| American International School of Dhaka | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Baridhara, Dhaka Bangladesh |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Day School |
| Established | 1953 |
| Head of school | Mr. Richard Boerner |
| Grades | Pre-K thru 12th |
| Color(s) | Silver and Black |
| Mascot | AIS/D Tigers |
| Vision | Preparing students to become stewards of a just and sustainable world. |
| Affiliation | The New England Association of Schools |
| Website | http://www.ais-dhaka.net |
The American International School / Dhaka (AIS/D) is an independent co-educational day school located in Baridhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and serves students of all nationalities in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12.
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The precursor to AISD was the Dacca American Society School (DASS), founded in 1953, while Bangladesh was still East Pakistan. DASS was located in the posh Gulshan-2 area of the city. DASS closed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and AISD was founded in 1972.
At its founding in 1972, AISD was housed in a single building which was located in Gulshan, serving a small population of international students in Kindergarten through Grade 8.
The current school is located on a 4-acre (16,000 m2) site on Road 3 in Baridhara, a diplomatic residential area of Dhaka, serving Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. It is the most expensive school in Dhaka.
The student population for the 2011-2012 school year is 725 students. At the 2010 school celebration of United Nations day, it was acknowledged that over 60 nationalities were represented by students, faculty and staff at AIS/D. Students hail from Austria to Zimbabwe and many places in between.
Instruction is in English, and the curriculum is reflective of a college-preparatory U.S. school. All divisions require students to take at least one foreign language course, electing between French and Spanish. The International Baccalaureate Program is followed from elementary to high school. Unlike the majority of "American" schools in foreign countries, the school does not offer mandatory local language (Bangla), however South Asian Studies (SAS) are offered to elementary students. This has been a topic of discussion for parent and teachers alike for many years. Two years ago, a service learning element was incorporated into the curriculum for all students, regardless of grade.
The International Baccalaureate program was introduced for the first time during the 2006-2007 school year. The graduating class of 2008 was the first AIS/D class ever to have the chance to receive an IB diploma.
AIS/D offers a variety of IB courses for students in the 11th and 12th grades. The IB courses offered for both full-diploma candidates and certificate candidates during the 2010-2011 school year were:
Theatre Arts HL & SL, Visual Arts HL & SL, Music HL & SL, Physics HL & SL, Chemistry HL & SL, Biology HL & SL, Environmental Systems & Societies SL (IB ESS is only offered in the SL), Economics HL & SL (Micro & Macro), History (20th century & History of the Americas) HL & SL, Information Technology for a Global Society (ITGS)HL & SL, Mathematical Studies SL, Mathematics HL & SL, English A1 HL & SL, English A2 HL & SL (ESL and non-native speakers), French HL & SL, Spanish HL & SL, Spanish ab initio SL (ab initio is only offered in the SL)
Mandatory for diploma candidates: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE)
AIS/D is recognized and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and by the Council of International Schools. [1] AIS/D has been a longstanding member of the South Asia Inter-Schools Association (SAISA) which hosts regional sports, art, music and debate tournaments/festivals between American and International schools in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. AIS/Dhaka is the only school from Bangladesh represented in SAISA while 4 schools in Pakistan and 3 in India are represented in SAISA. Nepal and Sri Lanka each have one member school.
The campus is located on a four acre site originally built in the 1970s. There are 60 classrooms housed in brick buildings, all classes are air-conditioned, some centrally others not. The school also has a multi-storied library housing the largest collection of English-language books in the country. The upper level houses the elementary-level books and media. The lower level houses the middle school, high school level and adult books. The campus has wireless and wired internet connectivity.
Facilities include a computer network of over 600 wired and wireless Macintosh desktops and laptops with 24/7 internet connectivity over the fibre optic, six science labs, three gymnasiums (one with a climbing wall), a weight room, a student center, clinic, counseling offices, art and Music facilities, an auditorium/theatre, a school cafeteria, a covered 25-metre heated swimming pool, two playgrounds, and a soccer/athletic field. A Synthetic Turf or artificial grass pitch, called Xtreme Turf was manufactured and supplied by ACT Global Sports. This allows the school much greater use of its facilities for recreational and sporting purposes, but is very damaging for the local environment. The school went through a number of renovations including a new exercise room, additional science and math classrooms, a student center, roof-top tennis courts and a roof-top squash court.