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Head of School announces launch of online education for 1500 RFS students

   Ramallah - March 18th, 2020

   RFS Head of School Adrian Moody writes to parents updating them announcing   the launch of online education for all 1500 RFS students due to school closure as   the school community enters the second week of closure due to current state of       emergency in Palestine amidst COVID-19 outbreak. 

  As more than 800 million children remain out of schools due to COVID-19 outbreak     around the world, the administration of Ramallah Friends School has decided to   launch online education as the main approach to keep students engaged within the   learning process during these challenging times.

  Head of School Adrian Moody writes in his letter, "During this time our staff are   working hard to provide online materials and lessons to the students to try and     minimize the disruption caused by school closing. We will be expanding this   program   for the upper and lower schools and refining the scheduling for the best   interests of the   students."

 

While Upper School students are being offered a more rigorous schedule of daily online classes, take home exams and research assignments. Lower School students, in grades KG- 5th, are receiving worksheets in Maths, PYP, and Arabic and English languages, as well as links to interesting online videos in the teachers' efforts to make the learning process creative and fun.

Even Physical Education teachers have joined the process of offering students daily athletic exercise videos to imitate, and simple sports challenges that students can try with their siblings at home.  For Arts, Lower School students are receiving colorful assignments aimed at encouraging them to color and draw. The Middle School librarian is encouraging students to read more and try some online museum tours.

As an International Baccalaureate World School, RFS has joined a number of IB World Schools now implementing online education due to COVID-19 outbreak. The state of emergency in Palestine was announced by Palestinian Prime Minister on the eve of March 5th while RFS seniors had already begun taking their Mock Exams. After careful deliberation, the school administration decided to continue IB Mocks online for students rather than cancel altogether.

The school had to cancel March events due to the closure. Events included 10th graders' MYP Personal Projects Exhibition and 5th graders' PYP Projects Exhibit and they are hands-on student-centered research projects. Students had worked for weeks on the projects and teachers are now communicating with students on an individual basis encouraging them to finish the projects. The 5th grade PYP Project Exhibit may be transformed into a virtual exhibit on the school's Facebook page.

In his letter, Head of School writes, "The situation evolves daily and there are still numerous unknowns that the administration is working through. We will update you as external requirements are made clear to us. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the Principals on each campus", as more countries around the world move into closures.

At RFS, Community has always been a core value and Quaker testimony cherished by all. And it is these values that are bringing all members of our community together as teachers, administrators, students and parents are all working very hard together, each from their own home, to get through such a difficult period of time.*

 

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