D'TORCH House System

The D’TORCH House System

The Dominican International School, Taipei, relevant as it is, has likewise adopted the house system with some modifications aligned with its vision-mission. In the academic year 2018-19, all students were divided into five groups or houses, each with a house color replacing the four houses of that last year. The reason for this is to lessen the number of students per house to have a better sense of active involvement/participation, loyalty, togetherness, closer camaraderie, and more effective inculcation of virtues and values in various school activities. A Torch Grouping Ceremony is held at the beginning of the school year to welcome new students in their respective houses. All members will remain in the same house until they graduate from DIS.

Each house represents a letter from the acronym TORCH, the school's Expected Schoolwide Learning Results/ Schoolwide Learning Outcome (ESLRs/SLOs), with a (1) motto linked to the ESLR/SLO value/ trait entrusted to the house (2) color, (3) and cheer.

House banners are hung in the hallway to serve as a reminder for the housemates to live up to their entrusted ESLRs/SLOs values/trait. Through constant reminders and regular practice of the Dominican ESLRs/SLOs, the housemates are at the same time exposed to the other values/traits and will be honed to develop more traits, hence the positive idea of the house system.

House Leaders

· The Teacher Mentors are there to supervise or serve as overseers and assistants in their respective houses along with;

· The Captains (Student Council - STUCO) together with the Co-Captains (Dominican Youth Movement - DYM) help in giving ideas to the House Coordinator and the committee by planning house activities and leading their monthly house meetings.

At the house meetings, the students work together in various activities/group tasks to improve themselves and their good relationships with others while wearing their house shirts in their designated colors. House members work together to earn points for their House either individually or in a group.

The benefits of being involved in such a system are outstanding. Mixing the students from all grade levels provides more opportunities for them to meet peers with whom they may not otherwise interact, and students would feel more relaxed moving up to the next grade. Faculty and student relationships improve as a result of their interaction outside the classroom. Positive peer pressure gets students involved in activities in order to support their house, and students gain a sense of pride in being able to contribute. When all students feel they can make a difference, it creates a climate where students and teachers want to be, making the House System a win-win situation.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”-Henry Ford

Purpose and Objectives

1. To involve students actively in school activities and services.

2. To encourage the students to have a positive attitude and show it to all stakeholders of the school by following the rules which improve/enhance school spirit.

3. To improve students’ academic performance and promote self-confidence.

4. To provide an essential balance to the DIS students’ life/community through the House System activities which foster school spirit among students/teachers/staff.

5. To serve a higher purpose by shaping the students’ personality and character.

6. To function as a key support group in helping the students settle in their new school and transition well in their next grade.