From the Secondary Principal

Dear Parents,

It was nice to see so many of you at the Academic Excellence awards ceremony last week. Students who earned Honor Roll status during the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year gathered in the Theater to be recognized and receive certificates. We believe it is important to recognize and encourage high grades as this is one way that colleges and universities evaluate potential for post-secondary success. 

However, grades are only one indicator of success. One of the hallmarks of our program is our celebration of differences and encouragement of individuality throughout our school community. Each of our students has unique interests and aptitudes, and we strive to encourage and develop growth in a variety of ways. While some students are captivated by scientific discovery or logical reasoning, others may be passionate about artistic exploration, creative design, or dramatic exhibition. Our holistic approach to learning embraces a wide range of qualities and interests, and prominent colleges and universities now recognize and pursue students who excel in these varied ways. Diversity of interest makes for a richer learning environment, both at the secondary and post-secondary levels, and we will continue our efforts to provide choice in learning.

Our counselor, Carolina Blanco, works closely with our high school students, and their parents, to help them through the process of exploring post-secondary education options. Please reach out to her with any questions about university choices for our students.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From the Secondary Principal

Dear parents, With only a few weeks to go in the school year, students are busily preparing for end-of-year presentations of learning. Although it will look different in each class, these presentations and projects are an important way for students to pull together their learning in a meaningful way. Presentations of learning, project completion, and some exams will occur during the last days of school, including Monday, June 3 and Tuesday, June 4. Please be sure that your child is at school and ready to learn every day until our last day of the year, Wednesday, June 5. This time of year is always busy, with performances and activities celebrating the end of a productive year. Unfortunately, due to some logistical complications, HS Prom, originally scheduled for this Friday, has been canceled. Our student leaders hope to improve and bring this event back next year. However, we are excited to be sending off our seniors during our Senior Farewell event next Wednesday, and are busy planni...
Read more

From the Secondary Principal

Dear Parents, This is a busy and stressful time for many of us. Middle School students are finishing up MAP testing, and many High School students will take AP exams over the next two weeks. To help students do well on these important assessments, be sure that they get plenty of rest and eat healthy meals. Our students have worked hard to get to this point and we want them to feel prepared and able to do their absolute best! As we near the end of the year, students are starting to pull together their learning for final projects and presentations. Please help them be successful by ensuring that they arrive at school on time every day. Students should arrive at school no later than 8:10 to be in class on time. All teachers will be providing critical learning opportunities right up until the last full day of school (Tuesday, June 4), and being absent or late to class makes it difficult for them to make good use of their time.  Be sure to mark your calendars for two student performance...
Read more

Augeri Welcome Message

Dear ACS Community, My name is Steve Augeri, and I am pleased to be joining the community as the interim Secondary School Principal for the remainder of this academic year. Just a bit about me:  My wife, Tiffany, and I are originally from Connecticut and have been international educators for the last 19 years.  We both cut our teeth as secondary social studies teachers for several years in Connecticut and Virginia before making the momentous decision to join the international teaching ranks way back in 2004.  In that year, we took up teaching posts at the American International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and life, as they say, has never been quite the same.  Following 4 years in Dhaka, we accepted teaching positions at Dubai American Academy, where I also served as the head of the social studies team. In 2009, I made the transition out of the classroom and into school leadership at the American International School of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where I served as the Dir...
Read more