Viewbook1 Contents

5 Principal’s Welcome 6 About Morrison Academy 9 Our Vision at MAK 10 Our Campus 12 Academics 16 Impact Program 18 Technology 19 Athletics 20 Student & Campus Life 21 House Program 22 Staff 23 Campus Choice

2 3 Principal’s Welcome 4.24AVERAGE AP SCORE 2015 Learning at Morrison Academy Kaohsiung is not only about knowing; it is also about being and doing. Don’t misunderstand. Our academic standards are high. Please feel welcome to explore our most recent list of college acceptances in our School Profile and to take a look at our most recent SAT scores. Also know 7STUDENTS PER TEACHER that one of our ten most valued traits of a strong teacher at MAK is challenging our students with high expectations, asking them to go farther and deeper than they thought they could.

However, at Morrison education is about journeying beyond knowledge to 15 wisdom. A good grade is worthless if we don’t know what we should do with COUNTRIES REPRESENTED our knowledge or don’t know who we are. This is why we ask our students to do. In junior English, our students don’t just research; they select a Taiwan problem that they are passionate about and round out their research with interviews of local experts, ultimately proposing a grant that might bring 19 change. For years our ninth grade biology students have been testing water STUDENTS PER AVERAGE CLASS samples near a nuclear power plant in Kenting and at a waste storage facility on the island of Lanyu in their exploration of nuclear energy. We believe that knowledge leads to wisdom when it is applied.

25STAFF WITH A MASTER’S DEGREE This is also why we invest abundant energy in helping students come to understand who they are. Through our Impact Program, all secondary students are challenged each year with a multi-day experience outside of the classroom. These range from our sixth grade trip to Sun Moon Lake that focuses on coming of age to our twelfth grade externship program through 34 which students gain two weeks of experience in a real working environment. CERTIFIED TEACHERS As a Christian school, we believe that “the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge,” and through our Advisory Program, Bible classes, and chapels,, students are challenged to understand themselves as God’s loved creation and to 245 find their identity in Him. STUDENTS ENROLLED In a recent conversation, one of our many talented staff members told me that for her, teaching is not a job but a lifestyle. Challenging students to grow in what they know, what they can do, and who they are is no easy task, but MAK has been blessed with teachers who have dedicated their lives to this cause. I hope that in your visit to MAK, as you speak with students and with staff, 1881CLASS OF 2016 SAT AVERAGE you are able to get a sense of how this passionate commitment to our students makes our learning community truly feel like a family. 580 READING 699 MATH Sincerely, 602 WRITING

Joseph D. Torgerson Principal

4 5 MAK by the Numbers MAK by Taipei

About Morrison Academy

Morrison Academy Kaohsiung, or MAK, is the southernmost campus of Morrison Academy, a system of three private international Christian schools founded in Taichung in 1952 by Christian missionaries. Morrison educates students in a distinctly Christian environment with an American Taichung curriculum. The school strives to compel students with God’s Truth, which provides an intellectual and moral anchor for life. Morrison is the largest Christian school in Taiwan and is accredited by two internationally recognized associations: the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). As a registered international school in Taiwan, Morrison is required to accept only students who possess a foreign passport.

6 7 Kaohsiung Our Vision at MAK

Our school’s tagline, Journeying Beyond Knowledge to Wisdom, is the genuine goal of our educators and administrators; as a Christian school, we are committed to educating not only the minds of our students but also their hearts. Education at MAK goes beyond academics as we help students grow in their faith, understand a biblical worldview, and make good life choices.

Academically, MAK’s teachers are committed to pushing students farther than they think they can go, to stimulating creative and complex thinking through rigorous projects, and to challenging students to wrestle with the most important questions in life. Our goal and our prayer is that our graduates leave our school prepared to have a deep and meaningful impact on the world for Christ.

8 9 Our Campus

Tucked behind the jagged peaks of Guan Ying Shan and surrounded by pineapple fields, MAK’s 10-acre campus is spacious, idyllic, and peaceful. School facilities are designed to accommodate many different types of learning. Facilities 28 classrooms Natural grass soccer field 2 science labs Practice field 2 music rooms Newly renovated track Art room Fitness room Multi-purpose hall Computer lab Air-conditioned gym Library 2 outdoor basketball courts Over 20,000 print volumes Covered outdoor play area Chinese language section 2 playgrounds Inter-library loan service 2 elementary soccer fields High quality online databases Elementary reading deck Computer stations

10 11 Academics

MAK has a rigorous academic program. MAK has high admissions values Chinese language and tradition, all elementary and middle school standards, and our excellent English Language Learning program prepares students are required to take Mandarin courses each year, and Mandarin is students to enter high school with proficient English. Our teachers do not offered as a foreign language option in high school. Students with learning stand in front of students to lecture and test; instruction is rather based on needs can find support through our Learning Resource Center. group work, creative projects, and weighty discussions. Because MAK

12 13 Elementary School

MAK’s elementary teachers provide a supportive learning environment for the spiritual, mental, and physical growth of our young students. Our English program is based on the Reading and Writing Workshop model, through which students create and achieve personalized reading and writing goals. Elementary students regularly go on field trips and take part in a great variety of elementary community events. Classrooms are colorful, lively, and filled with creative student work.

Middle School

Our dynamic middle school courses challenge students to grow in their intellectual independence. English courses use the Six Traits of Writing to mold students into organized, creative, and compelling writers. However, the middle school program isn’t only about academic learning. Middle school students participate in Christian Service Learning half days each year, host our annual Hero Games, and participate in a variety of fine arts electives including orchestra, band, choir, painting, the Shark Show, and electronics.

High School MAK’s high school is a place where students are challenged by new and greater responsibilities. Because MAK is a small school, students are able to thrive in a variety of activities, growing in leadership. High school students actively participate in multiple sports, clubs, and community service activities. The high school offers six face-to-face AP courses in addition to our other academic classes, and a great variety of other courses are available online. The counseling office provides students and families with guidance in choosing courses and in selecting the best college fit for each of our graduates. 14 15 Impact Program

MAK’s Impact Program seeks to inspire students through a variety of activities that develop character. Experiences and reflection activities are led by teachers, and all middle and high school students are required to participate in each year’s themed activities.

Sixth Grade: Crossing Over Retreat to Sun Moon Lake

Seventh Grade: Building Bridges Culture trips to various locations in Southern Taiwan

Eighth Grade: Do Hard Things Outdoor Leadership Retreat

Ninth Grade: Growing Together Freshman Retreat Biology Trip to Kenting and Orchid Island

Tenth Grade: Leading with Courage Five-day trek in Taiwan’s rugged mountains

Eleventh Grade: Seeking Solutions Solutions Project research paper International service learning trip

Twelfth Grade: Influencing the World Transitions Retreat Externship

16 17 Technology at MAK

Technology is a vital part of learning at MAK. Teachers regularly use the diverse learning tools available on the internet, and student work is media- rich. High school media classes produce an abundance of short films, and the middle school produces the Shark Show, which can be viewed using the QR code below. MAK graduates are well prepared to use modern technology in both research and communication at the college level.

Athletics

MAK sees athletics and physical education as an important part of each student’s health, well-being, and character. MAK’s elementary sports take place during our After School Activities program. At the middle school level, our coaches emphasize teamwork, skill development, and participation. Each middle school team participates in an island-wide tournament at the end of each season. High school sports are highly competitive in nature, and coaches emphasize personal excellence, hard work, and sacrifice. High school sports participate in island-wide tournaments, and each year MAK’s basketball teams attend an international tournament.

18 19 Student & Campus Life

MAK has a vibrant campus life, and when families visit Morrison Academy Kaohsiung, they are often struck by how much MAK feels like a family. Elementary students host several community events each year including the Thanksgiving Feast and our Chinese New Year Celebration. The middle school participates in an annual middle school sleepover, community service events, and our EMS Games Day. High schoolers host an annual banquet, a carnival, and a talent show.

Want to know more about MAK’s student life? Use the QR code below.

House Program

Each middle and high school student at MAK belongs to one of four houses: Hammerhead, Thresher, Tiger Shark, and Mako. The house program promotes unity and provides each student with a group of friends that stretches across grade levels. Houses participate in social events such as house lunches or pancake breakfasts, and they also compete for the House Cup in competitions throughout the year.

20 21 Campus Choice Morrison Academy is a system of three schools, and as a result, high school students are afforded the choice each year to switch campuses. Because each school has a different culture, this multi-campus framework allows the school to best provide for the unique needs of each family. Taichung Boarding

Families not living in the Taichung area have the opportunity to attend Morrison’s central campus in Taichung through its world-class boarding program. The Taichung dorms provide a comfortable, Christian, homelike environment. Home Stays in Staff Kaohsiung

A school is only as excellent as its staff, and MAK staff members are excellent For families in Taiwan teachers. All MAK teachers are certified and committed to partnering with who live too far from parents to meet the unique needs of each student. The school provides the MAK campus, significant professional learning opportunities for teachers to ensure that home stays may be they are current in best educational practices. available. Home stays are privately arranged Our teachers meet weekly with their teaching teams to discuss and with families and improve the effectiveness of our current programs and meet biweekly to always depend on the work together in departments on professional learning goals. MAK’s staff availability of staff members choose to serve at Morrison because they love working with families. students and are wholly committed to the school’s vision.

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