Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Department at the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS) offers a variety of world drama, music and dance activities. ABS has an excellent reputation in the region for its outstanding annual public productions and in-school performances. Students in The Primary School (PS) and Secondary School (SS) take drama and the IB College (IBC) students can choose from Theatre or Literature and Performance subjects.

There are lots of performance opportunities on offer throughout the whole year in the form of the annual Major Production, music concerts, talent shows, and assembly performances. Students are auditioned by a panel of teachers and student directors and all students are encouraged to apply for roles whether they take the subject of drama or music in school or not.

The ABS is a proud member of The International School Theatre Association (ISTA) which works hand-in-hand with the International Baccalaureate (IB). We are very keen to host ISTA Festivals at our school, and will do so at every opportunity. During these festivals, students from other schools around the country and the region attend and take part in cultural excursions and workshops led by visiting artists from the UK, learning to work as an ensemble, and picking up various acting and production skills.

The School encourages students to be involved in all aspects of productions as well as performance. Students can opt to direct, to manage backstage, work in music and sound design, lighting and technical aspects, to budget and promote, or to arrange set and costume design. Other students work on the theatre programme and poster design, as well as box office management.

New students are highly encouraged to join the productions as a great way of integrating into the school and making new friends.

Physical and Health Education

At Amman Baccalaureate School, Physical and Health Education (PHE) is a planned holistic programme of activities designed to contribute to the development of the student’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social maturity, which aims to produce a physically educated and challenged individual. ABS provides a coherent PHE programme from K-10.

Personal, Social and Physical Education (Primary School K-Grade 6):

The programme is designed through safe, sequential, and enjoyable learning experiences of gradient levels, teaching tactics and approaches to learning skills (ATL) to ensure that students are challenged and provided with opportunities to:

• develop/maintain good levels of personal health and fitness
• improve/enhance psychomotor coordination
• develop/refine movement skills in a wide range of activities
• explore the knowledge and understanding related to physical activities, exercise and health
• develop responsible, personal and social skills (self-esteem, sportsmanship, cooperation, teamwork, leadership, decision making, pride, spirit, etc)

Physical and Health Education (Secondary School Grades 7-10):

PHE focuses on both learning about and through physical activity, incorporating objectives set by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Both dimensions help students to develop approaches to learning (ATL) across the curriculum. PHE contributes a unique perspective to the development of IB learner profile, promoting health of individuals and communities.

Through PHE, students learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, and develop effective collaboration and communication skills. It also offers many opportunities to build positive interpersonal relationships that can help students to develop a sense of social responsibility.

Physical activity and health are of central importance to human identity and global communities. They create meaningful connections among people, nations, cultures and the natural world, and they offer a range of opportunities to build intercultural understanding and greater appreciation for our common humanity.

The aims of the IB Middle Years Programme Physical and Health Education are to encourage and enable students to:

• use inquiry to explore physical and health education concepts
• participate effectively in a variety of contexts
• understand the value of physical activity
• achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle
• collaborate and communicate effectively
• build positive relationships and demonstrate social responsibility
• reflect on their learning experience

For questions regarding the ABS PHE Programme please contact the PHE Department.