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Taipei American School

Taipei American School (simplified Chinese: 台北美国学校; traditional Chinese: 臺北美國學校; pinyin: Táiběi Měiguó Xuéxiào; Wade–Giles: T'ai-pei Mei-kuo Hs&#;eh-hsiao; abbreviation TAS) is a non-profit 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 Taiwan from the 1950s to 1970s. Upon the termination of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of China (ROC) in 1979, TAS was reorganized into a college preparatory school.

Today, TAS graduates attend universities in America and around the world. The current student body is primarily made up of children of expatriate business people and other holders of non-ROC passports. Taipei American School is widely considered as the premier English-based college preparatory school in Taipei.

History

The first meeting of Taipei American School took place on September 26, 1949 in the basement of Presbyterian Theological Seminary at 113 Zhongshan North Road, Section 2 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 Americans, Europeans, 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 26 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. At time, TAS represented the "only game in town" and became the natural place of learning 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, Section 2, Lane 153. 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 3000 students.

The 1970 to 1977 period has been termed the "labor-intensive industries era." 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 increased again as overseas Chinese with foreign passports arrived in Taiwan demanding first-class American educational facilities for their children. The early eighties marked the start of the "Chinese-American era," where the majority of students had Chinese last names but U.S. passports.

On September 2, 1989, TAS officially relocated to its present campus in Tianmu, at 800 Zhongshan (Chung-shan) North Road, Section 6.

The 50th Anniversary of Taipei American School was celebrated in 1999. As part of this celebration, a book documenting the history of the school was written by TAS parent Richard R. Vuylsteke, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei.

Campus

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 main auditorium and a small theater
• A cafeteria with a snack bar, salad bar, a pizza bar, and a hot meal line
• A faculty dining room (FDR)
• Two gymnasiums and an indoor swimming pool
• A dance studio and gymnastics room
• Outdoor basketball courts and outdoor racketball courts
• Outdoor rockclimbing wall and confidence course
• Indoor rockclimbing room
• 2 softball fields
• Indoor and outdoor tennis courts
• Badminton courts
• A soccer field with artificial turf (installed in 2005)
• Track and field facilities
• 3 libraries, lower school, upper school, 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.

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.

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.

Student body

The combined KA-12 school enrollment is approximately 2200. Originally any U.S. citizen was guaranteed space at TAS; however current demand for admissions far exceeds the administration's target student population level. The school is currently working with a consultant to develop an expansion plan to accommodate more students.

Because of the excess demand, potential students are ranked based on the student's and their parents' national origin with priority given to US citizens. In addition, high English proficiency is a requirement for admission.

Taiwan abides by the 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. While the tuition is high relative to per capita income in Taiwan, tuition at TAS is in the 25th percentile when compared to other international schools throughout the east Asia region.

Academics

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.

Traditions

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.

Haunted House

With the aim of boosting morale and bonding peers, a haunted house is built by the junior class each Food Fair in the faculty dining room (FDR).

Spirit Week

The Upper School and Middle 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, formal day, superhero/cartoon day, and competitive games amongst the grades.

Field Day

Also designed with the goal of promoting enthusiasm, Field Day is a day on which Upper School students are excused from all classes to enjoy a day of fun and games. Grades compete against each other in numerous games, as well as dance performance known as Airband.

Notable TAS students, alumni, and faculty members

Students

• Lara Veronin, of the class of 2006, is the lead female vocal in the popular Taiwanese band Nan Quan Mama (南拳媽媽), whose second album, Nan Quan Mama #2, reached as high as #4 on the Taiwan album charts. She has also has appeared as a featured vocalist on Jay Chou's most recent album November's Chopin, on the track "Coral Sea."

• Andrew Chou, of the class of 2008, otherwise known as the rapper Machi Didi (麻吉弟弟) from the Taiwanese hip-hop group Machi.

Alumni

• Linda Arrigo, democracy activist and former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh's ex-wife
• Sylvia Chang, Taiwan actress and director who appeared in movies such as Eat Drink Man Woman and The Red Violin
• Nita Ing, president of the Taiwan High-speed Railway Co
• Takeshi Kaneshiro, from the class of 1992 is a popular actor whose films include Perhaps Love, Returner, House of Flying Daggers, Turn Left, Turn Right, and Chungking Express.
• Freya Lim from the class of 1998 is a popular singer in Taiwan.
• Will Pan from the class of 1999 is a popular VJ host, singer, and actor in Taiwan.

Faculty

• Robert Carrelli, former TAS English teacher was once a drama teacher of several Hollywood actors including Kevin Spacey, Val Kilmer, and Kirk Cameron (Time, Oct. 23, 2000).
• Peter Clark, current TAS Life Skills Department teacher coached the 2004 Australian Olympic silver medalist Nathan Baggaley.
• Kay Wetherrell, former TAS history teacher was a U.S. army officer who attended the Yalta Conference.

Sports and organizations

The Upper School sports teams and groups competes under the mascot of the tiger with members of Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) and local Chinese schools, clubs, and universities. TAS varsity teams includes badminton, rugby, softball, basketball, tennis, swimming, cross country running, track and field, soccer, and volleyball. Non-athletic groups that participate in events with other IASAS include dance, debate, drama, forensics (individual events), Model United Nations, leadership, art, and music teams.

See also: Taipei American School Student Organizations

Controversy

In 2005, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visiting committee reported the following:

Despite a very fine teaching faculty, supportive parents who are actively involved in the school, and a hardworking and highly committed administration and Board of Directors, TAS is a school in crisis. In our meetings with constituent groups, the current school climate has been characterized as “toxic”, “angry”, “fearful” and filled with “suspicion and mistrust”. This negative and potentially very destructive atmosphere is a product of conflict that has embroiled the faculty, administration, and the Board of Directors. Like all truly complex problems, the present conflict isn’t about one thing and attempts to simplify or reduce it to one root cause do not do it justice and may not point to a constructive way forward. The Visiting Team has heard that the conflict is about: “a lack of open and honest communication”, “a proliferation of destructive rumors”, “a lack of transparency”, “a power struggle”, “the changing mission and identity of the school”, “democracy”, “the allocation of scarce resources”, “a lack of respect” and “confusion about roles and responsibilities”. In conflicts such as this one the causes and consequences are often confused and at time may be even one in the same.

Affiliations

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

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

• International School Bangkok - Bangkok, Thailand
• International School of Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• International School Manila - Manila, Philippines
• Jakarta International School - Jakarta, Indonesia
• Singapore American School - Singapore

See also

• Dominican International School
• Kaohsiung American School
• Morrison Academy
• Taipei European School

External links

• Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools official website
• Taipei American School official website
• TAS Student Government official website
• TAS Annual Report: 2005, 2004
• Taipei Youth Program Association
• U.S. Department of State
• Google Maps

• Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools
• International schools
• Schools in Taiwan
• International Baccalaureate schools