Thank you to Junia and Jenna, 5th grade students, for providing us with this update:

In our Reading for Refugees project we were working on raising money for CRP to help refugees. CRP is an organization that helps refugees in Jordan. Reading for refugees is a great project because it lets us read for a good cause. In Reading for Refugees we were working on helping CRP provide more books and education for people who don’t have good education. This program was a success this semester  because we earned 4,468 JD and will donate it to CRP. The way it worked was we would give each person a pamphlet with an explanation of what we were doing, a reading log, and a pledge form for your sponsors. We hope to be able to participate in this project next semester, and we hope this will continue for the more years ahead . Thank you to anyone who participated.

The Sugar Dash is a tradition at ACS! It was started by Norah Al-Sheikh when she was in 2nd grade. Norah has Type-1 Diabetes and she is an advocate for helping others understand what living with Type-1 Diabetes is like. She also works to raise funds for children in Jordan who are newly diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes. 

Each year we have a run at school to raise awareness and sometimes money. This year, we will hold the Sugar Dash in the gym on the morning of November 14th. Everyone is invited to participate. We will not be sending home pledge sheets this year. Nora (5P) and Emmy (3S) are accepting donations and selling T-shirts. All profits will be used to help children in Jordan with Type-1 Diabetes. All T-shirts need to be ordered by November 6th. Students can bring 15 JoD (or more) directly to Nora in 5P. Nora and Emmy will deliver the T-Shirts to students before the Sugar Dash. 

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

The ES counseling department is launching a series of fun challenges designed to help students grow their social and emotional skills and to help families continue to build strong connections at home. Participation is completely optional, but we’d love for you to join in!

Kicking off just in time for American Thanksgiving, our first challenge is the 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge!

Here’s how it works:

• Download and print the challenge sheet (or grab one from Ms. Hayley or Mr. Tim’s office).

• Hang it somewhere at home.

• Each day, pick a gratitude prompt, discuss it as a family, and color in the space on the sheet.

• If your family completes all 21 days, have your child(ren) bring the sheet back to one of the counselors for a special prize!

Research shows that practicing gratitude has powerful benefits for children. It helps improve their overall well-being by boosting happiness, reducing stress, and increasing resilience. Grateful children tend to have stronger relationships, a more positive attitude, and greater empathy for others. Practicing gratitude together as a family strengthens bonds and creates a positive, supportive home environment. Let’s celebrate gratitude together this season!

**Art Choice Board!**

 Dive into creative fun—pick an activity and express yourself! Let your imagination soar whether you're painting, drawing, or reading about art! To begin, click on the image below.

Save the date for Snuggle up and Read!