Join Our Next Parent Chat!

Please join me for our next Parent Chat on April 28th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss how we are approaching Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). You can access the chat at this link. 

We will begin our Spring MAP assessments after the break. Students in grades 2-5 will take one MAP assessment a week following the schedule below. Your child’s teacher will let you know when they will take the assessments. You will note gaps between some of the assessments. This is due to holidays. 

• Language Assessment - Completed

• Reading Assessment -  Completed

• Reading Assessment - Week of April 27

• Make Ups - Week of May 4

The MAP assessments provide external data that compares your child’s performance with a set of recognized standards. Because the assessment is adaptive, we can gather information about children outside of the constraints of grade-level bands. 

This is not an assessment that your child can study for. To help her or him do their very best, please ensure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a healthy breakfast. You can also help your child by not making a big deal about this testing experience. It is not a high-stakes assessment; the children have no reason to feel stressed about their performance. After all students have completed the tests, you will receive information about your child’s performance on the MAP assessment. You can jump to the MAP Family Toolkit for more information about the MAP assessment. 

As a school, we look at the results of the MAP assessments to help us better understand each learner and our academic programs. Our classroom teachers will spend time together looking at MAP results in conjunction with other data about learning. As administrators, we use multiple data points (including MAP) over time to help us understand where our students are doing well and where we might consider making programmatic changes. The Spring data helps us see student growth trends over the year. Additionally, we will collect and analyze data from reading and writing assessments. 

Save The Date - Departing Families Transition Workshop Invitation

Join us on Wednesday, May 7th from 5:00 - 6:30 pm for connection, activities, and discussion in relation to transitioning out of ACS and into a new place. This is for elementary school students and parents. Expect to connect more deeply with each other (and other leavers) on the things that make leaving complex, and perhaps gain clarity on the things you and your family might do to offer closure to your time at ACS or in Amman. We will send out a formal invitation to all departing families with more detailed information soon, and we hope you will join us. Location TBD.

Please reach out to one of the ES counselors, Hayley Jeanes or Tim Steadman, with any questions.

April Family Connection Challenge

The ES counseling department is excited to share another fun challenge for families to enjoy at home! This April, make it your family’s mission to create 100 moments of connection.

With spring break on the horizon, this is a perfect opportunity to be intentional about spending quality time together. Connection doesn’t have to be fancy or time-consuming—what matters most is presence and love. Whether it’s taking a family walk, having a game night, spending ten minutes drawing together, or sharing jokes, every little moment counts!

How It Works:

• Choose a handout from the available options. You can print one at home or pick one up from Ms. Hayley or Mr. Tim’s office.

• Hang it somewhere visible—on the fridge, a bedroom wall, or anywhere your child will see it often.

• Each time you share a moment of connection, your child can color in one space on the handout.

• Need inspiration? The handout includes 100 ideas to connect, or you can create your own!

• Once all 100 spaces are colored in, have your child bring it in to show a counselor!

Enjoy this special time to bond as a family. We can’t wait to hear about your moments of connection!

Updated Resource Webpage - Discussion ideas and coping strategies when approaching unfairness, violence, crime and war with your child.  

Talking about topics like unfairness, violence, crime and war can be hard.  You might not know what to say in the moment.  Being ready for these talks can help.  Please check out the resources on this page and let us know how we can support you!  

Tim Steadman and Hayley Jeanes

🌎 Smart Choices for a Greener World!

 Explore our Earth Day choice board full of fun, brain-boosting activities! Learn, create, and take action as a young Earth scientist making a BIG difference! 

Click this Link to get started