Dalat Holds 80th Birthday Party!

On Friday, February 27, 2009 Dalat International School celebrated it's birthday in grand style underneath the newly covered outside basketball court. The concert band played and the high school choir sang the Dalat Alma Mater and Fight Song. Most in the audience never even knew the school had songs. It was a time for all the students, staff, and parents to celebrate together what God has done for Dalat school and its students.

The Dalat School history books were opened and Director of Development, Mr. Larry Chinn, began reading Dalat's history recalling the start of Dalat School in Vietnam at Villa Alliance in 1929 and how the school survived the Japanese internment camps during World War II in the 1940s. The story told of the day in 1965 when the school received word that they had 48 hours to evacuate and was flown to a new location in Bangkok, Thailand where life wasn't as good as the cool, open mountains of Vietnam. A year later the school moved again to the mountains of Malaysia in the Cameron Highlands and then finally settled in Penang in 1971. Since then Dalat has become independent and is now a school with 430 students from 26 nations.

Special alumni guests included Mr. Tommy Tompkins, Class of 1968 (what event would be complete without him?!) sharing about his travel stories. Kids were roaring with laughter as he shared about tossed vomit filled plastic bags outside the bus windows when the school went to meet US President Johnson in KL. Tommy also had the special honor of blowing out the candles on the school birthday cake. Other guests included Mr. Karl Steinkamp, Class of 1986; Mrs. Lisa (King) Munson, Class of 1993; Mrs. Bethany (Adrianoff) Thomas, Class of 1994; and Mrs. Lyn Poosawtsee, Class of 1996. All shared from their favorite memories of days gone by. Spiritual Life Director, Mr. Rich Gwaltney, talked about the importance of celebrating landmarks of God's faithfulness and the event ended with a worship song proclaiming, “Forever God is faithful, Forever God is strong, Forever God is with us, Forever!”

After the ceremony all students, staff, and parents were asked to assemble on the grass field next to the court where a pre-drawn “80 Dalat” was painted on the ground. Students stood within the lines and pictures were taken from the nearby Paradise Hotel. After the picture everyone was invited for birthday cake.

God has been faithful and good to Dalat over all these years and we look forward to His continued faithfulness for our future with excitement and expectation! To see more pictures of Dalat's 80th Birthday Party please click here.