| American School in Taichung | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Taichung, Taiwan Republic of China |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | We're excited about learning, and happy to be here. |
| Established | 1990 |
| Director | Andrew Corcoran |
| Grades | 1- 12 |
| Enrollment | 162 |
| Campus type | Private International School |
| Colour(s) | Red, White and Blue |
| Mascot | Eagles |
| Website | http://www.ast.tc.edu.tw |
The American School in Taichung (AST) is an international school in Taichung City, Taiwan offering grades one to twelve. The school, founded in 1990, was previously known as Lincoln American School. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)[1] and hosts the annual Taiwan Model United Nations (TAIMUN) conference from schools all across Taiwan. One of the school's founders, Anna Lee, is a daughter of former President Lee Teng-hui. The school's current director is Mr. Andrew Corcoran.
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Twenty years ago, with limited resources and enormous curiosity, Dr. Esther Hanna and Anna Lee took an adventure to establish a new American school for expatriates' children in Taichung. The school was located in a town house with three bedrooms. Due to its limited resources and facility, the officers of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) were hesitant before agreeing to establish the school. Approximately 10 years ago, the school moved outside the city limits of Taichung, into an area that would become the Dakeng Nature Reserve. This location has begun to prove problematic, as the nature preserve prevents new construction. Despite this, the school recently attempted to begin work on a new gym, but the current status of the gymnasium is still in the planning stages as of June 2010.
The required courses at the American School in Taichung are English, Mathematics, Science, History, Physical Education and two years of a Foreign Language (Spanish or Chinese). AST also has drama, art, and music programs(piano, choir ensemble, violin and hand bells). There are two concerts during the year, one in the spring and one in the winter. Currently (as of the 2011-2012 school year), AST offers five Advanced Placement courses: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP English, and AP Chinese.
Athletics
American School in Taichung offers many sports for both middle school and high school boys and girls, including: volleyball, soccer, softball, basketball, and cross country. The AST teams participate in tournaments that involve the American schools within Taiwan. During January, the high school basketball teams compete in a tournament in Japan. In recent years, the American School in Taichung has found success in sports.
Basketball
2010-2011 JV bball team is the best in the past history.
(vary every year)
Middle School:
Student Government (STUGO), Middle School Model United Nations, and Drama Club
High School:
Student Government (STUGO), Science Club, Drama Club, Literary Club, and Model United Nations (THIMUN-Singapore and TAIMUN which is hosted at AST)
AST Science Club
The Science Club of the American School in Taichung was established in 2006. The main purpose of it is to extend the range of extracurricular activities in school other than sports. The first tutor of the club was the science teacher, Dr. Gerry Rau and there were 10 original members of the club, mainly the students of the class of 2012. The club has held various activities in school, including field trips and speeches. The professor of the National Chung Hsing University(國立中興大學), Dr. Wu-Chun Tu(杜武俊), has come to school to deliver a speech about the midges under the invitation of the club. The present tutor of the club is the present science teacher, Ms. Lily Hsu and the number of the members has increased to more than twenty.
AST has attended MUN meetings in Singapore, Russia, and China. The MUN program in AST is extensive, including annual trips to THIMUN-Singapore. AST has successfully developed a Taiwan Model United Nations (TAIMUN) conference. TAIMUN is attended by all high school students at the American School in Taichung, but not every student acts as a delegate. International schools as well as schools in Taiwan are involved.