News

Scholarships Programme for 2018/2019
Dear Students and Parents of Current Grades 6, 7 & 8, 
We would like to announce that the Amman Baccalaureate School is now accepting scholarshipapplications for exceptional students joining Grades 7, 8 & 9 during the next academic year 2018-2019.  The objective is to retain students of exceptional quality and to attract high quality entrants to the school. Academic scholarships will range between 15%, 25% and 50% while co-curricular scholarships are offered as 15% fee remission.  
Current ABS Students of Grades 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, who received a scholarship last year will not be required to submit an application for renewal; however, each student’s record will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee in order to determine if the student has maintained the same standard of merit. The scholarship award will be rescinded if the student fails to meet the set criteria and the academic eligibility of the award. 
New applicants are required to submit an application along with a one-page essay explaining why the student feels that she/he qualifies for the scholarship award and to answer the question of how you envisage the ABS education will help you to become a successful global citizen.  This essay can be written in either English or Arabic and should be typed and attached to the application. 
To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must be able to show evidence of the following: 
  • Achieved an exemplary academic record throughout the last two academic years and the first half of the current school year (Achieved the Principal and Head of School Awards).
  • Maintained an exceptional record of co-curricular activities in the areas of MUN, Sports, Performing and/or Visual Arts.
  • Possess leadership qualities and attitude.
  • Maintained exemplary behaviour and excellent disciplinary record.
  • Has an excellent command of Arabic (except for International students) and English languages both reading and writing, as well as ICT skills.
All new applications will be evaluated by the committee and students who meet the criteria will be invited for an interview with committee members.  Please keep in mind that each student will be considered for only ONE scholarship as a form of fee remission. 
Please feel free to complete the application and return it back to Ms. Ghada Saifi, Registrar/Admissions Manager, by January 4th, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. 
Applications submitted after the deadline will NOT be accepted. 
With best wishes, 
Stuart Bryan
Principal

ABS has been re-accredited by CIS
Not only has ABS been awarded re-accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS), we did so as the first-ever school worldwide to do so with the more demanding CIS International Accreditation standards.  
 
The following direct quotation from the outstanding report sums up the essence of the collaborative, strategic efforts of the Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, staff, students and parents who continue to maintain ABS’s leading pioneer school status in all domains.
 
The Council of International Schools commends “The ABS Community for creating an outstanding whole-school climate and a highly positive learning community, which fully reflects the Guiding Statements“.
 
ABS was featured in the CIS Perspectives blog.  Please follow the link to read more: https://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=2495&eid=137 

Council of International Schools (CIS) Award of International Accreditation – important
20 November 2017
 
 
Dear Parents,
 
I am delighted to share with you that the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS) has been officially re-accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and is the first school worldwide to receive the enhanced International Accreditation, with its much more demanding standards. 
 
The school received the highest standard of accreditation rating possible, meaning that no significant nor urgent problems or issues were identified. The school was described as “meticulous” in its planning of the self-study and in producing a report that “exceeded the parameters of the CIS requirements”. 
 
The school was rated as ‘met’ or ‘exceeded’ for every single international accreditation standard, with no fewer than 31 of these standards rated as exceeded or at further aspirational level for the Team Evaluation stage.
 
There were 53 commendations throughout the school, with no fewer than 18 of these identified as major commendations. 
 
There were 29 recommendations throughout the school, with just 7 of these identified as major recommendations. In the vast majority of these cases, the school, through the self-study process, had already identified the issue as an area for development and these will now be reviewed as part of our action and strategic planning processes, as appropriate.
 
I think that the overall outcome from the Team Evaluation Visit can best be summed up by the following Major Commendation, which really says it all. CIS commends “The ABS community for creating an outstanding “whole-school climate” and a highly positive learning community, which fully reflects the Guiding Statements”.
  
I would like to thank and congratulate all students, staff, parents and distinguished members of the Board of Trustees, particularly HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, for making possible this exceptionally positive outcome.
 
 
With all good wishes,
 
Stuart Bryan
Principal

ABS Anglo – Jordanian Society Appeal 2017 – 2018

Dear ABS Community (Board of Trustees, administration, staff, students, parents and alumni),
 
Under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Chairman of the Higher Council of the Amman Baccalaureate School and HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Amman Baccalaureate School, we are asking you to join us in supporting the Anglo Jordanian Society Fundraising campaign to provide essential assistance to the most under privileged members of our Jordanian community this coming winter.
 
Under the patronage of TRHs, the Anglo Jordanian Society provided a fantastic level of support last winter, which included Ramadan food boxes and parcels, blankets and winter jackets. This donation was distributed, amongst other vital support, in the following locations: Azark, Mafraq/Ruweished, Mugabelain, Mukkawar, Ghor Safi, Jordan Valley, Qatranah, Sultani, Hassa, Petra area and Tafila.
 
The ABS focus, in conjunction with the Anglo-Jordanian Society, for this winter’s fundraising campaign will be on Personal Hygiene Products. We would now like to ask every member of our ABS community to join us in this campaign by choosing any items from the attached list of Personal Hygiene Products given below.
 
Donated items can be deposited at each collection point in the Main Administration/Middle Years School, Primary School (KG, 1-3 and 4-5) and IB College from Tuesday 14 November until Thursday 23 November.
 
We do anticipate, in the tradition of ABS, an overwhelming response to this important appeal and, if you would like to find out any more information, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Nora Shrydeh who is the ABS link person for this appeal.
 
Thank you very much indeed in advance for your support. It will be greatly appreciated by all concerned.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Stuart Bryan
Principal
 
PS: Tips for Packing
Depending on the nature of the chosen items, you may choose:
  • Shoe Boxes
  • Ziploc bags
  • A strong carrier bag
Personal Hygiene Products
1.            Shampoo/ Conditioner 
2.            Hair brush
3.            Comb
4.            Soap
5.            Cream / Lotion (hand, face or body)
6.            Deodorant 
7.            Toothbrush 
8.            Toothpaste 
9.            Mouthwash
10.        Lip balm 
11.        Simple Shaving Razor and Shaving Cream for men
12.        Small mirror 
13.        Nail Cutter
14.        Nail file
15.        Cotton buds
16.        Hair ties 
17.        Hair Pins
18.        Sanitary pads 
19.        Towels
20.        Toilet paper
21.        Tissue paper
22.        Wet ones
23.        Diapers
24.        Washing powder

Peace Mash for ABS

We were absolutely delighted that our ABS Senior Choir participated in the opening ceremony of the World Science Forum, in the presence of HM King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, at the Dead Sea this week. This was a truly outstanding event, which was a real privilege and honour for our students to be part of! Many congratulations to all the students and their teachers on their fantastic performance and a huge thank you to HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, Chair, World Science Forum 2017, for including ABS in such an amazing  world class event.

AMMUN XVI Closing Ceremony

The Amman Model United Nations (AMMUN) is a longstanding tradition at the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS).  ABS hosted the sixteenth annual conference 1-5 November 2017.  A total of 16 international and local school delegations comprised of almost 400 participants actively engaged in debating, merging, and lobbying.  Over an intense three-day timespan, the ten forums were in session where numerous resolutions were put forth and many were successfully passed.

As a culminating celebratory grand finale, we were honoured that His Royal Highness Prince Hamzah bin Al-Hussein delivered the AMMUN XVI Closing Ceremony speech.  Although he comes from a military background, his pristine message that violence will never solve our global issues radiated throughout the Grand Hyatt Ballroom filled with representatives from the ABS Board of Trustees and Leadership Team, parents, grandparents, sponsors and delegations.  HRH Prince Hamzah encouraged each member of the audience to be humble, kind, compassionate and most importantly empower our youth at a very young age to engage in constructive dialogue in an attempt to resolve the issues we are faced with today and in anticipation of the unknown that lies ahead.  He acknowledged that many of the current professions available in the job market will soon be obsolete, so the workforce of the future must be flexible, diverse, and work in collaboration as a united forefront.  After his speech, he graciously answered several questions from the audience.  HRH Prince Hamzah’s profound and heartfelt message left the AMMUN XVI Conference Community pondering what the future holds for us all as the human race.

IB/CIS Synchronised Team Evaluation Visit

As you will no doubt be aware, ABS hosted the first-ever worldwide CIS Team Evaluation Visit under the revised international protocol, from Saturday 23 September to Thursday 28 September 2017, with its much tougher standards and requirements. The visit started with a meeting of the 16 IB/CIS evaluators with the whole ABS community, in the presence of HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, and it was really splendid to see all sections of the ABS community represented for such an important meeting, including representatives of the Board of Trustees, Staff, PTA, Booster Club, Alumni Board and, of course, our wonderful Student Council Members, who gave the Evaluation Team a full tour of the school.

The IB/CIS Evaluation Team spent the following week reviewing the school’s Self-study, curriculum documentation, policy handbooks, meeting with the Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, teachers, support staff, parents and students and, of course, visiting lessons, including that of the Principal! There can be no doubt that the Evaluation Team carried out a thorough review of all aspects of the ABS, especially its learning and teaching during this week.

We now await the full reports from both CIS and the IB (for all 4 IB programmes) and, whilst there will certainly be recommendations for development from both reports, which will help us in our journey of continuous school improvement, as mentioned by the CIS Team Chair in the draft feedback to all the school staff at the end of the week, there will also be many more commendations. Indeed, it was highlighted that the school had been meticulous in its production of the CIS Self-study and that the school had exceeded all the requirements for the revised CIS Accreditation protocol, which is praise indeed given the much more demanding requirements of the revised CIS international protocol.

This is a fantastic accolade for the whole ABS community and many congratulations and thanks go to all who made this possible, including the Board of Trustees, staff, parents and especially our wonderful students, who made a fantastic impression throughout the whole week. Many, many congratulations!