Dominican International School


Dominican International School, formerly Dominican School, is a private, English medium, Roman Catholic school located in Dazhi, Zhongshan District, Taipei City. The Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic OP own and manage DIS. The school is open to all foreign students. Dominican International School educates students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, including Advanced Placement. The modified American curriculum includes courses in Religious Studies.

History

Formerly a U.S. Government Contract school or a Department of Defense school in Taipei, Taiwan, Dominican International School is a Roman Catholic, private school under the supervision the Sisters of the Congregation of the Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic. This Congregation is of Spanish origin with the mother-house located in Rome, Italy.
In the latter part of 1956, permission from the Mother General was obtained to start a school that offered Catholic instruction and a good education to American dependents. The first school was organized for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2, at a small rented house in Chang'an East Road.
In January 1957, the school was blessed by Anthony Riberi, D.D., Apostolic Internuncio to China. Three Filipino Sisters started to teach the 16 enrolled children. Enrollment increased steadily and by June 1957, there were 76 students, and two additional Filipino Sisters had joined the faculty.
During the following school year, a larger house was rented in Liung Chung Street. In August 1958 a team of American Superintendents of Schools from Washington D.C. arrived. They examined the teaching qualifications of the Sisters, the curriculum, methodology and the textbooks used by the students. The American educators agreed unanimously to grant recognition to the efforts of the Sisters and declared that they were able to provide an excellent education to the American dependents. Dominican School became a U.S. Government contract school: a D.O.D. school. Grade 3 was added to the existing grades.
In 1959, a larger building was rented. Three more grades were added and more Sisters arrived from the Philippines. The first P.T.A. was organized with volunteer officers. A vacant site was purchased for the erection of school buildings, including strips of land for granting access to the property. This remains the location of Dominican International School. Before materials could be brought in for the construction of the building, the access roads had to be completed.
The first cornerstone was blessed in a simple ceremony by a Dominican priest on August 4, 1959, after which construction started. On March 28, 1960, classes were held for the first time in the new school. On April 30, 1960 Thomas Cardinal Tien, S.V.D., D.D, blessed the school. Grades 7 and 8 were added in the following year. More Sisters came from the Philippines and the enrollment reached 600.
As time went by, a gymnasium was added, statues erected and a wall placed around the compound. In August 1960, 4 classrooms, a laboratory, a science room, a typing room and a music room were added to the existing school building. For the first time there were Grade 9 classes and the enrollment reached 800. With the withdrawal of the American Forces from Taipei, Dominican School became an international school.
With the prominence of the Internet and technology in the 21st Century, 2006 was spent developing an electronic curriculum. This new system made the curriculum available online to all stakeholders. Even though the development of the curriculum is an ongoing process, the initial stages were completed in time for the school's 50th Year Celebrations in 2007.
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 are more suitable for 21st Century education, making provision for advanced technology. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new construction was held in June 2009, blessed by Archbishop John Hung, S.V.D. and construction started in August 2010. Phase One, which included classrooms, an audio-visual room, an art room, science laboratories, and a brand new library were completed in the summer of 2013. State-of-the art technology was installed. The remaining buildings will be demolished and rebuilt in 2014/15 .
Students at DIS participate in many international events such as an annual Global Issues Network Conference. In January 2013 four Grade 12 girls and two Grade 9 boys went to an International Peace Conference in India, accompanied by a teacher; sports teams and coaches went to Thailand in the 2012/13 school year to compete against other International Schools from Asia ; students participate in the World Scholar’s Cup competition annually and always win through to the final round. They represented DIS with success in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Dubai.
The teaching faculty of the school represent many nations from four continents. Faculty qualifications include PhD's in Mathematics, Chemistry, Economics, Literature, Biological Sciences, Educational Leadership and Theology as well as a collection of several master's degrees which, inter alia, include Education, Business Studies, Applied Linguistics, School Leadership, Special Education, School Counseling, TESOL, English Literature, Management Information Systems, Biblical Studies, Strategic Management, Marketing Management, Curriculum and Assessment, and Psychology, each bringing their own perspective, contributing to the multicultural character of the school.

Notable alumni