American Cooperative School of Tunis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Cooperative School of Tunis |
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| Address | |
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Cite Taeib M'hiri BP 150
2045 Laouina
Tunisia
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| Coordinates | 36°51′09″N 10°16′12″E / 36.85250°N 10.27000°E |
| Information | |
| School type | Private, Non-Profit, Elementary/Middle/High School |
| Established | 1959 |
| Faculty | 62 teachers, 31 TA's, 11 Administrators |
| Grades | Pre-school 3year old-12 |
| Age | 3+ |
| Enrollment | 250 (2022) |
| Language | English |
| Hours in school day | 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (7 hours) |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and CIS |
| Tuition | $6,500-$24,470 (depending on Grade Level) |
| Affiliation | United States Department of State |
The American Cooperative School of Tunis (ACST) is a special international school in El Aouina, Tunisia. It's a private, non-profit school that teaches students from pre-school all the way to 12th grade.
ACST is known for its International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. This program has been available since 2000. It is currently the only school in Tunisia to offer this program. The school has over 450 students.
Contents
What is the History of ACST?
The American Cooperative School of Tunis started in 1959. It was first an Elementary School for students in PreK through 8th grade. Over time, more grades were added.
- A ninth grade was added in 1982.
- A tenth grade was added in 1993.
- The eleventh and twelfth grades were added in 1995 and 1996.
- The first class of students graduated in June 1997.
The number of students at ACST grew a lot after 2003. This happened when the African Development Bank moved temporarily to Tunis.
In 2012, a difficult event caused damage to the school building. The elementary school library was affected. Fire and smoke spread to 12 classrooms, making them unsafe. The entire section had to be rebuilt. Other parts of the campus were also damaged. The total cost of the damage was estimated at over $5.5 million.
However, the school reopened just a few days later. Thanks to help from many countries and people, ACST is now thriving. It is even better than before!
What Facilities Does ACST Have?
ACST is located on a large campus that is about 10 acres (40,000 square meters). All the buildings are new or have been recently updated. They are designed for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school students.
A big expansion project finished in 2006. It added a new playground for elementary students with new equipment. There is also an amphitheatre and lots of green space. A new building was also completed in 2016/17.
The main building for administration and pre-school has an elementary library. It also has an amphitheater and an elementary computer lab. For older students, there are two science labs and two computer labs. There are also two art rooms and a main library with over 12,000 books. This library also has a computer area for research.
Other buildings include a large music classroom, a school store, and a copy center. The school has a full gym and auditorium with three classrooms. There is also a second, newer gym. Students can eat in the cafeteria.
Outside, there is a large grass soccer and softball field. It has a 300-meter track that was recently updated. A parking garage for 74 vehicles was built recently. ACST also shares a 25-meter swimming pool with the nearby United States Embassy to Tunisia.
Bus transportation is available for students. Buses pick up and drop off students in most residential areas of Tunis, La Marsa, Gammarth, El Manar, and Tunisia Carthage.
What About the Secondary School Program?
The American Cooperative School of Tunis offers an American-style high school program. Students can earn their own "ACST Diploma." They can also work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
What is the ACST Diploma?
To get the ACST Diploma, students need to earn enough credits.
- You need four credits in English, Social Studies, and Mathematics.
- You also need three credits in Science.
- Two credits are needed for Foreign Language and Physical Education.
- One credit is required for Art, Music, Technology, and Health.
- You must also take four more elective courses.
- This makes a total of 24 credits to graduate.
If you earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma, you automatically meet the requirements for the ACST Diploma.
What are the Initial High School Years Like?
The first two years of high school at ACST are for 9th and 10th graders. These are also called Freshman and Sophomore years. The courses are American-style and are set by ACST.
Core subjects include:
Students can also choose electives. For example, in the 2007–2008 school year, electives included:
- Music
- Art and Advanced Art
- Modern Standard Arabic
- Technology
- Model United Nations
- Drama
- Introduction to Research
- 20th Century African History
- German
What is the IB Diploma Program?
The basic IB Diploma Program is offered to students in 11th and 12th grades. These are also known as junior and senior years. Students who are not pursuing the full IB Diploma can still take American-style high school electives.
ACST uses its own American-style grading system. However, students taking IB courses also take IB Exams. These exams are graded by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
