3 minute read
Campus Development
Inauguration day of Phase II of the new school buildings.
For the Dominican International School in Taipei, 2017 is indeed a very significant and exciting year. In early May, the school received confirmation from ACS WASC that it has been fully accredited for the next six years until 2023. The second phase of the project to completely rebuild the school is coming to its final conclusion in time for the school’s Diamond Jubilee – sixty years of serving the international community in Taipei.
On August 8, on the Feast Day of St Dominic, the long-awaited day of the inauguration of Phase II of the school’s new buildings arrived. These buildings will house a new gym and cafeteria, additional office space, the new chapel and a new convent for the Dominican Sisters.
The construction of the new buildings is just the latest chapter in the story of the school which has contributed considerably to the spiritual life and academic achievements of so many students. It is a story that goes back sixty years to a day when permission from the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic’s Mother General was obtained to start a school that provided tuition for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 in a small house that was rented for this purpose.
The school has a rich history. It was formerly a US Government contract (D.O.D.) school for the military dependents of the United States Forces in Taipei. In 1979, with the withdrawal of the American Forces from Taipei, it became an international school. The modified American curriculum remains in place to this day, and the school takes pride in its innovative culture.
In December 2008 the gymnasium, cafeteria, and the west wing of the main building were demolished to make way for the construction of new school buildings that were more suitable for 21st Century education, also making provision for advanced technology.
In August 2010 Phase 1 of the construction of the new buildings started. In July 2013, the new buildings which included classrooms, an audio-visual room, an art room, science laboratories, and a brand new library, were complete and new technology was installed. That first day in the new buildings was quite unforgettable with confused students and teachers looking for classrooms and offices. Open and closed boxes were everywhere, people were rearranging brand new desks and chairs, and teachers were allocating new lockers. Fortunately everyone settled down quickly and were overjoyed about the very fast Internet in the new building.
The remaining old buildings were still there as a reminder of the past. The students had a wonderful time when the Grade 12‘s set up a Halloween ghost house in the old building during a school event at the end of October in 2015. The spookiness factor was just high enough in the old building at night to make it a thrilling experience. When everyone returned after the winter vacation, the old school was gone. Some teachers expressed sadness that their old classrooms were gone forever. Fortunately, Sr. Zenaida Ancheta, the Principal, saved many of the old mementoes in the school’s museum that is open to students, teachers, parents and interested visitors. All the equipment in the school is state-of-the-art and the latest addition is smart boards in every classroom. The school has just acquired its own radio station that has done some experimental broadcasts already, and soon there will be a video recording studio and a photo studio for students to further hone their multimedia skills.
It will be a double celebration when the school’s 60th anniversary gala event takes place in the new gym.
