Annual Report 2022-23

Empowering Students to Shape the Future Since 1972

4-5 Who We Are

6 Message from the Board Chair

7 Message from the Superintendent

8-9 How ACS Celebrated 50 Years

10 A Year Beyond Measure

11-18 Celebrating a Culture of Giving

19 Financial Report 2022-23

20-21 Class of 2023 Impact

22-23 Alumni Celebrating 50 Years

“My greatest hope is that your next fifty years and beyond will be as successful as your first fifty.

Congratulations

on this important milestone.”

–

HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence

50 Years of Excellence in Education

COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ABU DHABI

Established in 1972, the American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS) is a non-profit, U.S. accredited college preparatory school serving a culturally diverse student body of students between the ages of 4 to 18. Building on a legacy of 50 years of excellence, ACS empowers students to shape and define their futures by providing a balanced learning program to foster excellence in academics, the arts, athletics and service learning.

MISSION

Empowering all students to define and shape their futures for learning, service and global citizenship.

VISION

A compassionate, student-centered community of learners engages, prepares and inspires.

CORE VALUES

Courage

Curiosity

Compassion

Integrity

ACS LEARNERS ARE...

Collaborative team members

Responsible individuals

Self-directed learners

Global citizens

Note: Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is the Education

AMERICAN

136 Teachers

100+ High School Course Offerings

12 Volunteer Trustees

2,300+ Graduated Alumni

725 Families

2022-23 TOTAL ENROLLMENT

1,207 STUDENTS

9:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

95 2023 Graduates

Why ACS? What Our Parents are Saying

ACS gives kids an opportunity to excel in whatever they love and encourages them to get excited about learning. I absolutely love the focus on social and emotional learning.

I am happy that my child learns in an environment that encourages creativity and self-confidence.

I am very impressed with ACS’s role in teaching my children Global Citizenship. I am awestruck by how they have grown and really latched onto their role as global citizens.

538 264 405 Elementary Middle High

83%

Faculty with Advanced Degrees

85%

Faculty with 10+ Years Experience

67 Nationalities of Students

54% US

10% Canada

4% UAE National Citizens

Other Countries

MATT AYOUB ‘94 Board Chair

ACS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

As an independent nonprofit school, ACS is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees to ensure the longterm sustainability of the school. Through prudent fiscal governance and strategic planning, working in partnership with the Superintendent, the Board ensures ACS continues to serve and fulfill the school’s mission to empower future generations of ACS students.

Honored to serve the ACS community as trustees for the 2022-23 school year:

Matt Ayoub ‘94, Chair

Serena Carnevale, Vice Chair

Philippe El Bacha, Treasurer

Julie Thurston, Secretary

Ahmed Al Ahmadi ‘11

Omar Asfour ‘96

Nadia Bardawil

Brad Heming

Eric Hilgendorf

Kirby Lindsey

Adib Mattar ‘95

Robin Solomon, US Embassy Rep

Empowering Minds, Shaping Futures: ACS’s Remarkable Story

In the story of the 2022-23 school year, ACS marked more than 50 years of excellence in education since its modest start in 1972 as a small community school serving just 50 students. As a proud member of the second ACS graduating class of 1994 and a parent of three current students, I am filled with awe and gratitude for the extraordinary evolution of our beloved institution during the past five decades and the remarkable journey that has brought us to where we are today.

Similar to the beloved children’s tale “The Little Engine That Could,” our ACS community embodies the spirit of “I think I can, I think I can” through the ACS Strategic Plan. This guiding compass fosters the growth of our students into forward-thinking global citizens who shape the future in ways that surprise us every day. Key to our vision for the future are investments in partnerships with esteemed global organizations, the ongoing professional development of our dedicated faculty and staff, and the creation of innovative programs tailored to the needs of our students. Beyond a mere document, our strategic plan reflects our unwavering commitment to the whole child, recognizing not only academic success, but also social, emotional, and physical well-being.

The little engine’s greatest strength was its determination. This milestone year was a testament to the tenacity of a small, independent nonprofit school that dared to dream big. In line with our steadfast commitment to providing world-class facilities, our new Saadiyat campus is rapidly progressing, targeting an opening in January 2024. This state-of-the-art facility roughly doubles our footprint and includes a 650-seat theater, solar panels that will power a third of our energy needs and world-class facilities for academics, athletics

and the arts. Designed to surpass the evolving needs of our more than 1,200 students, the campus will facilitate the expansion of our curriculum across a broad spectrum of strategic pathways. Thanks to the incredible support of the Abu Dhabi government our new Saadiyat campus will stand as a beacon to our community’s belief in the potential of the little school that could.

On our journey, we’re blessed to be accompanied by an incredible community whose vibrant spirit shines through enthusiastic engagement in events for students, families, faculty, staff and esteemed alumni. Festivities like the ACS Kickoff Party on the 50th day of the 50th school year and The Golden Gala brought us together to reflect on our rich history and even brighter future. We had the honor of recognizing HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, an ACS alumnus from the first graduating class, current ACS parent and Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, as the recipient of the 2023 ACS Community Leadership Award. This special recognition underscored the outstanding contributions of one of our own to the global community.

As we stand on the cusp of an even brighter future, enriched by our deep history and fueled by a collective belief in ACS, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each member of the ACS Abu Dhabi community for their steadfast support and dedication. I am especially grateful to our faculty, staff, and parent volunteers who work tirelessly every day to help our school reach its full potential.

Together, let us embrace the opportunities that the future holds, charting a course for another 50 years of excellence in education – as the school that can.

In gratitude, Matt Ayoub ‘94 Board Chair

50 Years of Excellence in Education

As we reflect on the 2022-23 academic year, it is with immense pride and gratitude that I share with you the Annual Report celebrating our school's 50th anniversary. This milestone not only marks a halfcentury of excellence in education but also underscores our enduring commitment to empowering students to shape the future.

Since our inception, ACS has stood as a beacon of educational excellence in the region, guided by our mission to nurture courageous, curious, compassionate, and principled individuals. As one of the few nonprofit institutions in the region, our inspired educators remained steadfast in their dedication to providing a world-class education that transcends borders and empowers students to thrive in an ever-changing global landscape.

The celebration of our 50th anniversary has been a testament to the strength and resilience of our ACS community. From alumni gatherings across the globe to local events commemorating our rich legacy, the spirit of ACS has touched lives near and far. Our alumni network serves as a testament to the lasting impact of an ACS education, with graduates making significant contributions to their communities and professions around the world.

At the heart of our success lies our unwavering commitment to our core values of courage, curiosity, compassion, and integrity. These values have served as the foundation upon which our pillars of academics, athletics, the arts, and service have flourished, enabling us to provide a holistic education that prepares students for success in all aspects of life.

As one of only three schools in the UAE to reach the 50-year milestone, ACS has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of education in Abu Dhabi and beyond. Our existence is a testament to the principles, goals, and aspirations of the UAE in fostering excellence in international education.

As we look ahead to the next chapter in our journey, let us continue to embrace the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and excellence that has defined ACS for the past five decades. Together, guided by our shared vision and values, we will continue to empower students to reach their fullest potential and shape a brighter future for generations to come.

Here's to the next 50 years of excellence in education.

Warm regards, Monique Flickinger Superintendent

MONIQUE FLICKINGER

Superintendent

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Dr. Victor Guthrie

Assistant Superintendent

Amy Greene

High School Principal

Karl Poulin

Middle School Principal

Heather Collins

Elementary School Principal

Dr. Jen Ricks

Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning

Christina Devitt

Director of Learning Innovation and eLearning

Bobbi Donison Charles

High School Assistant Principal

Rob Desormeau

Middle School Assistant Principal

Dr. Ann Peterson

Elementary School Assistant

Principal

Jean Rueckert

Director of World Languages

Dr. Hanadi Dayyeh

Director of Arabic Progams

MeMe Spurgeon

Director of Student Support Services

Preben Gietz

Athletic and Activities Director

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

Jodi Lefort

Director of Admissions

Marise Philip-Jayendran

Director of Human Resources

Joni Wills

Director of Communications

Monique Flickinger pictured with Trustees Nadia Bardawil, Serena Carnevale and Julie Thurston for 50th celebrations.

ACS marked its 50-year history and unwavering commitment to excellence in education with a year of celebrations all over the world. Students, alumni, staff, former faculty and even special guests like Sandy the Sand Viper made special guest appearances in classrooms, at the entry gate, at assemblies, on social media and at 50th celebrations throughout the school year.

Our 50th was a year to remember, and here is how we celebrated as a school:

50TH KICKOFF PARTY NOVEMBER 7

On the 50th school day of the 50th year, nearly 1,000 students, parents, staff, alumni, friends and VIP guests joined us to kick off yearlong celebrations for our 50th anniversary with a special guest appearance by Thunder the Falcon (the ACS mascot from 1972 to 2000), Sandy the Sand Viper (current mascot) and a special lighted marquee built in our Fab Lab by students and High School Design Tech teacher, Matt McGrady.

50 ON THE FIELD

A drone captured Grades 3-9 students, faculty and administrators forming a giant 50 on Summer Jassim Field.

ACS HISTORY WALK

The school’s main walkway was decorated with a number of images and historic facts by decade showcasing milestone events, special visitors like the Queen Elizabeth II and the greatest of all time, Mohammed Ali, and significant achievements during our 50-year history.

ALUMNI HOMECOMING AND WELCOME RECEPTION JAN. 7-8

50TH ANNIVERSARY MERCHANDISE AND SPECIAL GIFTS

• Gold 50th Anniversary pin / Limited edition 50th anniversary gift box / 50th t-shirts, hats, tote bags, stickers and water bottles

• Commissioned 50th Anniversary Artwork by Grade 10 student Amani Nasser

ACS 50 FEST MARCH 6-12

A festive week of final 50th celebrations for students, staff, parents, alumni and special guests included:

• Special 50th gifts for staff and schoolwide decorations

• Daily school spirit activities and assemblies

• Guided tours of old and new campus for special visitors

• Alumni reception at the US Ambassador’s residence

• 50th Anniversary ACS Golden Gala

• Final alumni games on Al Bateen campus

I ❤ ACS DAY FEBRUARY 14

For I ‘HEART’ ACS Day (a.k.a. Valentine’s Day), Sandy the Sand Viper handed out valentines to our students as they arrived to school in the morning.

COMMISSIONED A 50TH ANNIVERSARY FILM

A YEAR BEYOND MEASURE

GRADES 2-9

MEASURE OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (MAP)

MAP assessments are computer adaptive achievement tests that help ACS personalize learning for every student. Assessments support growth and skill mastery to help students reach their fullest potential. Below are MAP results for ACS as compared to the world, i.e., the 16.2 million students in 49 countries who take the MAP test each year administered by Northweastern Evaluation Association, North East South Asia Council (NESA) overseas schools, and the 190+ Office of Overseas US State Department Schools.

GRADES 10 -12

REMARKABLE GROWTH IN OUR PROGRAMS

ACS offers all High School students opportunities to take the full International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB DP) or a mixture of more than 100 IB and AP college-preparatory courses. We intentionally offer a blended IB/AP program to prepare our diverse student body to study both in the US and abroad for university.

26 students in 2023 were recognized as AP Scholars (students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on multiple AP exams).

2023 Advanced Placement (AP)

2023 International Baccalaureate DP

• Brackets indicate the number of ACS students who sat the exam.

• AP scores with fewer than [10] students are not reported.

CLASS OF 2023 SAT SUMMARY

2023 Average IB Scores by Subject

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature in English

Group 2: Language Acquisition

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

Group 4: Sciences

Group 5: Mathematics

Group 6: The Arts

2022-23 Giving at ACS

OUR 50TH MARKED A RECORD YEAR FOR PHILANTHROPY

568 Total Gifts

AED 6.35 million in new gifts & commitments from Annual Giving Campaign, Leadership Gifts & the Annual Gala 45% Community Participation (66% increase over last year)

2

WHO GAVE?

■ 48% Parents

■ 36% Staff/Faculty

■ 6% Alumni

■ 6% Others (former parents/friends)

■ 4% Corporations

206 Families

18 Corporate Partners

Many in our community are investing deeply in our students’ success by making transformational gifts and multi-year commitments. Their extraordinary support provides the critical resources for ACS to continue to push the boundaries of education.

371,000 (average gift size)

2ND ANNUAL GIVING DAY: MAY 23, 2023

• Increased community participation to nearly 50%

• 275 gifts in 24-hour period

• 140% increase in number of gifts over 2022

• Celebrated with 1,500 popsicles for everyone

THE GOLDEN GALA: Beyond Imagination

Truly a night to remember, ACS held its 2023 Golden Gala at the iconic Emirates Palace raising a record AED 1.3 million. More than 560 guests, including parents, teachers, alumni, dignitaries, former faculty/parents and corporate sponsors joined together to celebrate 50 years of excellence in education at ACS. Thirty Elementary and Middle School ACS students proudly performed a song of peace to a delighted audience. The event also honored 2023 ACS Community Leadership recipient H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak ’93, Group CEO of Mubadala and a member of ACS’ first graduating class,

for his contributions to ACS and to the UAE. The award was presented by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance, and ACS’ first high school principal John Hackworth, who flew from the United States to be in attendance for this momentous occasion.

As you will see, support from The Golden Gala greatly enhanced our ability to deliver exceptional programs for all students in 2022-23 while preparing them for a future yet to be imagined.

Investing In Our People, Places & Programs

As a nonprofit school, ACS relies on charitable contributions to invest deeply in our people, places and programs, enriching every aspect of our students’ learning experience, from unique opportunities for excellence that arise and to our ambitious visionary goals of our strategic five-year plan.

From solar eclipse glasses to a fully-developed new K-12 rocketry/engineering program, from high-quality theater technology to strategic three-year enhancements in our Arabic program and math/science curriculums, generous contributions have had a tremendous impact on our school.

“As an educator, the support to share my learning and collaborate with educators outside our walls has been transformative. It has allowed me to tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives, innovative teaching strategies and a global network of expertise.”

– Belal Joundeya, ACS Teacher

“Presenting at the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) conference opened up collaborative opportunities with other experienced educators worldwide. We have continued to share resources and ideas and provide each other feedback to support our students’ learning best.”

– Allie Wise, ACS Teacher at the National Science Teachers Association conference

224 Professional learning experiences for our educators

26 International opportunities for ACS faculty to present their expertise

12 Students completed training to become Climate Fresk facilitators

ACS conducted sessions for 75 Abu Dhabi counselors at other schools to increase the number of students accepted to leading US universities

8 students were able to have self-directed learning opportunities in Standard Level IB Literature course to excel in their mother tongue

6 International Arabic language scholars join the inaugural ACS Arabic Advisory Council as part of the launch of the ACS Institute for Excellence for Teaching and Learning Arabic

Pictured Arabic Advisory Council (L-R): Omima Elaraby (NYU Abu Dhabi); Dr. David Wilmsen (American University of Sharjah); Mary Tadros (International Baccalaureate Middle East); Dr. Hanadi Dayyeh (ACS); Dr. Rima Karami (American University of Beirut); Dr. Zeinab Taha (American University of Cairo); Dr. Christine Brown (Office of Overseas Schools, U.S. Department)

WORK REMAINS ON TRACK FOR NEW CAMPUS OPENING

2022-23 saw major progress at the site of our new campus on Saadiyat Island. With the structural works for buildings and facilities complete, our focus is now on completing the finishing works and preparing for a community ribbon cutting ceremony and official dedication. We are grateful to the Cornerstone Partners who partnered with us to invest deeply in exceptional learning spaces for our students.

“My classroom is now filled with cutting-edge projects that showcase the students' technical prowess, critical thinking and collaborative abilities, setting them on a path to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital world.”

– Brad Flickinger, Middle School Technology Lead

Science Wing

NEW RTX SCIENCE WING

ACS has plans to open the new RTX Science Wing in the Middle and High School building, in recognition of a generous gift from RaytheonEmirates, a subsidiary of RTX. Their support will further cultivate STEM skills, innovation and diverse thinking.

"RTX's support sets a precedent for corporate investment in education. I'm eager to witness its lasting impact on ACS and the broader Abu Dhabi community.

– Matt

Ayoub, Chair of the ACS Board of Trustees

The greatest investments were toward our programs to elevate the student experience in our four pillars: academics, the arts, athletics and service learning. Far from an exhaustive list, we highlight many of the ways philanthropy has enhanced and accelerated our innovative programs in 2022-23:

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

In its second year, the ACS Artists in Residence program in our Elementary School welcomed six visiting artists, who shared their work and artistry with our young artists. 538 students worked collaboratively with the artists to create seven unique pieces of art exhibited at the Elementary Art Show April 25-May 1. Artists included: Rick Sharif (Grade 1); Vern Brown (Grade 2); Alia Zaal (Grade 3); Rabab Tantawy (Grade 4); Michele Cade Khelifi (Grade 4); and Hanneke Reinalda-Poot (Grade 5).

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP IN ACTION

Investments in the ACS Service Learning program foster students’ social responsibility and action-taking skills, empowering them to become global citizens, positively impacting lives while gaining insights into diverse cultures and perspectives.

• 25 service club leaders completed the “Be the Change” course, reinforcing the best practices for implementing impactful service projects.

• 60+ Elementary School students joined the Roots & Shoots after school program, focused on helping people, animals and the environment. They developed a campaign to reduce single-use plastic in our campus.

NEAL SHUSTERMAN, a visiting New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books, shared his expertise and passion with our students through workshops and engaging presentations.

AN UNFORGETTABLE SOLAR ECLIPSE

On October 25, 2023, at 3:51 p.m., ACS students and faculty joined together on Jassim Field with enough solar eclipse glasses for everyone to view the partial solar eclipse!

• 100+ High School students shared their achievements in service at the first-ever ACS Impact Celebration, an evening filled with empowerment and a passion for impactful service. More than 300 attendees celebrated and recognized the outstanding engagement by our students.

• 100+ students volunteered for community engagement activities.

ACS’ ability to deliver an exceptional service program for our students is made possible by generous charitable contributions from the following 2022-23 Sustainability Partners:

3RD ANNUAL STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL

The annual ACS film festival offers our aspiring student filmmakers the opportunity to develop a film from concept to reality for the big screen. 80 student films were submitted this year for consideration, and the best films were recognized at the event.

ARABIC BECOMES THE MOST POPULAR LANGUAGE AT ACS

In 2022-23, the ACS Arabic language program made significant progress toward its ambitious goals. Key accomplishments include:

• Enhanced Arabic proficiency demonstrated by ACS students

• Personalized learning pathways offered to all Arabic students in Grades 5-10

• 2 new tracks: MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) and AWL (Arabic as a World Language)

• Arabic emerged as the most popular language (selected by nearly 50% of Grade 6 students)

• 100 hours of comprehensive training in Arabic for all ACS Arabic faculty

NEW ROCKET CLUB LAUNCHED

AT ACS

ACS, the only UAE school licensed for SystemsGo, introduced a comprehensive rocketry program for all K-12 grades, spanning from water rockets to engines capable of reaching a mile into space. The inaugural ACS Rocket Club, the only non-U.S. participant, joined the prestigious 2023 Texas rocket launch, spotlighted in The National “Being a part of the ACS Rocket Club gave me the perfect opportunity to partake in activities that aligned perfectly with my future pursuits in Computer Science and Aerospace Engineering and resonated deeply with my passions and interests.”

– Jeremiah Mathew, Grade 10

THANK YOU TO OUR 2022-23 PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Volunteering is at the heart of who we are as a community. We recognize and thank each and every volunteer in our community who has generously given their time and efforts during the 2022-23 school year. Thank you for the important role you play in making ACS the very best it can be.

Abigail Abbot

Noha Abdel Kader

Sabrina Aebi Cassim

Ayesha Ahmed

Ayesha Akhtar

Ahmed Al Ahmadi

Aman Al Tawil

Abrar Alhammadi

Raya Asfour

Omar Asfour

Sarah Ashley

Matt Ayoub

Dana Bahri

Nadia Bardawil

Amy Behrends

Amal Benhaimoud

Sara Bossetti

Vanessa Bosson

Jen Bray

Trevor Brown

Jerita Burreson

Serena Carnevale

Florencia Castagnino

Danielle Claerhout

Samah Clark

Louet Colaco

Laura Copa

Casey D'Entremont

Amy Davis

Elise Dejonghe

Violy

Dela Cruz

Levent Edepli

Philippe El Bacha

Nagla El Raghi

Carolina Escalante

Yomna Esmat

Katherine Evans

Miran Farah

Barbara Farahnick-Mathonet

Elizabeth Garbutt

Coleen Gatehouse

Sasha Gelbach

Mahasweta GhoshRoy

Leah Graber

Parul Gupta

Ximena Halvorson

Mahwish Hamid

Nada Hani

Renée Hassan

Caroline Heming

Brad Heming

Angie Hilgendorf

HJ Jang

Roulana Jarrar

Bushra Kamran

Monia Kamzi

Mahnaz Karim

Neha Karumanchi

Maha Khandker

Yendy Khayat

Nesrine Khoury

Lara Kirdar

Karen Kubinec

Haeyoung Lee

Jodi Lefort

Joanna Lindskog

Trine Ljungstrom

Michelle Lopez

Ugne Lube

Brandy Mansfield

Jelica Martin

Maria Mata

Roshni Matnani

Adib Mattar

Mia McColgan

Jane Meikle

Julia Meisner

Maiko Mizukami

Nafisa Mohamed

Kate Moon

Diana Nasrallah

Patricia Nicholas Henry

Kelsey Ocheskey

Nihal Onar

Toyka Osborne

Beverly Paulis-Lukaszewski

Uli Petroianu

Nada Prouty

Muhannad Qubbaj

Prajna Ravikumar

Victoria Rodrigues

Rawdah Sabbah

Yusuf Saeed

Nadine Saleh

Jeanette Scholl

Ghusoon Shehab

Hoda Shoreibah

Sunita Nanda Singh

Klara Sjodin

Dominika Sokol

Robin Solomon

Mary Stephenson

Mullika Swaisaenyakorn

Anindita Tantri

Louise Terblanche

Suzan Terzian

Julie Thurston

Amy Trescott

Vidya Venkateswaran

Anja Volcic

Erin Watts

Erinn Welborn

Sondra Williams

Linda Wilson

Neri Wolter

Neri Yorgun-Wolter

Njoud Zuriekat

Our Donors

THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF ACS

As a nonprofit school, the philanthropic support of our donors helps ACS to deepen our investments in our dedicated faculty, programmatic excellence and world-class facilities. Your support of the ACS Excellence Fund, attendance at the 50th Anniversary Gala and leadership commitments of strategic investments in the new campus strengthens our ability to advance our mission, deliver exceptional programs and take ACS to the next level.

Thanks to our supporters, we had our most successful year to date. We couldn’t do it without you!

LEADERSHIP BENEFACTORS

ACS extends its deepest gratitude to our leadership supporters whose transformational gifts have had an immediate and positive impact on our students and will ensure our school stays at the forefront of education globally.

DIAMOND

Endless

Flash Entertainment

Oxy

US Mission to the UAE

(AED 250,000+)

Anonymous (3)

Accenture

Khadijah and Hashim Al Kudsi

Ayesha and Azeem Akhtar

Ahmed Al Ahmadi ‘11

Maria Ansari and Mujeeb Qazi

Barclays PLC

Serena Carnevale and Luca Molinari

Endless

Caroline and Brad Heming

Muna Hindi and Mutasem Dajani

Roulana Jarrar and Muhannad Qubbaj

Nadine Kaaki and Nasser Al Nowais

Neha and Prasanth Karumanchi

Jodi Lefort and Gautam Datta

Anissa and John Lickrish

Lizeth Maalouf and Raymond Makhoul

Meriem Marrouni and Abdul Balfaqeeh

Diana Nasrallah and Nadim Koteich

Oxy RTX (Raytheon Emirates Ltd)

Rotana

Louise and Villiers Terblanche

US Mission to the UAE

2022-23 ACS EXCELLENCE HONOR ROLL

Susan and Bill Nash

Heather Sullivan and Pieter Schoorel

Louise and Villiers Terblanche

Zublin

BRONZE (AED 10,000+)

PEARL

(AED 5,000+)

Anonymous (2)

Ayesha and Azeem Akhtar

Khuloud Al Nuwais

Latifa Almazrouei and Mohamed Alsuwaidi ‘07

PLATINUM (AED 100,000+)

Anonymous (3)

Ahmed Al Ahmadi ‘11

Barclays PLC

Serena Carnevale and Luca Molinari

Nadine and Nasser Al Nowais

Jodi Lefort and Gautam Datta*

Diana Nasrallah and Nadim Koteich

Rotana

GOLD (AED 50,000+)

Accenture

ExxonMobil

Anissa and John Lickrish

Ahlam Okasha and Waleed Al Muhairi

Pure Harvest Smart Farms

Nadia Sehweil ‘97 and Khaldoon Al Mubarak ‘93

SILVER (AED 25,000+)

AECOM

Maria Ansari and Mujeeb Qazi

Cecilia and Matt Ayoub ‘94

Caroline and Brad Heming

Muna Hindi and Mutasem Dajani

Roulana Jarrar and Muhannad Qubbaj

Jennifer Josefson and Mikhail Babynine

Bushra Kamran and Kamran Sadiq

Melissa and Kirby Lindsey

Meriem Marrouni and Abdul Balfaqeeh

Beth Ann and Salem Mattar

Millennium & Copthorne Middle East and Africa

Afra Al Awani and Rashed Al Shamsi

Ahmed and Sallama Al-Sayegh

Mazoon Albwardy and Mubarak Alnakhi

Dana and Peter Allen*

Jerita and Matt Burreson

Yvette L. Campbell*

Mouna and Scandar Cobti

Nadine Fallah and Okab Sakr

Lori and Daniel Garmus

Amber and Victor Guthrie*

Nesrine Haddad** and Issam Khoury

Siham Hyani and Duane Toth

Jubail Island Investment

Mahnaz Karim and Faiz Ahmad

Teng Cindy Khoo and Jason Kroll

Ying Lu and Youguo Liang

Lizeth Maalouf and Raymond Makhoul

Samira Maatouk and Ahmed

Mahfoodh

Brandy and Kevin Mansfield

The Mattar Family

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Rana Sidawi Naaman and Marwan Naaman

Lana Nasser and Hani Baramki

Nectar

Beverly Paulis-Lukaszewski and Paul Lukaszewski

Nada and Gordon Prouty

Sophia and David Scott

Leslie and Leon Shivamber

Huda Alsabbagh and Ahmed Almahmoud

Nadia Bardawil and Daniel Feldman

Leslie Bellas and David Weiler

Paula Caron and Dan Teper

Heidi and John Coleman

Milena Crepaldi and Massimo Cristaldi

Kirsten and Levent Edepli

Paola Erazo and Juan Hernandez

Miran Farah and Rami Tarazi

Allison and Turner Herbert

Dana Kassissieh and Anton Bawab

Lara and Fethi Kirdar

Ghada Kozak and Banna Sado

Katmerka Kurtovic Bosch and Jonathan Bosch

Sabine Luckhardt and Karl Poulin*

Sarah Mavrinac and Neil Jones

Mia and Mick McColgan*

Lane and Anthony Mohr

Mira Naaman ‘98 and Joseph Iskandar ‘98

Alexandra Jaar and Yacoub Nuseibeh

Diana Rafeh and Zahi Abu Hamze

Fatiah Touray and Mohamed Diakite

Joni and Andrew Wills*

JADE (AED 2,500+)

Anonymous

Haya and Rami Abulaila

Sabrina Aebi Cassim and Faris Cassim

Reem Al Fahim ‘99

Aman Al Tawil and Sadeer Munir

Mariam and Obaid Al-Zaabi

Tuaiba Almheiri and Musabbeh Alkaabi

Raya and Omar Asfour ‘96

Amal Benhaimoud and Jamil Hamdan Madi

Natalia de Souza e Camargo Barros and Christoph Peter Biedermann

Colliers Project Leaders

Nazim Dbichi

Natalie and Vipul Engineer

Monique and Brad Flickinger*

Elena Marina and Emilian Marcel Gheorghiu

Maysoune Ghobash**

Nancy and Alex Gleason

Leah and Adam Graber

Carolyn and John Hackworth

Ximena and Steve Halvorson

Robin Solomon and Erlan Ibrayev

Shefali Jashanmal ‘95

Neha and Prasanth Karumanchi

Teresa and Michael Kirby

Sofia and Robert Kukulka

Haeyoung Lee and Jangyong Cho

Kyounghee Lee and Keunsang Cho

Anthi Manola and Ghassan Chehade*

Hania and Mohamed Kuleib

Hanya and Wassim Mikati*

Cinzia Montanari and Andrea Valerio Maccio

Michelle Raphael and Marc Sievers

Christina Devitt and Chris Rose*

Jumana Salem and James Weir

Jane Sayers and Pradeep Sharma

Corrie and Joshua Schulze*

CELEBRATING A CULTURE OF GIVING

Our Donors cont.

Julie and Michael Thurston

Erin and William Watts

Erinn and Matthew Welborn*

Hashil Zamzam ‘11

FRIEND

(up to AED 2,499)

Anonymous

Abby and Thomas Abbot

Sheraz Abdalla and Samer Abdelhaq

Sarah Abdallah

Nadine Abdou and Wassim Jabbour

Averi and Phil Abraham*

Rayyan Abu Taha and Mohamad Ghneim

Lina Adella and Dilnesaw Asrat

Hanadi Al Fahim

Waheeda Al Tamimi*

Seema Alakkat and Manoj Kunnanoth*

Sela and Rami Alasadi

Shoni Alimchandani and Nihit Shah

Tamara Alkhateeb and Ma’an Ghannam*

Avi Amarathunge and Indika

Sathischandra Morawaka Arachchi*

Jodi Amy and Jeffery Strong

George Antonios ‘96

Sarah and Stephen Ashley

Katia and Nabil Azar

Soomin Bae

Mahmoud Bafagih*

Liz Beneski

Roseline and Richmond Boaitey*

Jessica Boerema*

Leslie Bosch

Tara Bradford and Peter Syrenne*

Nora and Thomas Brannan*

Gwyneth Bravo and Paul Sidlo

Joanna and Kareem Budair

Deborah and Gregory Burger

Dave Burke

Velma Burt*

Asma Bushra Anwar and Muhammad

Asharaf Vellapalan

Crissy Calera*

Raffaella Capelloni and Guido Cappellini

Massimiliano Carlomagno

Lisa Carse and Ramon Palau Ginesta

Ligia Castanheira and Carlos Torres

Bobbi Donison and Jason Charles*

Mary Chase Doll and TImothy Doll

Gangadharan Chonnambi*

Danielle and Andrew Claerhout

Ashley and Adrian Cleckley*

Allison and Justin Cleveland

Hana and Ben Cluff

Heather and Kevin Collins*

Peter Commodore*

Laura and Cordell Copa

Kim and Christophe Cottin*

Maria and James Cowell

Diane and David Cramer

Amy and Joshua Davis

Hanadi Dayyeh and Yousri Al Amir*

Kelly Dean*

Lari Delaire and Marc El Jichi*

Irina Dencef and Jacques Kobersy

Jenny Derby*

Farwa and Hasnain Devji*

Hanny and Jonathan Diaz*

Chantelle and Shaun Dreyer*

Mariam Elfatih

Salem Elfatih

Christy El Jerby*

Farah El Khatib and Milad Yousef

Lina El-Labban-Lampkin and Vandy Lampkin

Doris Elia and Bernard Nasr

Jasmine Elshear*

Debrah and Todd Emery*

Yomna Esmat and Ahmed Sherif

Danielle Evans*

Katherine and Paul Evans

Gaby and Hisham Fadel*

Barbara Farahnick and Pierre-Yves Mathonet

Sahar Farooqi and Faisal Naseer

Seema Faruqui

Francesca Ferrara and Luca Assecondi

Lisa Ficek

Samah Nour and Husham Gabralla

Robin Gabriel and Nour Mostafa*

Casie Gaebler*

Elisabetta Gambarelli and Romeo Bandini

Elizabeth and Daniel Garbutt

Jorge Garcia

Oleksandra and Andrew Gelbach

Saoussan Ghandour and Rami Awadalla

Mahasweta Ghoshroy and Indranil Ghosh

Robyn and Andrew Gibson*

Emily and Preben Gietz*

Amy Greene and Robert Pfeiffer*

Sajid Ali Gularas

Nhung Ha and Keith O’Brien

Parisa Habibi and Jose Luis Del Prim Marcen

Sherin and Amro Hamza

Nelly Hanna and Antoine Achkar

Natalie Hanson*

Courtney Harden*

Ashton Hawke*

Sandra Hay*

Katrin Herz Khneisser and Carlos Khneisser

Angelyn and Eric Hilgendorf

Megan Holmstrom

Alina Hrynevich and Mahmoud Abdullah

Joan Hugo*

Layal Ismail and Firas Youssef

Faiza Jama*

Naveen Jamal*

Sonja Jashanmal Jhangiani and Suhail Jashanmal ‘93

Deepthi Jayarajan and Rajanish

Balakrishnan*

Valia Jimenez and Fawzi Rinno*

Haly and Jeremy Johnson

Laurie and Belal Joundeya*

Noor Kabbarah and Tarik Tadmori

Alice Kaboli and Roland Gerges

Rania Kahoul and Wassim Charara

Ayisha Kalluveettil and Suhail

Nelliyullathil*

Sreegish Kandy*

Mamta and Manish Kaushik

Andrew Kempe*

Geraldine and Craig Kennedy

Pappan Kizhakineel*

Rana Kobeisi and Chris Neurinski*

Kalli Kontozoglou and Antonis Slicher*

Aneesh Kumar*

Sky Kurtz

Minjung Kwak and Jun Sang Bae

Ajmer Lal*

Harmesh Lal*

Yvette Lane-Newton and Sean Newton

Faith and David Lawal

Mary Lawson and Matt McGrady*

Yoon Hee and Joon Ho Lee

Trine Ljungstrom and Kristian Mogensen

Michelle Lopez and Abdulla AlShamsi*

Shezhi Lu

Evelyn and Junior Lucero*

Nilsa Luna*

Paolo Luschi

Kasia and Darryll Lywood

Diana and Michael Makarem

Nadia Makarova and Bruno Ravagli

Meenu Mangal and Vikas Bahl

Araxy Markarian

Chiara Maria Marongiu and Davide Felugo

Jelica and Scott Martin

Heather Massaquoi*

Amanda and Wasef Mattar ‘99

Mona and Assem Mawlawi*

Loretta Mazzuchin*

Monique McCray and Robert Osley

Marielle and Marlon Medina*

Mattia Molinari

Paolo Molinari

Sofia Molinari

Gabriella Moujaes

Sumera Muhammad and Arshad Mehmood*

Arti and Bhairav Mehta

Martha and Matthew Miller*

Nafisa Mohamed and Mutaz Dafalla

Vinod Mohan*

Jordan and Isaac Moog*

Kate and Zachary Moon

Ashiq Muhammed*

Amy Mulvihill and Robert Desormeau*

Jenna and Tony Murray*

Suha Naffa and Akram Ayoub*

Ranya and Salim Nasser

Joanne and Michael Neal

Patricia Odie*

Rumi Orita and Ayoub Nahal

Shihab Parapurath*

Luann Chamayne Parker

Magdalena Pasikowska and Daniele Ibleto

Lisa Paterson and Brent Raven*

Stefania Pecoraro and Joseph Arlotto

Luka Peros ‘95

Marise Philip-Jayendran and Jayendran

Satkunananda*

Eva Piazzolla and Pietro Calugi

Nija Pradeep*

Nivedya Prasannan and Sanu

Puthankatil ‘95

Melisa Pubil*

Nimmi Rajasree*

Mercedes Avila and Ernesto Ramos*

Madhvi Rana*

Josefina Raña and Martin Bowen

Stephanie and Michael Ray

Cathline Reyes*

Jennifer Ricks*

Amber and Shoueb Rifai*

Teresa and Anthony Rinderer

Victoria and Kegan Rodrigues

Javier Rojas

Angie Romera and Lluco Pons*

Gary Rosholt

Natalia Ruchina and Artem Ruchin

Jean Rueckert*

Sally and Hani Sabbour*

Atheel Sahel*

Diana Sahloul and Bilal Bakhache

Kay and Michael Saich*

Enrico Salardi

Monica Salloum* ‘16

Wafa and Elias Salloum

Nandita Saxena*

Janey and Herman Schueller

Sandra Sfeirova*

Vinita Shalini and Ravi Shekhar

May-yi Shaw and Antonino Perona

Azam Shibli ‘95

Hoda Shoreibah ‘07 and Mahmoud Semary

Liz Shrestha*

Marwa Shuhaiber ‘95

Sarah Siblini and Clement Bontemps

Sarika Singh and Nitin Chowdhury

Heny Ekafenty Situmorang and Akim Kasimin

Klara and John Sjodin

Ayoung Sohn and Tae Yeon Kim

Dominika and Lukas Sokol

Yulia Solomakhina and Anton Boronin

Valentina Sommacal and Pirro-Tomaso Perri

MeMe Spurgeon*

Adi and Anderson Stanciole*

Valentina Stefanoni and Matteo Terrevazzi

Kayla Stykalo*

Lara Suleiman and Amjad Halaseh

Aigul and Baglan Sultanbek

Debbie and John Sutherland

Mullika Swaisaenyakorn and Pieter van Eck

Nao and Yoshio Tanaka

Hope Teague-Bowling and Nate Bowling*

Fadia Terzian*

Suzan Terzian and Hadi Sha

Alina and Mark Thomer

Celine Thyssen Miller and Jason Miller

Rosaline Chek Tang Ting and Francis Ik Sing Ho

Darleen Todd

Amy and Jeremy Trescott

Christina Varela and Tim Cabrera*

Vinod Veliyat*

Gila and Rudolph Paul Fernand Waels

Lone Wennestad and Bo Petersen*

Andi and Brent Whitaker*

Leslie and Eric Wilson

Adrienne and John Winner

Krystle and Zach Winter*

Neri and Timm Wolter

Qun Xu

Manal Zaghloleh and Abdulla Al Saadi

Yan Zeng and Wei Luo

Randa and Muneer Zuhdi*

Nujoud Zuriekat and Philippe El Bacha

Includes in-kind and cash contributions. *IndicatesACS Faculty & Staff. **Indicates Former ACS Students.

Our 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. ACS is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, responsible for ensuring the School’s long-term sustainability through fiscal responsibility and strategic planning. Current parents, faculty, and staff are members of the ACS Association and participate in its governance by electing the Board of Trustees.

The Board is responsible for approving the annual budget and providing active oversight to ensure responsible fiscal management of the School. They also ensure the School’s finances are audited annually. KPMG were ACS’ auditors from 2011 to 2019.

In May 2020, the ACS Board first engaged Ernst & Young to conduct the School’s 2019-2020 audit. EY again performed the audit on the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school year finances. As always, ACS received an unqualified Audit Opinion.

We are pleased to report that ACS ended the 2022-23 school year in a strong, fiscally prudent position.

OPERATING REVENUE

● 94.49% Tuition & Fees

● 1.23% Priority Seating Amortization

● 3.82% Contributions

● 0.46% Other

OPERATING EXPENSES

THE OPERATING BUDGET

The financial status of ACS remains robust, ensuring operational continuity. The fiscal year 2022-23 yielded results that align with our overarching objectives: maintaining a disciplined budget, bolstering academic and extracurricular programs, and ensuring the longterm financial health of the institution.

Enrollment and related revenue are the primary drivers of ACS’s operational framework. During the 2022-23 academic session, enrollment levels rebounded to prepandemic figures, experiencing a notable increase of approximately 5%.

As a nonprofit entity, ACS channels its revenue back into the institution, acknowledging the pivotal role educators play in fostering student development. In the most recent academic year, 80% of tuition income was directed towards salaries and benefits while preserving a favorable student-teacher ratio of 9:1 across the school.

ACS is committed to cultivating an optimal learning environment conducive to student achievement. A significant milestone in this endeavor was the commencement of construction on our new ACS campus on Saadiyat Island. Funding from prior Capital Fee revenue reserves facilitated the continued progress of this ambitious project.

95 graduates

82% of graduates accepted into their Top 3 universities

Applied to more than 290 individual universities 670 university applications submitted 93% of the class had a 3.0 GPA or higher

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES AND MATRICULATION FOR THE CLASSES OF 2020-23

UNITED STATES

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Allegheny College

American University

Appalachian State University

Architectural Association School of Architecture

Arizona State University (2)

Auburn University

Augustana College

Bard College (2)

Barnard College

Baruch College of the CUNY

Bates College

Baylor University (2)

Belmont University

Bennett College

Bennington College

Bentley University

Berklee College of Music

Birmingham-Southern College

Boston College

Boston University

Brandeis University

Brigham Young University (2)

Brigham Young University, Idaho

Brown University

Bryn Mawr College

Bucknell University

California College of the Arts

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

Carleton College

Carnegie Mellon University

Carroll College

Case Western Reserve University

Chaminade University of Honolulu

Champlain College

Chapman University

Cleveland State University

Coastal Carolina University

College of New Jersey

College of William & Mary

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University (3)

Cooper Union

Cornell University

Cuesta College

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

CUNY Hunter College

Dartmouth College

DePaul University (2)

DigiPen Institute of Technology

Drexel University

Duke University

East Carolina University

Eckerd College

Elmhurst College

Elon University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

Emerson College

Emory University (2)

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

Everett Community College

Florida Atlantic University

Florida International University

Florida State University

Fordham University

Franklin and Marshall College

George Mason University

George Washington University (6)

Georgia Institute of Technology

Glendale Community College

Grand Canyon University

Hamilton College

Hampshire College

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Hawaii Pacific University

High Point University

Hofstra University

Hollins University

Hope College

Howard University

Hunter College of the CUNY

Illinois Institute of Technology (2)

Illinois State University

Indiana Institute of Technology

Indiana University at Bloomington

Institute of Culinary Education

Iowa State University

James Madison University

Jefferson University

John Carroll University

Johnson C. Smith University

Keiser University - Ft. Lauderdale

Kent State University

Lake Forest College

Lamar University

Leeward Community College

Longwood University

Los Angeles Pierce College

Louisiana State University

Loyola Marymount University (3)

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 Manhattan College

Marymount University

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Michigan State University

Michigan Technological Institute

Middle Georgia State University

Middle Tennessee State University

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Monmouth University

Montana State University

Montclair State University

Montgomery College

Mount Holyoke College

New Jersey Institute of Technology

New York University (14)

Nichols College

North Carolina Central

University

North Carolina State University (2)

Northeastern University (11)

Northern Arizona University

Northern Michigan University

Northern Virginia Community College (2)

Northwestern University

Norwich University

Nova Southeastern University

Oakland University

Occidental College

Ohio State University

Ohio University

Oregon State University

Pace University

Pasadena City College

Pennsylvania State University (4)

Pepperdine University

Pomona College

Portland State University

Pratt Institute

Principia College

Purchase College, SUNY

Purdue University (3)

Reed College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhode Island School of Design

Rice University

Ringling College of Art & Design

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Rollins College

Rutgers University, New Brunswick (2)

Saint Louis University

Salve Regina University

Sam Houston State University

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

San Jose State University

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College of Art and Design (7)

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

School of Visual Arts

Scripps College

Seattle University

Seneca College

Seton Hall University

Shenandoah University

Skidmore College

Smith College

Southeast Missouri State University

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Southern Methodist University

St. John’s University

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

St. Olaf College (2)

Stanford University (2)

Stevens Institute of Technology

Stonehill College

Stony Brook University

Suffolk University

SUNY, Brockport SUNY, Buffalo State SUNY, New Paltz

Susquehanna University

Sweet Briar College

Syracuse University

Temple University

Texas A&M University (4)

Texas Christian University

Texas State University

Texas Tech University (2)

Texas Woman’s University

The New School – All Divisions

Towson University

Trinity College

Trinity University

Tufts University

Tulane University

Union College

United States Military Academy

United States Naval Academy

University of Arizona (4)

University at Buffalo, SUNY

University of California, Berkeley (7)

University of California, Davis (3)

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles (4)

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego (3)

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Cruz (2)

University of Central Florida

University of Chicago (2)

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado, Boulder (2)

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

University of Connecticut

University of Dayton (2)

University of Delaware

University of Denver

University of Evansville

University of Florida

University of Hawaii

University of Houston

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (4)

University of Iowa

University of Kentucky

University of La Verne

University of Maine

University of Mary Washington

University of Maryland, College Park (2)

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

University of Massachusetts, Boston

University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

University of Miami

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (4)

University of Michigan, Dearborn

University of Michigan, Flint

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

University of Minnesota, Duluth

University of Minnesota, Morris

University of Missouri, Columbia

University of New Hampshire at Durham

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

University of North Dakota

University of North Florida

University of Northern Colorado

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

University of Portland

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of South Florida (2)

University of Southern California (2)

University of Tampa (2)

University of Tennessee

University of Texas, Arlington

University of Texas, Austin (3)

University of Texas, Dallas

University of Texas, San Antonio

University of Tulsa

University of Utah

University of Vermont

University of Virginia

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

Ursinus College

Utah Valley University

Valparaiso University

Vassar College

Virginia Commonwealth

University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

and State University

Virginia Tech (2)

Virginia Western Community

College

Wake Forest University (2)

Wake Technical Community

College

Washington State University

Washington University, St. Louis

Wayne State University

Webster University

Wellesley College (3)

Wesley College

Wesleyan University

West Texas A&M University

This year’s ACS graduates heard from our very own Ahmed Al Ahmadi, a 2011 alumnus and current member on the ACS Board of Trustees. As this year’s commencement speaker, he shared his perspectives as a student and alumnus with the next generation of graduates.

West Virginia University

Western Illinois University

Western Washington University

Wheaton College IL

Woodbury University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Yale University

Xavier University

CANADA

Alberta College of Art and Design

Bishop’s University

Brock University

Capilano University

Carleton University

Concordia University (7)

Dalhousie University

Emily Carr University of Art and Design

Grande Prairie Regional College

HEC Montreal

Huron University College at Western

Lakehead University

Laurentian University

McGill University (2)

McMaster University (2)

Mount Allison University

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design

Ontario Tech University

Queen’s University

RUBIKA Montreal

Ryerson University

Saint Mary’s University (2)

Sheridan College Institution of Technology

Simon Fraser University

St. Francis Xavier University

Thompson Rivers University

Toronto Metropolitan University

Trent University

University of Alberta

University of British Columbia (6)

University of Calgary (3)

University of Guelph (3)

University of New Brunswick

University of Ottawa

University of Toronto (18)

University of Victoria

University of Waterloo

University of Western Ontario

University of Windsor

Vancouver Film School

Vancouver Island University

Western University (5)

Wilfrid Laurier University

York University

UNITED KINGDOM

Abertay University

Aberystwyth University

Anglia Ruskin University

Arts University Bournemouth

Bournemouth University

Birkbeck, University of London

Brunel University London

Cardiff University

City University of London

Coventry University

Durham University

Edinburgh Napier University

Goldsmiths, University of London

Hult International Business School, London

King’s College London

Kingston University

Lancaster University

London School of Economics and Political Science

Loughborough University

Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester University

Met Film School

Newcastle University

Northumbria University

Nottingham College

Queen Mary University of London (2)

Ravensbourne University

Richmond, The American International University in London

Royal College of Surgeons

Royal Holloway, University of London

SOAS, University of London

Solent 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 Huddersfield

University of Kent

University of Leeds

University of Leicester

University of Liverpool

University of Manchester (2)

University of Nottingham

University of Sheffield

University of St. Andrews

University of Surrey

University of Sussex

University of Warwick

University of West London

University of Westminster

University of York

University of the Arts London

EUROPE

American College of Greece

American University of Paris

American University of Rome

Amsterdam University College

BI Norwegian Business School, Norway

CEU San Pablo, Spain

College Universitaire de Sciences Po, France

Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Netherlands (5)

Erasmus University College, Netherlands (2)

ESADE Business School

EU Business School, Barcelona

EU Business School, Geneva

Florence Institute of Design International, Italy

Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Franklin University, Switzerland

Hague University of Applied Sciences

Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Netherlands

IE University, Madrid Campus, Spain

Jyvaskyla University Applied

Sciences, Finland

Les Roches Schools of Hotel

Management

Luiss Guido Carli

LUNEX University

Maastricht University

Medical University of Gdansk

Mikkeli University Applied Sciences

National University of Ireland, Galway

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences

Nord University

Paracelsus Private Medical University

Paris College of Art, France

Ramon Llull University

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Ireland (2)

Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain

Saxion University of Applied Sciences

SciencesPo/Columbia University, France

SRH University, Berlin

Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia

Tilburg University

Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Universidad Europea de Madrid

Universita Bocconi, Italy

Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands

Universiteit Maastricht, Netherlands

Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands

University College Utrecht, Netherlands

University of Amsterdam (3)

University of Groningen, Netherlands (2)

University of Liège

University of Limerick, Ireland

Universidad Navarra, Spain

University of Nicosia

University of Tartu, Estonia

University of Twente, Netherlands

University of Veterinary

Medicine, Budapest

Vrije Universiteit

Amsterdam (2)

Vrije Universiteit Brussels

Webster University, Geneva

Zuyd University Applied Sciences, Finland

MIDDLE EAST

American University in Dubai

American University of Beirut, Lebanon

American University of Sharjah, UAE (5)

Heriot-Watt University, Dubai

Gulf Medical University

Lebanese American University, Lebanon

Middlesex University Dubai

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE (8)

RAK Medical and Health Sciences

University

Royal College of Surgeons, Bahrain

Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi

University of Balamand, Lebanon

Zayed University, UAE

OTHER

De La Salle University, Philippines

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Monash University

National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality & Tourism

NYU Shanghai

University of Hong Kong

University of Nottingham, Malaysia

Savannah College of Art and Design, Hong Kong

Yale-NUS College, Singapore

2023 GRADUATION SPEAKER - AHMED AL AHMADI ‘11

DAVID CHAMBERS, FORMER PARENT, RECREATES HISTORY

ACS celebrated the UAE’s 51st National Day on a beautifully sunny morning filled with Emirati culture, rich history and great fun with an epic UAE flag photo re-creation.

A big thanks to former ACS parent David Chambers, owner of the Trident Support flag company, for the brilliant idea and help to recreate the original picture from 2001, with hundreds of our students and staff holding up the 20mx40m UAE flag.

ALUMNI JOINED THE 50TH KICKOFF PARTY

On November 7, we welcomed back 25+ alumni and former parents for the first on-campus community event since the pandemic in 2020 to help us kick off our 50th anniversary year.

WASHINGTON DC ALUMNI REUNION

On February 4, 40 guests attended an ACS reunion to celebrate our 50th and share updates on the new campus! Former ACS parent, Laura Puryear, hosted a lovely reunion in her home in Washington, D.C., for alumni, former parents and former staff including current ACS Superintendent Monique Flickinger and former Superintendents David Cramer (1998-2003) and Robin Heslip (2013-2018).

On March 10, United States Chargé d’Affaires Sean Murphy hosted a special reception at the US Ambassador’s Residence to celebrate ACS’ 50th.

More than 50 guests alumni from four decades, former parents and former and current staff were attended and were treated to a sneak peak of our new campus!

ALUMNI RECEPTION AT US AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE

ALUMNI NEW CAMPUS TOURS

As our new campus’ construction ramped up, ACS organized special alumni tours throughout January and March, showing off the exciting progress of our new home to more than 35 visiting alumni, former parents and former staff.

To close the year-long celebration, we hosted the Alumni Games on March 12 for visiting families and offered the opportunity to connect and reminisce on our original campus one last time.

LUKA PEROS ‘95 VISIT - RENOWNED ACTOR AND PRODUCER

Internationally acclaimed Croatian actor known for his role as Marseille in Money Heist, Luka Peros from the Class of 1995, visited ACS throughout the 50th year to work with students and staff.

JOHN & CAROLINE HACKWORTH - ACS LEGENDS CELEBRATE 50TH

After more than two decades, John Hackworth (ACS’ first High School principal) and Caroline Hackworth (former school librarian) returned to Abu Dhabi as special guests for our 50th milestone year. An enthusiastic group of alumni from the 1990s were eager to welcome the Hackworths back to ACS. Mr. Hackworth, alongside HE Sheikh Nahayan, presented the 2023 ACS Community Leadership Award to H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the 50th Anniversary Golden Gala.

“Returning to ACS for the 50th reunion was incredibly gratifying for so many reasons. While visiting the old campus brought back many wonderful memories, seeing the new, beyond state-of-the-art Saadyat campus assured me the trajectory of excellence at ACS will continue. However, connecting with so many former students and parents, who remain active at ACS sharing their time, talents and treasure, was the most reassuring aspect of the visit. Their loyalty indicates to me that the impact of ACS can be profound and lasting.”

– John W. Hackworth (First ACS High School Principal 1990-1999)

ALUMNI GAMES

Pictured: Sanu Puthan Katil ‘95, Suhail Jashanmal ‘93, John and Caroline Hackworth, Luka Peros ‘95