Letter to Alumni

INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER TO ALUMNI

The events of this year have challenged our organization in many ways. And our alumni have in turn challenged us to meet important issues head-on. These events have spurred our community to engage deeply in difficult conversations, ones that have brought us closer together through a shared purpose, all the while knowing that we live in volatile and uncertain times. Please know that we have appreciated your candor and feedback, and we have heard you. And, like you, we will continue to work to improve this school that you know and love. If we are to succeed in keeping our school steady and strong in this unusual year, we need a vibrant alumni community that is willing to share ideas and values. It has been both challenging and inspiring to work with you this year. We know there are generations to come through Taipei American School behind you. This year, you have helped us realize that our school’s mission can be boiled down to one core sentiment: to always put students first while staying true to the other laudable goals embedded within our mission of preparing graduates for the world beyond the walls of our campus, beyond the comfort of our neighborhood in Tianmu, beyond the city limits of Taipei, and beyond the borders of Taiwan. In order to continue to work towards this mission, our entire community, which includes you, will require to go through an important cultural change. We will need to continue to work on expanding our partnership with alumni, our current students, faculty, and past and present parents as we embrace our ability to bridge between the east and the west. Parents and families deliberately choose TAS to provide an American education for their children in Taiwan. This means we have lots more to do to educate all community members on our values, expectations, and the promise that we will prepare graduates, not just academically, for the world beyond TAS. It has been my honor to serve as the School’s interim head of school for this past school year. I look forward to continuing to work alongside my fellow Tigers as we keep redefining excellence in our community and attempting to set a good example for those in our care and beyond.

Grace Cheng Dodge, Ed.D. Interim Head of School