King's Academy

King's Academy
established 2007
Location
Madaba, Jordan
Information
Type	Private, boarding
Religious affiliation	None
Headmaster	Dr. Eric Widmer
Website	www.kingsacademy.edu.jo

King’s Academy (Arabic transliteration: كينغز أكاديمي) is a co-educational private boarding school that opened in August 2007 in Madaba-Manja, Jordan. King's Academy recently became a member of the G20 Schools group, a league of top independent secondary schools, situated around the world.

Philosophy

King's Academy is modeled off the educational experience of His Majesty King Abdullah II at Deerfield Academy in the United States. The Academy also embraces its Jordanian and Middle Eastern heritage by incorporating subjects such as Middle Eastern History into the curriculum.

The five 'guiding principles' of the school are:

1. Respect
2. Love of Learning
3. Responsibility
4. An Integrated Life
5. Global Citizenship on the planet earth

History

The building of the school began in July 22, 2004 His Majesty King Abdullah II laid the cornerstone of the campus at a ceremony attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, the Jordanian Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez and Dr. Safwan Masri, Columbia University professor and chairman of King's Academy Board of Trustees. Dr. Eric Widmer, former headmaster of Deerfield Academy, took on the role as the founding headmaster of King's Academy in summer 2006, one year before the school began to accept students. King's Academy admitted its first students in the 2007-2008 academic year.

Location and Campus

King's Academy Campus.

The school is situated 35 kilometers southwest of Amman on a 144-acre (575-dunum) site. The campus is composed of 23 buildings, including nine dormitories (housing up to 450 students), an Academy building, an Administration building, a 700-seat auditorium and a dining hall, where sit-down meals are held regularly.

Athletic Facilities

The athletic facilities include a semi-Olympic swimming pool, squash, handball and basketball courts, and exercise facilities. There is also an outdoor sports stadium, including a full-size football field, two additional football fields as well as tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.

The King Abdullah II Spiritual Center.

King Abdullah II Spiritual Center

The King Abdullah II Spiritual Center is a non-denominational spiritual center that is available for use to all members of the school community, regardless of their religious preference.

The Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium

The Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium holds 700 people and is the location of both school and community events including concerts, student recitals, and dance performances. The auditorium also serves as the place for daily morning meetings between the headmaster and the school community.

The HRH Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah Adiministration Center

The HRH Sheikh Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah Center houses the departments of academic affairs, admissions, communications, finance and information technology. The offices of the headmaster, the deputy headmaster and the dean of the faculty are also located in this building.

The HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library

An elegant structure with a wood and carpeted interior, the HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library is designed to meet the extensive needs of students, faculty and staff. Built to eventually accommodate 50,000 volumes, the shelves contain a growing collection of materials in five languages. The building is outfitted with wireless internet, reading tables and study spaces, including a circular reading room that overlooks the campus.

Student body

The King’s Academy campus was built to accommodate 600 students, of which about 75% are boarding students. Boarding students can choose to be either week-day boarders (returning home for the weekend) or fulltime boarders.

For the 2008-2009 Academic year the student body has more than doubled in size from the previous year to accommodate 270 students, representing 24 countries in the Middle East and around the world. Of these 270 students, 39% are female and 61% are males.

The school draws students from diverse ethnic, geographic, religious and economic backgrounds, and between 15 and 30 percent of King’s Academy’s tuition revenue has been set aside for financial aid, with an endowment fund for scholarships.

Academics

The school’s curriculum is based on the American Advanced Placement (AP) program, although it is modified to accommodate for the different needs of the students. Students are able to receive 'equivalency' to other programs in the region, such as the Jordanian 'tawjihi' examinations. The primary language of instruction at King's Academy is English. The teacher to student ratio is 1:10.

The academic departments at King's Academy are:

• Communication, Rhetoric and the Literary Arts (Incorporating both English and Arabic)
• World Languages
• Physical and Life Sciences
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• History and Social Studies
• Ethics, Philosophy and Religion
• Fine and Performing Arts.

Note:

The curriculum, although "American", has not been officially approved by the ABE (American Board of Education). This can potentially lessen a student's chances of getting into an American university.

Student Council

In January 2009, King's Academy students elected representatives to the first student council. The student council consists of 12 students who act as a bridge between students and faculty. The student council members voice the concerns of their peers and work with the faculty to find solutions to issues that arise during the academic year. The student council co-presidents are Ghassan Gammoh and Anna Kelsoe, both seniors.

Co-Curricular Activities

All King's Academy students must participate in at least three afternoons a week of co-curricular activities. These activities include community service, yearbook, performing and visual arts, sports and the school newspaper (called 'The Rexonian').

Community service

Community Service is strongly encouraged. Students volunteer to help teach English to children, work with refugees, assist in clean-up projects and working with non-profit social service organizations on environmental, educational and social welfare issues. Each year a community service fair is held to encourage students to participate in community service programs during the summer months.

Sports

King's Academy has a strong focus on athletics as part of its co-curricular program. The school competes in both local and international leagues, traveling to places such as Damascus, Beirut and Istanbul to compete with other schools. Competitive sports offered during the 2008-2009 fall and spring seasons include:

• Soccer (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
• Volleyball (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
• Swimming
• Cross Country
• Athletics
• Basketball (Varsity and Junior Varsity)
• Tennis
• Flag Football

The school also offers a number of recreational programs, where students work to develop skills rather than compete against other schools. These include:

• Fencing
• Horseback riding
• Squash
• Recreational fitness

Board Membership

International Advisory Board members:

• His Majesty King Abdullah II
• His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
• Her Royal Highness Princess Areej Ghazi

Board of Trustees members

• Dr. Safwan Masri, Chairman[1]
• Mr. George Faux
• Mr. David Pond
• His Excellency Mr. Samir Rifai
• His Excellency Mr. Bassem Salem
• Mr. Peter Weinberg
• Dr. Eric Widmer, ex officio
• Ms. Lubna Olayan

Round Square

King's Academy is currently a member of *Round Square^[1] The Round Square Conference of Schools is a worldwide association of more than 60 schools that allows students to travel between schools and tour the country or do community service.

References

1. ^ "Member Schools in the Round Square". RoundSquare.org. http://www.roundsquare.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=117. Retrieved 2008-04-06. 

External links

• King's Academy Website
• Monarch lays cornerstone for King's Academy boarding school Jordan Times, July 23, 2004