Issue #18: December 19, 2024
Issue #18: December 19, 2024
Embedded Files
From the Principal
From the Principal
Dr. Jeff Wilusz
Good Afternoon
As we wrap up 18 weeks of school, I imagine both teachers and students are breathing a well-earned sigh of relief. The next three’ish weeks offer a chance to switch off, decompress, and recharge. Whether it’s spending quality time with family, sleeping in, exercising, catching up on reading (or video games), or simply not thinking about school, I hope you and your children make the most of this well-deserved break.
On behalf of the entire high school, I wish you a safe, joyful, and festive holiday season. We’re excited to continue our work together in 2025, ensuring it’s a positive and productive year for all!
HS Couseling Office Announcements - Ms. Kurdi & Ms. Collings
HS Couseling Office Announcements - Ms. Kurdi & Ms. Collings
Happy Holidays from the Counseling Office! We hope our students have families have a safe, restful, and rejuvenating Winter Break. We hope everyone is looking forward to quality time with family and friends, and we look forward to seeing students back on campus in 2025!
Juniors are continuing to meet individually with Ms. Kurdi to review their current progress, explore future options, and plan their upcoming course selections. Juniors who missed their meetings can reach out to Ms. Ellen to schedule an online session. It’s essential for every junior to evaluate their academic and extracurricular profiles, which they’ve been doing by answering thoughtful reflection questions. This process helps them consider their next steps and identify pathways for growth, enabling them to pursue their passions, deepen their learning, and channel their curiosity effectively. They are also encouraged to make intentional use of their time outside the classroom.
A lot of our seniors’ application deadlines fall within the upcoming holiday, and seniors should continue to work on their applications during the holiday in order to meet those deadlines. They are also encouraged to follow processes well ahead of time, and not leave anything to the last minute. Should you have any time-sensitive questions or concerns, feel free to email Ms. Kurdi who will periodically be checking her inbox over the holidays.
US citizens are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA, which is now open! The first email we received to announce this came to us from UW-Madison, who also said, “Even if your students believe that they will not qualify for federal financial aid, it's still important to submit one, as many scholarships and grants still require a FAFSA® for consideration.
They also reminded us of these resources:
"Who's the Parent on the FAFSA® Form?" Wizard – A new, stand-alone tool to help students and families determine who will need to provide contributor information on the 2025–26 FAFSA® form prior to starting the application.
"Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account" Page – A new resource that explains what families and partners need to know about creating a StudentAid.gov account.
Pro Tips for Completing the FAFSA® Form – Updated tips for preparing to complete and submit the FAFSA® form. This resource will also be linked from the StudentAid.gov Dashboard to promote easier access for students and their required contributor(s).
Federal Student Aid Estimator – The tool provides an estimate of the 2025–26 Student Aid Index and Federal Pell Grant eligibility calculation.
Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel: FAFSA® Videos – Updated videos to help students and families understand the importance of the FAFSA® form, who is a FAFSA® contributor, and what happens after submitting the form.
You’re encouraged to visit our College Counseling website where some highlights are:
* Scholarships and Competitions
* In a Nutshell
Got more college questions? Ask Ms. Kurdi directly (rkurdi@acsamman.edu.jo), or schedule a meeting by emailing Ms. Ellen (ehindeleh@acsamman.edu.jo).
Our HS Counseling Team is:
Ms. Ruba Kurdi: College Counselor rkurdi@acsamman.edu.jo
Ms. Christine Collings: HS Counselor ccollings@acsamman.edu.jo
Ms. Ellen Hindeleh: Administrative Assistant ehindeleh@acsamman.edu.jo
We’re thrilled to celebrate our seniors who have been accepted to colleges that match their goals and aspirations! Through dedication and hard work, they’ve identified institutions that align with their academic ambitions, personal interests, and future plans. Each acceptance showcases their commitment and thoughtful approach to the college search process. We are immensely proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the next phase of their educational journey.
Here are the dates and registration deadlines for the upcoming SAT test for those who are planning on taking the tests. Please note that there is no late registration.
SAT registration link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/international
School Code: 54202
ACS Amman is the testing center and will not show up in the drop-down list. You must enter our code, 54202, in order to select our school as a testing center.
Athletics/Activities Announcements: (Jacob “Chip” Nielsen)
Athletics/Activities Announcements: (Jacob “Chip” Nielsen)
Athletics and Activities website- This is our central hub for athletics and activities information
NEW Calendar!!! https://sites.google.com/acsamman.edu.jo/activities/calendars
Travel Commitment Forms Due
If you have yet to complete the following Travel Commitment Forms, be sure to do so as they are due today (Dec. 17th)
Over the break
Be sure to see campus access for days and hours that the upper gym, pool, and field are open
Busing
If your HS child receives ACS busing transportation, they are also eligible for the HS Activities late bus which departs @ 4:45 pm. Please see the Athletics and Activities page for more information.
Medical
Be sure to update your child’s medical information with the Health Office (Nurse Hiyam) and in PowerSchool
Important Dates & Quick Links
Important Dates & Quick Links
Mark Your Calendars
Mark Your Calendars
Jan 10-12 - MUN Beijing
Jan 16 - MS/HS Compassion Summit Presents - Trivia Night!
Jan 16-18 - AAC Basketball
Jan 20 - HS Learning Series #4 - Communication of Results
Jan 23-26 - Compassion Summit
Jan 30 - Report Cards Posted @ 4:00 p.m.
Quick Links
Quick Links
The HS Weekly Update is sent out to students each weekend and updated daily. Feel free to bookmark the link so that you can see what is going on in the HS from the students' perspective.
Help Navigating PowerSchool - The How to View Grades from Parent Portal is a quick reference to help guide you through the intricacies of PowerSchool. As always, if you notice something “off” or have questions, please reach out to teachers after speaking through it with your child(ren) and they can help.
HS Learning Series - The HS Learning Series folder contains each session that we conduct throughout the school year. Please feel free to access it at your convenience. We will also keep the feedback form live so that you can provide us with information on what you would like to learn/see at upcoming sessions.
Please find the HS PS Tutorial 24/25 recording to give you a quick guide to help you navigate PowerSchool and generate some fruitful conversations at home.
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