FROM THE PRINCIPAL
We are very pleased to be receiving the trustees of the school (QuIET members) who will be arriving next week for their annual visit to BHS. QuIET (Quaker International Educational Trust) is a UK registered charity whose directors are responsible for the safe keeping of the school. During their visit, they will be meeting with students, parents, old scholars, staff, and governors. They will also be taken on a campus tour to see services including the provision of water, infrastructure for drainage and power, swimming pool and sports grounds, security and boundaries. They will also get together with staff, teachers, and workers during receptions on Monday, 25 and Tuesday, 26 January 2010.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
IT Technician Youssef Abi-Haidar took courses in CISCO BSCI (Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks) and BCMSN (Building Converged Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks) during November/December 2009. He achieved 916/1000 and 938/1000 on the tests. He still has 2 more tests to receive the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) certificate.

Some BHS teachers are attending the Official Exams Workshops that started in December and will continue on through February at the Centre for Research and Development in Sin El Fil. These teachers are: Mouheeb Akl, Gaby Girgis, Gebran Mezher, Chadi Nakhle, Mona Sarkis, and HoS Ghada Yared.

REGISTRATION
We are now accepting applications for the academic year 2010-2011. As we have limited available spaces, first priority will be given to siblings of students already attending BHS. Second priority will then be to children of BHS Old Scholars. Thereafter priority will be given to early applicants. If you are considering applying to BHS, we encourage you to do so no later than the end of February 2010. Late applications will be reviewed and acceptance will depend on availability of places.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
If a sudden decision is made to close the school, we will send an SMS message to the contact person in each family (as specified by each family in the most recent Family Data Update returned). If school is closed before the end of the school day, early bus departure will be arranged.

All information will also be posted on the school Web site. To view the latest Web site updates, please remember to refresh your browser by clicking the Refresh or Reload button on the toolbar (whilst on-line). Parents who need further information should contact either Reception or the appropriate section office.

To keep entrances to the school clear, please do not attempt to drive onto the school campus in bad weather.

Please assume that we are open, unless you are otherwise informed by a reliable source.

INSURANCE/BHS ID CARDS
Parents should by now have received the student accident insurance/BHS ID cards which were distributed in November. Any unclaimed cards are now at the Sick Bay, where they are available for collection.

UPPER SCHOOL NEWS
IGCSE, AS and A2 exams
International Programme students in the Secondary Section received letters from DoS Samar Barakat asking them to choose their IGCSE subjects for examination purposes. As the deadline for registration for these exams is fast approaching, students are urged to make their choices in consultation with their subject teachers and return the forms to the DoS Office immediately. Students are reminded that they need to take at least three IGCSE exams to meet the school’s graduation requirements. Students interested in sitting for AS and A2 exams are likewise urged to fill out the forms in consultation with their subject teachers and return the forms to the DoS Office immediately. Once the forms have been processed, the students will be billed by the Accounts Office per subject, and payment is due by the end of January 2010.

Saturday Classes
Students taking SAT classes and reinforcement classes on Saturdays are reminded that there are three more sessions left in semester 1. The remaining dates are: Saturdays, 16, 23, and 30 January 2010. Students are expected to attend these classes and parents will be contacted in case of any absences.

End of Quarter 2 and Mid-Year Exams
Quarter 2 ends on Friday, 5 February 2010. Students are urged to ensure they have completed all make-up exams for instances of excused absences before the end of the quarter. Mid-year exams are scheduled to take place on Monday, 8 February, Wednesday, 10 February, and Thursday, 11 February 2010. The mid-year exams schedule will be published shortly.

Secondary Section
We are proud of Joe Al Adem (Sec. III SE) who travelled to Copenhagen to attend the Earth Summit and to discuss the threat of climate change and the concerns of Lebanese citizens on the issue to the International Community. During the 5 January assembly, the HoS presented the Quaker position regarding climate change and the Earth Summit. This is to urge youth to learn more about the topic, learn ways to sustain earth, and finally appeal to political leaders for national solutions.

The 5 January assembly was, as Principal Dr. El Khoury called it, the “Celebration of Successes” assembly. The Principal wished students a prosperous year. He reminded them of the “hope, love, and care that each person can inspire for a better living”. He added that “year 2010 needs courageous young men and women who can conquer stagnation and defeat chaos”.

Then, BHS Basketball Team Captain George Abu Khalil (Sec. III GS) handed the first place cup, which they won at LAU, to the Principal. The team coach Antoine El Kareh emphasized the strengths of the team: effective communication and united team spirit.

Three of the team members received scholarships to study at LAU: George Abu Khalil, Anthony Soufan, and Andrew Gedeon. Anthony Soufan was chosen as MVP (most valued player) of the tournament, and Andrew Gedeon was chosen as Best Defence of the tournament. Then, the Principal distributed the Honour Roll certificates to the high achievers in the presence of their advisers who were very proud of them.

Christmas events and the season of giving were remarkable in the Secondary Section. 25 kids from Dar Al Aytam were invited to spend a day on campus. Santa Claus distributed gifts to them as they sang, danced, and had lunch with our students. The disabled at Al Amal institution were also invited for a delicious snack with Secondary Santa Clauses. Gifts and lots of fun were shared with the visitors. The food drive for Dar Al Rahme, institution for the elderly, demonstrated the generosity of our students. Mohammad Al Akeel (Grade 10 IP) donated 50 boxes of biscuits to both SOS and Dar Al Awlad orphanages. Thank you Secondary students!

Christmas Choir was enchanting. 35 Secondary students from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds worked hard with Mrs. Jocelyn Ghoul and Choir conductor Elie Ashkar on making the event a success. Dr. El Khoury will send each choir member a letter of appreciation on their commitment and dedication to school culture.

The Prom Committee held their first cake sale in December and sold candy canes on campus. The committee, which is monitored and supervised by Mrs. Jocelyn Ghoul, met on 13 January to set future plans regarding reservations and other money gaining activities.

On 14 January, the Lebanese University, Faculty of Engineering in Roumieh, sent a professor from the faculty to orient the students on the majors, courses, and admission policies followed at the university. Graduates were interested and posed many questions. In December Riad Sakr from AUST held an orientation session with Secondary students. A large audience attended the session in the Library. He shared with the students authentic experiences which could help them make decisions.

The majority of graduating students have applied to renowned local universities. Some are still following up on overseas universities mainly in England, Canada, and the USA. University orientation sessions will be held for students in grades 10 and 11 LP/IP which will help them take appropriate decisions regarding universities and fields of study.

The Yearbook editors met with Mrs. Jocelyn Ghoul on 11 January to set the plans for the new Yearbook and evaluate the previous one. The editors are Lily Chacra (Grade 12 IP) and Andrew Barakat (Sec. III LS).

Secondary students have chosen the clubs that they want to be active members of. Club presidents had the chance to introduce their clubs in the assembly on 12 January. The clubs are: Environmental, Photography, On-Line Speak-Out Magazine, Portico, UN Model, Reading, Drama, Learning to Serve, International Community, Dancing, Mentoring, and School Band. Students’ active participation in these clubs and other areas of school culture is mentioned on their official transcripts. 

LAU-MUN sessions started this year under the supervision and advising of teacher Khaled Al Hilli. The first session took place on Saturday, 9 January. We count on our young diplomats to make a difference in the UN.

Intermediate Section
Food Drive: Thanks to the generous food donations made by our students, the Karitas organization which helps needy families was grateful to pick up boxes with the following contents: pasta 68, bags of beans/ lentils 69, canned meat 60, canned vegetables 70, bottled oil 5, powder milk 7 , bags of rice 37, bags of wheat 17, bags of sugar 15, boxed cheeses 17, biscuits, bread and cereals 45. Thank you to all the students and their parents for sending these food items which we are sure have made several less fortunate families happy during the festive holidays.

Movie Trip: On 16 December, 206 students along with 11 staff members attended the showing of the 3D film “Christmas Story”, a retelling of a classic story by Charles Dickens. This half day event took place at City Mall theatre and the students were back on the buses heading back to classes at 12:30pm.

The last day before the Christmas break:
- Intermediate students attended a special assembly: Rasha Joukhdar’s drama class presented 4 short skits, the themes of which were related to Christmas. These students also did poetry readings and ended their performance with a Christmas Carol sung to the piano playing of the talented Grade 7 student Douha Knio.
- Christmas Class Parties: Each class enjoyed a party time with all the goodies they had brought from home. Before their final farewell all students exchanged “Secret Santa Gifts” with their classmates.

Congratulations to the Christmas Card winners: Some of the students who had designed Christmas Cards for the Art Department were chosen as winners and their cards were on sale at the school bookshop during the last week before the holiday.

New Group of Intermediate Prefects: The 20 new Prefects have been announced and they began their duties within the MTB Building on 4 January. This is part of the new School Service programme which all grade 9 students need to fulfil before they are promoted to the Secondary Section.

Assembly: During the 7 January assembly, Quarter 1 Honour Roll Certificates were distributed in the presence of Principal Dr. El Khoury, the Head of the Intermediate Section, and the Advisers. A total of 40 students received certificates: 18 Grade 7 students, 11 Grade 8 students, and 11 Grade 9 students. Congratulations to all.

Points for Parents: A vital part of the language learning process is daily reading. In an effort to improve this valuable habit, the teachers of the English Department have been taking their classes to the school library to offer them a chance to check out books of their choice - the Independent Reading Programme. We request your help in encouraging and reminding your child to read from their book of choice daily.

PE Department
Basketball: The BHS Boys Team won an away game 89:32 against Evangelical School on 4 December 2009, and another away game in the School League Tournament 85:60 against College Protestant on 8 December 2009, and also an away game in the LAU Tournament 89:18 against Elite School on 11 December 2009. The BHS Girls Team won a home game 25:20 against the Evangelical School on 11 December 2009. Well done!

The BHS Senior Boys Team and 16 other school teams are participating in the Schools Tournament that will go on till May 2010. They won 78:28 against Elite School, 70:50 against International College Beirut, 69:54 against College Protestant, and finally 89:80 in extra time against Jamhour School. Congratulations!

Bravo to the BHS Football Varsity Team who won a home game 6:5 against Greater Beirut Evangelical School on 8 January 2010.

LOWER SCHOOL NEWS
During the first two weeks of December, the entire Elementary Section was running the Christmas marathon of preparing for the LE and UE Christmas shows. A huge warm thank you goes to Clubs & Events Co-ordinator Rola Issa, Art teacher Vivian Schmaissani, Music teacher Camille Khalil, Supervisor/Drama teacher William El Roumouz, and to all the teachers and staff who worked diligently to ensure the success of the multi-talented shows, despite the challenges of absent students on one hand, and the short duration in which the show had to be presented on the other. The end result reflected the effective team spirit of the teachers, administration, workers, and students that BHS is famous for.

The LE show was spiced with different cultures (people speaking in different languages celebrating the same event in exactly the same spirit) and how they celebrate Christmas in different climate zones (hot or cold, wet or dry). Two plays, one in English the other in Arabic, included Hawaiian, Australian, Russian, and African songs and dances. All students sang a joyous medley at the end. We hope you enjoyed it.

Clubs in the UE integrated their work in the Christmas Show. The General Knowledge Club shared the interesting information they found on various Christmas traditions around the world. The Drama Club worked together with the Choir Club and the Music "Band" club. The Dancing Club followed, and then the Poetry Club gave the Christmas Season blessings to the audience.

A beautiful surprise emerged when Mrs. Pascal Saker joined the children on stage and sang a moving Christmas song in Arabic. Finally, the students sang a medley to celebrate the beginning of the festive season.

Before going on their holidays, the students took their well deserved awards for hard work and academic achievements during the first quarter of this school year. Congratulations and keep giving only your best.

Wishing you a prosperous New Year, we are glad to share with you the fact that we have already begun our activities with raising the environment flag for this quarter. The "Friends of the Puppets" group was invited to present a show for the Elementary Section that shed full light on our friend "The Tree."  Its importance in our gardens and for our lives was highlighted and the children embraced the idea of planting one every year on their birthdays as a life mate symbol for health.  

All UE classes elected their class representatives whose responsibilities are to carry the concerns of their peers to the assigned adviser. The adviser, in turn, tries to work things out as a way of ensuring a healthy, democratic, down to earth environment for our students. The names of the representatives are as follows: Grade 4A: Malek Kmeid, Cloe Attallah, and Jason Soufan
Grade 4B: Nour Abi Fadel, Christen Azar, and Thomas Taraby
Grade 5A: Yasmina Hajj, Iuns Nasri, and Omar Knio
Grade 5B: Amir Moujaes, Jimmy Nawfal, and Fouad Berbari
Grade 5C: Andy Hanna, Elie Salem and Karim Zeinoun
Grade 6A: Deema Al Hugail, Liciana Riachi, and Joseph El Helou
Grade 6B: Gio Gaspar, Tiana Sabbagh, and Nayla Feghali
Grade 6C: Alex Saad, Karim Lama, and Mark Oneissy

Upon their return from the holidays, Grade 4 and 5 students had a pleasant surprise.  They received a Christmas card from British counterparts in England. The Grove Street Primary School in England was visited by our Head of Section, Shatha Abou Khalil, last year. She and the Head of Grove Street Primary, Na'amat Little - who is also a member of QuIET (Quaker International Educational Trust), encouraged a pen-pal relationship to be initiated between the two schools. In response, our students sent back Happy New Year wishes to their new friends.

Infant Section
On 3 December, Nursery and Infant Section students came to school disguised in their beautiful and imaginative costumes. They watched a puppet show performed by teachers Laure Boustany, Amal Habib, and Cherine Ghaoui. The teachers creatively told the story of Saint Barbara.

For those of you who are interested, a class photo was taken along with a picture for each child individually.

Playgroup, KG I, and KG II were busy in December working on the special Christmas family gifts that you received.

It was a very busy time of the year where students rehearsed for the songs and dances that were performed at the Christmas Show on 14 December. Very special thanks go to the teachers for the hard work and commitment that made this show possible.

Each day, KG II students learn more and more words and gain more confidence.  Much progress has been made in their writing skills. They have written letters to Santa and continued writing in their journals.  Home practice is very beneficial!!! 

Report Cards
Report cards were distributed to parents on 2 December.  Report card time is a time to celebrate with your children their achievements and successes. Students have worked very hard this term and the results attest to that hard work. Look at the report with your children and find the positives. Look for opportunities to improve. Support your child with setting reasonable goals for next term. Encourage their curiosity and challenge them to enlarge their world through reading. Encourage their confidence by acknowledging their successes. Encourage their tolerance and acceptance of mistakes as just more steps in their learning journey.

STAFF NEWS
To celebrate this season of good will and peace, the Principal, on behalf of the school, invited all BHS teaching, administrative, and support staff to the annual traditional festive lunch on 17 December in Dobbing Hall.

THANK YOU TO…
- Old scholar George Kanaan (Class of 1975) for donating $2,000 towards the Financial Aid programme.
- Old scholar Amer El-Kurdi (Class of 1975) for donating $2,000 towards the Financial Aid programme.
- Librarian Amal Abu Khalil for donating 6 new Arabic books to the Thomas Little Memorial Library.
- DoS Samar Barakat for donating a book to the Thomas Little Memorial Library.
- Teacher Rima Alawar and student Nadim Haddad for donating second hand books to the Thomas Little Memorial Library.
- Playgroup student Elsa Rahal for donating books and videos to the Infant Section.
- KG II student Andrew Wharton for donating a book and toys to the Infant Section.
- Student Diane Bou Khalil who donated a book to the UE Library.

The Newsletter will be published approximately every 3 weeks. If you would like to receive a free copy of the Newsletter by email, please send an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to: najat.wakim@bhs.edu.lb.ts - BHS Newsletter Vol 13 No 3 - 3 December 2009News & Events - BHS Newsletter Vol 13 No 3 - 3 December 2009

BHS Newsletter
4 June 2010
13 May 2010
23 April 2010
18 March 2010
25 February 2010
4 February 2010
14 January 2010
3 December 2009
5 November 2009
16 October 2009
12 June 2009