Dr. Jeff Wilusz
Good Afternoon
We are thrilled to congratulate our SAISA athletes and coaches on their achievements this past weekend. Our Girls Volleyball team in Sri Lanka, our Swim team in Kathmandu, and our Boys Volleyball team here in Amman all competed with a ton of heart. Our students represented our schools, their families, and themselves in a way that leaves us in awe.
A special thank you to Mr. Chip and Ms. Rawand in the Activities Office for their incredible effort in organizing the Boys Volleyball tournament here at ACS. Hosting a tournament of this scale involves many hands, and we are grateful for the dedication of our Maintenance, Transportation, and Security teams, as well as the Business Office, PTG Booster Club, and our wonderful student and staff volunteers.
These events are more than competitions; they provide invaluable experiences for our students and showcase the strength and warmth of our school community to visiting schools across the region. We are proud of our team and grateful to all who made this event a memorable success!
Grades 9-11 PSAT Testing - We want to express our gratitude for your support and flexibility in helping to prepare our students for this year's PSAT. Your encouragement and help will no doubt play a significant role in their success. We are fortunate to have such committed parents on our team.
NGO Fair - The NGO Fair is an annual event dedicated to fostering connections and empowering students to embark on their Service Learning journeys. This past Tuesday we brought together a diverse range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community partners from various fields, providing students with the unique opportunity to explore and engage with causes that resonate with their passions and values. It is exciting to see the connections students are starting to make with what they are learning in school and how it can work as a positive for the community.
HS Assessment Week - We wanted to inform you about some changes regarding the end-of-semester school week at the high school based on valuable feedback from both our students and teachers.
This year, the high school will be implementing an assessment week during the final week of classes. During this time, students will have school from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM (9:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Tuesday). The focus will primarily be on end-of-unit assessments for two classes each day.
We believe this system provides a more focused and productive environment for our students as they wrap up the academic semester.
HS Graduation Reminder - We are pleased to inform you that initial contact has been made with officials in Jerash regarding our graduation ceremony. We have requested that the ceremony take place on Wednesday, May 28, in line with past graduations. However, please be aware that we typically receive official confirmation in February or March.
We understand the importance of making travel arrangements for family and guests, and we appreciate your patience with this process. The date remains tentative until confirmation, and we will share updates as soon as they become available. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Well done to our students in grades 9 through 11 who took the PSAT this past Tuesday! The PSAT is a practice test for future standardized tests students may take, such as the SAT/ ACT. Scores are not sent to colleges, but may be required by some summer programs; otherwise, scores are for the student and school to determine how “on track” they are for future standardized testing and college readiness. The College Board expects that scores will be available to students in mid-November.
Our seniors applying early to U.S. universities are nearing the finish line! Ms. Kurdi will be available this Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist with any last-minute tasks. While seniors continue preparing applications for universities worldwide, our juniors are already gearing up for their turn. This week, Ms. Kurdi led a class meeting for the juniors, guiding them through key aspects of the application process, helping them start a timeline, and encouraging them to think about productive holiday plans. Juniors’ families are invited on Sunday evening for college night with Ms. Kurdi where very similar information will be shared (so no need for the students to attend at all).
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
All seniors’ families are reminded to submit the CSS profile to US universities that require it for financial aid. Also, the following came into Ms.Kurdi’s inbox from UC San Diego and is a good reminder for all US citizens regarding their applications: “The Department of Education has delayed the release of the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to December 1, 2024. This delay provides extra time for students to gather necessary documents and ensure a smooth application process once the form becomes available. Students and families are encouraged to prepare early. Mixed-status families, in particular, should consider starting the process to obtain their FSA-ID now, as it is required to complete the FAFSA.”
We hosted a college visit this week from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and we have several more visits and fair planned for November. It’s great that our students have the opportunity to meet with so many college representatives in person. We are dedicated to building strong relationships with universities and creating valuable experiences for our students.
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 and Activities website- This is our central hub for athletics and activities information
What a weekend it was as school was transformed into all that is SAISA. A major thank you to the community, staff, students and coaches for all support. We also had nearly 50 students travel to either Kathmandu, Nepal for swimming or to Sri Lanka for Girls’ Volleyball. Now that SAISA has been completed, we are shifting focus to the upcoming AAC Tournaments!
Upcoming
AAC Tournament Schedules for this weekend!
Season two (Will begin the mid-to-late November week of the 24th)
HS Boys Basketball (SAISA/AAC)
HS Girls Basketball (AAC/SAISA)
Track and Field (SAISA/AAC)
Tennis (SAISA Invitational)
HS Girls Football (SAISA)
Busing
If your HS child receives ACS busing transportation, they are also eligible for the HS Activities late bus which departs @ 4:45pm. 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.
Oct 31 - AAC U18 Football Tournament
Nov 2 - SAT / Spooktacular / ACS Triathlon
Nov 14 - AAC U18 Volleyball & U16 Soccer Tournaments
Nov 20 - HS Learning Series #2 “Hope, Efficacy, & Achievement”
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.