Week of December 15

Good Evening,

Finally....I am able to get to my blog. It still seems a bit wonky so this is just a brief message to wish you all a Happy Holiday and Safe Travels.

A lot of work is going on at school to remove snow and rebuild damaged structures. This has proven to be no small task!

Many teachers have also been without internet the past few days so they will post activities/assignments for students so they do not fall out of practice or too far behind. The intention, however, is not to overload students with lots of work during the holidays either.

We will regroup during the holiday with rescheduling events, etc. and will let you know as soon as we have dates reorganized.

In the meantime, enjoy your holidays, stay warm, and enjoy your family time.

Week of 8 December

Good Evening,

I hope everyone is staying healthy at this time of year...there is quite a cold type "thing" going around so I wish you all good health.

Thanks for your support of the Holiday Bazaar. Fun was had by all and we greatly appreciate the PTG for working so hard to sponsor such an event.

This week the StuCo will sponsor their first dance of the year. This is a student organized event from 6:00-9:00. We request consideration for a prompt pick up of students as this is time volunteered by teacher chaperons. With a prompt pick up of students then everyone is able to enjoy the evening.

Please make note of the school holiday dates. We publish the dates early so families are able to plan and make their travel arrangements. An early departure or late return makes it difficult for students to stay caught up with their peers and with the instruction that takes place within the classroom.

Mark your calendar for next week....Dec 17 for our next Family Connection Chat. Topic this month is Social Media...what are the kids using and the impact (good and bad) social media can have.

We would like for you to mark your calendar now for WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29. We will sponsor a tech "expo" to give students an opportunity to shine and give parents an opportunity to see, and understand, exactly what happens in a 1:1 learning classroom. More details about the time will be forthcoming.

I am amazed how quickly this school year is going by. With that idea in mind, below is a link to a video clip I saw over the weekend. For me, at my age, it made me panic a bit....fearful I have not made good use of my time in life. The "jelly bean" video is a gentle reminder about motivation and how we use our time......enjoy........

Jelly Bean Motivation

Have a good evening.

Week of 1 December

Good Evening,

We hope everyone had a nice long weekend. As an intro to the weekend, see the picture below illustrating time MS students took to send notes of thanks to peers and teachers. It was nice to take a moment an recognize kindness in each other.

Upcoming Events to Highlight:

• Band/Choir Concert will be at 6:00 on Tuesday
• Holiday Bazaar will be on Thursday...students will have time during the day to visit the Bazaar and the Bazaar will remain open until 7:00 pm
• Next Family Connection Chat will be Dec 17 @ 8:15. Topic: Social Media...what is it, how is it done and what impact does it have (positives and negatives)

Introducing:
 Please join us in welcoming Mais Samara to our MS teaching staff. Ms. Samara will be teaching MS Arabic AFL beginning today. Ms. Samara is familiar with ACS as she has worked with us before and is looking forward to working with the MS students. Moodle and Power School accounts will be activated for her this week in order to facilitate communication.

Week of 24 November

Good Evening,

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Let me remind you that this week will bring a long weekend for you.....students do not have school on Wednesday due to teacher meetings and Thursday is a holiday.

Just a few quick notes this week:

• Thank you to the Arabic Dept. for a wonderful celebration of our host country culture this past Wednesday. It is always nice to see so many students, from all over the world, on stage coming together to celebrate.

 

• Below is a link to a parent letter notifying you that your son/daughter was given their MAP results to take home. Students will spend time in advisory class next week reflecting on the results to guide them into understanding themselves as learners.

Letter to Parents-MAP Testing

• Thanks to Ms. Marinucci's advisory class for providing our first Advisory Challenge of the year. Advisory groups were asked to create introductory videos of 2-4 mins. in length demonstrating creativity and including all advisory members in their video. It was a great collaborative effort that really encouraged students to get to know each other and develop their communication skills. Thanks again Ms. Marinucci's group.

• Reminder----if you know you will not be returning to ACS for the second semester, please let us know so we can begin to process all the necessary documents you will need for your new locations. You can contact our registrar or Ms. Rima Fanik, MS/HS Assistant for notification.

Have a nice evening.

Week of 17 November

Good Evening,

Thank yous:
for attending our Learning Progress Conferences. It was great to see everyone and nice to see parents, teachers, and students having a chance to sit and talk.

Reminder:

Request:

• if you know you will not be returning to ACS for the second semester, please let us know. We can begin processing your necessary documents so they will be ready for you at the end of the semester and we can notify those who are on our waiting lists.

Updates:

• Family Connection Chat will be tomorrow at 8:15 in the MPR. There will be dialogue about why ACS is a 1:1 school, what that means for learning, and how it looks on a daily basis for your son/daughter.
• Our Math/Science consultant from the US, Erma Anderson, is at ACS this week. On Tuesday, Nov 19 at 8:15 in the MPR she will talk to parents about the Commom Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. Come to find out about US Standards that we are implementing at ACS and what the significance of these Standards are for your child's education. 
• MAP test results will be sent home on Sunday, Nov 24. An information session to explain the test to parents will be held on Tuesday, Nov 26 at 8:15 in the MPR.

Interesting tidbits...
.........the kinds of things your son/daughter's teachers think about and talk about when it comes to your child's learning....

Key to Success...
Invention Poll 
Shift Happens-Updated 2013 

Week of 10 November

Good Evening,

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Congratulations are in order for Mr. and Mrs. Hire…help us welcome baby Hire into our ACS Community….from what I understand Mom and Baby are doing well.

Thank Yous:

To Ms. Hire , her cast and crew for the production of Robin Hood this past Thursday. What talent we were all able to enjoy!

Updates:

• You should have received your son/daughter’s first Demonstration of Learning e-report last week. If you did not receive it, please contact us. 
• Learning Progress Conferences will talk place this week in the Gym….Wednesday 12-7 and Thursday 7:30-12:00. We look forward to seeing you there.
• MAP testing will be completed later this week.  Assuming results are returned to us on time, we will are intending to send results home on 24 November.
• Arabic Heritage Week will take place next week with the evening event on Wednesday @ 7:00
• Family Connection Chat will take place on Monday, 18 November. My kid goes to a 1:1 school….what does that mean and what does it look like? We will be sharing insights on just what happens in your son/daughter’s 1:1 classroom. 

Thank you for your time and support. I return to Amman tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to seeing the students again.

Week of 3 November

Good Evening,

Hope you had a "spooky" weekend! It was great to see so many at our annual Spooktacular...thanks to the PTG for the coordination of the event. Truly "the talk of the town" type of event!

Updates:
School Photos:
Student photos will be available for pick up from the school on Tuesday, November 5 from 8:00-2:00. A representative from Nabeel Studios will be on campus with the photos. Photos must be paid for in cash.

Additional After School Activities
Next week will begin additional after school activities of Rooftop Floor Hockey and Ping Pong. Hockey will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays. Ping Pong will take place on Thursdays. Moodle sign ups will take place throughout this week.

Drama Production
The evening performance of Robin Hood will take place Thursday @ 6:00. We look forward to seeing you there.

Learning Progress Reports
A change of date to the sending of reports---we have been experimenting with different reporting methods. As a result, we will need one more day before we send Learning Progress reports. Reports will be send via email on Tuesday afternoon and NOT Monday afternoon. Thank you for your patience.

Follow up to Family Connection Chat
Thanks to all those who attended our repeat session on Balancing Screen Time. Below is the link to the blog that includes helpful resources for parents in supporting students learn how to manage their screen time and use technology responsibly.

acstechieparents.blogspot.com

Our next Family Connection Chat will be Nov 18--Brain Research and Your Middle Schooler.

Handbook Highlight

Academic Concern

Letters of Academic Concern will be given to students if at the end of an official quarter, or semester, the student has:

1.     an incomplete, is failing a class, and/or there is an indication  of 2 or more classes reporting in the 60% range

2.     at the start of a school year, the final report from the previous year would have resulted in Academic Probation

Placement on Academic Concern will require:

1.     parents to sign and return the Academic Concern letter

2.     students to meet with the middle school counselor to develop a learning plan for improvement

Letters of Academic Concern will be placed into a student’s academic file and will be removed after one year free of Academic Concern or Academic Probation placement.

Academic Probation

A students will be placed on Academic Probation after previously been on Academic Concern for one quarter if at an official quarter, or semester reporting period, the student:

1.     has an incomplete in any class and/or is failing two or more classes

2.     has 3 or more classes reporting in the 60% range

Placement on Academic Probation will require:

1.     parents to sign and return the Academic Probation letter and attend an Academic Probation meeting involving the administration and counselor

2.     a student to be ineligible to take part in student activities that require missing regular classes during the school day

Academic Probation Letters will be placed into a student’s academic file. A prolonged placement on Academic Probation may result in a student being asked to withdraw from ACS.

The policies for Academic Concern and Academic Probation in the Middle School reflect the

philosophy of middle level education. Students are expected to work hard, stay organized, and seek assistance when it is necessary.

Recognition for student learning progress will take place at the end of the semester.

A Glimpse into a Day at ACS

ACS students are active in their own learning and teachers use technology to support instruction:

ACS students are guided while they develop their analytical thinking: