A Sister Schools Story

Shu-Te High School, Kaohsiung, ROC
and
David Douglas School District, Portland, Oregon

Dr. Richard Cole

The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association was instrumental in establishing the first Sister High School relationship between Portland and Taiwan. On June 13, 1994, David Douglas School District and Shu-Te High School entered into a Sister School agreement at a formal signing ceremony. The signing ceremony preceded an hour long performance of traditional orchestra and dance presented by the Shu-Te student musicians and dancers.

The idea of the sister school relationship started when the Shu-Te High School musicians and dancers performed in Portland on June, 1992. Following a stunning performance of traditional music and dance, Dr. Richard Cole, then Director of Curriculum for David Douglas School District, approached Dr. Khoo, then president of the Portland Kaohsiung Sister City Association, about using the David Douglas Performing Arts Center for the following years performance. Dr. Khoo responded by asking David Douglas to coordinate and arrange for host families for the Shu-Te students. David Douglas has coordinated housing each year since. Strong support of the Portland/Kaohsiung Sister City Association, David Douglas School Board, and Shu-Te High School administration persuaded the Kaohsiung City Government in Taiwan to agree.

The girls are wonderful representatives of their school and country. Many families continue to host them year after year. The girls perform for all 6th grade David Douglas students and sometimes have joint performances with the David Douglas High School Orchestra. They also have visited elementary classrooms. The high school Leadership Class hosts the girls in many of their activities and have developed pen-pal correspondence with students in Kaohsiung.

The Sister School relationship has stimulated other activities. David Douglas teachers have spent summers teaching conversational English at Shu-Te High School. In 1995, the 20 member David Douglas Jazz Ensemble went to Kaohsiung and were hosted by Shu-Te High School. They performed at Shu-Te as well as for 30,000 people at the opening of the Taiwan Area Games in Kaohsiung. In November, 1996 the David Douglas Marching Band and dance unit participated in the International Band Competition in Taipei, Taiwan.

The strong support of the School Board, teachers, principals, and district administrators assures the continued benefits to students and families both in Portland and Kaohsiung.