| This
week I would like to talk about our Far
East Activities Programs. During the school
year, we sponsor 13 different events for
high school students, evenly divided between
academics and athletics. The current DoDDS
Pacific Far East Activities Program was
instituted in 1997 to standardize high
school activities in this Region. The program
parallels state level competitions and
provides an opportunity for DoDDS students
to compete in a variety of educational
and sports events.
This year, our Far East schedule of events began in the early fall with the tennis
competition. Tennis and cross-country competitions alternate with tennis being
held in odd years and cross-country in even years. Veterans Day is the starting
point for our most ambitious week of competition with the Journalism Conference,
Cheerleading Clinic, Girls' Volleyball, and the all-Japan football championship
(Rising Sun Bowl). Various schools within the Pacific's districts host these
events. Other activities traditionally held after the winter recess include the
spirited JROTC Competition and the Speech, Arts and Drama Festival. Winter activities
shift indoors with Model United Nations, and as February draws to a close, our
wrestling and boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments kick-off. Warm
spring weather finds our students traveling to the Japan Science and Technology
Center outside Tokyo for the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, closely
followed by our finest DoDDS-Pacific musicians gathering for their April concert.
The final event on our calendar brings together our student athletes for a week-long
soccer competition, held at the end of April. Over two thousand DoDDS Pacific
high school students participate in one or more of these events. Completing our
activity schedule in early May affords our students adequate time to prepare
for the Advanced Placement tests, the SAT and ACT, semester examinations, and
to enjoy school proms and graduation exercises.
DoDDS Pacific students who compete in these Far East activities are held to high
student academic standards, are responsible for completing their missed school
assignments, and learn to manage their academic workloads with their extracurricular
requirements. For many of our DoDDS students the travel aspects are routine;
however, for some it marks their initial international travel experience and
provides many lasting memories of the friendships made at these various events.
DoDDS teachers who serve as coaches and activity sponsors accompany our students
on their travels. These teachers provide experience and security to the students
while they are away from home.
The Far East Activities Council (FEAC) accomplishes oversight of all the activities.
This council meets twice per school year and sets the standards and procedures
for all activities. The Council also schedules the dates and locations for the
up-coming school year's activities. Each of the DoDDS Pacific Area districts
provides representatives to the Council.
DoDDS Pacific Far East Activities are similar to events and competitions at the
state level in public schools throughout the United States, where students come
from various districts across the state to compete with each other. However,
our Far East Activities Program provides an added benefit; our DoD students have
the unique opportunity to come together with each other as well as various international
and host nation schools, enriching their athletic, academic, and cultural experiences
while living overseas.
Nancy
C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS Pacific
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