a desire to learn; to teach toward understanding, self-discipline, and self-respect; and to develop an understanding and respect for people in other cultures. The middle school (grades 6-8) curriculum builds on these goals and provides opportunities for enrichment. The upper school (grades 9-12) offers a highly academic, college preparatory program leading to a TAS U.S. high school diploma or an International Baccalaureate diploma. Almost 100 percent of TAS graduates continue their education at a college or university, the vast majority in the United States. TAS offers support services for mild learning needs.

[edit] Blue & Gold

The "Blue & Gold" is the school newspaper. Produced monthly, the newspaper is usually eight A3 full-color pages. The paper also publishes newsletters during IASAS events held at the school, an April Fool's Issue modeled after a respectable publication (TIME, People, etc.), and an issue commemorating the graduation of each class. Previously known as Paws, the Blue & Gold newspaper has won several awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). In 2005, select representatives from the Blue & Gold staff and editorial team attended a conference in Seattle, Washington representing the school, the only delegation from outside the Americas. In the last few years, the Blue & Gold has won numerous awards including Two Best Design Awards (2004 & 2005), Cartooning Award (2005), All-American Award (2003), Pacemaker Finalist (2004), all awarded by the NSPA.

[edit] Traditions

[edit] PTA Food Fair and Spring Fair

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Food Fair is an annual community-wide event held in late October. The event features an international cast of food reflecting diverse international community in Taipei.

The PTA also sponsors an annual Spring Fair, a community-wide event held in late March that resembles a county fair with a variety of games, rides, and activities.

[edit] Haunted House

With the aim of boosting morale and bonding peers, a haunted house is built by the junior class in most Fairs in the faculty dining room.

[edit] Field Day

Also designed with the goal of promoting enthusiasm, each Middle School section has its own Field Day; it is a half day on which the students who are competing are excused from classes to enjoy a day where the different grades compete against each other in wasting time and taking photos of themselves. Used to be a day but now just half a day.

[edit] Spirit Week

The Middle School and the Upper School individually hold an annual week-long event known as Spirit Week, designed to promote enthusiasm and spirit for TAS students. Past events have included pajama day, disco fever day, fornication day, formal day, superhero/cartoon day, harlot/tart day, wacky hair day, clash day, couples day, Halloween day, and competitive games amongst the grades. As of the 2006-2007 school year, Airbands, a dance performance, has been moved to Spirit Week from Field Day. Every year there is an airband, a grade cheer, and a bulletin board contest.

[edit] Notable TAS students and alumni

[edit] Notable Alumni or Attendees

[edit] Sports and organizations

See also: Taipei American School Student Organizations

Upper School sports teams and groups, whose mascot is the tiger, compete with members of Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) and local Chinese schools, clubs, and universities. TAS varsity teams include Volleyball, Football, Cross Country, Rugby, Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, Softball, Badminton, and Track and field teams. Non-athletic groups that participate in events with other IASAS schools include dance, debate, drama, forensics (individual events), Model United Nations, leadership, art, and music groups.

Middle school sports teams compete in the TEAMS Championships Tournament each year in volleyball, softball, soccer, and basketball.

[edit] Affiliations

TAS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

TAS is a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) [4].

As a member of Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS), TAS participates in competitive sports and cultural exchanges with the following Southeast Asian international schools:

In the 2007~2008 school year, TAS picked up gold medals in Women's Track and Field, Women's Basketball, and Women's and Men Badminton. It was their fifth straight championship in Badminton, for both men and women.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Taiwan, Taipei: Taipei American School. Retrieved on 2006-04-04.

[edit] External links

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