Dear all -

Let me add my warm welcome to the many you have received from ACS to date. 

I hope your summer was filled with time to play, rest, reflect, travel and spend time with friends and family. Summer is all about doing things that bring meaning and enjoyment to our lives beyond our work lives. I hope you are also filled with excitement for what comes next - new learnings, new relationships, new perspectives! 

As your arrival to Jordan draws closer, I want to share the Ted Talk: The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Each of you is preparing for a new life experience, both personally and professionally. In the coming months you may find yourself drawn into compelling narratives that help you make sense of ACS and Jordan. Adichie reminds us that a single story - the one that reduces a person, an organization or a culture, to a single narrative - is necessarily incomplete. Upon arrival, you will hear many stories and hear multiple perspectives. Know that we look forward to you being part of our stories at ACS and in Jordan. Remain patient. Remain open. 

I hope you have found the orientation process supportive thus far. We will continue to ease your transition in whatever way we can. As you know, new faculty arrive on August 3rd and New Faculty Orientation begins on August 4th. While Samar has shared the logistical details, I would like to offer a focus area for each day (included below and in the New Faculty Orientation site linked above). While our planned process may not unfold exactly as you wish, I promise the schedule was made with care. You will see the orientation starts with ensuring you have what you need at home and, then, builds awareness about the city and the school before focussing time in your section, your curriculum and your classroom. Remain patient. Remain open.

Date

Focus Area

Key Outcomes

August 3

Arrival

Unpacking, settling in, taking stock of needs

August 4

Home essentials

Shopping at IKEA and Carrefour

August 5

Getting around

Driving your car, shopping as needed

August 6

Navigating campus, living in Amman 

Getting to know people and places on campus, learning the logistics of living in Amman.

August 7

Banking, procedures

Opening your bank account, learning the logistics and procedures at ACS.

August 8

Residency application, sectional overviews

Applying for your permit, learning about your section, your curriculum and your classroom.

August 9

Health check, technology overview

Completing the required health check, learning about PowerSchool and Google Suite

August 10

Jordanian culture, teaching & learning overview

Learning about teaching & learning at ACS,  learning about the cultural nuances of the Jordanian people

If you require any assistance between now and August 3rd, please do reach out. 

On behalf of Samar, Tonya, Jeff, Molly, Michelle and the entire ACS Team, welcome!

Best, 

Joelle