ACS Matters 2017-2018

The American Community School Beirut Magazine

2017 - 2018

The Power of

Yet!

Encouraging the growth mindset at acs beirut

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

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Artwork dispayed at the ACS Beirut All school art celebration 2018.

Contents ACS Matters - The American Community School Beirut Magazine

2017-2018

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cover story

28 Encouraging Student Growth at ACS Beirut 32 Music & Mindset 38 Courage in Athletics

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Greg L. MacGilpin, Jr.

ACS Solar Project: Harnessing energy to power students

Empowering through IMPACT

from the Head of School

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Community Question

What do I want to do or learn this year that I haven’t done or learned before?

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Professional development Google APPS For Education Summit at ACS Beirut

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Alumni focus

The full circle of one alumni

Going green

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The arts

International Debut of Play with 360º of learning including a film reel...

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Awards

NESA for TWO! Haya Ghandour ’18 & Said El-Kadi ‘22 are honored by NESA

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Development News

Speaker series

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community news

Parent Committee Members were elected for a three year term!

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Student Life

107th Commencement Ceremony

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college news

College Ahead: What should my university application look like?

The Spirit of giving back

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core values

A handful of core values in the elementary school

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Campus highlights Please send your anecdotes, fondest remembrences, entertaining stories and photos of your memories at ACS to: news@acs.edu.lb

ACS Matters is published by the Development and Alumni Affairs Office at ACS Beirut.

While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the articles, mistakes can happen. We apologize in advance for any error or omission that we might make.

Head of School Greg L. MacGilpin Jr. | Editor Sheila Bouri | Copy Editor Gabriel Perkins | Graphic Designer Nada Fawaz Contributors Hanadi Dayyeh - Nivin Rawda - Sammy El Rayes - Lina Safa - Diann Osterlund - Joe Toler - Talar Partyian David Warren - Najwa Zabad | Photographer Amer Assi - ACS Faculty/ Staff & Archives Unless otherwise noted, all articles written by Sheila Bouri.

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

Letter from the Head of School Dear ACS Community, We all grow and change. What schools such as ACS do in particular is provide focus and direction for that change, and the setting in which its community members have the courage to grow.

Over the past year, and into this one, we have explored the concept of “growth mindset” in our classrooms, in our hallways and on the fields; it is part of our discussions and our goals. We believe that all students can learn and that we learn at different rates and with different strengths and challenges. However, this is often confused with an acceptance that it will occur in its own time. Schools such as ACS believe that we must ensure that all students are challenged and all students are growing by providing the environment, whether physically or emotionally, to grow. We know the basic tenet of learning is as follows: children learn best in an engaged, safe environment where curiosity and high expectations meet with plenty of feedback and regular opportunities for reflection. This is what learning, and every classroom at ACS, looks like.

Like the three legs of a typical stool, these three R’s; rigor, relevance and relationship, must be balanced to support the best possible learning. If one leg is too long, or if a leg is missing, it is clear in our classrooms. If the classroom is full of students who are engaged, curious, interacting with the teacher and classmates, and demonstrating evidence of quality learning, then you know the three R’s are in balance.

As you read through this edition of ACS Matters, notice the balance in subtle ways. Articles on athletics, focus on increasing our Google collaboration, music and mindfulness, theater and outdoor educational experiences, all leading to pathways for students to explore and achieve.

Schools should also be learning communities where adults can grow and change. I’ve seen that the best classrooms include teachers who are learning alongside their students. Teachers learn best in the same type of environment where students thrive. One of the most positive steps a school can take to impact learning is to empower teachers to collaborate in professional learning communities that plan unit outcomes, prepare assessments, examine student learning products and review student learning data on a regular basis.

Just as students in the classroom need different levels of challenge or tasks relevant to their own interests, teachers are also at different stages and are growing in different ways. Newer teachers will be adding to their toolkit by learning and applying new strategies such as inquiry or differentiating for English Language Learners.

Master teachers will be learning through mentoring and collaborating with their colleagues as teacher leaders.

ACS, and in fact, any excellent school, ensures that all learners in the community, children and adults, have an environment that invites growth. When you have that place, we can continue to be courageous and create a future through the power of our students.

Enjoy,

Greg L. MacGilpin, Jr.

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

community question

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

professional development

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ACS hosted the first ever Google Apps For Education (GAFE) Summit in Lebanon, November 17-18, 2017, in partnership with EdTech. The aim of the conference was to educate attendees on how to use the Google Applications For Education as well as other applications that are part of a 21st century learning classroom.

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

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Among the attendees at the GAFE Summit were most members of the staff and faculty of ACS with representatives from Lebanese, Kenyan, and even a Sudanese institution. In addition to learning about the Google applications, there were workshops on coding, maker-space and other technology initiatives.

Attendees learned how to collaborate in real time with students or colleagues, they explored Project Based Learning, dove into STEM, digital literacy and digital citizenship. Some of the workshops were facilitated

by Google Apps professionals and others from certified ACS Beirut faculty.

Mr. Greg MacGilpin, would participate as well as present a session. “This just shows how engaged ACS is in the technological world and that they want everyone to have access,” said Jay.

The Deputy Head of School and conference coorganizer Mr. Karim Abu Hydar said “The Google Applications For Education Summit at ACS is a great opportunity for educators in Lebanon and the region to learn the power of integrating technology into the classroom. Since ACS’s mission statement includes serving the world community, this is one way we can serve our community at large, facilitating this conference.” Conference co-organizer, Ms. Andrea Norman, Head of Libraries and Educational Technology, said “We started planning the conference because we wanted our teachers to experience the power of using Google for their students’ learning. We also recognized that part of preparing our students to join the professional world, is to give them an understanding of what role technology can play in advancing their projects and ideas.”

Participants had over 42 different classes to choose from: Google Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drawing, coding, maker-space, and other technology initiatives, to name a few, during the summit. Attendees learned how to collaborate in real time with students or colleagues; explore Project-Based Learning; and dive into STEM, digital literacy, and digital citizenship.

Facilitators from EdTech presented classes as well as some of the staff from ACS. Head of School Greg MacGilpin, taught a class on Twitter. Ms. Leigh Anne Toler’s demonstration on Socrative got rave reviews as well as her workshop on Google Forms. Some teams at the school worked together to present programs like the Science Team of Simon Barakat and Marcelle Kairouz or Eric Kumbier and Tim Livingston demonstrating Reality TV in the Classroom. 12 ACS faculty presented during the two day summit.

Ms. Holly Clark and Mr. Jim Sill, both from the EdTech Team, are seasoned Google Apps professionals whose speeches include focusing on thinking beyond one particular application or methodology to engage students today. For EdTech CEO Jay Still, it was exciting to come to a school where the Head of School,

Teachers admitted that they were very excited about what they learned and the possibility of what they could do with the applications that they were exposed to. The overriding message was - in today’s world of engaging students in learning (as opposed to teaching to them) these are great tools for us to use. n

Keynote speaker, Holly Clark, delivered a motivational speech, reflecting on the changes in technology over the last 20 years as well as leading multiple sessions throughout the summit. She emphasized that “you can’t teach the future if you don’t know the present, and if you don’t understand the present, you are becoming illiterate.”

Alumni focus

The full circle of one alumni

Twenty one years ago, in 1997, ACS student Farah Fawaz was graduating from High School. Her family had moved back to Lebanon in the 90’s when she started 9th grade at ACS. With five other siblings, she had family in various divisions and a few of her siblings even became ‘lifers’ - students who started at ACS in nursery school and continued until graduation.

Life for the next 10 years kept Farah busy. First came college at AUB where she studied Business Administration. She then went on to get her MBA from LAU. She watched her siblings grow up at ACS, attending their events when she could, while pursuing her own personal life. She married Mohammed Nesr and they spent much of their time in Angola. After the birth of their second child, when she and her husband moved back to Lebanon, she knew the only school for her children was ACS. “ACS is a school that empowers the students (gives them confidence) while keeping up to date with the American educational system (whom I believe are the pioneers in the educational field today),” she said.

“I remember my 10th grade Economics professor who told me one day after class that ‘I was a leader and would go far.’ I still remember his words.” This positive, encouraging environment is what she wanted for her kids. “ACS teachers (in my experience) have always helped their students to find their strengths in a positive manner. Emphasizing the good in order to encourage that.”

Over the years, she remarked that the campus has changed, but it had never been fancy. “The teachers are the real assets of the school… all the teachers I encountered contributed tremendously to my growth in an extremely positive manner, whilst always respecting my cultural background.” The fact that

ACS was the first school to bring the IB program to Lebanon and have a MUN, illustrate that ACS was, and is, a leading school and a pioneer in the educational system in Lebanon. Farah said, “I believe that a school that was able to do so (much) after a 15 year civil war can only continue to grow in the right direction.”

Those experiences and feelings led her to want to become a member of the Parent Committee and, 21 years after graduating from ACS, she did. When asked why, she explained “The reason I chose to join the PC is because I feel ACS is a part of me. I would love to give back and contribute in anyway possible in helping us develop as a school…. As a community we share this common journey and I believe we should make the best out of it, for together we can only be stronger.”

When reflecting on life and her children’s futures, Farah stated that “ACS helped shape my mental framework in a very positive and constructive manner. It provided me with all the tools I needed to be ready for the world. Wherever I went I always felt that I had the knowledge and know-how to deal with the situations I encountered. I had a great experience and I hope that they will have one too.”

Farah and her husband Mohammed have also been strong contributors to the school’s Annual Fund. In fact, every year since they have had their children at ACS, they have been donors. They are among the 37 families at ACS who have chosen to provide their children with the same great education and opportunities that they had as children at ACS. n 13

ACS Matters 2017-2018

core values

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A handful of in the elementary school

Last year Elementary School Principal Diann Osterlund and Head of School Greg MacGilpin knew that the school’s mission statement wasn’t enough to create school identity for the young elementary school (ES) students. They needed a way to add clarity to the mission statement; to teach ES students what integrity is, how to have compassion, how to have a balanced life, and what it means to serve the world, while using vocabulary and examples that an elementary school student could understand.

They had to take a look at what the students were currently learning, what they wanted them to learn, and how they were going to accomplish this goal. When Greg and Diann were looking at the past, Diann said “in the old days, we talked about character education,” referring to how students were taught social skills.

Now, “it’s all about social emotional learning” (SEL) and Social Emotional Intelligence (SEQ) or “learning the skills to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically,” according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Greg noted that there are many positive benefits to SEL and some studies have shown that it can be just as valuable as book intelligence, but when talking about SEL, being is very important, “We really want is for our students to be the best possible versions of themselves.”

Greg and Diann knew it would take collaboration with a team from the ES to work out a solution. They met with faculty, staff, school administrators, and the elementary school counselors to determine how they could create an SEL curriculum for the ES division.

They all agreed that they would need to create five core values that would define the ACS elementary SEL experience. With the the core values, they could develop a list of behavior suggestions that the students could use in different social environments at school. Once

"In the old days, we talked about character education.

Now, it's all about social emotional learning (SEL)."

the five core values and behavior expectations were agreed upon, Greg and Diann contacted the school’s Graphic Designer Nada Fawaz, to create the visuals for the project. What happened next was amazing.

When parents arrived last September with their children, they were greeted with an outstretched hand on each door in the elementary school. The hand was designed to look like a tree, each finger was associated with a leaf and on each leaf was a core value. The five core values are: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Compassion, and Courage. The tree symbolizes the strength of the deeply rooted values at ACS and the hand is to signify that all parties at ACS must go hand in hand, working together, to accomplish the goals and mission statement. The five leaves are different colors to suggest diversity, each highlighting one of the following core values: Respect, everyone should respect themselves, their family, and their community. Responsibility instills the value to take ownership for what one does to themselves, others, and their environment. Integrity reminds us all of our moral obligation, to be honest and decent. To have Compassion is to have sympathy and concern for others. The last value, Courage, reminds the students to be strong, stand up for what is right, and to be true to themselves.

Posters were designed with a list of suggested behaviors for seven different social environments that students encounter on a daily basis: Arrival, the Classroom, the Cafeteria, the Playground, the Bathroom, Dismissal, and the Bus. Each poster gave suggested behaviors to use in various social environments. For example, at Arrival: students were expected to be on time, smile, and greet whomever you meet; start the day on a positive note; follow signals as soon as you hear them; walk safely; and come to class ready to learn. In other social environments, some of the posters even indicate the volume level for speaking in that area or remind students what to do or put away. All of the posters have behavior expectations that remind students in a gentle way of the core values.

Look for the posters on campus and reinforce the core values in your home. See how your personal values overlap with those of ACS. Offer ‘your hand’ to the students, help them become the best person that they can be. n 15

For-Profit vs. Non-Profit

Revenue through Sales

Revenue through Sales

Serves Private Interests

Focus is on the product

Serves the community

Focus is on the recipient

Tax Exempt

Pays Tax

ACS Matters 2017-2018

Co, Inc. LLP

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NGO, 501(c)(3), NPO

ACS is often referred to as a non-profit school. What does this mean and how does it affect the funds that are gifted to the school?

Most people are familiar with how a charity works.

An organization asks for and receives, both material and monetary donations from the public and private donors. The charity then organizes the donations to provide programs, aid, and materials to members of the public in need, as a form of public service.

Unlike a corporation, which distributes their profit to shareholders or owners, a charity uses all of their funds to meet their institutional goals. Any funds left from the operating budget (i.e. profits) are simply rolled back into the budget and used for their institutions programs, thus making the ‘non-profit’ distinction.

The most common names for non-profit designated businesses include: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Civil Society Organizations (CSO), Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO), and Not-For-Profit Organizations (NFPO), charities, and in the United States a 501 (c).

Interestingly, 501 (c) is a tax code, created by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that classifies certain types of entities as non-profit organizations.

There are over 37 different non-profit classifications, 27 subcodes alone, under 501(c). The most common, subcode (3), is used to classify organizations that are Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, or Literary. Therefore, an educational institution that is

registered as a non-profit entity would be know as a 501 (c) (3) organization. The IRS assigns the entity a special Tax ID number proving that the entity has met the IRS non-profit requirements. This Tax ID number assures donors that their gift will not only be fully used by the entity, but that they will receive federal tax credit for their donation if they file US income taxes.

From the institutions point of view, having the status helps them attract donors and allows them to apply for federal grants and aid.

How does all of this relate to ACS? As an NGO and a 501 (c) (3) it guarantees that 100% of all gifts go towards the needs and programs of the school. There is no ‘profit’ that is shared or distributed to individuals. This status also allows ACS to apply for certain types of US Federal grants and aid. Everyone at ACS benefits from all gifts by way of programs, facilities, or materials. The more avenues ACS can utilize to garner gifts, the more support it will receive. This also helps donors. ACS can provide letters attesting to gifts, for tax purposes, and works hard with its donors to ensure that they are properly recognized for their gifts in the Annual Report. The Development and Alumni Affairs Department works on meeting donor goals and the needs of the school. They are happy to answer any other questions that you might have regarding the tax status of ACS or what your gift can do. n 17

Deir El-Qamar, growing small.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

By Charbel Nasser

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Where there is a seed, there is a future.

A pine cone is green, firm, and almost nothing can crack it open. By itself, following the laws of nature, it matures, turns brown, and starts to unravel giving leeway to the seeds inside of it. Those begin to fall all the way from the height of the pine tree.

The seed, with the first rain’s help, finds its way shallowly inside the dirt.

And then magic happens. The seed cracks, releasing from its tummy the pine nut that grows fresh and bright green pine needles!

This is the miracle of life.

If the above sounds familiar, then you guessed right, it’s the story of our lives.

The story of our little growing miraculous seeds. Our wide-eyed curious and frantically running little ones.

“Slowly please! Don’t run too fast...”.

Welcome to Deir el Qamar.

It’s not too often that we see kids this excited in the early morning hours. Then again, it’s not too often that we see them in nature, freely running, screaming, and breathing in this much fresh air. This is happiness! Healthy happiness, wellbeing in progress.

We know all too well the important impact of nature and how its positive vibes embrace us when we just listen, breathe, observe, feel, taste, smell, run, explore, discover, color... it’s invigorating!

When we show respect to nature, it loves us in return. This is what we passionately, wholeheartedly, and most importantly, not forcibly, aim at guiding the kids to naturally do. Respect nature, humanity’s habitat.

Often, we sense how easy it is for us and how natural it is to make the little ones feel like they’re at home. This forest is theirs, the pine trees are families living in it, they hug them and cherish them dearly.

We mimic birds sounds, wolves, cows, and every other sound we can emit, anything to spark the kids curiosity and sensibility around how rich nature is, and what the word rich really means.

Everything is here. Here in nature.

We tend to, first, let our guards down, reminding ourselves that kids are still closer to what is naturally natural. Dirt is natural, so is water, and mud and the excrement of horses that we find on the ground is natural. Spiders are natural, rocks, sticks, pine cones, pine needles, fossils, and everything is natural.

We seek to refresh their instincts and to see them spontaneously close to and loving nature.

We challenge their imagination while leaving their free-mindedness and freespiritedness, well, free!

Again, everything is here, in nature.

Deir el Qamar is not a facility, not a center for the outdoors, at least that’s not how we see it, nor do we wish it to be perceived as such. Because it’s made of more, it’s made of spirits, characters, uniqueness, variety, differences, likenesses, curiosity, simplicity, and everything natural. Everything has its own story.

It’s all about giving and passing on the learnings that life and nature has taught us, and all the things we have learned from the kids.

It’s a thought exchange, a mix of so many emotions, an awakening of the senses.

It’s a space that time doesn’t limit, quite the contrary, a space constantly evolving to explore nature in its depths and to make the experience holistic, connecting all the dots, visible and invisible, to surround the seeds with everything and anything that nurtures fruitful, real, unique, and colorful futures. n Photo by: Michel El Bacha (FAC) 19

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

ACS Solar Project: Harnessing energy to

power students 21

During last year, a renewable energy milestone was reached in ACS’s “Go Green Roadmap.” After two years of work, technical issues, and installation obstacles, October 13, 2017 became ‘Day 1’—the first day that the solar PV system at ACS was fully operational and harnessing renewable energy for the school. Today the solar panels are creating renewable energy, cutting school costs, and supplying excess electricity to the Lebanese National Electricity power grid.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

“By achieving this objective, ACS is setting an example for the community, choosing to be green, and doing what is better for the environment,” Head of School, Mr. Greg MacGilpin Jr. said, and “we will continue to think about how to reduce or revise our energy consumption, teach our students the significance of such efforts, and live lighter, smarter, and more carefully on our Earth.”

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Currently, this is the largest solar panel project installation on a school campus in Lebanon. ACS hired Yelloblue, a local turnkey company, to install the panels on the campus and manage the project from start to finish. The work consisted of covering eight different roofs, on four separate buildings, with over 2,060 square meters of photovoltaic panels. Because each building is separated by a public road, more than 4 kilometers of cable was necessary to link the 1,118 panels together. Panels selected for the roof of the BD

building were of a clearer glass model so that the space could be repurposed as very large seating/entertainment area. The panels on the roof of the Elementary School basketball courts also keep the area cooler during the warm months while students are playing. The gym roofs also have solar panel water heaters to supply the gym with hot water more efficiently.

Normally a project of this size can be completed in less than two years, but ACS had to consider the safety of the students throughout the installation. With students on the campus ten months of the year, most of the heavy work had to be organized during school breaks and vacations. Cables could be installed during school hours, but the panels needed to be moved and mounted over the summer to ensure the safety of the students.

The panels were therefore installed in two phases over two different summers. Since the school receives energy from three different energy sources (solar, national grid, and stand-by generators), Yelloblue had to consult with special research and development teams in Europe to make sure that each power source worked in a safe and efficient manner with the others. The cost of the project was over $1,000,000 and was made possible through capital planning at ACS and grants from USAID. As the six month testing period neared an end, ACS held a celebration event that coincided with the spring equinox, March 20, 2018. Local officials and key

constituents of the project were invited to see the panels and to learn about their installation process and the impact they will have on the school and the community.

Deputy Chief of Mission Ed White, from the US Embassy, was present for the event and spoke of the commitment of the US Embassy to, among other things, renewable energy in Lebanon and projects like this. He commented how at home he felt in the warm, welcoming environment of the ACS campus and reminisced about the various International American Schools his children had attended.

Also in attendance, the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) representative Patil Mesrobian explained what the LCEC is doing for other schools in Lebanon and applauded ACS for having the largest roof installation on a school in Lebanon. She explained that LCEC is the technical arm of and project consultants for the Central Bank of Lebanon on energy projects.

Their goal is to make it more affordable for other schools and business to implement renewable projects like the one at ACS.

“

At ACS, we believe we need to leave better, more informed children for our planet

Three Middle School students presented their science project involving the solar panels. They discovered that the solar panels at ACS save 324 Tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to planting 69 acres of pine trees or providing clean energy for 300 ACS classrooms for one year. Three seniors from the High School cocurricular Go Green spoke of what their campus-wide initiatives are doing to conserve energy, recycle, and reduce waste and their hopes for the future of planet Earth. The co-curricular meets once each cycle and is responsible for gathering up the items from the recycle bins. They had informational posters on display in the courtyard.

In the future, most ACS students will be using the data from the panels in various aspects of their class work. An electronic dashboard was created so that the ACS community, and the world, can see in real time current energy generated, greenhouse gases saved, and environmental benefits. That data may be viewed anytime at the following web address: https://bit.ly/2LwkLjP “Many people say we need to leave a better planet for our children. At ACS, we believe we need to leave better, more informed children for our planet,” said Greg MacGilpin, Head of School. He spoke of various aspects of the “Go Green Roadmap” and what an accomplishment this project was. n 23

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Artwork dispayed at the ACS Beirut All school art celebration 2018.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

Who should I talk to

when my child has a problem at school

parent

parent

Your first point of contact is her/his

teacher or advisor It’s easy to want to go directly to the Principal or Head of School, but by doing so, you bypass the natural order of communication and can inadvertently create an additional problem. Remember, in most cases the teacher/advisor knows your child better than anyone else at the school.

the issue is

emotional

academic

IF the issue is one centered around emotions (e.g. hurt feelings, the behavior of other students in the classroom, or the behavior of others from school) talk to the teacher/ advisor.

If your problem is about an academic issue, again, the first point of contact is the teacher. S/he can advise you on ways to solve the problem with help found both inside and outside the school.

DO NOT talk with the parents of other child(ren) and NEVER talk directly to a child who is bothering your child.

Should you feel that you have not gotten the help you want from the teacher, then go to the Assistant/Principal. You can also request a meeting with the Assistant/Principal and the teacher at the same time or in some cases the Curriculum Coordinator.

Go to the Principal only once you have tried the other options. The Principal can arrange a meeting with the Deputy Head of School or Head of School depending upon the issue.

Let the staff handle it. They are trained in problem solving and can keep the emotions of all concerned parties at bay.

Conversations with the parents, child, or other people can make the problem bigger. Should you feel that you have not gotten the help you want from the teacher, go to the Assistant/Principal. You can also request a meeting with the Assistant/Principal and the teacher at the same time.

Remember, academic issues are often solved easier than emotional ones, but all issues require open and honest communication.

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ACS Matters 2017-2018

The Power of

Yet!

Encouraging the growth mindset at ACS Beirut Giving students the ‘courage to grow’ is fundamental in today’s educational institutions. ACS has spent a lot of time training it’s teachers and staff on this ‘new way of thinking’ and guiding them on the language that is necessary for our students to find that courage.

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Encouraging

ACS Matters 2017-2018

Student 28

Growth

at ACS Beirut

To encourage academic and intellectual growth for all students at ACS, the faculty read and discussed the book Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D This book discusses a simple fact of human psychology based upon years of research at Stanford University: people can succeed or fail to reach their full potential based on their mindset, a basic set of beliefs about their brains and the importance of effort in reaching their goals.

Dr. Dweck talks about two basic mindsets, although she emphasizes that we all tend to function with a mixture of the two. These are a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The fixed mindset holds a belief that intelligence and talent are inborn and fixed throughout our lives. There are some people, for example, who are “good at math” and others who aren’t. Effort doesn’t matter. Trying hard and failing at any activity in which you lack talent can threaten your ego. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is a belief that our intelligence and talent can grow based upon focused, persistent, and step-by-step efforts at improving them.

Failures are seen as opportunities to learn and improve.

As a recreational soccer coach, I used to have a fixed mindset about the talent of the players on my teams. Since I didn’t want the whole team to be disappointed by being defeated, I tended to give my “talented” players more playing time during games. The results were predictable. Although we still seldom won a game, the players with less playing time didn’t improve their skills, and eventually put in less effort. A coach with a growth mindset would have looked for opportunities to increase playing time for the less skillful players, praise their effort, and give them specific feedback on what they could do to improve.

Mindset and the Brain When Dr. Dweck started her research at Stanford, modern methods of scanning the living brain were in their infancy and relatively little was known about how the brain changes during the learning process. Since then, digital imaging techniques have undergone a huge expansion and improvement.

Researchers can now observe the activity of various areas of the brain when students are facing learning challenges. The results of these experiments have confirmed her original insight that, in fact, the brain, our intelligence and skills, can grow and improve because of focused, incremental efforts to master difficult challenges.

“Neuroplasticity” means that the cells in our brains are constantly forming and strengthening new connections throughout our lives. “Lifelong learning” is no longer just a catchphrase to be inserted into school brochures – it is a scientifically proven fact. A growth mindset, believing that intelligence and talent can grow and improve through effort, can be of great benefit to students, teachers, and parents in particular. On the other hand, a fixed mindset on the part of students, teachers, or parents can increase stress and block the learning process.

Judy Willis, MD, an expert on the brain and learning, points to the negative effects of stress on the growth of the brain. Teachers or parents with a fixed mindset can unintentionally place increased stress on students by communicating that they will never be able to match the performance of their more talented siblings or classmates. “Students develop the fixed mindset in which the brain’s primitive survival networks restrict effort toward goals that, by experience, are not expected to be reached.”

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Mindset and Teaching As a result of studying Professor Dweck’s work on mindset, ACS teachers are putting renewed emphasis on teaching students that their brains and their intelligence can grow as a result of sustained effort and learning from their failures and mistakes. Rather than defining the student, mistakes can be used to help them grow. Helping students move from a fixed mindset regarding any class or subject to a growth mindset can help them reach their true potential. How will this change what your child’s teachers are doing?

First of all, they will be telling students that their brains are not fixed. Just knowing more about the brain and how it grows can help students develop a growth mindset.

Many people believe that a person is born either smart, average, or dumb – and stays that way for life. But new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle – it changes and gets stronger when you use it.

Here are some other things your child’s teacher may be doing in the classroom to encourage them to develop a growth mindset: Setting achievable micro-goals to encourage students’ consistent, incremental progress.

• When students succeed, praising their efforts and strategies as opposed to their intelligence.

• Helping students focus on and value the process of learning. While grades are important, the value of learning should be prioritized.

• Changing the language of teacher feedback:

• Changing

student self-talk using the word “yet.” can’t do long division yet.

• I can’t answer this question yet.

• I don’t understand dependent and independent clauses yet.

•I

Parents: Changing Our Own Mindset As parents who were born and grew up in the Twentieth Century, it is highly likely that we were steeped in the beliefs of the fixed mindset. We were taught that talent is an inborn quality that some people possess and other people don’t. Some people are gifted students or artists or mathematicians or athletes, and others will never reach a high level of achievement no matter how much effort they devote to their goals. When we tried to do something and inevitably experienced failure, we assumed it was because we lacked the talent to succeed. Our parents probably reinforced this mindset by (kindly) telling us “Well, you did your best, but you’re just not very good at this. Maybe you should try doing something else.”

So, how do we as Twenty-first Century parents, overcome our background and conditioning in the fixed mindset? Fortunately, Professor Dweck has given us a process for change that involves four specific steps.

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Fixed Mindset

Growth Mindset

You did your best.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand yet. Focus on your next steps. What should they be?

Just keep trying.

If you don’t understand the question, try a different approach, like drawing a picture or writing out your solution.

Great job! The study-plan Great job! You’re so you made helped a lot. Make smart! another one for the next test.

The first step involves “embracing our journey.”

We recognize and understand that our fixed mindset developed for understandable reasons, though it may no longer fit the current circumstances.

• The second step involves “becoming aware of your fixed-mindset triggers.” For example, when you’re learning something new and you keep hitting dead ends. Your fixed mindset steps in and says, “Give it up. Do something easier.”

• The third step is to give your fixed mindset a name, like “Doubting Dave.” Think about how this part of your personality steps in to justify and excuse your lack of initial success.

• Finally, learn to recognize your fixed mindset when it shows up to tell you to stop trying so hard. Your fixed mindset is trying to protect your fragile ego, but you can take back the power and control over your own life.

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Having embraced a growth mindset for yourself, you will be ready to help your children to develop a growth mindset. You will be ready to help them create plans for facing and overcoming their academic challenges without falling victim to their own fixed mindset regarding effort and achievement.

Parents: Supporting Your Child’s Growth Mindset One of the most important ways that parents can support the school in helping children develop a growth mindset is by changing the words we use to talk to our children about effort and success.

When working with Lebanese parents and their children as a counselor, one of the first things I noticed was the high value that many Lebanese parents place on success in school. This is one of the things I have always highly admired about the Lebanese culture.

Education and teachers are highly respected and admired. This is often in contrast to the attitudes in my own American culture, where respect and value is too often linked to the relative income potential of a given field or profession. Parents here in Lebanon often spend many hours a week working with their children after school hours to ensure their success.

Another thing I have noticed about Lebanese culture is how often parents and relatives use the words “chatir” and “chatra” to give positive feedback to children about getting good grades or answering questions correctly.

I have been told that these words roughly translate to “clever boy,” and “clever girl.” Unfortunately, praising a child for being clever may reinforce a fixed mindset that tells the child that their success comes not from their diligent effort or effective study strategies but from their inherent cleverness or intelligence. When they inevitably experience difficulties or failure, they may attribute this to their not being smart enough or clever enough to succeed, and abandon their efforts to master the difficult subject. “I am not clever in this subject, so why am I continuing to try?” This is the reason why we, as parents, need to re-examine the language we use with our children. Below are some examples of language that can help to reinforce a growth mindset in our children.

About the Author Dr. David Warren is a lifelong educator and counselor.

He was upper school guidance counselor and technology coordinator of ACS Beirut from 1996 to 2000 and Deputy Head of School from 2006 to 2014. Part of his responsibilities at ACS included the guidance program and infirmaries, as well as writing successful grant applications for libraries, science labs, technology, and infrastructure. He is the father of three children and now lives among the olive trees in North Lebanon, with his wife, Dr. Daisy Sarkis Warren. He is a consultant and lecturer on various education-related topics.

Instead of saying ...

You can say this ...

You are so clever!

I can see how hard you have worked on this!

It’s OK, maybe you’re It seems like it’s time to try a just not cut out for this. new strategy.

You’re a natural talent at I enjoy watching you do that! that!

You did that so quickly It looks like that was and easily. Great job! too easy for you. Let’s find something more challenging so your brain can grow.

That’s not right! Are you paying attention in class? It seems like you’re not even trying!

That’s not right. It looks like you don’t understand this yet. What strategies can you try to understand it better?

That was really hard. I’m so glad it’s over and you don’t have to do that again.

That was really hard. Your effort has paid off! Next time you’ll be ready for this kind of challenge!

You have a real talent for writing. You should take a creative writing class because you’re so good at it.

You’ve worked hard to become a good writer. You should challenge yourself with an advanced class, and learn something you don’t know how to do yet.

Navigating the Transitions As I mentioned above, transitions between grade levels, particularly between middle school and high school, can trigger a fixed mindset in students, causing them to lose confidence and motivation. They may conclude that no matter how hard they try they won’t be able to maintain the same level of success they enjoyed in the “easier” grade levels. Thus, they begin avoiding difficult topics and putting in minimum effort on their assignments. This, of course, leads to poor results that confirm their fear that they don’t have the required intelligence to succeed at the higher grade levels.

As parents and educators, we must avoid triggering these negative thoughts. We shouldn’t try to motivate students with fear about how difficult the next grade level will be.

“If you don’t pay more attention and try harder, you’ll fail next year!” This message reinforces the mindset that each person has a fixed amount of intelligence and will inevitably reach the limit of their ability.

Rather, we can constantly encourage and reinforce the growth mindset, a belief that students can increase their ability by learning from their mistakes and embracing difficult challenges. n 31

cover story

Music

MINDSET

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by Sami El Rayes

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The idea of mindset could not be more central to the approach and implementation of successful curriculum in Arts classrooms. A growth mindset is built around the belief that every student who walks into our classrooms—regardless of experience or background— is capable of attaining the same level of proficiency and learning if provided with a safe and responsive environment to do so.

Being a music teacher, I have heard phrases like ‘I can’t sing’ or ‘I’ll never be able to play this instrument’ countless times. Unfortunately, these statements are more reflective of the ideas that students have received from other educators, parents, peers, or culture at large in a manner that conflates ease of mastery with ability to do so. To put it plainly, every ACS student, if equipped with the appropriate tools, support, and ability to try and fail has the capacity to be a musician.

Music is everywhere. We are all exposed to it on a dayto-day basis both in ways that we can control—on our phones and in our classrooms— and in ways that have been decided for us—on the radio, in media, etc…

The common thread in the way that most individuals experience music is that we experience other people’s product not their process. This experience of ‘end’ above ‘means’ is one that works against the process of viewing music through the lens of a growth mindset.

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While it may be easy to discuss mindset as a hypothetical, the reality of altering a fixed mindset— one where an individual believes they can do what they know, and that areas in which they struggle are areas in which they will always struggle— is a nuanced, but fairly intuitive process. It all begins with the word ‘yet.’ I mentioned before that countless former students of mine have made statements like ‘I can’t sing.’ A declaration made with finality. The mere act of altering the statement with the word ‘yet’ creates space for that to change.

When it comes to teaching music within the framework of a growth mindset, there are some very clear

challenges. Once our students hit the point where they are worried about self-image, it becomes difficult to fail in a way that is loud and public. I’ve found that it is also difficult to learn if you’re not comfortable failing at first. The central foundation for a music classroom that is a place for growth is the establishment of the classroom’s safety. This has as much to do with how teachers deal with disciplinary issues as it does with establishing predictable and reliable routines. No one expects that day one, or even day twenty will be the day that everyone is entirely comfortable, but the underlying hope is that eventually the drive to learn from constructive criticism will overpower the fear of failing in front of peers.

students’ learning journeys to put in the work to learn how to support their students in exploration.

The word ‘journey’ is one that I have used often while discussing student trajectories in and outside class.

Like our students’ learning experience, everybody’s journey starts in a different place and is informe by the tools with which they enter the classroom.

This makes the concept of differentiation in curriculum essential to successful musical education. Every element of a child’s education and experience equips them with knowledge and skills that they are aware of and some which they take for granted. Learning what these skills and competencies are can only be done by pushing students to set their own goals. We cannot expect every kid to build the same house with different tools and materials. After all, so much of the beauty of art is in personal expression. Expecting every structure to fit the mold only holds back students who are ready to take their journeys to new and sometimes unexpected places.

I have found that many individuals—when faced with the realities of an individualized and goal-oriented curriculum— choose to interpret the framework as a lowering of standards or a forfeit of communal benchmarks. The reality is quite the contrary. Seeing each student for whomever they are, and being able to honestly and effectively work with tools that they know they have is invaluable in the process of setting and achieving high standards. A growth mindset does not change the destinations, it simply makes room for multiple paths on the road to our rigorous benchmarks and standards.

During a Middle School faculty retreat we discussed the idea of mindset quite extensively. One idea that surfaced during our discussion was the belief that no one walks through the door on day one with all the skills they need to be successful in our classes.

While this idea sounds relatively bleak at face value, it is one that I find to be incredibly empowering as an educator who feels like they are consistently learning for and from their kids. That statement, in my opinion, is true both for the students in our classes and the teachers guiding them through their learning journeys.

The mark of a growth mindset in an educator is an individual who is capable of admitting they don’t know something yet, and is committed enough to their

For this reason, our music classes tend to take the form of theoretician-practitioner models. We spend time unpacking the ‘why’ of musical concepts and get practice creating, deconstructing, and reconstructing them in ways that ultimately take the form of our students simply making music. We let them set goals that are ambitious, and help them figure out what they can do to achieve them. As long as it is deliberate and building upon skills they have developed, it is empowering them to have ownership of their progress and process.

I liken this process to the point in a musician’s career in which they feel brave enough to try improvisation in group settings. While improvisation is made to seem effortless, the musical intuition required to 35

ACS Matters 2017-2018

do it effectively is a skill developed from years of making music and an underlying understanding of how musical structures function. There are countless factors that go into cultivating musicianship in students, but none are more important than the earnest belief that every one of our kids can do what we intend to teach them.

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Throughout the entirety of primary and secondary schooling, the goal of educators is to equip our kids with the skills to move through the world in an open, compassionate, and deliberate manner. All of those qualities are informed by an understanding of oneself. The ability to look at oneself, identify areas of growth and —rather than shying away from them— assess their tools and begin to unpack the challenge into manageable parts of a daunting

whole is a takeaway that all of the ACS arts teachers work to cultivate in our kids.

The ‘yet’ is the part of the equation that allows us to laugh off a rough performance and comb it for learning moments, or share a piece in class that is still a work in progress. A student in my class this semester said ‘I don’t feel comfortable sharing what I’m working on with the class.’ I thought for a long time before responding, realizing that the way I handled it would characterize the way it seemed that I approached both discomfort and failure. My answer to them was, and will continue to be ‘discomfort is what happens before something that matters.’ Finding ways to help kids push past their fear of failure, discomfort, and ultimately what their own expectations are for themselves is at the core of effective Arts Education. n

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Lea Fakhouri, IB ‘18

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Courage in Athletics

By Talar Partiyan & Joe Toler

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ACS faculty and staff were asked to read “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. This book is a best seller in the world of learning and successful business models.

As the Athletic and Activities department at ACS, nothing speaks more about the work and transformations we witness in our students’ maturation and growth through their educational careers. The book predominantly focuses on growth mindset versus fixed mindset. The person that epitomizes a growth mindset in athletics is most likely Michael Jordan. Not chosen for his high school varsity team, not recruited by his college of choice (North Carolina State), not drafted by the first two NBA teams that could have signed him, he was rejected on almost every level. Michael did not give up—every rejection was an opportunity for him to master his craft and improve his skills. Through his perseverance, grit, and determination to accept each challenge with a growth mindset, we know him today as one of the greatest athletes of his time, possibly of all time.

With students, we have many opportunities to practice growth mindset. Students are not born with one type of mindset. Physical Education teachers, coaches, classroom teachers, school staff, parents, and administrators work to ensure that our feedback acknowledges growth rather than failures in their daily lives. This is especially true in P.E., after-school sports, and the other activities they participate in. It is a continual process to positively encourage them to persevere through hardship, through practice, and through the overall stress that may come on the field, on the court, or away from school.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

Research shows that growth mindset can foster grit, determination, and work ethics within our students, athletes, and people of all ages. Growth mindset is bigger than school and bigger than sports. It creates the necessary school foundation to allow for learning to happen. Athletics provides an excellent arena for growth mindset.

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When student-athletes try out for Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity (V) teams, they know that there could be rejection involved in the final decision. How we, as coaches and the community, deliver and follow-up on the decision is where the opportunity for growth mindset is most prevalent. We provide challenges and push our student-athletes to the limits of their comfort zones to create opportunities for growth.

We provide challenges and push our student-athletes to the limits of their comfort zones to create opportunities for growth.

When joining a team, there is always a trial period.

This is a time when players try her/his best in order to represent the school in various international competitions. These opportunities are only offered to a few. Sometimes, the challenge for our studentathletes is to learn how to overcome and grow stronger if they do not make the travel team. The conversations after this trial period are some of the most important for a young adult experiencing this situation. Studentathletes, many times, narrow their vision and only see this moment of not making the travel team as the be-all and end-all. Coaches help them see and understand that this is a critical step in their growth as an individual and teammate—by challenging them to continue in their skill development, support of their teammates, and understanding that opportunities will come again and that being able to self-motivate will help them succeed in life on and off the court or playing field.

Feedback is everything. An athlete practicing her/ his shots in basketball will not improve without the proper feedback on the position and technique of taking the shot. Usually this kind of progress can happen in a few practice sessions, but it can also take longer. Whether the growth is in small increments or large ones, dedication to improvement is the deciding factor. Most summers a group of young ladies from middle school and high school meet regularly every Saturday to practice and work on their basketball skills.

There were no games, no competition—just ongoing feedback to improve skills.

These athletes demonstrated a growth mindset.

They knew that in order to improve, they had to hear what they were doing wrong and seek help on understanding how they could improve. They were each improving individually through feedback, demonstrations, and sometimes through videotape

analysis. After twelve practice sessions, these studentathletes have come a long way without needing any extrinsic motivation or rewards.

Our students are on a continuous journey in their development as athletes, teammates, and members of the community. A growth mindset takes place when there is a belief in the process, or journey, regardless of any hurdles, speed bumps, or turns in the road. It takes place when we put it into action through our words and endeavours. As teachers and coaches, we are entrusted with the responsibility to improve the lives of our students. Therefore, we know that every word and action sends a message to our students. We are continuing to strive towards ensuring that every interaction fosters a growth mindset in our students and athletes. n

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the arts

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International Debut of Play with 360ยบ of learning including a film reel...

most plays of the shakesperian era have monologues written for men and her class had a larger percentage of female students. She said “I decided I could I use these traditional plays and write around them to showcase the works from a female point of view. That would allow us to examine the gender roles that existed when Shakespeare was alive, over four hundred years ago, and how those compared to modern day.

A few weeks with the students, the use of some ideas she put together for a play in Turkey and the essence of “Bill’s Sister” started coming together. They designed the story of modern day teenagers who are visited

by Shakespearean characters while preparing for their high school play auditions. In the piece, Judith and her friend Maggie are annoyed because they believe the best Shakespearean monologues about love are for male characters. As they and their friends discuss gender equality, Shakespearean characters ‘step onstage’ reprising roles that aren’t normally seen in high school performances, like Queen Margaret of Henry VI. The characters ‘Time’ and ‘Setting’ function as narrators who walk the audience through what the Shakespearean characters were thinking or what was happening during the time period when they were alive.

Along the way the participants were encouraged to create the scenes, add to dialogue, learn about stage management, work with different types of lighting.

Two of the students volunteered as film directors and created a documentary about the play. It can be viewed on this link: The post production work was part of the Week Without Walls Film School aided by LAU Film School faculty, and ACS Graduate, Samer Beyhum ‘99.

Every year students are given the opportunity to participate in school drama productions, part of a co-curricular. Typically the plays are pieces that are fairly well known to the general population. This year, there was a new production designed for ACS coupled with extra programs that included filming a documentary about the new production and special techniques of filming during the spring Week Without Walls film school.

In January, when the students were asked what pieces they wanted to work with for the spring play, Drama Teacher Ms. Dyane Stillman was surprised that they expressed interest in Shakespeare. Even though she was excited to explore his works, she also had a problem,

The stage manager and props team contributed to designing the sets and it was Mr. James McLean IB Art Chair, who designed the third arch and pillars creating a realistic shakespearean set along with his numerous shopping trips for props and costume materials.

Before the show and during the intermission, audience members were invited to ‘shop at the ACS souk,’ supporting various co-curriculars and groups at ACS by selling drinks, sweets and spirit wear. More than 30 students were involved in the production that opened on a Friday and had its second performance on Saturday night. Most who attended said that it was light, funny, and even sweet. At the end of the performance, audience members gave a standing ovation to the students. Ten years from now you will be able to say you saw the world premiere of Bill’s Sister. n 43

awards

NESA for TWO! Haya Ghandour ’18 and Said El-Kadi ‘22 are honored by NESA.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

NESA (Near East Schools Association) recognizes outstanding students through its scholarship and merit award programs for high school seniors and middle school students. This spring, senior Haya Ghandour ‘18 was awarded one of the four Margaret Sanders Scholarships of $4,000 and Said El-Khadi ‘22, received one of four $1,000 Haas/Hansen Awards.

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The Margaret Sanders International Award is given to four students in the world. Schools who are members of the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) are invited to submit one applicant per school to their regional affiliation.

For ACS, they submit it to NESA. It was College Counselor Ms. Debbie Carraras who urged Haya to fill out the application as she knew that Haya met the the application requirements. The award is given to students who exhibit character traits like persistence and motivation and show resourcefulness. S/he must exhibit an acceptance of other cultures and points of view, partake in school activities, and participate in community service geared toward the welfare of others.

Criteria include financial need, academic achievement, educational goals, and potential to impact future improvements in local and global communities.

During the last seven years, while Haya has been a student at ACS, she has been involved in MUN (serving as Deputy General Secretary in 2018), participated in basketball and orchestra, and served as Editor of Zephyr

magazine. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has volunteered with Nour International, a student led organization improving the education of over 200 refugees through the Nour Center in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp for the past 3 years. In her junior year she was selected to attend the International Leaders Conference in Richmond, Virginia.

Winning the award was a big surprise and honor. Now that she is graduating, Haya will study Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Political Science this fall at Columbia University in New York. Haya said she chose these majors because she wanted “to give something tangible back to society.” Noting that, “no matter how small the help is to someone, it does make a big difference in the world.”

She has one brother and two sisters, her mom is a history teacher and her dad runs the family jewelry

store. Haya will be the first member of her family to study outside of Lebanon. Although she is a little nervous about attending school alone in New York, she is looking forward to the experience and being among so many multicultural students. This is the second year in a row that an ACS student has won the award.

The annual Stanley Haas/Luke Hansen Student Award recognizes students who are persistent, willing to take risks, and accepting of other cultures and points of view, traits that NESA values in students. Generally these students are concerned with the welfare of others, demonstrate their commitment to others on many levels, and serve as shining examples of excellence in their schools. It is Stanley Haas, the late executive director of NESA, and Luke Hansen, a remarkable student who died in an accident, that this award is named for. The Haas/Hansen Student Award does not focus on a specific academic, athletic, or artistic achievement, though nominees may well excel in one or more of these areas. Instead the award strives to highlight those Middle School students who model the character traits that NESA values most.

Although many students submitted applications from ACS, three students received recognition. Danielle Rohan and Pablo Ventura Almirall were given letters of commendation for their essays and applications. Said

El-Kadi won one of the four global awards of $1,000.

The last time an ACS 8th grade student won this award was eight years ago, in 2012, when Rawad Yared was the recipient.

Said said he applied for the award because he found the story of Luke Hansen interesting and inspiring.

Furthermore, “the application itself matched my values and didn’t focus on one thing. I am someone who does many things, not one.” Ms. Oulaya Samhoun gave him an application and he began to write his essay based on the prompt: ‘The role you play in your school and community.’ When he asked Ms. Sietske Noshie to read his essay, she said he should try writing in his own voice. His essay then became 12 different paragraphs about his activities, like swimming, basketball, track, community service, his science projects, and MUN, and he linked each paragraph to the character traits NESA values most.

Said joined ACS in 6th grade and loves the school. At the assembly when the Middle School Principal Mr. Phil Wendel was talking about the NESA award, he didn’t think that he had a chance, especially after the names of the students who were given commendations were announced. But, when his name was announced as the winner, he was so happy. He wants to do something meaningful with the monetary value of the award, but admits that he did use some of the grant to travel to Moscow for the MUN. What does Said see in his future? After growing up in Egypt, living in Lebanon, travelling to other countries, and having many meaningful experiences with MUN, he hopes for a career in International Relations or Political Science. He looks forward to starting high school in the fall and continuing with his long list of activities.

The Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA) is a community of schools who collaborate together to improve education by sharing the best practices of American and international education with each other. ACS has been a member of NESA for over 20 years and has hosted more than one mini NESA conference on its campus. Currently Ms. Hanadi Dayyeh, Curriculum Coordinator at ACS, serves on the Professional Development Advisory Committee of NESA working on conference content. She is also the school’s co-ordinator for all NESA award applications.

The ACS Leadership team attends the NESA Leadership Conference in the fall of every year. Numerous ACS faculty members participate in NESA training institutes and many of them have lead the workshops. n 45

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development news

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Since it was May and most contracts are completed

by March, they were late in the application process.

However, the fates smiled on them and they both found teaching positions at ACS. Robb was hired to teach 1st Grade and Stefanie joined as an Elementary School PE Teacher/Special Project team member, the catch was that they had to be in Beirut by mid-August.

There wasn’t much time to think, as Stefanie explains, “in three months we went from suburbia to Beirutia.”

They sold their house and cars, found homes for their pets, and prepared to embrace the car-less urban lifestyle in a foreign country.

Last August, on the first day of the new faculty orientation, Elementary School teachers Robb and Stefanie Wainwright stopped by the business office and gave a gift to the school. What made their visit unusual was the fact that they were the first new faculty members to give a gift as well as the first faculty members to gift for the fiscal year 2017-2018 and 20182019. Why they chose to give is part of a bigger story, a story of community.

City life was just one hurdle, integrating into their first international community was another major new learning opportunity. From the day of their arrival in Lebanon, they wanted to show the community that they were committed to ACS. One way of articulating this was to make a financial gift to the school. Maryland had taught Stefanie that a gift to the school is an affirmation of their belief in the school, its mission, and their commitment to the community.

It didn’t matter how much the gift was, what mattered was the fact that they gave. That lesson changed their personal outlook on philanthropy forever.

In May of 2017, Robb and Stefanie were living the stereotypical suburban life, outside of Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They had a house, they were owners of a dog and a cat, there were two cars in the driveway, and weekends were spent with family and friends. Robb worked for a public school and Stefanie worked for a private independent school. Each saw education from a different point of view.

For most of their lives, Stefanie admits, “we did not understand financial philanthropy, how important the gift is, regardless of its size,” nor the impact their individual participation has. Until a few years ago they didn’t know how they, with their teacher’s salaries, could even make a difference. Once they learned that institutions focus on the percentage of people giving as opposed to the amount people are giving, they became donors. Stefanie remarked, “as teachers, we give our time and talent every day, but having an understanding that your gift, no matter what the size of the gift, is just as important as teaching” was amazing.

The choice to join the ACS community was inspired by of one of Robb’s colleagues, Erin Mukri. She left the public school that they both worked at in Maryland to teach internationally. Looking for a big life change, Robb reached out to Erin for suggestions of how to enter the international teaching world. Erin loved her new community in Beirut and shared her experiences of two years at ACS with Robb in the United States.

Curious about ACS, Robb and Stefanie researched the school, its programs, and what life in Beirut looks like.

They soon realized that ACS aligned with both their professional and personal values. Liking what they heard and saw about ACS, they decided to see if there was a way to move to Beirut.

Many grant organizations, trustees, and major donors will ask what the constituents participation rate is. Do most faculty and staff gift to the school? Do they believe in the school? This participation rate is their tangible proof of community commitment to the organization, and many will not gift or offer grants without high participation rates. Studies also show that a higher percentage rate of participation inspires community members to gift. Robb said, “they wanted to show their commitment. To be part of the percentage rate at ACS and inspire others to donate.” Robb and Stefanie know now that they are rooted in the community, happy to be part of the percentage who supports and values the mission and ideals of ACS. n 47

speaker series

Empowering

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through

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The Mission Statement at ACS is a guiding factor on an everyday basis and for all new initiatives. Empowerment and empowering individuals is the first verb of the statement and ACS is always looking for new avenues to empower its students and community.

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When discussing the verb ‘empowering’ the question was asked as to how ACS could also impact the community? The idea was conceived to create a speaker series, providing attendees an opportunity to be inspired and empowered, while listening to and interacting with local leaders. Guest speakers could share their experiences with the ACS community and the personal journey that brought them to where they are today, including where they wish to be in the future.

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What to call the series? Simply, and naturally, IMPACT - its goal. Providing insight on a common thread and sharing their stories in a casual and intimate setting would create a feeling of closeness with the speakers. The event, open to anyone, would include time for audience questions after each speaker shared their story. To ensure a smooth flow during the event, Mikey Muhanna, ACS Alumni of ‘03, Board of Trustee Member, and Founder & Executive Director of afikra ( ‫) عفكرة‬, agreed to be the moderator and the series was ready to launch.

In January, “Empowering Women in Sports” was the first event in the series to take place. The evening featured four prominent Lebanese women in sports: May El Khalil, Head of the Beirut Marathon; Hania

Bissar, Owner of Exhale; Diala Kassam Samakieh, Founder and Business Development Manager of Trybe Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement, and a national athlete; and Alissar Caracalla, Choreographer of the Caracalla Dance Theatre and Artistic Director of the Caracalla Dance School. All of the speakers had ties to ACS and were delighted to share their experiences and launch the series.

Before the evening began, Greg MacGilpin, Head of School, said “we are hoping that these stories will impact each of us personally and as a community.”

Advice and encouragement were aplenty during the evening. Audience members were told many times to be disciplined, positive, and true to themselves, to follow their passion, and that there is no ‘perfect’ time to do something, just do it. All speakers reiterated that it is important to never give up.

It was a huge success. Some audience members disclosed that they came to hear inspiring stories, some came for empowerment, and others came out of curiosity. Teacher Joelle Yacoub said “I came because I love sports.” For Middle School Counselor Oulaya Samhoun, she was “interested in what women are doing in our country.” One student told her mother that she knew of the concepts, but did not

really understand them until that evening. Most agreed that the evening was like attending a ‘TED Talk’ or a mini TEDx. In the second evening of the IMPACT speaker series, “Women in Journalism,” three prominent journalists addressed ACS community members, talking about their experiences in media and how things have changed since they started their careers. The panelists were Youmna Naufal, media producer and host of the TV show Y Chats; Paula Yacoubian, media trainer, journalist, and political candidate; and Anne Barnard, New York Times Beirut Bureau Chief.

All three journalists agreed that there has been a huge shift in what is ‘news,’ the way it is reported today, and most importantly how ‘fake news’ has become so prevalent. Each of these shifts require the reader to be more diligent about where they get their news, and to discern for themselves if it is true or not. The audience learned that journalists were taught to ‘report on the story, don’t be the story,’ but now most journalists have their own platform and work on the personal aspects of their stories.

When asked what it takes to be a journalist, the obvious answer was ‘knowing how to write a sentence,’

but the guests offered other advice as well. Read and watch the news, then read anything. Anne told the audience to “be creative and rigorous about what you know and how you know it.” Youmna advised that people must strive to “be inquisitive versus curious” and go after the truth. Wanting to tell the story and having the passion to story tell is very important as a journalist too. Paula said “there is a credibility crisis in the news” and she wondered aloud whether journalism was a worthwhile profession during these times. Audience members engaged with the panelists about social media: What should a school teach and when? What age is appropriate to use it? How has it affected your job? Youmna summed up the topic of journalism and Lebanon by saying “Being in Lebanon is a citizen’s nightmare, but a journalist’s dream. Our neighbors are great because they always provide news.”

However, the real news was the ‘Impact’ that the series was having on ACS community members.

Conversations were heard in the corridors that night and the next day. ‘Do you think I could be a journalist?’

‘What an inspiration she is for women!’ ‘I wish my friend was here.’ And, of course, ‘I wonder what the next series will be about and who will be there.’ As of now, the next series is not scheduled, but it is planned for the Fall of 2018. n 51

community news

Parent Committee Members were elected for a three year term!

Since 1981, when Law No. 81/11 was passed and decree No. 517 was issued, the Minister of National Education and Fine Arts has worked with schools to ensure that “all private non-free schools in Lebanon have an elected Parent Committee” serving as a liaison between the parents and the school administration.

At ACS, elections are held every three years and are organized with the assistance of Ms. Najwa Zabad, Director of Admissions, and the Executive Assistant to the Head of School, Ms. Mony Kfoury. This January, 2018, a new Parent Committee (PC) was elected comprised of 17 parents. Each parent wishing to be considered for the committee had to submit an application, be a parent of a current student at the school, and have had children in the school for a minimum of two consecutive years. Furthermore, they cannot be employed by the school and need to be of good moral character.

ACS Matters 2017-2018

The voting itself is officiated by a representative from the Ministry of Education and a quorum of parents is required before voting can take place. This year Mr. Mahmoud Chebaro, Liaison Officer from the Ministry of Education, was present. The minimum number of parents elected to serve is five, with a maximum of seventeen, and the PC must always consist of an odd number. During the election in January, the following individuals were elected by unanimous vote:

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Ghada Alame, P’19 Zeinat Charif, P’19, ’21 Margarita (Maita) Ereneta, P’26 Layal Khayyat Fakhoury, P’27 Ghada Al Fiki, P’22 Ali Hamadeh, P’23, 29 Dawsar Mohammad Ali Hamra, P’20, 26, 29 - Vice-President Rima Wehbe Hejeij , P’28 Malaki Khoury El Khayat, P’25 - President Farah Fawaz Nesr ‘97, P’29, 32 Rami Rajeh ‘95, P’28 - Finance Committee Ghada Fawaz Sakr, P’22, 24 Carla Huijer Shehadi, P’26, 29 Reem Wahab, P’21, 23, 27 - Secretary Diana Hammoud Zaatari, P’25 Tanaz Agha Zein, P’29, ’31 Diana El Zein, P’26, 28, 31 - Finance Committee

These parents represent 13 different graduating years from 2019 to 2032 and some are Alumni from ACS. Combined they have 29 children attending the school in all four divisions. During their first meeting after the election, they elected amongst themselves the four officers. Their jobs are purely volunteer and a great time commitment. In addition to their monthly meetings with the administration, the committee has been responsible for organizing the Mother’s Day Brunch and is credited with other specific fundraising projects for the school.

The reasons behind why parents want to volunteer for this committee depends upon the individual, but most agree it is to serve other parents and the school. For Farah Fawaz Nesr ’97, “The reason I chose to join the PC is because I feel ACS is a part of me. I would love to give back….” “One way in which I hope to help” explains Margarita (Maita) Ereneta (P’26) “would be assisting in closing the gaps between parents, administrators, and students, helping to bring us closer.” She wants to ensure an open line of communication with the parents and the administration. By meeting with them regularly, she “thinks it is also a good chance to brainstorm how we as parents can take proactive steps, individually or as a group, to create a positive learning atmosphere for our children.” Rami Rajeh ‘95 feels that “the parents need a body of individuals to help assist the transfer of information from them to the school’s administration and back. Tanaz Agha Zein hopes “to be able to bring more community projects onboard, to allow the children, parents, and school to work together as a team for our community as a whole.”

Most of all, she wants everyone to “know that we are all one team: the school, the parents, the children, and the community as a whole. We have to work together positively to achieve the goal of giving our children the best education we can in a safe and loving environment.”

For school veteran Malaki Khoury El Kayat, working with the administration is nothing new. She has been involved since 2010 working on various task forces, interfacing with three different Head of Schools, and present at most parent coffee meetings and town hall meetings. As President, she knows that collaboration between the school and parents is in the best interest of students, the whole school community, and the community at large. When asked what she believes the PC wants to accomplish in the next three years, she replied “we hope to establish stronger channels of communication between the parent body on the one hand, and the school administration and faculty, as well as other stakeholders…. To act as a genuine advisory body to the school leadership on issues where our advice and support are relevant and needed, and we aim to do that with positivity and integrity.” n

You can find out more information about the Parent Committee, read the meeting minutes, or contact them through the ACS website. The PC does not work on individual issues but instead on items that involve the whole school. Parents with individual issues should follow the standard school protocol and channels.

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student life

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107 Commencement Ceremony

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“Let the uncertainty of the future encourage and drive every single one of us to lay our palms into the future- to leave our mark no matter how large or small the deed.” - Dana B., ‘18

Graduation - The culmination of 12 years of formal primary and secondary education and more for those who attended Nursery school and/or day care. For some of the ACS students, this was the only school that they had ever attended, yet for others it was just one of a few locally or internationally. For all students, the graduation ceremony is a formal acknowledgement of their scholastic achievement and recognition for all that they have done.

On June 1st, over 450 people gathered at AUB, outside the Assembly Hall under a bright blue sky for the 107th Commencement Ceremony. Anyone looking in from Bliss Street saw students, their families, friends and guests pausing for photos, exchanging hugs, handshakes and lots of smiles; sharing the precious moments before the ceremony began. Graduation caps were repinned into place, National Honor Society sashes were adjusted, and men’s ties were checked.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as people were ushered in to take their seats so that the ceremony could begin.

Waiting outside were some of the faculty that guided the graduates to this point, along with school trustees and distinguished guests, ready for the procession down the center aisle. Once the seniors started walking down the aisle, to the traditional graduation song, Pomp and Circumstance, there were cheers from the crowd and family members were yelling their graduate’s name amid loud applause.

The ACS band played both The Republic of Lebanon and The American National anthems before the Head of School Mr. Greg MacGilpin, welcomed the guests and graduates. He spoke in general of his role at the ceremony and then offered the graduates a gift; an official Knight Countdown for the class of 2018.

With 79 students in the class, he gathered a list of 79 different facts about the students as a class. Starting with #79, there are xxyy. #3 was the fact that there are 3 sets of twins in the class and..., Many did not know that this was the first year a student graduated having received a Catherine Bashshur scholarship.

Ms. Nina Köprülü, President of the Board of Trustees, then came to the podium and congratulated the students and wished them well in the next phase of their lives. She herself is a graduate of ACS and has served on the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years. Mr. McGilpin then called upon the graduation speaker Ms. Tanya Chapuisat, who is an ACS parent and serves as the Director of the Lebanon Country office of UNICEF. “Listen to your values and let them guide you.” said Ms. Chapuisat as she addressed the seniors. “You have been born under a lucky star – do not take your incredible privilege and amazing education for granted. Use your privilege not only to better yourself but also to open a path for someone else.” She told the students that all people have the same rights, Treat those that you work WITH and those that work FOR you (in your 55

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office or in your home) as your equal….and if they are your partner truly treat them as equals” On gender values “Both as men and women -speak-up for girls and women’s rights – as you well know, outside those very doors the world does not treat them in any way as equals.” In closing she commented “speak-up for your Rights but also the Rights of others. Let your values guide you and be useful.”

The Honorable Ms. Elizabeth H. Richard, US Ambassador to Lebanon, addressed the graduates and read a letter from the White House congratulating the students on their academic and civic achievements.

She then read the names of the 37 students who received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence by maintaining a 3.5 GPA during their high school years..

It is well known that every year, the seniors select a classmate to speak at graduation. This year Ms. Dana Bekdash spoke to her classmates. Speaking of her time at ACS, what her classmates can do and the importance of family are traditional speech points but she also encouraged her classmates to go and create their future path by saying “take that uncertainty of the future as our fuel for our journey ahead.”

With all of the speeches done, each graduate’s name was read and they stepped on stage and accepted their diploma. Once done, Dr. Allison declared the students ‘graduates’ and told them to move their tassels from the right side of their cap to the left, the final act signifying that they had officially graduated. After they proudly recessed out of Assembly Hall to the tune of Sing Sing, Sing they went to the AUB steps, for the traditional photo of the students tossing their caps into the air. Congratulations and more photos abounded before they went off to St. George’s for the celebratory dinner. Sitting in Zaitunay Bay, the seniors and friends relaxed and ate dinner. Everyone

watched the Senior Class video, laughed at some of the memories and ahhed at others. Typical of a celebratory dinner, albeit a last one for the Class of 2018, there was cake and a fantastic pinwheel of fireworks. Soon there was dancing and, conversations were overheard about summer plans, leaving for colleges and universities in the fall and what their future might hold. Suddenly, a major storm with thunder and lightning ended the evening and gave the world notice that the ACS Class of 2018 was coming their way.

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Recipients of the ACS special achievement awards The Farah Family Athletic & Leadership Award: Samer Marouche This award goes to a student who excels in the athletic program, demonstrating skill and sportsmanship, leadership with commitment beyond the school and into the local community.

Student-athlete Samer finds creative ways to calm or energize his teammates and bring them together. Samer joined the service club “Hoopful Hands” where he spent Sunday mornings on the basketball court with Palestinian and Syrian refugees. During those early mornings, he was demonstrating leadership and commitment and giving ‘game’ to others.

The Blair Harcourt Award: Luke Armstrong This award goes to a senior who displays academic and athletic distinction. The recipient must exhibit leadership skills, exceptional sportsmanship and a positive attitude.

Luke is ethical, optimistic and open to others; making competitions and communities that he belongs to better. He would not ask anyone to do anything that he would not do himself nor would he allow anyone to be excluded. Luke is the first to cheer on his team for their efforts as well as the efforts of an opposing team.

Students gravitate to Luke because he is a natural leader.

The Fine Arts Award: Suhail Shahab

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This award recognizes one senior for outstanding effort and achievement in one or more of the Fine Arts (e.g. Music, Drama, Visual Art, etc.) The student must maintain a minimum G.P.A. of 3.5 in all Fine Arts courses taken at ACS and extended their artistic talents beyond the classroom to benefit the school.

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Suhail has an uncompromising sense of self identity and is passionate about his art. In addition to playing the flute and piano, he can compose music and write poetry.

Adding another aspect to his education, he served as a MUN delegate, navigating sensitive issues.

The Citizenship Award: Bylasan Ahmad The Citizenship Award goes to a senior with a history of exceptional contribution to both the school and the wider community.

Citizenship, fairness, equity and dignity are of paramount concern to Bylasan. Not only does he seem to consider these issues in his community service activities, but also in his school work. He is dedicated to growing community, supporting classmates, representing the school, encouraging outreach and pushing both themselves and others out of so-called comfort zones for the sake of greater empathy and understanding.

The Walter Prosser Award: Haya Ghandour The award goes to a student who maintains a very high academic standing and demonstrates evidence of their learning by contributing to the school and the community.

Haya is goal-oriented and very mature. For her learning is an opportunity that must be appreciated. She participated in athletics, social services and other groups on campus to explore interests and gain new insights as part of her education. Haya can foster understanding between different groups by highlighting connections and with her compassion.

Recipients of The United States President’s Award for Educational Excellence The recipients of the President’s Awards for Academic Excellence have maintained, during their high school studies, a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4 point scale and received recommendations or demonstrated high achievement on a standardized test. This year there were 37 recipients of Presidential Education Awards for Outstanding Academic Excellence. They are: Nicolas John Abchee Alya Abouzahr Jana Abu Ayash Pia Maria Abu-Mikhael Bylasan Ahmad Dhari Al Saleh Pierre Al-Kubeh Luke Armstrong Yasmine Baddoura Rashad Batley

Dana Bekdash Jana Bittar Johnny Boustany Genny Chekerdjian Mohsen Dalloul Yara Daoud Hadil Deeb Isabella El Badaoui Lynn Nathalie El Hadj Ali Leen Farouki

Aya Fouani Haya Ghandour Daniel Harrich Micah Angela Trinidad Iriola Ekaterina Letunovskaya Samer Michael Marrouche Raneem Mohamad Esfandiar Rouhani Riwa Saab Aya Safieddine

Nizar Salam Maurice Nichola Salem Ziad Samhoun Ghazi Joseph Saoud Suhail Shehab Celine Nour Smith Mahdy Al Majed Yassine

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college news

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For parents and students, the college application process is a long one, wrought with many questions, late nights, and numerous calls to teachers and friends. There are many websites and individuals who offer advice or help for a fee. Some schools have a college guidance counselor (like ACS) and others offer classes or extra help on applications.

The process begins in the junior year of high school; with most university applications due by January 1st of senior year. Acceptance letters are generally mailed out in March. The exception is that students who apply for early admission, and submit their application by the early application deadline, will get their results in December.

The most frequent question asked by everyone is ‘What do the universities want to see on my application?’

The majority of parents and students believe it is the Grade Point Average (GPA) that determines everything. Mr. Eric Hoover, a writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, published an article in the New York Times on November 1, 2017, stating that “grades and test scores still carry the most weight” and universities will only get to know you if your academic accomplishments pass muster. Then, once you pass this first round, “Admissions Officers aren’t looking for students who fit just one description” they are looking at individual attributes. Mr. Eric Hoover then goes on to write about these different attributes.

Head of School Mr. Greg MacGilpin is familiar with many of the individual factors that are taken into consideration by admission review groups and he has a way to illustrate them. He created a presentation about the ‘individual attributes’ on an application and what can help or work against a student hoping to get admitted to college.

In his presentation, a fictitious university is described and nine fictitious students are created. Each student applicant is described on a card with their GPA (the group of students has a GPA that ranges from 3.2 to 4.0), extra-curricular activities, college major, family history, and financial resources. Audience members are asked to indicate who they think will be accepted to this fictitious university. Mr. MacGilpin prefaces the outcome by saying “Of the nine students, three will be granted admission, three will be waitlisted, and three will be denied admission.”

Next, depending on what was on the student’s list of individual factors, the applicant would move up or down the priority list. For example, students who wrote the optional essay were moved up the list.

Students who had some type of hobby or mainstream talent (musical instruments) stayed the same, but students with uncommon skills like fencing, playing the lute, or speaking a rare language (like Navajo) were given extra consideration. Other positive criteria include: being the first family member to attend

college (as this adds to diversity), coming from another country or geographical area, and community service. Doing good for others and serving the community are now recognized and encouraged as a result of the ‘Turning the Tide’ movement. A student who initiates personal contact with the university to show her/his commitment may also be given priority.

Schools want to know you are committed and interested in their institution.

Although no one wants to talk about money, Mr. MacGilpin explained that it is important. “Being able to pay for one’s education without financial aid is a relief to many schools. These are difficult economic times and aid is limited.” And, although having a legacy at the school no longer means guaranteed acceptance, even if there is a large building or an endowment from your family at the school, it won’t count against you either. What might work against an applicant is selecting to major in Business, Psychology, or Medicine simply because of the sheer number of students that apply for these programs.

A student who does community service once a year will not be looked on as favorably as a student who does something once a week. Furthermore, students whose primary focus is studying and who can’t demonstrate a school-life balance might lose ‘points’; universities want to have well-rounded students.

Near the end of the presentation, when the weighting of the application is done, the attendees are shown which students are admitted, waitlisted, and denied admission. Obviously, it is a different set of ‘potential students’ than those whom the audience members originally predicted. Discussions about the outcome can be lively and full of questions. Mr. MacGilpin reiterates that ACS students score well on standardized tests and have great academic credentials. He also emphasizes how the school works to put the best application forward for each student in conjunction with the college counselors, high school faculty members, and advisors.

The ACS Mission statement, “ACS empowers students to solve problems with creativity and integrity, to lead well-balanced lives, and to serve Lebanon and the world community with understanding and compassion,” summarizes the key components of a college admission application. ACS starts preparing its students for their university experience from the very first day that they enroll. n

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Campus

60 Flags on Parade for Convocation!

In the fall, the entire school assembled for the 4th annual convocation, celebrating the beginning of the year and taking time to acknowledge ACS’s diversity, unity, and mission to empower students. With over 60 different nations represented by students at ACS, formal acknowledgement of those countries was done by Deputy Head of School Karim Abu Hydar. He called the names of the countries while a student from that nation, carrying their flag, walked past the podium. It is the different genders, races, backgrounds, and religions that represent the strength of our school and the larger community it serves.

Three individual members of the community spoke about their personal diversity and journey in life.

Junior Anas Adams, Senior Micha Iriola, and Middle School Teacher Jenny Gutierrez. The convocation ended with everyone present helping in the creation of a ‘thunderstorm’ in the gym. The noise was loud and comforting, reminding everyone that a little rain never hurt anyone, and, in fact, it is necessary for a school to grow.

Early Years Celebrates World Arabic Language Day World Arabic Language Day is celebrated on December 18 and this year the Early Years students celebrated it with the help of older students, staff, faculty, and parents. In the lobby of the BD Building, the Kindergarteners left a basket full of drawings, illustrating some of the Arabic words that they have learned. On the back of the drawing, the word and its meaning was written in English.

Visitors to the BD lobby selected notes from the basket to read and then left drawings of their own. It was an exciting exchange each day to see what notes and words had been left for the KG students. The process is an excellent way to reinforce language and build vocabulary for students. One of the teachers remarked “they put their heart and soul into the project and their little hands couldn’t stop drawing after they learned about the occasion.” The students liked the game so much that one of the boys came in with a pencil case full of words that he prepared at home. The big question is, what word would you draw and put into the basket?

The force was with ACS at a Movie Night!

When the theatre lights went dim and the familiar space scene and stars came on the screen, the audience members settled down for the latest Star Wars movie, ‘The Last Jedi.’ Over 250 people attended the special screening of the movie that was organized by the Parent Ambassadors of the Development & Alumni Relations Office as a family event/fundraiser.

Some of the attendees wore Star Wars costumes or clothing. There were a few masks and even some lightsabers. The crowd was welcomed by Kylo Ren, also known as Head of School Greg MacGilpin, who had been seen on campus, and on instagram, in his costume the week before the movie was shown.

After the movie people could be heard discussing the plot and the prior films in the franchise. Many noted that it was good to see some of the old Star Wars characters like Chewbacca and Yoda, there was even some speculation that this was not the ‘last’ film. Since it was shown on a school night, almost everyone had to use ‘the force’ to stay awake before falling into bed, dreaming of stars and distant planets.

Widow of Ghassan Kanafani visits ACS HS Lebanese Baccalaureate students in 10th grade had the opportunity to listen to Anni Kanafani speak about her husband Ghassan. He was a famous writer and political activist who was assassinated in Beirut on July 8, 1972.

Anni spoke of how they met and their life in Beirut.

She also told of his childhood. As a child, Ghassan grew up in Palestine and was forced to leave the country and became a refugee. His early works were written to help children understand their situation, often telling his stories with narratives through their eyes. Most of his early literary works are about the Palestinian cause, anti-zionism, and his personal experiences. Later he was credited with being the first writer to use Palestinian Resistance Literature, works that allow the character to completely express their viewpoint without reservation.

As his views evolved, his works demonstrated that the line between good and evil isn’t so clear, and that both parties can have evil within themselves as well as good. In fact, he was known for believing that in order to honestly write about a conflict, one must completely understand it from both sides.

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Gender Equality Project (GEP) students participate in street march

Community Members, ACS GEP students, and various Lebanese activist groups took to the streets during the International Women’s Day march to advocate for different social and economic issues that affect the women (and men) of Lebanon.

At ACS, the Gender Equality Project was started in 2014 by Lara Sabra and Naye Idriss (’16) as a lunch time discussion group striving to share the idea that men and women should be equal, and not work in opposition to one another. Last year, advisors Ms. Dyane Stillman and Ms. Nathalie Bouttereux worked with Mr. Casey Doumit to make it a co-curricular class that can also serve as a prerequisite class for MUN, and expanded the activities. The group of students elected Fatima Makki (’18) as President and adopted a new logo designed by Leen Farouki (‘18).

In order to help the students spread their message, they made signs and posters with various equality messages. Head of Curriculum, Ms. Hanadi Dayyeh, arranged a community bus to transport students and community members to the march, enabling a larger presence. Ms. Stillman said “Being a part of this event opened the students’ eyes to the number of individuals who are also working for change, and made them feel even more motivated and hopeful for future events!”

ACS Alumni, Omar Christidis ‘00 holds a Start-up Awareness Fair at ACS

High school Juniors and Seniors attended a special fair focusing on start-up enterprises in Lebanon. It was designed to raise awareness about technology and entrepreneurship as alternative career paths, and to inspire the students to pursue those paths.

Omar Christidis, ACS Alumni (‘00), Board of Trustee Member, and Founder & CEO of ArabNet, brought the idea to the school as a way to develop a stronger appreciation within the student body around the importance of technology as a transformative force in the world.

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After opening remarks, Mr. Christidis introduced eight entrepreneurs who used their passion, experience, and education to open their own businesses. Each entrepreneur spoke of their journey; how many times they failed, why they persisted, and what their company is doing today. Some of the businesses were very familiar to the students while others were just becoming well known.

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Students then were given the opportunity to attend small group discussions with individual entrepreneurs and ask questions. Head of School, Greg MacGilpin, said “I think if the students think of themselves as problem solvers, they need to see people actively doing this; Arabnet’s assembly and break-out sessions gave a peek into how people can merge passion and purpose.”

Annual Fundraising Dinner Over 140 ACS community members attended the Annual Fundraising Dinner at Liza in Achrafieh.

The Parent Ambassadors in coordination with the Development & Alumni Relations Office organized the evening to include musical performances by Aziza, a superb dinner, great prizes, and lots of dancing.

For the first time, ‘experiences at ACS’ were offered as auction items, like ‘Being Head of School for a day.’

Although the ‘real’ Head of School, Greg MacGilpin, admitted that this was the first time he served as a live auctioneer, it didn’t appear so. He managed to encourage and incent bidders to offer more than $15,000 for the live auction items. Because there were an additional 14 raffle prizes donated from ACS Community members, it appeared that by the end of the evening, winners were found at almost every table.

Elementary School Principal Diane Osterlund knew she heard her number called, but did not know she won the grand prize till she got to the podium.

Many commented that this was the best Annual Fundraising Dinner ever. They loved the location and atmosphere. This year, the funds raised during the evening went into the Annual Fund and used to support various projects at school including redesigning some spaces.

2018 Spring Fest was the most successful in the past 5 years

The Green Field was decorated in bright spring colors provided by inflatables, games, and a brightly decorated entrance gate. Families gathered in the seating area to listen to the music or take a break from the sunshine. They ate food from a variety of vendors provided by Souk Akel, sipped on a cold beverage or had some ice cream to cool down. Organizer, Deputy Head of School Karim Abu Haydar said “this was one of the most successful Spring Fairs thanks to the efforts put forth by all of those who helped. It was great to see everyone smiling and engaged with their children.”

Every year, the funds raised go to support a particular project. This year, funds raised during the Spring Fair, support student financial aid.

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Maurice Salem, IB ‘18

2015

2018

Harnessing solar power before and after on campus rooftops See page 20

Make a difference.

67 Nigeria Street, Jal El-Bahr 2035-8003 | P. O. Box 11-8129, Riad El Solh 1107 2260 | Beirut, Lebanon T +961 (1) 374 370 | F +961 (1) 366 050

www.acs.edu.lb