Balancing Student Well-Being and Academic Excellence: November Head of School PreK–12 Parent Gathering

Balancing Academic Rigor and Student Well-Being at Taipei American School 

On November 21, 2025, families from across the school came together at Taipei American School for the latest PreK–12 Head of School Parent Gathering with David Frankenberg. This month, Mr. Frankenberg was joined by our Deputy Head of School, Dr. Tara Simeonidis, and our Director of Student Success, Joe Gorski, as well as three students from our Challenge Success Committee.  

The event created space for students, parents, and educators to connect around a shared goal: supporting every child’s academic growth and emotional well-being. Guided by Challenge Success data and TAS’s strategic priorities, the discussion focused on what students need to thrive both in the classroom and beyond. 

Mr. Frankenberg opened the session, leading parents through a short review of the School’s work on our Strategic Plan thus far. Across TAS, educators and administrators alike are working to create the conditions for deep learning, moving away from the idea that rigor is defined by quantity and toward a focus on optimal, enduring learning. Parents had the chance to discuss the idea of flow as an optimal state of learning, where students are fully immersed, and to discuss where they find flow in their own lives.  

Informed by our Challenge Success data, our goal is for students to be fully engaged, performing at their best, and learning deeply across all subjects and at all developmental stages. Mr. Frankenberg explained that as we evaluate this, we’re thinking about students’ behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement. Notably, students are most behaviorally engaged at TAS, with room for us to improve in how cognitively, affectively, and fully engaged our students feel at TAS.  

Crucially, Mr. Frankenberg noted that this pursuit of educational engagement requires focused attention on students’ well-being. Our schoolwide efforts to promote student well-being directly support our students’ engagement with their learning. “Well-being is not separate from excellence; it is the engine of it,” he shared.  

As part of the program, three students, Laurie F. ’30, June P. ’30, and Yuri W. ’26, presented data from the Challenge Success survey and shared their own perspectives on academic pressure and student wellbeing, giving parents a window into the work of the Challenge Success taskforces that are working across each division. Their reflections, along with feedback from other students and parents, will continue to inform the school’s efforts to strengthen student support across all grade levels. 

Students also spoke candidly about the pressures they feel, from academic expectations that they, their parents, and their peers hold, to the challenge of balancing schoolwork with activities that bring them joy. “We’re still kids. We should be able to keep doing the things we love,” one student shared. “When stress becomes too much, students start dropping activities that bring them joy. That’s when we know something isn’t working.” 

Parents echoed this focus on balance, expressing a desire for increased clarity, stronger communication, and developmentally appropriate support as their children move through different grade levels. Dr. Simeonidis and Mr. Gorski outlined our current and upcoming systems designed to support students at every stage of their journey, from early learning through Upper School. 

A Proactive Approach to Student Support: MTSS at TAS 

Mr. Gorski shared the school’s student wellness framework, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), to help parents understand the layers of support and feedback available at TAS. This proactive model is built to identify concerns early and provide the right level of care before problems escalate. 

• Tier 1 (Universal Supports): Schoolwide strategies to help all students thrive, including staff training in Youth Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention. Every adult on campus is part of the well-being network. 

• Tier 2 (Targeted Supports): Universal screeners and data help identify students who may need additional support. These students receive small-group or individual guidance. 

• Tier 3 (Individualized Interventions): For students with sustained challenges, TAS develops personalized well-being plans in collaboration with families, counselors, and outside providers. 

Mr. Gorski emphasized that academic success and student well-being are deeply interconnected. “When students feel rested, connected, and supported, they’re far more capable of the deep learning we want for them,” he affirmed. 

Transition Support and Holistic Growth 

Another theme that arose during the gathering was how to help students move confidently between divisions. Parents raised thoughtful questions about what to expect as children move from Lower to Middle School and from Middle to Upper School. These transitions bring excitement, but they also introduce new academic structures, peer dynamics, and personal responsibilities. 

To support parents in continuing this dialogue, Dr. Simeonidis emphasized the importance of communication, shared expectations, and intentional programming. She encouraged families to reach out with questions and to see readiness as both personal and developmental. Counselors in attendance gave parents a preview of the multiple meetings held in the second semester to support the transition from Lower to Middle School, and from Middle to Upper School. These are key opportunities for parents and students alike to feel informed and comfortable with the next step of their educational journey. Our counselors affirmed that while each student's path looks different, the goal is always the same: to make every transition feel supported, purposeful, and clear. 

This work is part of TAS’s larger mission to create connected learning journeys. Through aligned curricula, advisory programs, and wellness initiatives, the school is working to ensure that students are academically prepared, socially grounded, and emotionally resilient as they grow. 

Empowering Students Through Purpose and Support 

As the event drew to a close, Mr. Frankenberg returned to a central theme: helping students build the skills, mindset, and habits they need to manage stress, grow with purpose, and lead with confidence. Stress, when manageable, can be a healthy part of a challenge. But when it becomes overwhelming, it can lead to exhaustion and disengagement. 

At TAS, our goal is to give students the tools they need to meet the challenges before them, not to completely clear the path of all difficulties. Through MTSS and a schoolwide culture that values well-being, students are learning to care for themselves and others as they tackle the important, developmentally appropriate challenges before them. Universal wellness practices, targeted interventions, and individualized plans are just part of the larger picture. 

This approach reflects TAS’s belief that learning is about more than academics. It is about helping students understand who they are, making thoughtful choices, and contributing to their communities with compassion and clarity.