COVID-19 Updates

Students who are off campus had the opportunity to pick up their belongings from campus already. In line with government guidelines enforcing home isolation and restricting travel across the kingdom, nobody currently off campus will be allowed to enter the campus, nor will deliveries to or from school be permitted at this time. Students can coordinate with their teachers to access any needed resources online.

The student insurance plan provided by the school works only on a reimbursement basis (students should provide receipts) and according to Jordanian tariffs. Costs connected to cases of confirmed COVID-19 are covered by the government when testing and treatment is sought through public (not private) hospitals and channels. 

The school is ensuring that students currently residing on campus are receiving full care, in terms of both physical and mental health and well-being. The Health Center is operating as normal and is open around the clock with the resident doctor and nurse on duty. One school counselor is residing on campus, while two counselors continue to work remotely and are available for one-on-one calls. The counselors will continue to organize activities and provide services online.

Prom and the senior camping trip have been postponed, and we will continue to work with the senior class to find meaningful ways to celebrate their last term at King’s.

Online classes will begin on Sunday, March 22.

Teachers and advisors will send their students/advisees an email with their Zoom address. Simply click on the link to join the call. You do not need to download the Zoom app, you can join the call via your web browser.

For more information on how to join a Zoom meeting, click here.

Note: Save the IT phone number in your phone for support during the school day or technical emergencies after hours: +962 77 575 7499

The Helpdesk is available 8:00–16:00, Sunday through Thursday. Queries can be made:

• Through Zoom
• By email
• By phone: +962 77 57 57 499

Currently, all students have communicated that they have internet access at home. If difficulties arise, the school will endeavor to support students on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. Online classes at this time will continue to follow the regular daily class schedule.

Students will continue to need their textbooks and supplies while learning online. If any books or supplies have been left on campus, students will not be able to retrieve them at this time. Students should communicate with Dean of Academic Affairs Mazen Jarrar or their teachers in order to find alternative online options.

Please contact Deputy Head of School and Dean of Students Julianne Puente.

Yes. This first week, we will simply be looking at class attendance rather than tardies. While we will not be sending emails to students and parents about attendance, we will be carefully looking at who is not attending class and why that might be so.

A number of students are currently in different time zones to Jordan. Those in the US/Canada will likely not be able to join online classes. Students in Europe, Saudi Arabia and China should not allow the time difference to affect their attending online classes. For this first week, teachers will reach out to students who can’t be present for online classes via email and will send a recording of the class. Starting March 29, we will be looking at alternative ways to share videos of classes in various formats that will enhance and complement learning for all students regardless of time zone differences.

Advisory meetings will be held by Zoom at the usual time on Sunday (08:30 for Middle School and 13:25 for Upper School).

No cumulative assessments will be given during the first week of online learning. At the end of the first three teaching days, we will receive and assess feedback and determine guidelines for grades and assessments moving forward.

The AP College Board has posted updates related to AP Exams. Here are the main points:

• Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place.  
• Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.
• For the 2019–2020 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home.
• Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to —computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.
• To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.
• Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, students and teachers can attend free live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country.

Yes. Counselors are available by email and will be holding Zoom meetings with students.

The College Board is cancelling the May 2, 2020 SAT administration. Details have been sent to parents by the UCO. As for the AP Exams, please consult this link for the latest updates.

Course registration for juniors and sophomores will continue through online meetings with the university counselors.

Session I of the Summer Institute, originally scheduled to take place in May, is cancelled, and a decision regarding Session II will be made at a later date.

For the most part, yes. The library is currently closed, but requests, including book orders and research project inquiries, will still be processed via email. Additionally, students, faculty and staff can access many online resources by logging into their library account. See the library page on KANet for more information about online services and resources. Other facilities are still functioning as usual, including the gym, the dining hall and laundry service. Due to the reduction in campus occupants, housekeeping is operating on reduced hours.

Yes. The school is carrying out extensive disinfecting measures which have been in place since the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. Facilities are disinfected every day, and the Hess Dining Hall tables and surfaces are disinfected after every meal. In the dorms, bathrooms and surfaces are disinfected and trash is taken out daily, with an additional deep soap and water clean carried out in dorms every other day.

While we may not all be together, King’s Academy is still a close community that looks out for one another. We encourage all members of our community to reach out to their usual support system at King’s (including counselors, advisers, teachers and friends), but online. Wellness counselors are readily available by email, phone or Zoom for individual queries/concerns. In the coming days they will send information on forthcoming information support programs. We urge those who are looking for information about COVID-19 to rely only on official sources, including the World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and Ministry of Health.

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