Good Afternoon

This week reminded us why school is more than academics, it's about community, culture, and celebration.

On Tuesday, the Compassion Club hosted an unforgettable Cultural Carnival. Over 20 cultures came alive through food, stories, and shared joy across our high school. Mr. Kennedy and his student performers added music and energy that transformed the space into a vibrant festival.

Wednesday brought another powerful moment: our Arabic Department’s annual showcase. Students shared their love for the Arabic language through thoughtful presentations, original performances, and cultural expressions. Their creativity and growth were on full display.

Today, our 10th graders are soaking up the sun at the Dead Sea, a well-earned reward for earning the highest “class points” this year. Huge credit to the Student Council for organizing a system that builds unity and friendly competition.

And tonight, Prom. A defining tradition and major milestone for our seniors as graduation draws near.

Special thanks to Ms. Sulieman, Ms. Kamal, Ms. Abi Faris, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Karim, and the many staff members who brought these moments to life. These memories wouldn’t exist without their heart and hustle.

Note from the Global Online Academy - Your student’s school is a proud member of Global Online Academy (GOA), a non-profit organization made up of an international consortium of schools that provides high-quality online learning experiences for students and educators. We are delighted that you are exploring GOA learning experiences and your student is considering taking a passion-based course through GOA. We wanted to share why GOA may be of interest to your student, explain how it works, and answer questions you may have as you explore this option.

Every member school we work with has a GOA Site Director on campus, an employee of the school who offers support and guidance to every student who enrolls in a GOA course. The Site Director coordinates enrollments, has answers to any school-specific policy questions, and collaborates with your child’s GOA teacher and our organization to ensure a quality learning experience. We encourage you to contact your Site Director (Lori Black 25/26 Librarian - lblack@acsamman.edu.jo) with any questions you might have about GOA.

We encourage you to take a moment to browse our course catalog of 65+ semester and yearlong offerings for students in grades 9-12, explore our eight learning pathways and Pathway Certification, and review our Frequently Asked Questions. 

We look forward to working with you and your student,

The GOA Team

What is Global Online Academy?

The mission of GOA is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. We deepen learning through courses that equip students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be successful in high school, college, career, and life. By banding together as a consortium, GOA member schools are able to offer far more courses than any single school could offer on its own.  

Why would my student take a GOA class rather than a class on campus? 

Students will join a global learning community through intellectually rigorous, relationship-based online learning experiences that allow them to develop their cross-cultural collaboration, time management, project planning, advocacy, and real world problem-solving skills. The most popular reasons students cite for enrolling in a GOA course are: 1) GOA offerings provide the chance to explore a topic that may not be offered on campus, and 2) GOA courses target interests that students want to pursue in college and beyond.

How can I be sure this is a quality experience?

Our member schools have all evaluated the GOA program and affirmed that the quality of instruction and student experience are equivalent to the quality of courses offered on campus. GOA courses are taught by expert educators predominantly from our member schools who are experienced and deeply skilled in teaching and supporting students both in-person and online. In 2016, GOA became the first online academy to receive accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). GOA is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

What are GOA’s Learning Pathways and Certification?

Students seeking to demonstrate depth of interest and expertise in a field of study can pursue one of GOA’s eight pathways to earn a Pathway Certification. Students who take three or more courses from a particular pathway will be issued a GOA certificate that lists the courses taken, the competencies mastered in those courses, and the certification earned. Schools will continue to record grades from GOA courses on the school’s transcript as well. Pathway Certification allows students to further distinguish themselves and create opportunities for sharing their unique learning journey in the college admissions process. 

How does it work?

GOA courses are teacher facilitated and paced, but they are predominantly asynchronous, offering students flexibility to work at their own pace and time with regular feedback and guidance from their teachers. Designed as highly interactive, the use of online discussion tools and scheduled video conferencing allows students to build relationships and share experiences with peers and teachers around the world. All student work is submitted and assessed in our Learning Management System.  Students communicate frequently with teachers and peers via email, our discussion platform, and periodic video calls. Students can expect to connect synchronously with teachers and classmates via video call on a weekly or biweekly basis.

If enrolled, what are the expectations of my student? 

A GOA course takes a similar commitment of time, effort, and engagement as an on-campus course. Courses are collaborative, engaging learning experiences and dependent upon student participation. Students typically spend 5-7 hours a week on GOA courses -- a significant commitment-- so it’s wise to discuss your student’s readiness with the Site Director and review the Student & Family Enrollment Presentation with your child before requesting enrollment. 

What can parents expect of GOA?

As a consortium of schools, you can expect that we have created frameworks and policies to help us unify our approach to teaching and learning and the student experience. You can expect reliable, regular communication from GOA and your student’s school when it comes to issues of student support and wellness. Our Student and Family Handbook outlines the details of our program.

What are the important dates to know?

• March 31, 2025 00:00 UTC: Enrollment for 25-26 school year

• June 16, 2025: GOA Summer Courses Begin

• August 1, 2025: GOA Summer Courses End

• August 27, 2025: Semester 1 courses open

• October 17, 2025: Sem 1 Midterm

• December 12, 2025: Semester 1 ends

• December 19: Semester 1 Grade/Learning Reports distributed

• January 14, 2026: Semester 2 courses open 

• February 16, 2026: GOA DAY! 2026-27 Course Requests Begin, Summer Course Enrollment Opens

• March 6, 2026: Sem 2 Midterm

• May 1, 2026: Semester 2 Ends

Attendance During AP Exams -  AP attendance Procedures were shared with students early last week and we wanted to ensure you all got to see what the expectations were communicated out to students.  Please note, students will have a supervised space to be in the event that they choose to stay at school throughout the duration of the regular day: 

You are allowed time out of class to prepare for AP exams. This preparation needs to take place off of campus. You may not leave class and remain on campus.   

For morning exams...

You can take your study leave the day before the test starts at 11:40 (Tuesday at 11:35)

1 - Go to the class you were scheduled to go to and inform them that you have a test the next day and you will be taking AP study leave. 

2 - Check out with the HS office 

For afternoon exams…

You can take your study leave the morning before your test. You need to be at school in time to take your exam. Please check in the HS office when you arrive. 

Seniors last day of school is May 15, so the following pertains to 11th and 10th grade students

Attending AP classes after the AP exam weeks are completed:

• Work in AP classes will stop after the date of the AP Exam. These will become study hall periods. 

• You will be able to leave school if your AP class(es) take place at the end of the day. To do this you will need to go to your AP class and get a blue pass from the teacher. This will allow you to leave campus.  (Teachers will enter APT into PowerSchool for any student they hand a pass to)

  • 1. • If you have two AP classes back to back you can leave at the start of the first one. 

       • If you have a study hall adjacent to an AP class you do not have to attend study hall

       • You may leave at lunch if your AP class is after lunch

       • On Tuesdays, depending on our schedule you may leave at the following times 11:20 (Adjacent to SH) or 1:15. 

• If your day starts with an AP class you may arrive at the start of your first non-AP class. When you arrive at school please check in at the HS or Counseling Office

Assessment Week (May 28–June 2)

The week of May 27 marks our formal Assessment Week. Final unit assessments will be administered across all subject areas, and this is the scheduled opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning before grades are finalized.

Please note: Early assessments will not be offered. Absences during this week may significantly impact final grades, as teachers rely on this window to gather the data needed for end-of-term evaluations.  As we approach the end of the semester, please note the following updates regarding dismissal times and final assessments:

• Wednesday, May 28, Thursday, May 29; Sunday, June 1; and Monday, June 2: Dismissal at 11:35 AM

• Tuesday, June 3: Assessment Makeups, 8 Block Day/Student Checkout

• Wednesday, June 4: Final day of the semester

Lastly, Final report cards will be available in PowerSchool on Wednesday, June 4.