- Dalat International School
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Dalat International School 
Location Tanjung Bunga
Penang 11200, MalaysiaInformation Type Private International School
Christian School
Boarding SchoolMotto Education for Life Established 1929 Director Karl Steinkamp Principal Heather Fischer (K-4)
Wayne Sawatzky (5-8)
Brian Brewster (9-12)Faculty 55 Grades K-12 Mascot Eagle Accreditation(s) ACSI, WASC Yearbook Reflector Website www.dalat.org Dalat International School is an international day and boarding school in Penang, Malaysia. Originally founded as a school for missionary kids, it has grown into an international school with a diverse student population. As of the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, there are 460 students representing 27 different countries. It is one of six international schools on the island and is the only one offering an American curriculum.
Contents
Mission & Vision
Education for life founded on a biblical worldview.
For the glory of God we will…
Never stop improving
Never stop inspiring [1]History
Dalat School was founded in 1929 as a private Christian boarding school in Dalat, Vietnam to provide a North American elementary and high school education for children of Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) missionaries in Indo-China. Because of the Vietnam War, in 1965, the school moved from its original location to a temporary location in Bangkok, Thailand. Eight months later, the school relocated to Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia where it remained for six years.
In June 1971, Dalat moved into what used to be an army R&R facility along the beaches of Tanjung Bunga in Penang, Malaysia where it has been ever since. In 1999, the C&MA, who had been running the school since its establishment, announced that Dalat School would be closed the following year after it was decided it was no longer feasible to run a school in Malaysia. A number of local expat families approached the school leadership and asked if they would consider keeping the school going as an independent school. After a bit of study of the community it was determined that the school would continue operating and would open its doors to the growing expat business community in Penang. The word "international" was added into the name in 2002 to reflect its student body. Although no longer run by the C&MA, Dalat continues many traditions of their Christian heritage.
Today, Dalat is a full-fledged non-denominational international school that is accredited by the WASC and the ACSI and is a member of EARCOS. While it continues to serve children of missionaries in Asia, it also caters to the expatriate community as well as local Malaysian students.
The sea wall was damaged during the tsunami in 2004.[2]
Plans are currently in place to expand and build a branch campus in Kuala Lumpur.[3]
Curriculum
Dalat International School uses United States standards of education that have been compiled by two organizations: 1. McREL Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks and; 2. the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) for K-12 education. Dalat also uses Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) employing teaching methods that focus on cooperative learning and activity-based content learning.
As a Christian school, Dalat requires students to take Bible classes and attend chapel. Prayer, Bible study and actively living out the Christian life are key values. Student led prayer meetings are held every Wednesday night with student led worship services taking place throughout the school year. Chapel services are held weekly and Spiritual Emphasis Week and Missions Emphasis Week are special events each year.
In 2010 Dalat started an online high school called Dalat Online where students can attend high school at Dalat International School through online mediums that allow children to remain in locations around the world where there are no international schools available.[4] Students also have the option to enroll in online courses through providers such as Virtual High School and Seven Star Academy.
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered for students wishing to earn college credit. English literature and language, psychology, Chinese language, art, music theory, environmental science and calculus are offered while other AP courses are made available through distance learning.
DIScovery Program
Dalat offers an overseas study exchange program called DIScovery for foreign students to enjoy the "Asian experience". DIScovery students will take part in all school activities and receive all the privileges of being a Dalat student. In addition, they will take part in planned cultural outreach and exposure trips to nearby countries and other regions of Malaysia. The purpose is to let students see the peoples, cultures and social needs around them. These trips may include visits to missionaries working in the field, meeting needs in the local community, and helping a country school or providing food and basic resources to a deprived area.[5]
Extra-curricular Activities
For students who do not wish to take part in team sports, activities such as computer skills, photography, origami, knitting and language skills are offered at the end of the school day. Students are required to participate in these activities as part of Dalat's holistic educational program. In addition to expanding their interests and providing an opportunity to interact with fellow students and make new friends, students can gain skills that may develop into lifelong leisure pursuits.
Dalat's athletic program regularly competes in soccer (football), basketball, volleyball, swimming, and track and field at state-level competitions with relatively successful records. There are varsity (under 18) and junior varsity (under 16) teams for both genders in each sport. The varsity boys' basketball team won the state championship in 2002 and 2006 and students participating in individual sports have broken a number of state records and regularly win medals.
Statistics
- The student/teacher ratio is 8 to 1.
- On the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Dalat's standardized test for Grades K to 9, 77% of Dalat students scored at or above grade level in math, reading, and language.
- Students scored 10% higher than the US national average on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test which determines acceptance into US colleges and universities). The US national average is a score of 1509 (501 verbal, 516 math, and 492 writing). In 2010 Dalat students had an average score of 1718 (543 verbal, 612 math, and 563 writing).
- 98% of Dalat students go to a four-year college.
- Graduates have been accepted to colleges and universities including Stanford University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, University of British Columbia, National University of Singapore, Cornell University, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.
- Most of Dalat's 60 teaching staff have been educated in North America and a majority of them hold advanced degrees in their academic fields of study.
- The average Dalat teacher has 4 years of Dalat experience and 12 years of experience in education.
References
- ^ "Mission & Goals". dalat.org. http://www.dalat.org/jweb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112&Itemid=167.
- ^ Demaria, Andrew (2004-12-30). "Web postings give helping hand". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/30/tsunami.web/. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Dalat KL Vision". dalat.org. http://www.dalat.org/jweb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1037&Itemid=481.
- ^ Dalat Online
- ^ "Dalat DIScovery". http://www.dalatdiscovery.com/.
External links
- Dalat International School
- Dalat Alumni Official website
- Dalat Online School Official website
- Dalat DIScovery Overseas study
Categories:- International schools in Malaysia
- Schools in Penang
- Educational institutions established in 1929
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