Academics

Please click here for the Middle School supply list for SY24-25.

SY2024-25 English Reading Text List

Homework is given in core classes only – math, science, world languages, English, and history. Homework is not given over school holidays.

The homework for a class on one night may be:

• Grade 6 – maximum of 15 minutes for a typical student
• Grade 7 – maximum of 20 minutes for a typical student
• Grade 8 – maximum of 25 minutes for a typical student

Students are expected to work up to the time limits listed above, as needed to complete homework, but are not expected to work past these limits. If homework cannot be completed in these times, students are expected to contact their teachers to let them know so a plan can be worked out to complete the assignment.

Taipei American School’s student support services department provides a range of services to maximize each student’s social, emotional, and academic growth. The following programs are offered to Taipei American School students:

• Academic Support
• Speech and Language Therapy
• School Counseling
• Psychological Services

There are counselors, nurses, speech/language teachers, academic support teachers, and a psychologist in the student support services department who specifically serve middle school students. The members of the department, along with the middle school administrators, form a student resource team (SRT). Student support classes are available to students who manifest learning differences and have been reviewed by the SRT. TAS accepts and supports students with mild learning differences, and there is a clear system of referral and intervention.

For more information on the TAS Counseling, Well-Being & Support Services, please contact your division's counseling team. Additional information on contacts and programs found here.

Contact the Middle School Counselors & Support Professionals

The Middle School uses a combination of parent-teacher conferences, direct-to-parent feedback, progress reports, and report cards for helping parents and students understand their progress in a given course.

This combination of touch-points - including four mid-quarter grades, four quarter grades, two parent/teacher/student conferences, one mid-year narrative comment and one end-of-year homeroom comment - provides both timely and direct communication that both school and parents want, always in service of the child's academic progress.

The two conferences are usually held at the end of October and in early March each year.

Digital citizenship is an important part of learning for the 21st century learner. At Taipei American School, students are expected to make smart choices use technology to aid their learning in a safe, responsible, ethical, and respectful manner. The TAS values—honesty, respect, responsibility, kindness, and courage—should guide our students in all that they do, including when using technology and navigating the digital world.

Students provided with a school network account may store and retrieve files and print documents using network file servers. Users of the school system should know that network administrators may review files and communications to ensure that users are using the system responsibly, and should not expect that files stored on the school network will be private. Administrators, faculty, and staff also have the right to access student files, communications, or folders at any time and monitor computer activity in all areas of the School. TAS systems should generally be used for academic purposes only.  Disciplinary action may result from inappropriate, destructive, or irresponsible use of technology. Furthermore, students and parents should remember that certain sharing of information or comments in any electronic communications, social media posts, or files, may be a violation of not only school policies, but also have legal consequences, whether or not it is done using TAS systems.

TAS strongly recommends that students exercise great care and judgment in posting any personal information about themselves or others to social media services in order to protect TAS students' safety and confidentiality. Further, students and parents should remember that certain sharing of information or comments about other students may violate TAS’s harassment, sexual harassment, and/or bullying policies, whether or not it is done using TAS systems.

Middle School Acceptable Use Policy

Students who are struggling in one or more core classes may be placed on academic probation. This could be earning C- and below in multiple classes, earning a D or below in any one class, or any other academic concerns that the TAS administration identifies. Students on academic probation will work with their counselor to establish a plan that will help the student improve, including the required use of X periods for additional support, the recommendation of a tutor, and/or educational testing. If a student does not improve, and if the administration concludes that TAS does not offer a program that meets the needs of that student, the student may be asked to withdraw from TAS at the end of the school year. 

In cases where the Middle School deems necessary, the counseling office may assist in arranging a school-sanctioned tutor for a student, and the School may permit the tutoring to take place on campus. The approved tutor must have relevant credentials, have passed the required background check, and display a school-issued visitor’s ID at all times while on campus. (In such case, all fees are negotiated directly between the parent and the tutor and are independent of the School.) No other private tutoring is permitted on campus.