What’s New II

It’s the start of a new semester, and during the break a number of changes were made around campus. Here is a short list of some of the “new” things around Dalat:

• 29 new students joined us this semester, bringing our enrollment at Dalat to 624.
• In the elementary school we have 3 new TA’s and a student teacher, a new character development curriculum, a bullying prevention unit from Second Step, and a mathletics week planned for February.
• In the athletics department we will have American baseball for the first time at Dalat in five years and will participate in the first ACSC track and field tournament.
• In the counseling department we have invested in BridgeU – an interactive online database that helps students in grades 11–12 search for a good fit in regards to colleges/universities. Using self-evaluative assessments and search tools, students can narrow down their options and discover if they’re a good candidate for a particular school.
  In the area of facilities, a significant amount of work was done in a short amount of time. Much of the work is not readily visible as it includes underground electrical, water, and sewage systems needed for the development of our campus. Above ground you can see a new curb and road in preparation for the new high school, new playground surfaces, new coverings on the student center, and new stairways up to upper field.
• The high school will run a pilot program with the new Touch ‘n Go student ID cards as well as offer a new Creative Writing class in the English department.
• The middle school will start a “genius hour” when students will be given time in their schedule to pursue ideas and personal passions.

The construction on the Lighthouse (new dorm building) went well over the break and a significant amount of work was accomplished during the three weeks. Currently we are a couple weeks behind schedule but are still on track to complete construction in an adequate amount of time for next year. It is exciting to see the building start to take shape and to see the potential of what is to come.