TASIS–The American School in England

The TASIS Spanish Summer Program, Salamanca
Les Tapies Arts and Architecture, France

England: Summer School; Spain: Summer Language Program; France: Arts and Architecture Program
Thorpe, Surrey, England
Salamanca and Costa Del Sol, Spain
Les Tapies, France

For More Information, Contact
The TASIS Schools, U.S. Office
1640 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
202-965-5800
800-442-6005 (toll-free)
Fax: 202-965-5816
http://www.tasis.com
E-mail: uksummer@tasis.com

Type of Program: England: Academic enrichment courses, theater workshops, sports, and travel; Spain: Intensive immersion in Spanish language; France: Intensive workshops in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and architecture
Participants: England: Coeducational, ages 12–18; Spain: Coeducational, ages 14–17; France: Coeducational, ages 14–18
Enrollment: England: 250; Spain: 75; France: 28
Program Dates: England: Four weeks in June and July, three weeks in August; Spain: July 2–July 31; France: Three weeks in June and July
Heads of Program: Jeff Barton, Chris Tragas, and John Smalley, Directors

Location

England The School’s beautiful 43-acre rural campus, in the heart of a small English village, is only 18 miles from the city of London, 8 miles from Heathrow International Airport, and 6 miles from the royal residence of Windsor. Rich in natural leisure and cultural resources, this prime residential area is also a popular tourist destination. King John sealed the Magna Carta in the nearby fields of Runnymede, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Stratford-upon-Avon attract classical drama lovers the world over. The program takes full advantage of its proximity to London, the cultural capital of the English-speaking world.
Spain The TASIS Spanish Summer Language Program offers students a means to broaden their linguistic and cultural horizons by bringing them to the ancient learning center of Salamanca, 2 hours from Madrid. Students reside in a beautifully restored fourteenth-century building, which is just a 5-minute walk from the famous Plaza Mayor. For the final week of the program, students relocate to a luxury resort on the Costa del Sol, with faculty and student housing, classrooms, a swimming pool, and immediate access to the beach.
France Nestled in the mountains of the Massif Central in southern France, Les Tapies is a picturesque seventeenth-century hamlet that has been carefully restored to retain its original character and serves as an ideal base for a creative arts program. The six stone buildings form a harmonious unit that blends into the landscape and provides spectacular views of the Rhône Valley and the French Alps in the distance.

Program Offerings

England Each course provides a minimum of 4 hours of classroom work every day, and students are taught in small classes with individualized instruction. Students choose an elective course in addition to one major course. Major courses include English Literature and Composition; High School Skills; Middle School Skills; Archaeology and Architecture; ShakespeareXperience; Theatre in London; Algebra I and II; Geometry; Economics/International Business; Lights, Camera, Action!; Movie Animation; Art in London; SAT Review; English as a Second Language; and TOEFL Review.
Theatre in London With a focus on reading and analyzing plays, this course’s major objective is to enjoy as many productions as possible in London and Stratford-upon-Avon. Recent plays and musicals seen include Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Chicago, and Billy Elliot.
ShakespeareXperience Through intensive study, students discover the meaning of Shakespeare’s words and poetry, the background of Elizabethan history and theater, theater culture and etiquette, modern and traditional theatrical techniques, and movement, voice, and acting skills. This course offers a unique opportunity to learn a Shakespearean play and perform it publicly.
Edinburgh Festival This special weeklong excursion follows the completion of the second session of the summer program. Each summer, the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the world’s greatest celebrations of the arts and culture. In addition to performances, concerts, and plays, students visit the many historic and unique sites of the capital city of Scotland.
Art in London London provides unforgettable opportunities for students to view contemporary art alongside work from the great masters. Studio drawing and painting classes on campus allow students to experiment with the techniques used in the works of art they see exhibited in London museums and galleries. By the end of the course, students will have completed at least two pieces to portfolio standard.
English Language Program ESL courses are offered in four- and three-week sessions, as are TOEFL preparation classes.
Lights, Camera, Action! In this intensive movie-making workshop, students experience the three phases of the film production process: scriptwriting and storyboards, directing and acting, and editing the final piece.
Movie Animation is a fast-paced introduction to creating animated movies. Students are guided through the steps of the animated movie process and learn to operate camera equipment and computer software for compiling and editing their own original movies.
Spain The daily schedule includes four language classes and Language in Life activities, using Salamanca as the classroom. There is an average of 12 students in each class; there are six levels, ranging from beginning to advanced. All classes are conducted entirely in Spanish. Students may earn 1 academic credit upon completion of the course. Excursions to Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, and other places of historic and cultural interest take place on the weekends.
France Students enroll in one of the major courses, Architecture, Drawing, Painting and Printmaking, or Photography, as well as an elective in an area of interest that strengthens their creative and presentation techniques or develops manual skills through restoration projects. Students meet 5 hours daily for the major courses and 2 hours per day for the elective courses. In addition, there are a full-day excursion and one free day per week.

Enrollment

In England, 250 students enroll each summer, with approximately 20 percent originating from the United States. Students enrolled in intensive English as a second language classes represent thirty different countries.
In Spain, enrollment ranges from 50 to 75 students each summer, with approximately 70 percent from the United States.
In France, 28 students enroll, with approximately 25 percent from the United States.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

England On-campus extracurricular activities include photography, drama, music, journalism, and art as well as social activities such as picnics, barbecues, dances, and movie nights. All students participate in the off-campus travel program each weekend by choosing from the wide variety of overnight and day trips available. These include trips to Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, and Bath and frequent trips to Windsor and London. Optional weekend trips are offered to destinations such as Euro Disney, Liverpool, Wales, and Paris at extra cost. Students ages 14 to 18 attending a three-week course also have the option of spending an extra week at the Edinburgh Festival in August. Sports such as horseback riding, waterskiing, fitness and aerobics, basketball, tennis, golf, and baseball are all included in the schedule each day. Some require additional cost.
Spain Students explore Spanish heritage by visiting the towns of La Alberca, Toledo, Segovia, and Madrid, where they see the famous El Prado Museum. Students participate in sports during the afternoon, including swimming, aerobics classes, flamenco dancing, soccer, and tennis.
France The ideal location of Les Tapies just north of Provence provides extensive opportunities to draw on the cultural riches of such historic sites as Avignon, Nîmes, Arles, and Aix-en-Provence. Visits to the local Chestnut Museum and the Wool Mill, picnic walks in the mountains, kayaking down the Ardèche Gorge, and fishing or swimming provide relaxing breaks from the intense studio work and opportunities to discover the beauty of the Ardèche countryside. Optional French conversation lessons are offered, and students have the opportunity to speak French with local residents and artisans.

Facilities

England TASIS–The American School in England is a coeducational boarding and day school for 750 students during the academic year. The programs draw on the full facilities of the year-round boarding program, which includes two late-Georgian mansions that serve as the main student residences and house dining rooms and a 12,000-volume library. Other facilities include three computer centers, an art/music complex, two modern gymnasiums, a fitness center, and a 350-seat theater. There are also outdoor tennis and basketball courts, three athletics fields, and a regulation baseball diamond. Off-campus facilities are used for swimming, horseback riding, golf, and waterskiing.
Spain The program makes full use of a beautifully restored fourteenth-century convent that contains classrooms, a vaulted dining room, a student lounge, an interior courtyard, and accommodations. The off-campus sports facilities include a swimming pool, a fitness center, tennis courts, volleyball and basketball courts, soccer fields, and ample green space for running and jogging. The final week is spent in a luxury resort on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, which offers faculty and student accommodations, classrooms, and a swimming pool as well as sports facilities and immediate access to the beach.
France Students reside and study in fully restored stone buildings, which enjoy stunning views of one of France’s most unspoiled regions. The facilities include an art studio for drawing, painting, and printmaking; an architecture studio; a darkroom; a spacious dining room and lounge; and residential accommodation for 28 students and 6 staff members. Outdoor terraces provide extensions to the living spaces and ideal settings for barbecues and informal dining. The hamlet also has a games room for pool, table soccer, Ping-Pong, darts, and board games. The swimming pool is popular for cooling off from the hot Ardèche sun.

Staff

England The faculty consists of 40 qualified and experienced members, and the student-faculty ratio is approximately 6:1.
Spain The faculty consists of 10 qualified and experienced administrators and teachers. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 10:1.
France The faculty consists of 5 full-time teachers, with additional visiting artists. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 6:1.

Costs

England The all-inclusive 2009 cost for four-week enrichment courses is $6050; for three-week enrichment courses, $4800; for six-week academic courses, $7950; and for a seven-week session, $9800. The Edinburgh Festival trip is $1940.
Spain The all-inclusive 2009 cost for one month is $5950.
France The all-inclusive 2009 cost for the three-week program is €3850.