SHAPE MS History
Opened: 2014
OPEN
SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) is located in the province of Hainaut near the village of Casteau, which is approximately fifty kilometers south-southwest of Brussels, Belgium.
The SHAPE schools were established as a result of the move of SHAPE from France to Belgium in April 1967. The schools derive their organizational structure from an agreement between the Belgian government and the Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe. This agreement provides for an international school board responsible for the organization and administration of the SHAPE schools. The board is composed of one representative from each of the NATO nations with children in the schools. National school units are sponsored by Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany.
SHAPE Middle School opened in the fall of 2014 and has grades six through eight. The school colors are green and white, and the mascot is the Gladiator. In addition to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), SHAPE Middle School coordinates with eleven other nation schools on the international installation.
Over 400 students are currently enrolled in the middle school. American students make up just over half of the student population, while NATO and Partnerships for Peace nation students comprise the remaining half. This multi-cultural component results in the school having the most diverse student population among the eleven nation schools on SHAPE and among schools in the DoDEA system.
In December 2018, SHAPE American Middle School students and middle school students from the Norwegian Section boarded two buses and traveled to Bastogne, Belgium. The students had the rare opportunity to tour the town with historian, author, and Emmy-award-winning producer, Martin King. The students enjoyed the opportunity to experience an historical site in person. They left the area with a greater understanding of the trials and tribulations that the Belgians and U.S. soldiers had to withstand during the siege.
The current principal is Dr. Gloria Hajat.
Information from DoDDS School Information Guides, school yearbooks, and school websites