Good Evening,
Welcome to the end of March...already! It does not seem possible that there is only 1 quarter left in the school year. I mean it when I say, "let's slow this year down, I am not ready for it to end so quickly!"
"Thank Yous" go to:
*Ms. Crockett's Advisory class. They sparked our MS with a bit of excitement last Thursday by organizing our first flash mob during lunch recess. We discovered we need to work on our flash mob skills but also discovered we loved having the music on such a beautiful day...we may have to make that a regular habit!
*the HS StuCo....a great Talent Show event during the weekend. It was great to see all the bravery and talent up on the stage by so many students.
Updates:
* Preliminary course selections for the 2013-2014 school year were completed last week by our current gr 6 and gr 7 students. Finalized course placements will take place at the end of May. Parents will receive a print out of final course schedules for next school year in early June.
Reminders:
*Medical release forms for all Adventure Jordan trips and High Ropes course are due on or BEFORE 14 April. It really helps with our planning to receive the information as soon as possible. Students received a hard copy of the medical release form for all trips during last week's assembly.
*Last week brought an end to after school activity session #3. Sign ups for session # 4 will take place after we return from Spring Break.
*Please be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming Student Led Conferences. Students have been working hard to put their portfolios together in order to present the self selected examples of work that represents themselves as a learner. This is an important day for students to demonstrate the ownership they have in their learning.
Please take time to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather we are having and to be mindful of how fortunate we all are. And, I want to say it again, thank you for all of your support and kind words throughout this school year.
Enjoy your evening,
Rhonda Isley
risley@acsamman.edu.jo
Principal's Corner
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Week of 24 March
Good Evening,
I hope you had a good weekend. As usual, things are going to be busy as we go into the last 2 weeks before Spring Break. Updates and reminders are as follows:
Reminders:
risley@acsamman.edu.jo
I hope you had a good weekend. As usual, things are going to be busy as we go into the last 2 weeks before Spring Break. Updates and reminders are as follows:
Reminders:
- Adventure Jordan Information Session tomorrow (Monday) in the MPR. Gr 7 information presented at 10:00, Gr 6 information presented at 10:40. Sessions will be live streamed. If you would like to send a question to be answered live....please send to the no-reply account.....it will be monitored until 11:20. All handouts and discussion points are posted here under "Gr 6 Adventure Jordan" or "Gr 7 Adventure Jordan"
- Power School will remain open until Wednesday afternoon. The third quarter ends on Thursday. Report cards will be sent home electronically on 3 April.
- Electronic course sign ups will take place this week: Gr 6 on the 26th, Gr 7 on the 27th. Please remind your son/daughter to return their course selection form with parent signature. The Program of Studies for 2013-2014 is posted under "MS Program of Studies" All course descriptions can be found in the Program of Studies.
- Talent Show tickets and raffle tickets are on Sale. Raffle winners do not have to be present to win.
- The Accreditation Visit last week was quite successful. ACS was granted the highest level of accreditation with no stipulations--you could say, "we got an A+!" Now the real work will begin....putting the action plans into action!
risley@acsamman.edu.jo
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Week of 17 March
Good Evening,
Happy St. Patrick's Day !
I was away at a conference this past weekend, but I hear the Celebration of Cultures was a great success. Thank you, once again, PTG.
Yesterday's celebration is a nice reminder of how lucky we all are to be able to be surrounded by such diversity AND to be able to pass on, to our children, the value of such an opportunity for our global community.
Notes for this week:
Invitations:
- Parent session with the Visiting Accreditation Team is Tuesday, 19 March @ 8:15
- Student Led Conferences are Wednesday/Thursday, 24-25 April. Your son/daughter is working diligently on their e-portfolios to share with you at the conferences. A special invite will come from your son/daughter as the time approaches
Updates:
- Course selection sign up information to be given this week:
Gr 7 on Monday
Gr 6 on Wednesday
Once students have received the information I will send an electronic copy of the 2013-2014 Program of Studies to students and parents on Thursday.
- Online course sign ups will take place during Advisory next week:
Gr 6 on 26 March
Gr 7 on 27 March
Next week, 28 March, is the end of the 3rd quarter. Power School will remain open until 27 March. This is a change from past practice but teachers feel it is important students are able to monitor missing assignments, etc. all the way through the quarter.
As a result, please be aware Power School information will be fluctuating daily as teachers update their gradebooks. The first priority of the teachers will be to complete updating gradebooks so final reports can be sent by 3 April.
We ask that if you have questions, please wait until the final reports have been completed so you can then have conversations with teachers based upon the most up to date, pertinent information available.
- My apologies, make note of the schedule change indicated below for the Adventure Jordan information meeting. In continuing to explore our 1:1 program, we will also be live streaming the meeting for those who are unable to attend. More information on how to write in live questions will be forthcoming.
Reminders:
- Adventure Jordan is quickly approaching. An information meeting for Gr 7 will take place on Monday, 25 March @ 10:00 and for Gr 6 @ 10:40. *Gr 8 information will be posted as we approach their May trip.
Gr 6 Preliminary Itinerary is as follows:
Wednesday
o Depart ACS for Azraq: 8:00
o Lunch 12-1
o Activities 1-6
Hiking
Nature/Geology lessons
o Clean-up/Free time 6-7
o Dinner 7-8
o Evening Activities
o Sleep
Thursday
o Rise and Shine 7-8
o Morning nature hunt
o Visit Qasr Al-Asraq
o Arrive back in at ACS before 2:30 PM
Gr 7 Preliminary Itinerary is as follows:
Tuesday Wadi Dana
o Depart ACS for Wadi Dana: 8:00
o Lunch 12-1
o Activities 1-6
Hiking
“Viewing Life Through Different Lenses” lessons and work
Team-Building
o Clean-up/Free time 6-7
o Dinner 7-8
o Evening Activities
Camp fire
o Sleep (All students will need a sleeping bag)
Wednesday Wadi Dana to Feynan Ecolodge
o Rise and Shine 7-8
o Leave Camp 8:00 Shuttle to Dana Guesthouse to begin hike
o Begin five hour hike from Dana to Feynan
Hike
Lunch
Hike
o Arrive Feynan Ecolodge 3:00-4:00
Snack
Rest and Clean-up
Tour of Feynan
Review of hike
Work time
o Dinner
Evening activities (short students will be tired)
o Sleep
Thursday Feynan Ecolodge to ACS
o Rise and shine 7:00
o Visit and work with local school 9:00
o Lunch at destination to be announced
o Arrive ACS- 3-4:00
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Week of 10 March
Good Evening,
Once again, I hope you enjoyed the weekend...it would seem as though Winter is over, yes?
Invitations:
Once again, I hope you enjoyed the weekend...it would seem as though Winter is over, yes?
Invitations:
- Parent session with the Visiting Accreditation Team is Tuesday, 19 March @ 8:15
- Student Led Conferences are Wednesday/Thursday, 24-25 April. Your son/daughter is working diligently on their e-portfolios to share with you at the conferences. A special invite will come from your son/daughter as the time approaches
- Celebration of Cultures tickets are on sale now. We look forward to seeing you as we celebrate one of our ACS strengths---diversity of cultures :)
- Students send weekly emails to you on our ZAP days to let you know how their academic week went. You can also check Power School for updates on your son/daughter learning
- Adventure Jordan is quickly approaching. An information meeting for Gr 7 will take place on Wednesday, 27 March @ 10:00 and for Gr 6 @ 10:40. *Gr 8 information will be posted as we approach their May trip.
Wednesday
o Depart ACS for Azraq: 8:00
o Lunch 12-1
o Activities 1-6
Hiking
Nature/Geology
lessons
o Clean-up/Free time 6-7
o Dinner 7-8
o Evening Activities
o Sleep
Thursday
o Rise and Shine 7-8
o Morning nature hunt
o Visit Qasr Al-Asraq
o Arrive back in at ACS before 2:30 PM
Gr 7 Preliminary Itinerary is as follows:
Tuesday Wadi Dana
o Depart ACS for Wadi Dana: 8:00
o Lunch 12-1
o Activities 1-6
Hiking
“Viewing Life Through Different Lenses” lessons and work
Team-Building
o Clean-up/Free time 6-7
o Dinner 7-8
o Evening Activities
Camp fire
o Sleep (All students will need a sleeping bag)
Wednesday Wadi
Dana to Feynan Ecolodge
o Rise and Shine 7-8
o Leave Camp 8:00 Shuttle to
Dana Guesthouse to begin hike
o Begin five hour hike from
Dana to Feynan
Hike
Lunch
Hike
o Arrive Feynan Ecolodge 3:00-4:00
Snack
Rest and Clean-up
Tour of Feynan
Review of hike
Work time
o Dinner
Evening activities (short students will be tired)
o Sleep
Thursday Feynan
Ecolodge to ACS
o Rise and shine 7:00
o Visit and work with local
school 9:00
o Lunch at destination to be
announced
o Arrive ACS- 3-4:00
Enjoy your evening,
Rhonda Isley
MS Principal
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Week of 3 March
Good Evening,
I trust everyone had a nice weekend.
Thank yous:
Rhonda Isley
MS Principal
risley@acsamman.edu.jo
I trust everyone had a nice weekend.
Thank yous:
- to the NJHS students for organizing the Lock-In for the MS students. There were approximately 120 students in attendance for an extremely active night!
- to you, parents, for not only your prompt pick ups on Friday morning but also for your kind words of appreciation of the activity.....with students organizing the event, other students attending the event, teachers volunteering their time and parents being appreciative.....simply makes it all worthwhile.
- We have begun the admissions process for next year and are on track for having a record number of applications this year. The deadline for payment to secure your child's seat has passed. If you have not secured your seat it is imperative you do so as we have begun the acceptance process.
- The MSA Accreditation visit will take place in two weeks. Accreditation is an important mechanism for us to continue building quality school programs and is an important piece of documentation for our Seniors as they apply to various universities around the world.
- Students received information over the weekend through their Moodle accounts to sign up for our intramural clubs that will take place throughout the rest of the semester. Students have the option to sign up for basketball, tennis, badminton, or flag football.
- Students will begin developing an understanding of their upcoming Adventure Jordan trips throughout this week during advisory. We had hoped to have the detailed itineraries finalized by the weekend but a few adjustments still need to be made. However, the dates and locations for each trip remain the same as in last week's posting--Grades 6 and 7 will depart the first week after returning from Spring Break in April. Grade 8 students will depart the week of 20 May.
Rhonda Isley
MS Principal
risley@acsamman.edu.jo
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