Handbook & Policies

Attendance & Absences

Middle School Student Attendance Policy

Students are expected to arrive at school at 7:30 AM each morning and to be in homeroom by 7:45 AM. It is important students attend all classes on time and minimize absences from school as there is no substitute for time in the classroom. There may be events outside of school that conflict with the school schedule, such as family weddings or a sibling’s graduation. Except in the cases of sickness or family emergencies, however, we expect students to be in school when school is in session. The school calendar balances work time and vacation time for everyone. The vacation dates are published well in advance so families can plan non-school experiences in those times. We ask that parents not take students out of school at other times during the school year.

A student must have a satisfactory record of attendance in order to matriculate to the next grade, including into Upper School. The guideline for satisfactory attendance is a minimum attendance of 85% of school days, whether counted in days or total periods. Students who fail to meet the minimum attendance requirement may not be allowed to return the following year. Each such case will be reviewed, and a decision will be made by the middle school administration.

Reporting Student Absences

Students who are late to school or absent for any part of the school day or must have a written explanation from a parent, an electronic absence form completed in PowerSchool, or a phone call or an email to the attendance secretary from a parent. This explanation must include the date of absence, the reason for the absence, and the parent’s signature if written. Parents should call the attendance secretary between 7:15 AM and 7:45 AM if their child will be absent or late that day. Students who arrive before 7:55 AM should go directly to their homeroom; students who arrive after 7:55AM must report to the Middle School office. Students who are absent from school may not return after school to attend athletic events or activities unless approved by an associate principal.

Parent/Guardian Absence from Taipei

While school is in session, it is against TAS policy for parents/guardians to be absent from the home without notification to the School. When there will be no parents/guardians in the home, one parent/guardian must notify the office in advance and state who is responsible for the student(s) and whom the School should contact in case of an emergency. Please use the “parent/guardian out of town notice” electronic form available in PowerSchool.

Tardiness

Students are expected to be in homeroom by 7:45 AM each morning. Students have at least five minutes between classes throughout the day and are expected to arrive to class on time. Punctuality is an important life skill and a responsibility we all strive toward. Students who arrive late to class will be counted as tardy. If a student is marked tardy three times, an associate principal will meet with the student to determine any possible interventions, including the possibility of detention. All subsequent tardies will be evaluated, depending upon causes and length of time between tardies, to determine if further disciplinary action will be taken.

Permission to Leave Campus

Students are expected to remain on the school campus for the duration of the school day. Students who need to leave campus early may be excused by a phone call or written permission from parents. The request should be presented to the attendance secretary before students report to their first class, and an exit pass must be obtained from the office in order for a student to leave school. Students are required to check in with the middle school attendance secretary upon their return to school.

Before & After School

In order to provide adequate supervision and security, our campus opens at 7:00 AM Monday–Friday. Each morning before school, students are to wait in the cafeteria or middle school courtyard until 7:20 AM unless special permission is given.

Middle school students who are not in an after-school activity, waiting for an after-school activity, or watching a TAS game are expected to go home after school. Students waiting for an activity to begin can only be in the middle school library, courtyard, cafeteria, or the basketball court near the track. The library closes at 5:00 PM. Adult supervision in the middle school cafeteria and courtyard ends at 7:00 PM, at which time middle school students must leave campus or be under direct supervision of an adult.

Accidents and Illnesses At School

If a student is injured or becomes ill during the school day, they should report directly to the health office or ask a teacher for assistance.

Anyone who observes an accident, injury, or sees someone who appears ill should ask a teacher for assistance and call the health office at Ext. 220 immediately.

Students should refrain from carrying any injured person and should instead call for help and wait for instructions from the nurse.

Student Behavior & Discipline

Abusive and Exclusionary Language

Exclusionary language is used to single someone out for parts of their identity: their race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, or body shape to name a few examples. Use of any language designed to belittle someone including derogatory remarks, insults, slurs, and intimidation, violates several TAS values and will result in appropriate disciplinary action.

Profanity is not acceptable at any time. Appropriate disciplinary action will result for use of profanity.

Dress Code

Selling Items on Campus

Skateboards, Scooters, and In-line Skates

Damage to School Property

Academic Integrity

Learning to work on one’s own (independently) and with others (collaboratively) are both important lifelong goals. In general, school assignments are either one or the other. To use outside help or materials not allowed in an independent assignment would be dishonest. It is the student's responsibility to ask their teacher if they are unsure if an assignment is to be completed independently or collaboratively.

Example of academic dishonesty:

Plagiarism, defined as representing the ideas and work of another person as your own without proper citation. This includes work from a source such as a peer, AI (such as ChatGPT), or published source.

Copying a classmate’s homework or giving homework to a classmate to be copied.

Sharing information about a test with someone who has yet to take it.

Using unauthorized notes or technology during an assessment.

Homework and Collaboration Guidelines

Guidelines for students on how they may work with each other on homework and similar assignments.

Students may only work together on group/team/partner work as directed by the teacher. If a student is unsure, it is their responsibility to check with the teacher.

For all other assignments that are expected to be completed individually:

Students may give or receive help by:

Walking them through the process by asking leading questions.

Giving them a similar example that can lead them to the answer.

Encouraging them to let the teacher know that they couldn’t complete the homework as this is better than giving inappropriate help.

Admitting when they might not be the best person for this job and suggesting they see their teacher.

Students may NOT:

Simply give each other the answer.

Give or show their work (paper, workbook, laptop, etc.) to another student, even “just to look at it”. No one’s work should ever be in another student’s possession.

Share a digital document with them.

Write on another student’s work for them.

Type on another student’s keyboard for them.

Share the work by dividing up the problems.

The above are all considered Academic Dishonesty (cheating) on the part of both people.

Post-Assessment Dialog Guidelines

Guidelines for students on what they are allowed to say about an assessment they have already taken.

After an assessment has been taken, students may not discuss anything about it with anyone other than their teacher. This includes:

Whether it was easy or hard

What topics or questions were on the assessment

What types of question were on the assessment

Even if both people have already taken the assessment, even if they think no one is around who hasn’t taken it.

“Studying” with a friend who has not yet taken the assessment.

The above are all considered Academic Dishonesty (cheating) on the part of both people.

Students may, however, talk about the test with their teacher. The teacher is the only person who can decide what can and cannot be discussed. These rules apply until the teacher returns the assessment. Students may only discuss the test with their peers once the test is returned.

Being able to talk about the test does not include comparing grades or asking others for their grades. Students’ grades are for them alone and comparing oneself to others is not healthy.

A Values Learning Plan will be developed, which will include appropriate consequences if a student is found to be dishonest.

Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Vaping

Any student found at school or at a school-sponsored event in possession of or having ingested drugs or alcohol will be immediately suspended from school and may face the possibility of expulsion. Smoking or vaping is not allowed on our campus. Students found smoking or vaping on campus are subject to disciplinary action.

Normally, students who voluntarily contact the administration (directly, or via a counselor) or the school nurse and seek aid or information concerning drugs, alcohol, smoking or vaping are not subject to discipline. However, if a student comes for help just to avoid being caught violating a rule or after being caught violating a rule, then the student will be subject to discipline.

Theft

Contact with Faculty Members

Middle School Associate Principal
Karisti Cormier

Middle School Associate Principal
Dr. Lori Richardson Garcia

Child Protection Policies

Child Protection Policy

TAS CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Student safety is our number one priority. Our safeguarding practice is guided by the Taipei American School child protection policy, which is derived from the child protection laws of Taiwan and best practices from the United States, along with guidance from safeguarding experts. TAS follows a safeguarding reporting protocol and employees who suspect child abuse must report it immediately to their supervisor, counselor, or divisional principal. Any member of the community may report suspected abuse to any TAS employee or the Taiwan authorities directly. Additionally, the School has a suicide prevention policy with procedures in place to identify, address, and prevent mental health issues, assess suicide risk, intervene in cases of potential suicide, and to respond after a suicide has occurred.

Protocol for Reporting

All TAS employees must immediately report suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect whenever there is a good faith suspicion that a child has suffered or is at significant risk of suffering abuse or neglect. TAS employees who suspect child abuse or neglect must report it immediately to their supervisor, counselor, or divisional principal. Following the chain of command, the divisional principal must be notified of concerns and report them immediately to the Head of School and to the Chief Operating Officer. If suspected abuse or neglect has occurred, the School will assess the need for immediate intervention. With the involvement of the Head of School, the Compliance and Regulatory Manager will report suspected incidents of abuse or neglect to the competent authorities as required:

Center for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at Department of Social Affairs
Taiwan Ministry of Education
Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare

If you suspect abuse and/or neglect, please speak up. You may report your concerns to any TAS employee or the appropriate Taiwan authorities directly. Safeguarding contact information can be found here. In all instances, TAS will maintain confidentiality of all involved parties to the extent possible.

Harassment & Bullying Policy

Hazing & Bullying Policy (Board Policy #405)

Each student at TAS has the right to participate fully in the life of the School without experiencing harassment, hazing, sexual harassment, bullying, or cyber-bullying. The School recognizes and respects individual differences and does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination or permit unwarranted interference in the education of its students. Students must not engage in hazing, harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, or retaliation directed at another student at any time, whether at school or outside of school. More information is available in our policy on harassment (Board Policy #405).

Hazing and Bullying

Hazing means any conduct or method of initiation into any student group that endangers the physical or mental wellbeing of a student or other person. Bullying may include such conduct as physical intimidation or assault, oral or written threats, teasing, put-downs, name-calling, stalking, unkind rumors, false accusations, social isolation, or threatening looks, gestures, or actions.

Harassment

Harassment includes, but is not restricted to, insulting comments or gestures that pertain to sex, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ethnic origin or ancestry, creed, nationality, physical or mental disability, or other legally protected status. Harassment violates TAS policy whether or not it rises to the level of bullying.

Sexual Harassment

Conduct which may be considered sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Verbal – Offensive sexual language; suggestive sexual comments, insults or threats; sexual jokes; or sexually degrading or insulting words.

(2) Nonverbal – Sexually suggestive objects or pictures in or on books, lockers or clothing; suggestive obscene or insulting sounds, whistles, gestures, leers; graffiti or other writing that is sexually insulting.

(3) Physical – Unwanted physical contact including touching, pinching, or brushing against someone, pressuring someone to have sexual relations, or assaulting someone.

(4) Sexual – Inappropriate and/or unwelcome sexual advances, or pressure for sexual favors from anyone.

Reporting Hazing, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Bullying, or Retaliation

Any student who believes that he or she is a victim of hazing, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, or retaliation for reporting or providing information about any such behavior, should report the concern to their counselor, the principal, the head of school, or any other faculty member with whom the student feels comfortable.

Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Policy

Taipei American School is committed to fostering an educational environment that is safe, welcoming, and free from stigma and discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To that end, the School seeks to meet or exceed the requirements of both Taiwanese and American laws concerning bullying, harassment, privacy, and discrimination, including as they relate to transgender and gender nonconforming students. The School seeks to ensure that all students have the opportunity to express themselves and live authentically, and will therefore respect students’ gender identity and expression to the greatest extent possible, consistent with both the law and the policies of external governing organizations, such as the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS). More information is available in our policy regarding transgender and gender nonconforming students.

For students who have questions, are transitioning, or are simply unsure about their gender identity, it can be a complex experience. Our teachers and counselors are here to support students, and students are encouraged to reach out to their counselor for advice and support regarding gender identity and their options on campus.

Suicide Prevention Policy

Protecting the health and well-being of all students is of utmost importance to Taipei American School. The school board has adopted a suicide prevention policy which will help to protect all students through the following steps:

Students will learn to recognize and respond to warning signs of suicide by identifying and sharing emotions, developing a range of coping and problem-solving skills, and by learning and practicing ways of seeking support for themselves and others. This curricular content will be presented during classroom guidance lessons (Lower School), homeroom and health classes (Middle School), and during advisory and health classes (Upper School), not just in response to a death or suicide.
The encouragement of help-seeking behavior will be promoted at all levels of the school leadership and by all TAS stakeholders.
When a student is identified as being at-risk, a risk assessment will be completed by a school psychologist or counselor who will work with the student to connect them with appropriate local mental health resources.
Students will have access to local private and community resources that they can contact for additional support, such as:

The Community Services Center

Email: counseling@communitycenter.org.tw

Phone: 02-2836-8134 or 02-2835-6907

Mental Health Emergency 24 Hour Line (English) 0932-594-578

Taiwan Mental Health/Suicide Hotline (Mandarin) 1995 or 1925

All school personnel and students are expected to help create a school culture of respect and support in which students feel comfortable seeking help for themselves or friends. Students are encouraged to tell any faculty member if they or a friend are having suicidal thoughts or are in need of help.

While confidentiality and privacy are important, students should know that when there is risk of suicide, safety comes first.

General Safeguarding Policies

Acceptable Use Policies

Lower School AUP

Middle School AUP

Upper School AUP

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.

Privacy Policy

Non-Discrimination Policy

Taipei American School admits all students, including those of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin, to all the same rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected under U.S. or Taiwan law, including on the basis of race, color, and national or ethnic origin, in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered program, with the exception that the School is only able to support, and therefore will only admit, students with no more than mild learning differences.

Photography, Video, and Social Media Guidelines

Photography, Video, And Social Media Guidelines

Taipei American School recognize the importance of capturing moments of celebration, learning and achievements through photography and video. To safeguard our students and their data from risks associated with the taking, storing and sharing of photographs and videos of children, the School has a set of guidelines which set forth the overarching framework for safe use of student images. These guidelines apply to the School and individual members of our community – parents/guardians, faculty and staff, and guests who have an opportunity to attend school-sponsored activities and events and take photographs and record videos of our students. More information is available in our guidelines for photography, video, and social media.

PTPA

NEED TO CONTACT A MEMBER OF OUR SAFEGUARDING TEAM?

Middle School Counseling
Team Leads

Jason Thornberg thornbergj@tas.edu.tw

Becca Budde
buddeb@tas.edu.tw

A Full List of MS Counselors can be Found Here