W. T. Sampson is a Unit School, providing educational opportunities for GTMO's students from Sure Start through 12th grade. Our students are primarily the children of military and civilian families stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), and its predecessor, have accredited the Guantanamo Bay schools continuously since our 1931 inception. W. T. Sampson ES/HS, home of the Sharks (Elementary mascot) and the Pirates (HS mascot), is proud to serve the children of all of our uniformed services families and our DoD and DoS civilian families here at GTMO. W.T. Sampson is also proud of its School Advisory Committee, SAC, which is the elected body of parents, school employees, military commander, and students who advise the principal and help the school maintain the highest educational standards possible. W.T. Sampson strives to consistently increase student achievement through continuous commitment to improving instructional techniques. The School Improvement Plan (SIP) is designed to help students improve their ability to comprehend and communicate information and to increase their ability to solve problems across the curriculum. Although officially designated as a Unit School, W.T. Sampson is actually located in two separate, modern campuses located about 2 miles apart. Currently, there are approximately 150 students (Sure Start through 6th grade) at the elementary campus and 100 students (7th through 12th grade) at the secondary campus. Despite our small size, W. T. Sampson provides all students with the highest quality education and a safe environment. The dedicated and highly qualified faculty remains focused on the mission, vision and philosophy of our school. Middle & High School courses are varied and challenging and prepare students for meaningful post-secondary opportunities. And, for those students needing or desiring courses not taught on campus, W. T. Sampson provides access and guidance to online distance education opportunities for many regular-curriculum and college-preparation courses. The MS/HS Counselor's Office offers this Guidance Resource for helping your student choose the most appropriate courses for each year and achieve both an excellent education and a graduation diploma. Extra-curricular activities, clubs, and an after-school sports program are offered at both campuses. More information is available in our Parents & Students Handbook. Students at W.T. Sampson School have the distinction of attending the oldest overseas Department of Defense Dependents (DoDDS) school in the world and also the only DoDDS located on communist soil. The history of the school is rich and very interesting. We are also the only school in the DoDEA worldwide system where iguanas, curly-tail lizards, chickens, snakes, large tarantulas, deer, guinea hens, 'banana rats' (Cuban hutía), land crabs, turkey vultures, and many more exotic animals are quite commonplace. A Brief History of W.T. Sampson ES/HS Our school, at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba opened in 1931, making this the oldest still operating overseas DoD dependents school in the world. In 1931, there was just one staff member, 5 students, and a single classroom located in an office of the base chapel. By the next year, 1932, the school had a growing enrollment of 30+ students. The newly arrived faculty of five teachers taught grammar school in the morning and high school in the afternoon. The high school moved into a new building on Chapel Hill in 1941 and remained there until August 1985, when it moved to the present facilities. In 1956, the elementary and high schools of Guantanamo Bay were named in honor of Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson, commander of the North Atlantic Squadron during the Spanish American War. Originally managed by the U.S. Navy, in 1976 WT Sampson School led the way as all other overseas DoD schools were re-organized into a new, worldwide DoD educational system, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools system, DoDDS. From its origins in 1931 until now, the school has been temporarily evacuated three times: for World War II from December 1941 to October 1945, from October to December of 1962 due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and most recently from September 1994 through January 1996 during the Cuban and Haitian refugee influx. For your interest, the official website of GTMO's Naval Station contains a thorough history of Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. The W. T. Sampson School community provides an environment that inspires lifelong learning and prepares all students for success in a global society. W.T Sampson teachers and students, along with parents and the community are working toward two goals that relate to our mission statement. These goals are: At W. T. Sampson School, we envision a technologically sophisticated learning environment, supported by our families and our entire community, where all students can attain their highest levels of success, and where understanding and appreciating diversity is an integral part of the learning process thereby empowering all students to become physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy citizens of the global community. The faculty, administrators, parents, and students of W. T. Sampson School believe that each student has unique needs which should be recognized and met. They deserve a quality education. We are committed to developing rational, dependable, self-directed individuals who will successfully function in our democratic society. Students must be able to transfer to other schools, complete high school, enter the job market and pursue/complete higher education and specialized training. The curricula must meet these diverse needs with emphasis on educational, social, cultural, and individual development. We believe that by instilling and cultivating a value system in our young people, they will be able to appreciate the worth of others, to value themselves, and to be responsible citizens learning to live intelligently. |
|||||||||||||||
