2019-20
ANNUAL REPORT Empowering Students to Shape the Future Since 1972
Re-imagining education during a global pandemic requires...
Creativity Opportunity Vision Inspiration Daring American Community School of Abu Dhabi
CONTENTS
3
01 Who We Are
4
02 Leadership
5
03 Bright Future
7
04 A Year in Review
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05 Staff & Faculty 10
06 Students 12
07 Alumni 16
08 Financials 20
09 Impact of Giving 21 COVER & CONTENTS PHOTO: TONY MURRAY PHOTOGRAPHY
10 Innovation Partners 26
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01
WHO WE ARE
American Community School of Abu Dhabi Established in 1972, the American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS), is a nonprofit, U.S. accredited collegepreparatory school. ACS offers a challenging, American standards-based educational curriculum for 1,200 students ages 4-18 representing more than 60 nationalities. ACS is recognized as a leader among its international educational peers in the UAE and around the world, providing students with a balanced learning program to foster excellence in academics, the arts, athletics, and service learning. Service
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learning is a unique pillar at ACS to the extent that as a graduation requirement all students must participate in a service learning project within the school, local community or internationally each year. ACS is known for its strong sense of community, its academics — including both the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and Advanced Placement courses — and its core values. Achieving high educational standards, ACS graduates make significant contributions all over the world and certainly within the UAE.
Years of Excellence in Education
MISSION
VISION
CORE VALUES
To empower all students to define and shape their futures for learning, service, and global citizenship.
A compassionate, student-centered community of learners that engages, prepares, and inspires.
Courage
ACS ABU DHABI
Curiosity Compassion Integrity
The only nonprofit American Curriculum School in Abu Dhabi
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LEADERSHIP
5
MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR FAREWELL & THANK YOU
LESLIE BELLAS Board of Trustees Chair 2016-2020 ACS BOARD OF TRUSTEES The responsibility of the ACS Board of Trustees is to ensure the longterm viability of the school through fiscal responsibility and strategic planning by working in partnership with our Superintendent to ensure that ACS serves the needs of its faculty, staff and parent communities and fulfills its mission. Each ACS trustee is a highlyskilled, impartial and dedicated advocate for our school that is honored to serve.
TRUSTEES Leslie Bellas, Chair Matt Ayoub ‘94, Vice Chair Philippe El Bacha, Treasurer Christine Belanger, Secretary Salem Al Noaimi Omar Asfour ‘96 Scott Bolz, US Embassy Rep Damon Hewlin Eric Hilgendorf Jodi Lefort Adib Mattar ‘95 Muhannad Qubbaj
2019-2020 provided ACS with the opportunity to demonstrate resilience, compassion, courage, and commitment to its core values. The Board began the school year implementing our 5-year strategic plan but pivoted to face the pandemic’s challenges. The leadership team and teachers worked tirelessly to assure our students continued academic, social, and emotional growth and well-being. Thanks to Monique’s decisive leadership and our staff’s strength, the Board was able to carry out its vision for ACS’s future. Our community adapted to the new reality, providing support, patience, and appreciation to one another. We are proud this experience strengthened our bonds, deepened our gratitude, and increased resolve as ACS moves forward with clarity, aspiration, and purpose. Throughout the year, the Board forged ahead with its 2019-20 strategic priorities. Together we: ■ Ensured board effectiveness, leadership, and sustainability by amending governance documents to better align with international school best practices. ■ Approved the detailed design for our new state-of-the-art campus on Saadiyat Island. ■ Reviewed action items and identified financial resources necessary to implement the ACS strategic plan successfully. We are thrilled the detailed design phase of our new campus is complete. We appreciate the time devoted by the leadership team, staff, parents, and students to review design plans and offer suggestions to this visionary project. Our new campus would not be possible without the Abu Dhabi government’s extraordinary support, and we continue to be grateful for this unique relationship that spans our nearly 50 years. The innovative campus design will transform ACS for future generations. Moreover, finalizing the design while supporting the implementation of the 5-year strategic plan allowed the Board to assure the availability of facilities and financial resources needed to fulfill our strategic vision.
COVID-19 upended lives, plans, and expectations. Delivering the best educational experience to students amid a global pandemic required close Board-Administration collaboration. Prudent financial planning and effective cost management enabled ACS to immediately transition to online education and secure necessary technical resources so our teachers could adapt to and enhance the delivery of their curricula. We are delighted ACS endured the worst of the pandemic without staff or salary cuts during this school year. Looking to an uncertain year ahead, the Board and Monique made wise financial decisions to maintain quality without raising tuition and maintaining economic sustainability. The most gratifying pandemic experience was the community’s expression of concern for others. Although the UAE and Abu Dhabi successfully weathered the pandemic’s financial disruption, some in our community experienced financial hardship. We authorized the creation of an ACS Compassion Fund to help families experiencing sudden and significant changes to their financial situations to help them remain part of our ACS community. The generous charitable contributions to the ACS Excellence Fund helped ACS meet the unexpected challenges of this global crisis. The 2019-2020 school year is my last as a Board member. I was honored and privileged to serve as Board Chair since 2016 and a trustee for nearly a decade. I will transition away from the Board by serving as an honorary trustee. ACS will continue to hold a special place in my heart and will remain in excellent hands under the new leadership of Matt Ayoub ‘94, Board Chair for 2020-21. As I reflect on this unprecedented year, I am very impressed by our ACS community’s resilience and empathy in the face of such adversity. I express my most profound admiration to our students, parents, faculty, and staff for your courageous spirit. ACS will carry its deep history on a fantastic journey that assures a bright future. Sincerely, Leslie Bellas
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LEADERSHIP
MESSAGE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT EMERGING STRONGER The 2019-2020 school year will certainly be one we will all remember, marked by a pandemic of historic proportions and a new decade. What I will remember most is the courage, compassion and resiliency with which our entire community of students, faculty and parents navigated these extraordinary times. Without a doubt, their dedication to support one another on this incredible journey has been the cornerstone of our achievements this year. Our school emerged stronger by embracing opportunities and rising to challenges with a nimble spirit. Every year at ACS is filled with beloved traditions. The beginning of this year was no exception, filled with our wonderful PTA-organized, community activities for more than 2,500 attendees: New Family Welcome, Fall Festival, Holiday Extravaganza and International Day celebrating the more than 60 nationalities represented at our school. From November to February, along with alumni we welcomed world leaders and special visitors: the Honorable Helen Clark, former and first female prime minister to New Zealand, a paralympian, two visiting children’s book authors, and H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance. Who would have known this same year would end with our campus’ closure? It was March 4 at 10:45 p.m., when we were informed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) that all school’s would close due to the global pandemic. We, along with the rest of the world, experienced an abrupt disruption to our normal lives when our school transitioned to remote learning. Many were surprised that ACS transitioned so successfully in just five days to remote learning. The role charitable commitments played in helping ACS adapt to remote learning meant that every student had a device, our entire school’s curriculum was adapted for online learning, and every teacher was supported in their transition to remote teaching. While this moment was challenging, our school emerged stronger guided by its strategic 5-year plan Empowering Students to Shape the Future. The plan provided us with a clear roadmap to ensure we continued to deliver exceptional educational experiences and personalized learning
to meet the unique needs of all of our students. I am so proud of the tireless dedication and work of our leadership team, the compassion of teachers supporting one another to transition from in-person to online learning, the courage and flexibility of our families to bring the remote classroom into their homes, and the generous charitable contributions from parents, alumni and corporations that supported the additional technology and training required to transition our school’s curriculum online. So it is no surprise that when the UAE announced that every school would be going into Remote Learning starting March 9th, ACS was ready. From March to June, we continued to refine our remote learning plans and sought feedback through several distance learning satisfaction surveys from students, parents and faculty which guided our constant adaptations and improvements to the program. The PTA Wellness Committee even hosted a series to support the emotional and social wellbeing of our community as the weariness of online learning began to show effects. As the year came to a close in June, we premiered the first-ever 2020 Virtual Graduation in our history, celebrating a group of incredible young people who valiantly faced an extraordinary year like none before. Though their year was not at all what they imagined, the courage and resiliency of the graduating Class of 2020 inspired us all. We know the future is bright as these future leaders and global citizens embark on their next chapter. I believe that our school’s collective commitment to educational exceptionalism in the 2019-20 school year, combined with a deepened sense of coming together as a community enabled ACS to emerge stronger and in some ways transformed. In a year like no other, it is certainly an honor and a privilege to serve alongside an extraordinary Leadership Team, a dedicated Board of Trustees and our wonderful Community. With tremendous gratitude, Monique Flickinger
MONIQUE FLICKINGER Superintendent LEADERSHIP TEAM Victor Guthrie Assistant Superintendent Amy Greene High School Principal Karl Poulin Middle School Principal Heather Collins Elementary School Principal Jennifer Ricks Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning Kenny Macaulay Athletic and Activities Director Bobbi Donison Charles High School Assistant Principal Jonathan Diaz IB DP Coordinator Rob Desormeau Middle School Assistant Principal Ann Peterson Elementary School Assistant Principal Derek Swanson Director of Learning Innovation and eLearning Waheeda Al Tamimi Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Mahmoud Bafagih Director of Government Relations Yvette L. Campbell Director of Institutional Advancement Zoltan Karaszy Director of Finance Manoj Kunnenoth Facilities Manager Penny Lopez Director of Admissions Marise Philip-Jayendran Director of Human Resources Lizabeth Weithas Director of Communications
03
BRIGHT FUTURE
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A TRANSFORMATIONAL MOMENT This year has strengthened our resolve to prepare our students to thrive in our rapidly changing world. In 2019, we launched our 5-year strategic plan: Empowering Students to Shape the Future, focused on four key priorities and 12 strategies, outlined below. Our strategic plan ensures ACS looks towards the future with clarity, ambition and purpose. The success of the strategic plan is evidenced by the 2020 Climate Survey results. A strong, globally leading international school continues to move in the right direction by seeking invaluable insights from its stakeholders. Each year, we ask for feedback from our students, staff and parents to ensure our school continues to deliver excellence. In 2020, overall satisfaction with ACS was strong among those surveyed with the majority saying they: ■ Believe the students and staff are happy ■ Are confident in the school’s vision, mission and direction ■ Would highly recommend ACS to others.
2019-2023 ACS STRATEGIC PLAN EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE
DELIVER Excellence ■ Build an innovative, globally leading new campus that pushes the boundaries of education ■ Analyze and share data to enhance learning outcomes ■ Implement innovative curriculum that promotes creativity and self expression
PERSONALIZE Learning
GROW Community
INSPIRE Global Citizens
■ Offer a highly engaging, innovative and flexible core curriculum
■ Advance a shared understanding of who we are and what we do
■ Meet the unique needs of learners requiring additional support
■ Deepen relationships with external partners and leading universities
■ Strengthen schoolwide service learning program to nurture global citizenship
■ Establish structures and resources to challenge uniquely motivated and talented students
■ Distinguish ACS as an internationally recognized, leading institution
■ Provide social-emotional wellness programs to promote wellbeing and build confidence ■ Enhance the world languages model, including a leading Arabic Program, for greater cultural understanding
MOVING A GREATLY ENHANCED ACS INTO A NEW CAMPUS The opening of our new campus in 2023 is a transformational moment. Building a world-class, innovative, and sustainable campus that pushes the boundaries of excellence for ACS and the region is an integral part of our strategic plan. As we prepare to move to a new campus, investing in our people and our programs today, we will make the most of this once-ina-generation opportunity and move a greatly enhanced ACS into our new campus. We can report ACS has made significant progress, securing the land on Saadiyat Island, completing the detailed design phase, and forging strategic partnerships with the Abu Dhabi government and key stakeholders. We are looking forward to continuing to build a strong coalition of partners – including corporations, parents and alumni – to work with us and ensure ACS provides a truly exceptional education for generations to come.
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04
A YEAR IN REVIEW
A YEAR OF RESILIENCE & GROWTH The 2019-20 school year was filled with unexpected twists and turns, but resulted in tremendous growth and innovation. At the start of the new year, among the many annual community building events our PTA organizes, the New Family Reception welcomed 100+ new families into our ACS community. Over 70 High School students participated in Kidzone to engage young children of our new families. 97% of our High School students experienced the power of beyond-the-classroom learning during Viper Venture 2.0 in November. Our youngest Elementary students welcomed visiting authors and world leaders and raised money for children in orphanages around the world at Holiday Extravaganza by selling their pre-owned, pre-loved toys.
The ACS Technology Team, led by our new Middle School Technology teacher, Brad Flickinger, had the idea to re-imagine the Middle School tech program to motivate students to be active creators giving them a voice and choice, inaugurating a new innovative space for technology in the Middle School – Backstage Techttoo Studios. The Techttoo Studios was one of three new spaces dedicated to Technology and Innovation including Ideaspace Studios, our new TV/Film Production studio and the Fab Lab 2.0, for design tech classes. And then in March 2020, following spring break, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ACS closed its campus for the first time in its history and faculty and students transitioned to remote learning. School events, athletic seasons,
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SEP 6
New Family Welcome Reception
organized by the PTA New Family Committee welcomed 160 new family parents to ACS. This year’s chairs Annika Duer and Sara Lane really outdid themselves.
SEP 14
UAE Ambassador of Chile, HE Jorge Andonie Daccarett
visited ACS and donated Prosa y Poesía Escolar book to the ACS library.
SEP 24 Excited guests joined us for the
2019-20 Excellence Fund Launch. Student ambassadors
welcomed guests inside the classroom to share how charitable contributions support their learning.
OCT 31
Fall Festival – A legion of volunteers
including our HS students organized a Spooky haunted house for the Elementary students, with lots of games and treats! Thank you PTA!
Honourable Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
challenged our students to be engaged global citizens to ensure a more sustainable future.
DEC 5
Holiday Extravaganza featured the
first-ever ACS Toy Drive organized by Grade 1 student Jeffrey Tachajain and his father Georges to inspire a culture of giving in children even at a very young age.
ENI Art Debate Competition in Rome, Italy – ACS High School
students were selected to compete in the ENI Contemporary Art Debate Finals in Rome, Italy as part of the 17th Quadriennale d’arte.
NOV 7
DEC 9-12
JAN 24 Picnic in the Park – A great day for raising awareness about great causes that our High School students are passionate about.
FEB 6
UAE Roots and Shoots Awards & Jane Goodall – Jane Goodall,
Primatologist and anthropologist praised our Grade 4-5 students for their “no car idling initiative” at the Roots & Shoots Award ceremony.
A YEAR IN REVIEW
graduation celebrations, and our annual gala, were cancelled or completely reimagined. Despite the challenges of distance learning, ACS community members demonstrated resilience and creativity. Taking advantage of available technology, students shared their work through virtual art exhibitions, passion projects and musical performances. Faculty and teaching assistants enhanced their digital proficiency and supported colleagues as they all made the transition to deliver online curriculum. Our technology team provided hundreds of hours of support for our community as they transitioned to remote learning in their homes and ensured every student from Kindergarten to Grade 12 had a device to access their online lessons. And in May,
our PTA Mental Health Committee curated three informative webinars on the impact of the pandemic on our own and our children’s mental health. During the summer vacation, school educators completed 85 online professional development opportunities logging in 1,500 hours of digital training. And more than 500 alumni from the 1970s to 2019 joined the 2020 Summer Virtual Reunion Tour during the summer in lieu of in-person reunions including the 25th Anniversary of the 1995 graduating class.
ACS, in its 48th year, demonstrated true resilience and courage, grew as a community, and continued to accomplish great things!
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FEB 10-12
Visiting Authors – Our Elementary
students welcomed, via interactive Skype call Jeff Kinney, famous author of Wimpy Kid book series and interactive presentation with author and illustrator Matthew Holm.
International Day – ACS welcomed
special guests: Ambassador of Egypt, Consul from Lebanese Embassy, 2 representatives from the U.S. Embassy, and special officials from ADEK. International Day celebrated over 80 nationalities represented at our school enjoying food, performances and traditions from our international community.
community together in order to support parents care for themselves, their families and their community.
FEB 28
H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance, visits ACS to share the
creation and significance of the Human Fraternity Document with our Grade 7. Our Grade 1 students performed a song in Arabic about their love for ACS.
FEB 20
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MAY As part of Mental Health Awareness month, the PTA Wellness Committee launched a threepart Wellness Series to bring our
2020 Virtual Graduation Ceremony honored 93 ACS
graduates with time honored ACS traditions. Featured guests included the US Ambassador to the UAE, John Rakolta Jr., H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash, and John Hackworth, the first ACS High School Principal.
MAR 9
Remote Learning Transition for the entire school in five days. 4.2 million minutes of online engagement and top marks in all evaluation areas in a virtual Remote Learning inspection conducted by ADEK.
JUN 6
JUN 13
Virtual 25th Reunion of the Class of 1995 – The 25th Anniversary Committee, Sanu Puthankatil, Shefali Jashanmal, and Adib Mattar welcomed 21 of the 26 graduates from the Class of 1995. Alumni and special guests attended from Kentucky to Hong Kong.
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STAFF & FACULTY MOMENTS
OUR FACULTY The American Community School has achieved a strong reputation in the international school community largely due to the strength, experience and retention of its faculty. Investing in professional learning opportunities for teachers illustrates why the average tenure for ACS teachers is well above the average of many international schools.
9:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
134
Faculty of lifelong learners & educators
67% Advanced Degrees (Master’s and/or Doctorate) 85%
10+ Years of Overall Teaching Experience
6 Average Years at ACS NATIONALITIES
TENURE AT ACS
● 50% US
● 12.0% ● 22.3% ● 31.3% ● 34.4%
● 29% Canada ● 21% Other
10+ Years 5-10 Years 2-5 Years 0-2 Years
STAFF & FACULTY MOMENTS
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STAFF ANNIVERSARY MILESTONES The following staff members are celebrating milestone anniversaries at ACS.
35 YEARS
20 YEARS
15 YEARS
Rajanish Balakrishnan Tech Department
Jennifer Brooks ES Music Faculty
Deepthi Jayarajan HS Teaching Assistant
Valia Jimenez HS Spanish Faculty
Mercedes Avila MS Spanish Faculty
25 YEARS Mahmoud Bafagih Government Relations
Seema Alakkat HS Teaching Assistant
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ACS invests deeply in its educators to ensure a culture of life-long learning and to deliver an exceptional education to our students. During the summer in preparation to welcome students back to campus for the coming school year, nine IB teachers signed up to hone their skills in the IB Curriculum to provide our students with learning experiences on par with IB students all over the world.
WELCOME KARL POULIN NEW MS PRINCIPAL ACS welcomed Karl Poulin as the new Middle School Principal for the 2019-20 school year. Karl hails from Canada and has worked in international education for 23 years. He believes in the power of communities, learning, and staying true to oneself. Karl has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and is working on completing his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Before ACS, Karl taught and served in various leadership positions in China, Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic, and in Lebanon. Our middle schoolers are very lucky to have such a passionate champion.
As members of the Global Online Academy consortium, ACS teachers completed 71 courses over the summer to enhance the remote learning educational environment. Some of the courses included: Designing for Online Learning, Student Agency in Online Learning, Building Relationships in Online Learning, Designing Assessments in Online Learning, and Online Learning in the Elementary School. We are proud of our educators who volunteer for every professional development opportunity ACS offers as well as discovering opportunities on their own time to continue to deliver the very best in teaching and learning at our school.
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STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENTS
OUR STUDENTS
5,000+
2019-2020 TOTAL ENROLLMENT
Hours of service contributed annually by students Grades 1-12
1,205 STUDENTS 580
268
ES
MS
367 HS
63
Student Ages
Students in the National Honors Society (NHS)
4-18
60 Nationalities of Students
# OF ACADEMIC HS PROGRAMS
108
Academic Courses offered in 2019-20
● 59% US
44
● 7% Canada
IBDP Courses
● 4% UAE National Citizens ● 3% Italy
7AP Courses
● 3% India ● 24% Other Countries
MEASURE OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (MAP) GRADES 2-9 Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments are computer adaptive achievement tests in Mathematics, Science and Reading. MAP testing helps ACS personalize learning for every student supporting growth and skill mastery to help them reach their fullest potential. In the 2019-2020 school year, ACS tested in the fall and in the winter, to allow teachers access to data sooner to shape instruction in the spring and develop unique strategies for our students. Below are MAP results for winter 2020 comparing ACS to the Northwest Evaluation Association/USA (NWEA).
RESULTS BY GRADE LEVEL Math (Winter 2020)
ACS
NWEA
Reading (Winter 2020)
NWEA = Northwest Evaluation Association/USA
ACS
NWEA
STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENTS
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SAT / IBDP / AP GRADES 10-12 Nearly half of all courses offered at ACS are either IBDP or AP. The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) has been offered at ACS since 2006 and the recent return of the Advanced Placement (AP) program to personalize learning and to create a unique and diverse offering for our students to reach their fullest potential. Note: The ACT Test was not available to be administered to our students due to the disruptions of COVID-19.
ACS 1259
World 4.67
ACS 5.49
World 1051
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IBDP) RESULTS
49%
97%
43
35
5.49
Students were full IB Diploma candidates
Candidates received an IB Diploma (Diploma Pass Rate) vs. the 79% world average
Highest score earned (earned by less than 0.5% of candidates worldwide)
Average total points earned (29.92 world)
Average score earned by ACS students by IBDP (4.67 World)
Total Points Obtained by Candidates 40-45 points
11%
35-39 points 30-34 points 25-29 points
Average Points per Subject: ACS vs Worldwide ACS
38%
World
Group 1: Studies in Language 5.29 and Literature in English
40%
11%
Group 2: Language Acquisition
19-24 points 0%
5.75 5.53
5.27
Group 3: Individuals and Societies 4.96
5.12
Group 4: Sciences
4.73
4.81
Group 5: Mathematics
4.76
Group 6: The Arts
4.76
4.70 5.57
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) RESULTS ACS
WORLD
ACS
WORLD
Computer Science A
4.53 3.26
Government & Politics
2.85 2.84
Computer Science Principles
4.44 3.09
English Language and Composition
2.75 3.06
Calculus
2.88 2.84
US History
3.59 2.83
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STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENTS
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE LAUNCHING NEW AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS Innovation is at the heart of our mission to empower students to shape the future and the foundation of our 5-year strategic plan. Whether it is innovation in technology or innovation in experiential learning, we believe it is the key to unleashing the power and potential of the next generation. In 2019-20, two innovative programs launched at ACS have helped our school continue to push the boundaries of education for our students to become the innovative leaders of tomorrow: ■ Middle School Backstage Techttoos ■ High School Viper Venture 2.0
MIDDLE SCHOOL BACKSTAGE TECHTTOOS - EXPLORING TECHNOLOGY Our goal in expanding and enhancing technology education for our students is to ensure all students achieve proficiency in these essential skills: ■ Complex problem-solving ■ Analytical thinking ■ Creativity ■ Systems analysis. To that end, the ACS Technology Team, led by our new Middle School Technology teacher, Brad Flickinger, had the idea to re-imagine the tech program to motivate students to be active creators giving them a voice and choice. With the support of generous charitable donations from corporations and our community, the basement underneath the stage was transformed into the Backstage Techttoo Studios, an inspiring space where students innovate, create and try out new things. The ACS Backstage Techttoos Program was launched in 2019-20 and incorporated into the 2019-20 Middle School curriculum as an elective course called “Exploring Technology” for nearly 300 students ages 11-14. The program is both rigorous and effective. Each project is aligned to the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, designed to show students how they can be creators using technology. Students’ mastery of digital tools also provides them with greater knowledge across other academic disciplines. The new program has elevated technology education at ACS by providing an interactive model that encourages student-driven learning.
WHAT’S NEXT AT ACS? The Future of Education
The success of the 4th Industrial Revolution and its global workforce depends on schools like ACS delivering innovative and engaging programs. As we look forward to our move in 2023 to a new, state-of-the-art campus on Saadiyat, with the help of philanthropy, we will continue to enhance and strengthen our innovative technology programs. At ACS, we believe the future belongs to the creators and the innovators and this is the place where they can find their passion. These new programs are built on voice, choice and action for students to leverage technology and experiential learning as tools to become active contributors, lifelong advocates, and changemakers.
STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENTS
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HIGH SCHOOL VIPER VENTURE 2.0 - EXTENDING BOUNDARIES
In its second year, Viper Venture was developed as an experiential learning program that affords our High School students the opportunity for deep, rich, and reflective learning experiences outside the classroom. The goal was to enhance and extend curricular and co-curricular offerings for students to: ■ Engage in rich learning experiences that cannot be replicated in traditional classroom environment ■ Foster deeper relationships among peers and teachers ■ Take risks and move outside of their comfort zone ■ Highlight and develop global competencies linked directly to community engagement. The program involves the entire High School, students and faculty, allowing collaboration across grade levels and disciplines. After the initial year and incorporating feedback from students, teachers, and parents, the program was enhanced and relaunched as Viper Venture 2.0 in 2019 with 20 experiences from which students could choose based around our four pillars: academics, arts, athletics and service learning.
365
Participation by Pillar
Students
155 service learning
97%
107 academic
of all High School students participated
50 athletics 53 arts
Some students chose to travel internationally, while others chose opportunities within the UAE from filmmaking, earning PADI certification, to lifeguarding earning their Red Cross Certification, interning, cycling, life skills training, musical theatre, and the list goes on.
Viper Venture 2.0 allowed our students to extend themselves in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Two of our experiences enabled students to leave with a qualification: PADI Scuba Diving and American Red Cross Lifeguarding. I would like to see us be able to offer even more qualification programs. – Amy Greene, High School Principal
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ALUMNI – OUR LEGACY
ACS CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATES In collaboration with AIM Films, ACS produced a high-quality “virtual” graduation film. With the magic of technology, every graduate received their diploma from their parents. Also featured in the film were the US Ambassador to the UAE, John Rakolta Jr., commencement speaker, H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash, UAE Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and John Hackworth, the first ACS High School Principal.
RECOGNITION & ACCOLADES
DISTINGUISHED GRADUATION SPEAKERS
93 graduates from 20 countries in 2020 US$4.7 million in scholarships awarded
89%
of graduates accepted into their top three universities choices
97% IB diploma pass rate
United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, John Rakolta Jr. (2019-2021)
H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
attended ACS 19 graduates since Kindergarten
~50% achieved US Presidential Scholar Awards for Educational Excellence
30%
acceptances to QS Top 100 Universities
3,000+
ACS Alumni across the world
So much more could be said about the ACS graduating class of 2020. But the words that best describe them are resilient and compassionate. Students, it is your empathy and genuine support for others that is the hope that our world needs. – Amy Greene, High School Principal, Remarks from Virtual 2020 Graduation Ceremony
ALUMNI – OUR LEGACY
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2020 MATRICULATION
48% US 5% UK 14% Canada 10% Europe 10% Netherlands 8% Gap Year/PG/Military Service 5% UAE
At ACS, if you want to do more, you can. The people there are willing to help you do that. You are given the space to be ambitious. Curiosity was so celebrated. I think that had an impact on me and turned me into a curious thinker. – Hannah Watkins (Class of 2020 Salutatorian) Stanford University
PERCENTAGE OF APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
67%
57%
52%
Class of 2020 submitted applications to
2020
2019
626
273 universities.
2018
ACS fostered an environment that allowed Kaashvi to discover and forge her own identity. She was given every opportunity to challenge herself academically and was provided the platform to excel in sports, arts and leadership roles. I am happy to say ACS has also instilled in her the sense of commitment to goals and the importance of community service. She is truly a global citizen thanks to ACS. –Srishti Mahajan (Parent of Kaashvi Mahajan Class of 2020) UCLA - Chemical Engineering
UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES FOR THE CLASSES OF 2017-2020 UNITED STATES
Allegheny College American University (4) Amherst College (1) Appalachian State University Arizona State University (2) Baldwin Wallace University Bard College Barnard College Baruch College of the CUNY Baylor University (3) Belmont University Berklee College of Music (2) Birmingham-Southern College Boston College Boston University (4) Bowling Green State University Brandeis University Brigham Young University (2) Brigham Young University, Idaho Brown University Bryn Mawr College Butler University Cabrillo College California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University – Pomona California State University, Long Beach California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Sacramento Campbellsville University Carleton College Carroll College Case Western Reserve University Catholic University of America Central Washington University Chapman University (3) Clark University Cleveland College of Art & Design Cleveland State University Coastal Carolina University College of William & Mary Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Columbia University Cornell University DePaul University DigiPen Institute of Technology Drexel University (2) Duke University East Carolina University Eckerd College Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Emory University (3) Everett Community College Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Florida State University
Fordham University (2) Full Sail University George Fox University George Mason University (1) George Washington University (2) Georgetown University (2) Georgia Institute of Technology Gonzaga University Grand Canyon University Grande Prairie Regional College Grinnell College Hampshire College High Point University Hofstra University Hollins University Hunter College of the CUNY Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana University at Bloomington (2) Iowa State University Ithaca College John Carroll University Johns Hopkins University Kent State University Lakehead University Lee University Leeward Community College Lehigh University Lehman College of the CUNY Lesley University Lewis & Clark College Long Island University, Post Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Lynn University Macalester College Manhattan College Marist College Marquette University Maryland Institute College of Art Marymount University Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Michigan State University Middle Georgia State University Middle Tennessee State University Mississippi State University Monmouth University Montana State University Montgomery College Mount Holyoke College Multnomah University New Jersey Institute of Technology New School (2) New York University (10) North Carolina State University (2) Northeastern University (8) Northern Arizona University Northwest Christian University Norwich University Nova Southeastern University Occidental College Ohio Northern University Ohio State University Ohio University
Oklahoma State University Otterbein University Pace University, New York City Pennsylvania State University (5) Pepperdine University Plymouth State University Portland State University Pratt Institute Purchase College, SUNY Purdue University (3) Radford University Rhodes College Rochester Institute of Technology Roger Williams University Rollins College Rutgers University Saint Louis University Saint Michael’s College Sam Houston State University San Bernardino Valley College San Diego State University San Francisco State University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design (2) School of the Art Institute of Chicago Scripps College Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Skidmore College Smith College continued on next page
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ALUMNI – OUR LEGACY
Southeast Missouri State University Southern Illinois University Southern Methodist University St. Edward’s University St. John’s University St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Olaf College Stanford University Stephen F. Austin State University Stony Brook University Suffolk University SUNY, Geneseo SUNY, New Paltz Susquehanna University Sweet Briar College Syracuse University Temple University Texas A&M University (6) Texas Christian University Texas State University Texas Tech University (2) Texas Woman’s University Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University University at Buffalo – SUNY University of Akron University of Arizona (2) University of California, Berkeley (3) University of California, Davis (4) University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles (4) University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego (5) University of California, Santa Barbara (2) University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago (1) University of Cincinnati University of Colorado University of Colorado, Colorado Springs University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Denver University of Evansville University of Florida University of Hartford University of Houston University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa University of Kentucky University of La Verne University of Maine University of Mary Washington University of Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts, Boston University of Miami (2)
University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Minnesota, Duluth University of Nebraska at Lincoln University of Nebraska at Omaha University of New Hampshire at Durham University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Dakota University of North Florida University of Northern Colorado University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania (2) University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of Redlands University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of South Florida University of Southern California University of Tampa University of Texas, Austin (2) University of Texas, Dallas University of Texas, San Antonio (2) University of Texas, Tyler University of the Pacific University of Toledo University of Tulsa University of Utah University of Vermont (2) University of Washington University of Wisconsin Utah Valley University Vanderbilt University Vassar College Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech (5) Wake Forest University Washington State University Wellesley College Webster University Wentworth Institute of Technology West Virginia University Western Michigan University Western Washington University Wheaton College IL Whitman College Woodbury University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Xavier University
CANADA
Alberta College of Art and Design Bishop’s University Brock University Carleton University College of Makeup Art & Design
Concordia University (5) Dalhousie University Emily Carr University of Art + Design Fanshawe College Laurentian University McGill University (5) McMaster University (2) Memorial University of Newfoundland Mount Allison University Niagara University Nova Scotia College of Art and Design Ontario Tech University Queen’s University Ryerson University Saint Mary’s University Sheridan College Institution of Technology Simon Fraser University St. Francis Xavier University Thompson Rivers University University of British Columbia (4) University of Calgary (3) University of Guelph (4) University of New Brunswick University of Ottawa University of Toronto (6) University of Victoria University of Waterloo Vancouver Island University Western University Wilfrid Laurier University York University
UNITED KINGDOM
Anglia Ruskin University Arts University Bournemouth Aston University Bournemouth University Brunel University London City University of London Durham University Goldsmiths, University of London Hult International Business School – London Imperial College London Keele University King’s College London Kingston University Lancaster University London School of Economics and Political Science London South Bank University Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester University Newcastle University Northumbria University Queen Mary University of London Regent’s University London Richmond, The American International University in London Royal Holloway, University of London Swansea University Ulster University
University College London (2) University of Aberdeen University of Bath University of Birmingham University of Bristol University of Buckingham University of Central Lancashire University of Dundee University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh University of Exeter University of Glasgow University of Gloucestershire University of Huddersfield University of Kent University of Leeds University of Liverpool University of Manchester University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology University of Nottingham University of Reading University of Roehampton University of Sheffield University of St. Andrews University of Sussex University of Warwick University of Westminster
EUROPE
American University, Paris Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Netherlands Catholic University of Lyon, France Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (6), Netherlands Erasmus University College, Netherlands EU Business School – Geneva Fontys University of Applied Sciences Franklin University, Switzerland Hague University of Applied Sciences Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Netherlands Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland IE University – Madrid Campus (2), Spain Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Maastricht University National University of Ireland, Galway NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences Paracelsus Private Medical University Paris College of Art, France Polimoda International Institute of Design and Marketing, Italy Ramon Llull University Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Ireland Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain
Saxion Hogeschool, Netherlands SciencesPo/Columbia University, France Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia Technische Universiteit Delft (2), Netherlands Tilbug University Trinity College Dublin, Ireland Umea University, Sweden Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Portugal Universita Bocconi, Italy Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands Universiteit Maastricht, Netherlands Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands University College Cork, Ireland University College Utrecht, Netherlands University of Bergen, Norway University of Geneva, Switzerland University of Groningen, Netherlands University of Tartu, Estonia University of Twente, Netherlands University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
MIDDLE EAST
Abu Dhabi University, UAE American University of Beirut (2), Lebanon American University of Sharjah (4), UAE Lebanese American University, Lebanon New York University Abu Dhabi (2), UAE Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi
OTHER
De La Salle University Hong Kong University of Science & Technology NYU Shanghai Universidad CES, Colombia University of Balamand, Lebanon University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Savannah College of Art and Design – Hong Kong University of Auckland, New Zealand University of Otago, New Zealand Yale-NUS College, Singapore
KEY Listed = Acceptances Bold Type = Matriculation ( ) = Number of Students Matriculated
LAUNCH OF NEW ALUMNI PLATFORM – GRADUWAY On May 1 2020, ACS launched a new alumni networking platform. Since then over 525 of our ACS alumni community have joined. The platform allows the entire ACS community to come together in one connected space with exciting interactive features:
■ Searchable directory of alumni/ former students, former faculty, and alumni parents ■ Mentorship program, giving alumni the opportunity to mentor or be mentored
■ ACS event calendar, inviting alumni to participate in upcoming activities ■ Running feed of ACS news and happenings from all social media platforms in one place
ALUMNI – OUR LEGACY
ALUMNI MOMENTS
19
SUMMER 2020 VIRTUAL REUNION TOUR Instead of hosting ACS alumni reunions around the globe, we decided to try something different. ACS alumni, from Alaska to Hong Kong across 16 time zones, joined the 22 virtual reunions we hosted this summer. The reunions were a huge success, with alumni from 1970’s to 2019 joining us! Over 500 ACS alumni and former students and 66 current and former teachers connected via Zoom. Everyone enjoyed seeing one another, reminiscing about their time together at ACS, and sharing how unique our ACS Community truly is.
MEET LUKA PEROS OF MONEY HEIST The Class of 2020 voted Money Heist as one of their favorite TV shows. Little did they know that one of its stars was an ACS alum. 1995 ACS alum, Luka Peros is currently starring in the Netflix series Money Heist / La Casa de Papel. Luka holds fond memories of his time at ACS and acknowledges many of his ACS teachers for nurturing and motivating him to follow his passion. To current students, he offers the following advice, “Follow your dreams; be realistic; study, study, study; do your best in whatever profession you choose; and love what you do.” As a surprise, Luka joined the Class of 2020 Virtual Gathering on Oct. 31, 2020. Thank you Luka for giving back!
ALUMNI VS. VARSITY An annual tradition continues. On January 4, 2020, ACS Homecoming 2020 welcomed over 50 alumni athletes who played in two very close games against the ACS varsity athletes in basketball and soccer. Staff, former parents, students and alumni came out to watch the live-streamed competitions.
VISITING ALUMS
Nabyl Al Maskari, alum and new ACS parent, shared his pride for his alma mater with the entire High School on National Day 2019. Nabyl attended ACS from Kindergarten to Grade 9 in the 90s.
K. Enagonio, Class of 2011, now a YouTuber with tens of thousands of followers, 19.5K monthly listeners on Spotify, singer and photographer in Los Angeles, enjoyed a catch-up with their former teachers, Ms. Clark and Ms. Shtayyeh (pictured).
Nick Marrano who attended ACS in Grades 2-5 visited his former Arabic teacher, Ms. Dajani, who has been teaching at ACS for 27 years. He even took the time to find the tile he painted on the Kindergarten playground wall.
20
08
FINANCIALS
2019-2020 FINANCES The American Community School of Abu Dhabi is a nonprofit, 501.c.3 organization registered in the United States and incorporated in the United Arab Emirates. Accordingly, in partnership with the Superintendent, ACS is governed by a Board of Trustees, responsible for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the school through fiscal responsibility and strategic planning. Current parents, faculty and staff are members of the school and participate in its governance by electing the school board. The board is responsible for approving the annual budget and providing financial oversight to ensure responsible fiscal management of the school. They also ensure the school’s finances are audited annually. Since June of 2011, KPMG has been the firm chosen to perform ACS’ annual audits. KPMG also assisted in the changes to our fiscal years; both as required by Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in June of 2015. Best practices and good governance policies among the top independent nonprofit schools recommends rotating auditing firms every 5-7 years. In May 2020, the ACS board, through a rigorous tender process considering 7 potential firms, engaged Ernst & Young to conduct the school’s 2019-20 audit.
despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic. The audited financial results for the 2019-2020 school year compare favorably to the budget approved by the board in May 2019. As a nonprofit, all operating surpluses, if any, are reserved and used to further our mission. In 2019-20, the school invested AED 7 million in the design and development of its new 21st century innovative and globally leading campus. The source of those funds were the result of prudent fiscal management, surpluses and earned revenue from priority licensing fees. Overall the total surplus for 2019-20 amounted to AED 3.55 million. The surplus was allocated to our reserves to continue to prepare for the anticipated move to a new campus and to provide for continued financial well-being of the school.
RECOGNIZING OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE
For 2019-2020, the financial statement was prepared and audited by Ernst & Young and represents the fiscal year ending July 31, 2020. We are pleased to report that ACS ended the 2019-2020 school year in a strong, fiscally prudent position
The Finance Committee of the Board, aided by the School’s leadership, utilizes a framework for long-term financial management and forecasting. ACS would like to thank the Finance Committee members for their expertise, advice and support. Members included: Philippe El Bacha (Treasurer), Leslie Bellas (Chair), Monique Flickinger (Superintendent), Victor Guthrie (Assistant Superintendent), Zoltan Karaszy (Director of Finance), Adib Mattar ‘95, Muhannad Qubbaj.
OPERATING REVENUE
OPERATING EXPENSES
● 96.23% Tuition & Fees ● 2.19% Priority Seating Amortization
● 78.50% Staff (Salaries & Benefits) ● 8.05% Materials & Activities ● 5.65% Depreciation
● 1.21%
Contributions
● 4.73% Other & Admin
● 0.36%
Other
● 3.07% Plant Operations
Enrollment-related income, including tuition, registration fees, and capital fees, represented 96% of total revenues. Donations, grants, investment income, and the Priority Admissions Licenses (PALs) program contributed the remaining 4%. Overall revenues were favorable to budget due to higher than anticipated student enrollment (Actual 1,206 versus Budget 1,182), a 3% favorable difference. Contributed revenue was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic given the cancellation of the school’s largest fundraiser, its annual gala, representing nearly one-third of annual contributions.
On a percentage basis, overall costs were similar to last year, with less than one percentage point difference in each category. Salary and benefits accounted for 79% of total 20192020 expenses, which is a 2% increase over last year. In 201819, the Board was able to approve a staff and faculty salary increase to keep up with cost of living increases and to remain on par with regional and international peers. The budgeted contingency was not used for this fiscal year. Due to COVID-19 and the suspension of student activities and athletics from March 2020 through the end of the school year, there were unanticipated cost savings. While additional costs were incurred due to strict health and safety guidelines requiring the purchase of medical and disinfecting supplies and PPE. In order to successfully transition the school to remote learning, the school invested in additional software and hardware, and professional development and digital upskilling for the faculty and staff.
09
IMPACT OF 2019-2020 GIVING
PERSONALIZE LEARNING
SHAPE SHAPE THE THE FUTURE FUTURE
21
PREPARE FUTURE LEADERS
DELIVER EXCELLENCE
INSPIRE EXCEPTIONAL THINKERS
EMPOWER INNOVATORS
TRANSFORM THE WORLD
Generous support from our community ensures a truly exceptional education!
22
IMPACT OF 2019-2020 GIVING
As one of only five nonprofit schools in Abu Dhabi, philanthrophy has a direct and positive impact. As a result of the generosity of our community of parents, faculty, staff, alumni, former parents, and corporate partners, ACS enhanced and enriched learning opportunities for our students’ success beyond what tuition alone provides. Here are some of the opportunities that highlight the impact of those generous contributions:
1. Enhancing & Expanding Technology Education 2. Greater Technology Resources 3. Digital Upskilling for Educators 4. Elevating ACS World Languages Program 5. Delivering Innovative/Flexible Curriculum 6. Embracing UAE Cultural Traditions
Enhancing & Expanding Technology Education to Build Skills for the Digital World ■ NEW!! ACS Backstage Techttoos - A new program in a new space was launched and incorporated into the 2019-20 Middle School curriculum as an elective course called “Exploring Technology” for nearly 300 students Grades 6-8. ■ ACS Ideaspace Studios - An existing classroom transformed into where high school students enrolled in TV/Film Production create films, produce shows and learn about all aspects of professional media editing, creating and producing.
Greater Technology Resources ensured ACS Remote Learning Success from March-June 2020 ■ A device for every student ■ Access to new online tools & resources for our educators ■ Strengthened technology infrastructure school wide
23,959 Virtual sessions ■ 140,316 Seesaw posts ■ 500,000 Digital documents ■ 4.2 million Minutes of online engagement ■
Digital Upskilling for Our Educators provided greater student engagement in online teaching ensuring ACS stays ahead of the curve
143
Professional learning opportunities for faculty
165 Digital certifications achieved by instructional assistants and faculty
IMPACT OF 2019-2020 GIVING
23
Elevating ACS World Languages Program and igniting a passion for learning Arabic by investing in Arabic curriculum & faculty ■ Daily professional development/group curriculum planning ■
420
hours of Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) Reader’s Writers Workshop training for all 14 ES, MS, and HS Arabic faculty
■ Onsite iPad training for Arabic Faculty with Apple Certified, Arabic-speaking trainer ■
3 days enhancing curriculum with 3 trainers from Columbia University’s Global Language Project
■
3
educators attended NESA World Languages session in Muscat
■ Investment in ADIOS program to ensure high-quality implementation of the curriculum & Live virtual sessions with the program developers
How are teachers leveraging technology in Arabic? Using the new iPad apps, we are inspiring students to think and collaborate beyond memorization. They are applying the skills of writing, listening and reading to present their work. – ES Arabic Faculty
Delivering Innovative/Flexible Curriculum and enhanced learning opportunities for greater student achievement school wide Pathways to Inclusive Education (PIE) provided teachers with trainings to meet the needs of all learners (students uniquely motivated and those requiring additional support) IBDP Self-Taught Program allows students to study in their mother tongue, and earn a bilingual diploma
Embracing UAE cultural traditions increases cultural awareness and understanding for our
entire community
ACS National Day Celebration on November 25, 2019 was generously supported by our Emirati Families who came together, shared traditions, volunteered time, brought food/ decorations, organized performers, and collaborated with our Arabic faculty to make the entire event a tremendous success.
24
IMPACT OF 2019-2020 GIVING
Our ability to deliver exceptional educational opportunities for our students and faculty is made possible because of charitable contributions!
LEADERSHIP GIVING CIRCLE Ensures ACS has the necessary resources to achieve an ambitious multi-year strategic plan. We are deeply grateful to the following leaders within our community who have generously pledged multi-year commitments through 2023.
Anonymous (2) Gautam Datta & Jodi Lefort George & Sara Lane Raymond Makhoul & Lizeth Maalouf Luca Molinari & Serena Carnevale Muhannad Qubbaj & Roulana Jarrar
2019-20 ACS EXCELLENCE FUND DONORS GOLD
(AED 50,000+) Khaldoon Al Mubarak ‘93 & Nadia Sehweil ‘97 Nasser Al Nowais & Nadine Kaaki IMKAN Occidental Rotana Hotels
SILVER
(AED 25,000-49,999) Anonymous Faiz Ahmad & Mahnaz Karim Adib Martin Mattar ‘95 & Chirine Alameddine Luca Molinari & Serena Carnevale Muhannad Qubbaj & Roulana Jarrar Raytheon Emirates Villiers & Louise Terblanche
BRONZE
(AED 10,000-24,999) Anonymous (3) Bodytree Studio Citi Colliers Project Leaders Gautam Datta & Jodi Lefort ExxonMobil George & Sara Lane Lockheed Martin Raymond Makhoul & Lizeth Maalouf Georges Tachajian & Christine Belanger Nicolas Turrin & Marie-Josee Caron
PEARL
(AED 5,000-9,999) Nabyl Al Maskari Hase & Najla Faisal Al Awadhi Adel Al Nuwais & Abeer Al Nowais Matt Ayoub ‘94 & Cecilia Ayoub Waleed & Halah Hassen Kirby & Melissa Lindsey
2019 NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION SUPPORTERS Anonymous (2) Nabyl Al Maskari Hase & Najla Faisal Al Awadhi Khaldoon Al Mubarak ‘93 & Nadia Sehweil ‘97 Nasser Al Nowais & Nadine Kaaki Ahmed & Khuloud Al Nuwais Adel Al Nuwais & Abeer Al Nowais Ahmed & Hend Al Tenaiji Saif Al Teneiji & Hassa Al Zaabi ‘85 Naser Al Zaabi & Hanane Lahlafi Obaid & Shamsa AlKaabi Ali Alzaabi & Roddah Al Mehairi Mohamed Mahmoud Kuleib & Hania Ghassan Maraouch
Jose & Penny Lopez* Mick & Mia McColgan* Rami Tarazi & Miran Farah David Weiler & Leslie Bellas
JADE
(AED 2,500-4,999) Anonymous Rami & Haya Abulaila Omar Asfour ‘96 & Raya Asfour Yvette L. Campbell* Ghassan Chehade & Anthi Manola* Brad & Monique Flickinger* Stephen & Karen Jones Mark & Victoria Kester
FRIEND
Jonathan Johnson & Evelyn Ramirez* Belal & Laurie Joundeya* Murad Khalliev & Maysa Sapargeldiyeva* Adam & Amy Kice Kenneth Kim & Hae Jeon Edvin Kvalvaag & Saida Ganizada Matt Lindsay & Siobhan Reddick* Wei Luo & Yan Zeng Mohamed Mahmoud Kuleib & Hania Ghassan Maraouch Emilian Marcel & Elena Marina Gheorghiu Scott & Jelica Martin Assem & Mona Mawlawi* Arshad Mehmood & Sumera Muhammad* Ehab Mekhail & Alena Tsemnikava Jason & Jennifer Miller Justin Miller & Lizabeth Weithas* Shahid Mokal & Shazia Nazir Jordan Moog* Ayoub Nahal & Rumi Orita Larry Nista & Zaheera Wahid Yacoub Nuseibeh & Alexandra Jaar Mustapha & Adina Oulhaci Michael Petrosino & Barbara Betti* Robert Pfeiffer & Amy Greene* Melisa Pubil* Brent Raven & Lisa Paterson* Eric Richards & Cheryl Hordenchuk* Carey Riffle* Fawzi Rinno & Valia Jimenez* Jared Rodgers & Mimi Rodgers* Jayendran Satkunananda & Marise Philip-Jayendran* Abdellah Sbai & Kaoutar Benjebera Hadi Sha & Suzan Terzian Paul Sidlo & Gwyneth Bravo Jamila Sinno* Nabil Sleiman & Rania El Arja Antonis Slicher & Kalli Kontozoglou* Lukas & Dominika Sokol Paul Taylor & Zoryana Tsymbal Ahmed & Hend Al Tenaiji Mark & Alina Thomer Derek & Rebecca Swanson* William & Erin Watts Kendall Wilson & Linda Bukowski-Wilson Mohammad & Nazia Zafar Muneer & Randa Zuhdi*
(up to AED 2,500) Anonymous (7) Matthew & Charlotte Adsero Yakout Afia & Nirmeen Ahmed* Aysheh Ahmad* Samah Al Aker & Nimer Basbous Ahmed & Khuloud Al Nuwais Khaldoon Al Sharaa & Reem Hallak Waheeda Al Tamimi* Saif Al Teneiji & Hassa Al Zaabi ‘85 Naser Al Zaabi & Hanane Lahlafi Mutaz Alhaj Ahmed & Eyman Owaynat Aysha Alhameli Obaid & Shamsa AlKaabi Peter & Dana Allen Ahmed Almahmoud & Huda Alsabbagh Ali Alzaabi & Roddah Al Mehairi Richmond & Roseline Boaitey* Thomas & Rikke Boesen Scott Bolz & Catherine Sweet Adeeb & Jennifer Brooks* Drew & Leyla Bulluck* Forest & Angi Caveney* Joshua & Robin Chartier* Christophe & Kim Cottin* Leonisa Dayang* Sandro De Barros & Oddra De Barros Rivera Hasnain & Farwa Devji* Michael & Summer Dickinson* Levent & Kirsten Edepli Elementary School Students of ACS Toy Drive Luke & Mary Fuglie* List includes in-kind and cash contributions Matthew & Kate Gallery Bold indicates ACS Board of Trustees 2019-20 & 2020-21 Victor & Amber Guthrie* * indicates Faculty & staff John & Carolyn Hackworth Paul & Dawn Harden Haytham Hassanein ‘80 & Yuliya Kucherova SPECIAL RECOGNITION to the many Brad & Caroline Heming Turner & Allison Herbert volunteers that enrich our community
with their time and talent. ACS thrives because of your dedication!
IMPACT OF 2019-2020 GIVING
25
CORPORATE INTERNSHIPS In 2019-20, more than 50 High School students participated in internships provided by the following corporations: Blooming Buds Nursery Bodytree Wellness Studio BroadwayMalyan Dots & Links Dr. Firas Dental & Orthodontics Center Flash Entertainment Giffin Traffiks Harley Street Medical Center IMKAN Lana’s Partiperfect Law House Mubadala Investment Corporation Nectar Rotana Hotels
INNOVATION PARTNERS The future New Elementary Innovation Lab for Grades K-5 opening in 2020-21 was generously supported by contributions from our Innovation Partners: Citi Colliers Project Leaders ExxonMobil Lockheed Martin Occidental Raytheon Emirates Rotana Hotels
Thank you to our Corporate Partners for equipping our students with the resources and tools to thrive.
26
ACS INNOVATION PARTNERS
10
We salute our 2020 Innovation Partners! Their support will enhance technology education for more than 500 ACS students Grades K-5 in our new Elementary School Innovation Lab opening in 2020-21.
Citi Colliers Project Leaders ExxonMobil Lockheed Martin Occidental Raytheon Emirates Rotana Hotels On the following pages, we recognize our 2020 Gala Corporate Sponsors who chose to donate their contributions to ensure 100% of their support was put toward ACS continuing to deliver exceptional STEM programs especially during these challenging times. We thank them and recognize Citi, Colliers Project Leaders, ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin, Occidental, Raytheon Emirates, and Rotana Hotels on the pages that follow in our 2019-20 Annual Report for their generous support.
TRUSTED PARTNER
Common values. Shared goals. Raytheon Emirates is supporting the UAE in achieving the nation’s visionary goals for economic diversification. A committed partner of the UAE for more than 33 years, Raytheon Emirates is dedicated to enabling a brighter future.
Raytheon.com/UAE © 2021 Raytheon Company, a Raytheon Technologies company
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The view from our new campus to open in 2023
AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ABU DHABI P.O. Box 42114, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. +971 2 681 5115 acs.sch.ae
ACCREDITATION AND MEMBERSHIPS
MSA Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools IBO International Baccalaureate Organization NESA Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools MESAC Middle East South Asia Conference
Empowering Students to Shape the Future Since 1972
AAIE Association for the Advancement of International Education AISH Academy of International School Heads ASCD Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development IACAC International Association for College Admission Counseling NACAC National Association for College Admission Counseling ASCA American School Counselor Association GOA Global Online Academy