Week of 15 June

Good Evening,

Well, I cannot believe this is the last blog post of the school year. This year certainly went by entirely too fast! Thank you for all of your support and communications throughout the school year. I know the students are eager for a break but I will miss seeing them every day and look forward to their return in August. Speaking of which.......First day of school is 26 August 2014  :)  

Thank you to the Gr 8 teachers and students for the Reflection Night last week. It was so nice to see the students have a sense of accomplishment as they bring the school year to a close. Many adventures are ahead for them.

Gr 8 students spent time with Ms. Nash, the HS Counselor, on Thursday to talk about moving into high school. Students were also given their schedules for next year and asked to meet with her today or tomorrow if they had any requests for changes or questions. The goal is to take care of any changes, conflicts, etc now so students do not miss any instructional time at the beginning of the school year in their new classes.

At this point, all MS students should have:

1. made any requests for schedule changes. Those requests are currently being processed and Ms. Ismail is meeting individually with students as needed to work any schedule issues. The process should be completed by the end of the week. 
2. completed the check out process and be following up with any missing items to be returned or made payment for replacement costs

Yet to come:

• Yearbooks arrived today. Students will begin receiving them tomorrow. 
• Dead Sea trips will finish this week--today's group all seemed to have a great time. Those groups remaining at school have many activities to complete. Everyone seems to be ending the year on a positive note.
• Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 18 June. 
• Reports will be emailed to parents on June 18. Reports will look ahead to next year with comments offering suggestions for summertime work that can be completed in preparation for the next grade level.

Enjoy your evening. Please feel free to email me throughout the summer if you have any questions regarding next school year. In the meantime, safe travels and enjoy your time spent with family/friends.

Week of June 8

Good Evening,

Here we go....the last two weeks of school. Please help us by reinforcing how much more enjoyable it can be for everyone when students strive to end the school year on a high note. Please encourage students to maintain their level of respect and integrity these last two weeks with their teachers...it can be easy for students to get a bit too excited at this time of year.

Thank yous go to our World Language teachers--Ms. Abu Jaber, Ms. Di Paolo, Ms. Suleiman, Ms. Leidtke--for the wonderful language showcase last week. It was great to listen to the students "show off" their language skills.

Thanks also to Ms. Suleiman for organizing our Tobacco Free Jordan assembly last Thursday. The guest speakers had a good program for our students and, as usual, our students were great audience members!

Upcoming Events:

Gr 8 Reflection Night
Gr 8 parents and students are invited to celebrate and reflect on the student's middle school years at ACS. Students are planning a program of time to say good-byes, time to hang out, and time for parents to gather also. The evening will begin at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, 11 June. Please RSVP using the link below:

Gr 8 Reflection Night RSVP

Dead Sea Transition trips
During this time of transition for many students, it is important we take time to allow students an opportunity to bring closure to the school year and say good-bye to friends. MS students will spend the day at the Dead Sea Marriott on the following dates:

Gr 6 Monday, 16 June

Gr 7 Sunday, 15 June

Gr 8 Tuesday, 17 June

Student will receive an email through Moodle asking to confirm their attendance and make their meal choice by Tuesday. We suggest students bring sunscreen, dress appropriately for the trip and bring a few JD with them in case they want to purchase an extra snack or drink beyond the lunch that will be provided for them.

If you DO NOT WANT your child to attend, please inform us via email. 

End of Year Check Out
ALL students must complete a check out form at the end of the school year. Students will be given forms on 12 June. If you are departing ACS early, please notify us of your departure date so we can have all necessary documents ready for you. Quarter 4 reports will not be available until 18 June.

Please contact us if you have questions about events/activities as we approach the end of the school year. It is a hectic time of the school year so please let us know if you need any clarifications. 

Week of June 1

Good Evening,

June 1st..............where did this year go?!?! It seems as though we still have so much to do!

As we go into the last couple weeks of the school year, let's help each other. This is a stressful time of year for the students who are staying and those who are leaving, for parents who are packing out and/or trying to make summer travel plans, and teachers who are continuing to guide students towards continued learning........not an easy feat at this time of year :)

Thanks to Ms. Marinucci, Ms. Martin, Ms. Leidtke and the Gr 8 students for the great IAR presentations. Great speakers were passionate and knowledgeable about their topics....great way to wrap up the school year.

Upcoming Events:
From our French and Spanish Teachers:
The World Language Oral Skills Showcase for French and Spanish will take place on June 3 starting at 4:00. Please attend and enjoy our students performing in a world language.

Gr 8 Reflection Night
Gr 8 parents and students are invited to celebrate and reflect on the student's middle school years at ACS. Students are planning a program of time to say good-byes, time to hang out, and time for parents to gather also. The evening will begin at 6:00 pm.

Dead Sea Transition trips........we are still awaiting confirmation from the hotel, however, these trips will take place during the last week of school. As soon as the exact dates have been confirmed we will notify everyone. The purpose of these trips is to allow students time to bring closure to the school year and say good-bye to friends.

ALL students must complete a check out form at the end of the school year. Students will be given forms on 12 June. If you are departing ACS early, please notify us of your departure date so we can have all necessary documents ready for you. Quarter 4th reports will not be available until 18 June.

Regardless of if you are staying or leaving....below is a link that might be helpful to you and your family during this time of transition.

Food for Thought on Transitions

Week of May 25

Good evening,

I hope you have enjoyed the long weekend in celebration of Jordanian Independence....it was certainly a beautiful weekend!

Departing Families:
If you are leaving ACS at the end of this year, please notify our Business Office or our MS Counselor so we can begin  the process of having all of your son/daughter's documents ready for the last day.

An Invitation for Gr 8 Parents:
Dear Parents, 

We are very happy to announce the dates of your son/daughter's much-anticipated Graduation By Demonstration presentations. They will be held on May 27 and 28 from 1:30-3:00p.m. in the ACS Middle School classrooms (4th floor).

The presentations are the culmination of several months of research into the students "passion topics." Each student has prepared a speech and a multimedia presentation to demonstrate his/her knowledge of a chosen controversial issue. This work has been completed as part of the Information, Analysis, and Reporting class. We are proud of our students' efforts, and are eager for them to share their work with you. 

In order to remain flexible in accommodating changes to the presentation schedule, we ask that you confirm with your son/daughter which date he/she will be presenting, either May 27th or 28th. The times of the presentations will be the same each day. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely, 
Heidi Liedtke, Beth Marinucci and Lisa Martin
IAR Teachers

Looking ahead to next year:
At the end of this month students will have access to their schedules for next school year. We will ask students to check their schedules for accuracy and any change of schedule requests will need to be completed between June 1-June 10. Students will NOT be able to make schedule change requests when they return in August. More information will be sent towards the end of the month.

Week of 18 May

Good Evening,

A big thank you to all of the teachers who gave their time and energy to take the MS students on the various Adventure Jordan trips. There is always a lot of work leading up to the trips but the returns are phenomenal! From what I understand, the students represented ACS extremely well so a thank you to them also.

A thank you also goes out to Mr. Hathaway's advisory group. Today they provided the MS with snacks and a "free homework pass" as part of their contribution to our monthly pay it forward activities. The snacks came just at the right time and there were lots of smiles with the homework passes!

Departing Families:
If you are leaving ACS at the end of this year, please notify our Business Office or our MS Counselor so we can begin  the process of having all of your son/daughter's documents ready for the last day.

An Invitation for Gr 8 Parents:
Dear Parents, 

We are very happy to announce the dates of your son/daughter's much-anticipated Graduation By Demonstration presentations. They will be held on May 27 and 28 from 1:30-3:00p.m. in the ACS Middle School classrooms (4th floor).

The presentations are the culmination of several months of research into the students "passion topics." Each student has prepared a speech and a multimedia presentation to demonstrate his/her knowledge of a chosen controversial issue. This work has been completed as part of the Information, Analysis, and Reporting class. We are proud of our students' efforts, and are eager for them to share their work with you. 

In order to remain flexible in accommodating changes to the presentation schedule, we ask that you confirm with your son/daughter which date he/she will be presenting, either May 27th or 28th. The times of the presentations will be the same each day. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely, 
Heidi Liedtke, Beth Marinucci and Lisa Martin
IAR Teachers

Looking ahead to next year:
At the end of this month students will have access to their schedules for next school year. We will ask students to check their schedules for accuracy and any change of schedule requests will need to be completed between June 1-June 10. Students will NOT be able to make schedule change requests when they return in August. More information will be sent towards the end of the month.

Week of 11 May

Good Afternoon,

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and....to all the Mom's......Happy Mother's Day.

Thanks to the StuCo for a great dance on Thursday. It was nice to see the students dressed up. The all looked so grown up!

Reminder: Gr 7 and Gr 8 will depart for their Adventure Jordan trips this week. Please contact Ms. VanCleave or Mr. Hathaway, respectively, if you have any questions. ALL medical release forms must be turned in before a student will be allowed to participate on the trip.

We will send regular trip updates each morning and each evening as long as groups are in an area that has either cell service or wifi.  Please do not attempt to contact your son/daughter during the day as they will be involved with activities all day----we do not want to interrupt their "class" time!

Gr 7 contact number is: 079-559-3662 This number should be used in emergency only and please realize for most of the trip the group will not have a cell signal.

Gr 8 contact number is: 079-688-7012

An Invitation for Gr 8 Parents:
Dear Parents, 

We are very happy to announce the dates of your son/daughter's much-anticipated Graduation By Demonstration presentations. They will be held on May 27 and 28 from 1:30-3:00p.m. in the ACS Middle School classrooms (4th floor).

The presentations are the culmination of several months of research into the students "passion topics." Each student has prepared a speech and a multimedia presentation to demonstrate his/her knowledge of a chosen controversial issue. This work has been completed as part of the Information, Analysis, and Reporting class. We are proud of our students' efforts, and are eager for them to share their work with you. 

In order to remain flexible in accommodating changes to the presentation schedule, we ask that you confirm with your son/daughter which date he/she will be presenting, either May 27th or 28th. The times of the presentations will be the same each day. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely, 
Heidi Liedtke, Beth Marinucci and Lisa Martin
IAR Teachers

Week of May 4

Good Evening,

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice holiday weekend. I don't know why, but this weekend really seemed like a long weekend!

Thank Yous
to all of the Gr 6 teachers for their time and energy towards the Adventure Jordan trip. I hope your sons/daughters were exhausted and excited...I saw a lot of tired but happy faces going to the buses last week!

FYI's:
Grade 7 and Grade 8 girls are invited to help with the Reclaim Childhood event on May 17. This is an annual mini-sports festival event organized as a HS Community Service project for Iraqi, Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian girls. MS girls are encouraged to help organize and participate to begin gaining an understanding of how our time and energy can impact others. Girls who are interested can contact Mr. Tschumperlin for sign up information. Sign up will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Girls Basketball----Gr 7 and Gr 8 girls who are interested in playing basketball are invited to a basketball clinic hosted by the HS girls basketball players and Ms. Lewis. The clinics will be held on May 10, 24, and 31 from 9:00-10:30. Girls should contact Ms. Lewis if they have any questions.

Adventure Jordan medical release forms were given to students last week. (see links below if your form did not make it home) Students should return the signed forms this week to their advisory teacher. Teachers will travel with these forms so it is imperative all students return the forms in a timely manner. Unfortunately, if a student does not return their form, we will not be able to take them on the trip with us.

If you have any questions regarding your grade level trip,  please contact:
Ms. VanCleave for the Grade 7 trip      mvancleave@acsamman.edu.jo
Mr. Hathaway for the Grade 7 trip        chathaway@acsamman.edu.jo

Grade 7 Adventure Jordan Medical Release

Grade 8 Adventure Jordan Medical Release Form

A message from our Athletic Director:
Hello Everyone,

As we head into May we would like to take advantage of this beautiful spring weather in Jordan.  Over the next month there will be a wide range of sports and activities available after school and on weekends.  This will be a much different format than in the past when spring sports was geared towards preparing our athletes for their fall seasons.  This year we are focusing on community.

Students (8th-12th grade), parents and teachers are all welcome to participate in these activities.  It doesn't matter if you have played the sport your whole life or have never played before.  If you don't have the gear or equipment, no worries we'll provide it.  The goal of this month is to get outside and stay active.  

I have attached a calendar that details the schedule for the next 4 weeks.  On this schedule you'll see that the following activities are offered:

Badminton

Basketball

Cardio Core Workout

Jiu Jitsu

Ping Pong

Running

Soccer

Tennis

Ultimate Frisbee

Volleyball

Yoga

The month of May is a tough month for students and teachers with exams and the final push until summer.  The sports and activities offered this month are meant to give everyone a chance to step away for a hour or two and recharge.   

To keep the body in good health is a duty.  Otherwise, we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

-Buddha

Spring Community Sports Calendar

And Lastly...
As we get closer to the end of the year, things will get hectic and busy. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns here at the end of the year. We are entering a stressful time of year for students...everyone will be busy....some are leaving.....some are staying. Regardless if a student is leaving or staying it is hard for students to see friends go. As the adults in their lives, it is important we stay in close communication so we can work together to keep things upbeat, positive, and in perspective for all the kids. Of all times, this is when we all need to be working together.   :)

Have a good evening,
Rhonda

Week of 27 April

Good Evening,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. It is tough to stay inside with all of these beautiful days we are having!

Thanks to Ms. Leidtke's advisory for providing us with our last "pay if forward" contribution to our ACS Middle School. Students in the advisory class organized some great music, a game of Chaos, and a perfect ice cream treat last week. I will be honest.....it was such a nice morning to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, some relaxed social time, and a bit of ice cream....even I did not want to go back to class! It was nice to see the students just take some time and just hang out for a bit....a little balance in life and time taken to appreciate each other.

From our French and Spanish Teachers:
The World Language Oral Skills Showcase for French and Spanish will take place on June 3 starting at 4:00. Please attend and enjoy our students performing in a world language.

From one of our Seniors:
Please come to the Color Run taking place this Saturday. A bus will leave from ACS @ 10:00 to the Scandanavian Forest. All proceeds will go to support school supplies for a local school.

Adventure Jordan reminder:
Gr 6 students depart Tuesday to Azraq and will return on Wednesday.
Gr 7 and Gr 8 students will be departing the week of May 11. Students will be bringing home medical release forms next week. If you have any questions about any of the trips, please contact the following people:
Gr 6   Bill Lewis     wlewis@acsamman.edu.jo
Gr 7   Molly VanCleave    mvancleave@acsamman.edu.jo
Gr 8   Chris Hathaway    chathaway@acsamman.edu.jo

From our Curriculum Director:
Students will begin their Spring MAP testing 22 April and finish 15 May. Once all ACS students have completed the testing cycle we will send results home to parents.

Week of April 13

Good Evening, 

Welcome back......I hope everyone enjoyed their time during Spring Break. It was a much anticipated week, however, I now fear the rest of the school year is going to go by entirely too quickly! 

As we get back into our routine this week, I only have a couple of highlights for you. 

Reminder...

• Sunday and Monday of next week are holidays

From HS Drama..........

• The HS production of Who Killed Aunt Caroline? will have one performance only on Thursday, April 17 with a show at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for JD 5

From our Community Service Coordinator...............

• On Saturday, 26 April, ACS will be sponsoring the Run For Life to raise funds for the King Hussein Cancer Center. We wish to make this a K-12 event. To register and download forms, go to the following website:

timtschumperlin.com/service

 

 Have a nice evening.....

Week of March 30

Good Evening,

Thank you for attending our first Tech Expo. We hope you were able to walk away with a greater understanding of how we use technology as a learning tool. We also hope you were able to gain an understanding of areas we are strive to guide students in so they can learn how to use technology responsibly.

Thanks also goes to our StuCo for a great dance on Thursday evening. Even though the tacos arrived a bit late.....fun was had by all! Also, really want to thank you for the prompt pick ups of your son/daughters after such events.....makes for an enjoyable ending for everyone....you don't know how greatly our staff appreciates your efforts in this area.

Our next big demonstration of learning opportunity.....

Arabic World Language Oral Skills Showcase

1 April @ 4:00-5:15

Join us as our students demonstrate their skills in Arabic with Speeches, Poetry, Interpretive readings, and Acting

**note: Spanish and French Language Showcase will take place in June.

Quarter 3 Reports will be available for viewing on Power School on Friday, April 4 at 12:00 noon. Many of our teachers are traveling this week to the NE/SA Teacher's Conference so updates will not be ready until they have a chance to arrive at their destination. After we return from Spring Break, a report card will be emailed to you.


Senior Project Activity sponsored by one of our seniors, Alaa Al Dmour....

Middle School Movie Night: On Wednesday, April 16th, right after school, there will be a movie night for middle school students in the Cafeteria. This is part of a fundraising event and the money collected will be used to buy food for 50 orphans. There will be popcorn selling for one JD each. The tickets will be 5 JDs each and will be available after spring break. Students should go to this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q9NVDTL and vote for the movie they would like to watch.

         

REMINDER: THURSDAY, 3 APRIL THERE IS NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS. THIS IS A PD DAY FOR TEACHERS. 

If you are traveling during the holiday, we wish you safe travels and look forward to having your sons/daughters back with us on Sunday, 13 April.

Week of 23 March

Good Evening,

Thanks to the PTG for a wonderful Celebration of Cultures event yesterday. It was a beautiful day to celebrate a strength of ACS.....our diversity.

Thanks also to Ms. Ghosheh for starting a House League program for students during advisory time 2 days per week. It is a great opportunity for students to interact, collaborate, and have some fun during the day.

Important learning announcement........please remind your son/daughter to bring their charger with them each day. When a student does not have the ability to use their laptop during a class their learning is impacted. Students often have documents saved or have work in progress on their laptops from day to day. Without access to their work, this can prevent them from participating in class and from demonstrating their learning.

This week is a busy week......

Quarter 3 comes to an end on Thursday of this week. Reports will be available for viewing on Power School on April 4 at 12:00 noon. After we return from Spring Break a report card will be emailed to you.

Course Selections: Monday Gr 6 and Gr 7 students will be guided through the course registration process during advisory. If you have not done so already, please sit with your son/daughter to review the Program of Studies information that we given to them last week and to log on to the Google Form for the first step in the course selection process.

StuCo sponsored Dance-a-thon on Thursday from 7-9. Please ensure you son/daughter is picked up on time so chaperons will have time to spend with their families on Thursday evening.

YOU ARE ALL INVITED....27 March.....our First Tech Expo

Please join us as the students share with you examples of how they are using technology to support their learning in their classes. We will also provide you with preliminary Adventure Jordan itineraries, packing lists, and other general information.

 

12:45-1:20 

     Parent Tech Talk-MPR

1:25-1:55 
     Adventure Jordan Information Sessions-MPR
2:00-3:00   

     Gr 6 WIX students will sit with you and explain their MS portfolios

     Gr 7 NVSF students will share their virtual science fair presentations with you

     Gr 8 IAR students/teachers will share with you how they use technology in the research process          

From our Arabic teachers...you will  be receiving information regarding the Arabic World Language Competition on 1 April @ 4:00. The format will be a bit different this year with our Arabic students going first and our French and Spanish students participating at a later date in June. 

 

REMINDER: THURSDAY, 3 APRIL THERE IS NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS. THIS IS A PD DAY FOR TEACHERS. 

Have a nice evening.

Week of 16 March

Good Evening,

Did you see the large snowflakes on Friday morning? Hopefully that is the last of the snow for this year....I know I had already put my sweaters away!

We have a busy few weeks coming up so below is the "long of the short" of what is going on....

• Celebration of Cultures is this Saturday.....come out and help us celebrate one of the greatest strengths of ACS....our diversity. The PTG has been working hard on this event.
• YOU ARE ALL INVITED....27 March.....our First Tech Expo

12:45-1:20 

     Parent Tech Talk-MPR

1:25-1:55  
     Adventure Jordan Information Sessions-MPR
2:00-3:00   

     Gr 6 WIX students will sit with you and explain their MS portfolios

     Gr 7 NVSF students will share their virtual science fair presentations with you

     Gr 8 IAR students/teachers will share with you how they use technology in the research process          

• Grade 6 and Grade 7 students will be given course selection information on Thursday. Please sit with your and discuss with them their World Language options and their elective options.

• From our Arabic teachers...you will  be receiving information regarding the Arabic World Language Competition on 1 April @ 4:00. The format will be a bit different this year with our Arabic students going first and our French and Spanish students participating at a later date in June.

 A side note....I started to send this(see link below) to the students on Friday morning but then thought they would think it was too "sappy" and not read the article. But I still feel the need to tell somebody.....I have witnessed our students do similar things while at school. I think the students are still at an age where they do not realize the impact of their actions but.......we have good kids, not perfect kids (thank goodness) but they are good people and I want to thank you again for allowing us to be a part of their lives.

 

I have seen our students do similar things.....

Enjoy your evening.

Week of 9 March

Good Evening,

How welcome the rain is......stay dry but enjoy the fresh feeling of the Spring showers!

Thanks to the HS StuCo for a wonderful Talent Show. Nice to see so many of our ACS students showing us their talents...all for a good cause.

This Week:
Service Leadership class will be sponsoring a Bake Sale on Monday. They are working towards providing a lunch for the children in the orphanage nearby.

We will celebrate Pi Day on Thursday....you should hear a lot of Pi numbers being recited this week in preparation!

Gr 8 students are registering for their HS courses this week. Information was provided to everyone last Thursday. If you have any questions about courses in Gr 9, please contact Ms. Blixt in the Counseling Office.

Mark your calendar:
March 27 will be a big day in the MS.....Parents are invited........
Monthly Family Connection Chat @ 12:45 followed by:
Adventure Jordan Information Sessions for Gr 6-8
Technology Showcase @ each grade level--come see a few examples how your son/daughter uses technology in their school life......

• Gr 6 The makings of online student portfolios
• Gr 7 NVSF Presentations
• Gr 8 Research process in the IAR classes

 Enjoy your evening.

Week of March 2

Good Evening,

Thanks to StuCo for the great bonfire on Thursday evening.  All the students seemed to have a great time and we had the perfect amount of chill in the air! "Hanging out" with parents in the MPR was also great fun.....so nice to have a chance to simply chit-chat with everyone.

Welcome Back to the MUN students. They had a great experience in Singapore last week interacting with other students from schools all over the world. A tired group upon return but well worth it from what I understand. Thank you to Lisa Martin and Beth Marinucci for their efforts in preparing our students for such a learning opportunity.

Please make note of:

• the Speaker Series event tomorrow night from 6-8 pm for Andrew Harper, the head of UNHCR in Jordan, who will give a talk and take questions on the topic of refugees in Jordan.
• the Talent Show rehearsals taking place tomorrow and Thursday of this week...students have been given the times and locations for the rehearsals.

From the Service Leadership class:

Dear Parents,

The Service leadership class is hosting a bake sale for middle school students in order to raise money for a lunch and supplies for a local orphanage they will be visiting on the 28th of March. We know there is a lot going on this month, but we hope you can give your son/daughter money to support this good cause.

Thanks, Service Leadership

From a Senior for her Senior Project:

Ethiopian Night: 

Kera Hora elementary school & ACS Student Art Show Fundraiser

GYM

Night of Talent Show

4-7 pm

March 7,2014

Price: 10 JD

All photographs purchased will go to printing and sending photos back to the students of Kera Hora Elementary

Much thanks to:

Link Ethiopia who helped me achieve this endeavor

 Tanvi Majumar, ACS, Grade 10

 Kalabe, Kera Hora Elementary, Age 15

Week of 23 February

Good Evening,

What a beautiful weekend.....I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy it a bit.

Details on events this week:
Tuesday will be our next Family Connection Chat. This month's chat will address two topics: Cyberbullying and an introduction to Standards Based Reporting. We look forward to seeing you at 8:15 in the MPR.

Thursday the StuCo will sponsor a social bonfire for MS students. They will roast marshmallows...possibly attempt s'mores...from 6:30-8:00. We will have tables/chairs, coffee, snacks for parents in the MPR if you would also like to "hangout" for a bit with other parents.

Next month:
Mark your calendar......27 March. In lieu of parent-teacher conferences, we will take this day for many student presentations targeted towards the Gr 7 NVSF (NE/SA Virtual Science Fair) and to showcase how students have been using technology this year. Parents are invited....more details to follow.

If you are not returning to ACS next year, please notify the office so we can ensure we have all necessary documents prepared for you.

Have a nice evening.

Week of February 16

Good Evening,

I hope everyone has enjoyed their long weekend.

Reminder--tomorrow, Monday, is a half day for students. Dismissal will be at 12:00 noon. As a result....

• there are NO after school activities as all teachers will be in meetings until 4:30
• students should not remain on campus after school tomorrow
• all buses will be full with regularly assigned riders so there will not be room on buses for students to ride home with other students.

 After School Activities.......

• thus far over 60 sign ups have taken place, sign ups close tonight at 10:00 pm
• once sign ups have closed, we will know which activities have enough student interest for the activity to take place
• students will receive confirmation emails of participation in activities

Once again, please notify us if you know you will not be returning to ACS next school year. This helps us know how many seats we have available for new families.

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Week of 9 February

Good Morning,

First, my apologies for the late Missives this week. I was also "hit" with the bug that has been going around and today is my first day to be up and around since last week. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel good!

As a result, it is going to take me awhile to get through all of the waiting emails. As I begin to get caught up on emails, etc. IF you sent me an email last week that needs an immediate response please let me know. I will be getting to each email as quickly as I can.

Of most importance....Second Semester After School Activity Sign Ups......

We have spent time rearranging the gym usage schedule to accommodate more MS activities. Below represents the most recent listing of activities. Students will be able to sign up through Moodle beginning tonight, after 6 pm. If you have any questions regarding the activities, please contact Mr. Tate (ttate@acsamman.edu.jo)

Ping Pong begins 18 Feb
Volleyball begins 27 Feb
Basketball begins 22 April
Badminton begins 23 April
(specific dates for each practice will be posted on Moodle as we work around already scheduled HS games, etc.)

Adventure Club dates:
22 Feb
15 March
3 May
31 May
(students do not have to sign up for ALL 4 dates...students will be able to sign up for the trips they are interested in)

All of these activities begin next week:
Chess Club-Mondays
Mural Club-Tuesdays
Spanish/Latin Cooking, Conversation, Culture-Tuesdays
Homework Club-Mondays
Math Lab-Mondays
MUN Club-Wednesdays

If you know you will not be returning to ACS next school year, please let us know so we can respond appropriately to new families who are applying to ACS and so we can have your necessary documents ready for you. If you son/daughter will require any recommendations for their new school, please allow a minimum of 1 week for those requests to be processed.

Thanks for your patience this week and once again my apologies for being late this week.

Have a good day,

Week of February 2

Good Evening,

Just a few updates and reminders tonight:

• Sign ups for After School Activities will begin next week. Students will sign up through Moodle and will be receiving information in Advisory next week. 
• GRADE 8 ONLY--JV Track and Field begins on Tuesday of this week. All medical forms need to be turned in prior to participation.  Any questions can be directed to Mr. Tate (ttate@acsamman.edu.jo)

• It is that time of year.....if you know you are not returning for next school year, please let us know so we can ensure all necessary documents are in order at the end of the year. This also allows us to make decisions concerning new families applying to the school for next year. Please allow a minimum of 1 week for any needed recommendations from teachers.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!

Adventure Jordan Dates

Grade 6       Azraq

April 29-30        

Grade 7       Wadi Dana and Feynan

Group 1      May 12-14

Group 2      May 13-15

Grade 8      Petra and Aqaba

May 13-15

Teachers are in the process of finalizing trip itineraries so more information will be forthcoming. Please see Student Handbook for information explaining what Adventure Jordan is (see link above).

Have a nice evening....stay warm!

Week of January 26

Good Evening,

A few "thank yous" to start with....

• Thanks to all those who attended our Family Chat Session last week. It is nice to have a regular turnout along with all of the great discussions and I do look forward to seeing everyone each month. Our next session is scheduled for 25 February.
• Thanks to the StuCo and all the volunteer chaperons for the dance this past Thursday. There was plenty of excitement in the air that was for sure!

Today we began the second semester of the school year. With the start of the new semester comes:

1. e-reports for Quarter 2. Teachers are completing comments and inputting final grades now. Reports will be sent 29 Jan.  
2. Some students began new semester or quarter classes. Students can check on Power School for second semester courses they are registered for. Any requests for course changes can be made through Moodle. 
3. New students to our middle school and I will say I am quite proud of our ACS students....they are welcoming, encouraging, and helpful to the new students who have joined us. 

There is a nice feel to the hallways these days......students seem to be confident with what they are doing at school and, more importantly, seem quite happy. We frequently hear "good noise" in the hallways.......students speaking nicely to others, being positive, lots of laughter.....it is nice to hear.

Have a good evening.
Rhonda

Week of January 19

Good Evening,

Hope you enjoyed your weekend. I am anxious to return to ACS and get back into my own routine. I will be honest, I miss being in the hallways seeing the students and teachers!

Reminders:
Tuesday morning we will have our next Family Chat Session. The topic will be addressing Social Media.....what are the kids doing and how to handle the impact of social media use.

StuCo is sponsoring their "Winter" dance on Thursday. Please be reminded many adults volunteer their time to chaperon so prompt pick up is appreciated.

FYI:
Semester 1 ends on 23 January.

• Reports will be emailed to parents on 29 January.
• Students will receive information about schedule change requests for the second semester at the end of this week through an assembly and through their Moodle. Requests can be submitted through 29 January. 

An opportunity for students in Grade 6 ONLY to participate in an evening basketball activity will begin soon.

Grade 6 ONLY Basketball Evening Activity

I look forward to seeing everyone upon my return. 

Have a good evening.

Week of January 12

Good Evening,

I hope everyone has enjoyed the long weekend. I know we all like a nice holiday, but.....I must say I am glad we can now get back into a routine and just focus on students and their learning for a bit!

I will be away all this week attending workshops on creating Standards Based Report Cards and a workshop on the Common Core Standards that have been adopted. And, as I said, we are really wanting to get everyone back into their routines so....only a few upcoming dates to be aware of:

• Mark your calendar.... Jan 21 will be our next Family Connection Chat. The topic will be: Social Media....what are the kids using and the impact (good and bad) social media can have.  
• We have been encouraging students to speak with their teachers if they are behind on any of their assignments....the end of the quarter is quickly approaching--23 Jan. Please help us remind students of this important responsibility in the communication process.
• The StuCo has rescheduled their "Santa's Blizzard" dance that was previously scheduled for before the holiday to 23 Jan. StuCo is also working on rearranging Spirit Week--more info on that will come out as they complete their plans.

In honor of the upcoming PTG Book Fair, I came across this short article summarizing a recent study about the value of reading fiction on long term brain activity and development. I thought you might be interested so please see link below:

Article on reading and brain activity 

Enjoy your evening.

Week of January 5

Good Evening,

Welcome back from your holiday. I hope everyone had a nice time spent with family/friends. I will say it has certainly been lonely around school without students....it seems like forever since we have seen them!

Tomorrow classes will begin. 

It will be a Day 4

Bus Riders....it is a week 1 pick up schedule

There has been an incredible amount of clean up work completed on campus leftover from the snowfall. In addition, the outdoor bleachers have been installed, an additional enclosure for outdoor eating, and a redesign of computer labs, just to name a few. It was not a restful break for a support staff as they worked hard to have everything ready for tomorrow. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated support staff who care about ACS so much. A big THANK YOU to them for all of their hard work.

Student Council will be making decisions about rescheduling their Spirit Week...information will be forthcoming once they have finished their conversations. 

JV Basketball Tryouts will take place this week. Contact Mr. Tate (ttate@acsamman.edu.jo) for additional information or go to the athletics/activities website @Athletics/Activities Website

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our own ACS MS Teacher, Ms. Hall. She has been accepted as a presenter at the Spring NESA Teacher's Conference in Bangkok. The NESA Conference is a meeting of all international school teachers and administrators to share their ideas on their art of teaching and ways to promote student learning. It is an honor to be accepted as a presenter from the many applications NESA receives each year. When you see her, please congratulate her for this accomplishment.