The Universal American School is a school committed to educating students to be responsible, productive, and ethical citizens with the skills to reason critically, communicate effectively, learn continuously and think creatively when solving problems and making decisions.
This mission is accomplished with an international student body in an environment that is caring and supportive, yet firm.
Philosophy
The Universal American School will use its fiscal and human resources to prepare students for on-going success in rigorous academic environments and the workplace. UAS will empower its students to comprehend, appreciate, and respect Arabic language, culture, and religion, while using English as the basic means of communication and instruction. UAS will also develop in all students the capacity to become productive, ethical, and moral participants in a culturally diverse and technologically advanced world community.
UAS believes that effective, demanding, stimulating and caring instruction fosters the growth and development of all our students. Such instruction occurs best and yields its most highly optimal results within a learning community characterized by high expectations for student behavior and achievement - a learning community supported by cooperation from students, their families and the general public.
UAS further believes that the diversity of its student body in itself is a source of strength that should be respected, nurtured, and celebrated.
Objectives
UAS will:
- create and sustain a rigorous academic environment for all students at all levels that prepares them to demonstrate competence in all scholastic endeavors.
- provide each student with the academic skills necessary for continuing education and opportunities for career exploration and occupational guidance.
- instill in the student acceptable work habits and the ability to carry tasks through to completion.
- develop in all students the knowledge of mathematics essential to the student's intellectual development, essential to a wide range of career choices, and as the indispensable language of science and technology.
- inculcate in all students the belief that a true education lies in a life-long willingness to learn and adapt in the midst of a constantly changing world.
- provide each student with scientific knowledge to be aware of themselves as biological organisms in a physical world, to take full advantage of career options, and to function effectively as responsible citizens in a society increasingly shaped by science and technology.
Goal
UAS will emphasize ethical and moral standards, not only through its curriculum, but through its co-curricular
program and its rules and regulations.
UAS will:
- cultivate in all students moral and ethical integrity based on the development of spiritual and human values.
- develop an active appreciation of and the involvement in issues related to preserving our natural world.
- expand and advance the human dimensions of all students by enabling them to cultivate basic shared values and by fostering mutual respect based on the school's Honor Code.
- provide each student with knowledge and understanding of how society functions, and will foster in each student the commitment to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
- contribute to each student's physical and emotional well-being and development in a positive environment that fosters self-esteem.
Goal
UAS will maintain and support a full array of studies focusing on Arabic language, culture, and religion at all
levels and for all students.
UAS will:
- develop significant knowledge, understanding and ability to use at least one other world language.
- develop appreciation of other people's values and ways of life.
- facilitate informal and formal exchanges of ideas in commerce, diplomacy, science, technology, law and the arts.
- expose students to their cultural heritage and will enable students to develop pride in their roots.
Goal
All academic classes at all levels [with the exception of Arabic and World Language classes],all co-curricular
activities, and all school communications will emphasize the use of the English language.
UAS will:
- develop in all students the arts and skills of English usage [reading, writing, listening, speaking] as the core of college preparation, for accomplishing the demands of daily living, for communicating attitudes and ideas, for expanding thought, and for informing the imagination.
Goal
All students at all levels will use technology and will be taught respect for diverse cultures.
UAS will:
- develop in all students a minimum competency in the use of computers as instruments to receive, organize, analyze and interpret information in each of the academic disciplines.
- help students recognize and respect various cultures and their influence on individual and group behavior and thought.
- provide each student with a broad range of opportunities to understand and appreciate the fine arts [art, music, theater, etc.] and to discover and develop talents and interests to permanently enhance the quality of lives, engage the imagination, foster flexible ways of thinking, develop disciplined effort, and build self-confidence.
- provide all students with the study of history and other social sciences, to perform effectively as citizens in society, to understand central institutions and values in their own society and other societies, and to define problems and employ various kinds of information in seeking solutions to cotemporary problems.
Beliefs and Values
- Student learning is our highest priority
- Learning is enhanced by personalized relationships.
- Students learn at different rates and different ways.
- Students demonstrate their knowledge, abilities, skills and understanding in different ways.
- Each student is unique and has worth.
- Learning how to learn is important.
- The best schools are places where learning is relevant.
- Students learn values in school.
- Success motivates.
- Expectations affect outcomes.
- Quality education depends on the quality of the staff.
- Physical well-being affects learning.
- Risk is essential to growth.
- Maximizing opportunities is standard practice.
- Excellence in education requires time and effort from everyone in the learning community.
- The school community is made up of school personnel, students, parents and community at large.
- Effective change requires active participation from the entire school community.
- Preparing students for the future is the responsibility of the entire school community.
- Students need to respect themselves and others based on high standards of ethical and moral behavior.
- Students need to be responsible for their own behavior, demonstrating good manners and positive attitudes towards others and towards learning.
- Students must develop a discipline that comes from within that is responsive and responsible to authority.
- Students need to participate in a range of activities to help them be well-rounded individuals.