By Rania Maayeh - Head of School

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome you to the 116 th commencement ceremony at the Ramallah Friends School. I’d like to begin by sharing the gratitude that I know the graduates here on stage feel toward their families, especially their mothers and fathers. 
Likewise, I share in the parents, and RFS’s staff pride in the accomplishments of our graduating students. 
While we are here to celebrate the accomplishments of our seniors, this is a reminder that no one makes it here alone- this is a celebration of everyone who contributed and helped our budding leaders overcome the distances and obstacles. I would also like to express a heartfelt thank you to the workers, faculty, and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout this tumultuous year, and who have worked especially hard to make this ceremony special. Our staff is the beating heart of RFS, each of them has contributed their wisdom, wit, and passion to this place.

We stand here today on the ashes of our catastrophe embodying our ancestor’s wildest dreams to which the walls of this historic campus are witness. Each of you is about to embark on a journey to achieve that which many people would never imagine. And every one of you should feel that powerfully today. The Ramallah Friends School, and Palestine itself, are not ordinary places and you are not just graduates. You live in a place drenched in historical and cultural significance and influence, and yet you emerge into uncertainty after living a childhood defined by walls, occupation, checkpoints, instability, and constant threats of regional and global wars.

When graduating in fraught times of uncertainty and fear, it is not always easy to look to the future. Many of you may be worried about the trials and tribulations that tomorrow may hold, or maybe regretting the mistakes that have been made in past days. But as African American poet, author, and teacher Gwendolyn Brooks said in her “Speech for the Young”: “even if you are not ready for the day, it cannot always be night”. 

Many of us lack self-awareness and mindfulness and do not apply a critical lens to our thoughts, actions, and decisions, or put them in context. We all need to work on developing a critical consciousness that allows us to see the world with full awareness of its complexities. In doing so, we become better humans and develop a sense of citizenship of critical conscientiousness that is important not just for Palestine but for the world. This way of thinking forces us to accept that reality is much more dynamic, and that we all have what God has put within us: a Light that can guide us to find alternatives, and shines on creative third ways. This divine gift can only be earned and through it, we can give ourselves the ability to think of better, more just alternatives. 

Class of 2022, remember that we need you. Palestine needs you. The world needs you on the front lines for love and justice and truth. May you all carry our country’s banner with you wherever you go, and not waiver on the values instilled in you by your teachers, parents, and school. Most importantly May you all remain true to yourself and to the legacy and inheritance of our country. 

THE RAMALLAH FRIENDS SCHOOL is excited to share that Dr. Paul Parker has been appointed as the School’s next   Upper School Principal.

Paul is an experienced academic who brings a wealth of diverse experiences in educational leadership and administration. After receiving his Ph.D., he was offered a position at Elmhurst University (EU) close to Chicago where he taught for 32 years and chaired the department of religious studies for the last 19 of those years. He taught a variety of courses and developed international courses that took students overseas to India, Turkey, Jordan, and Palestine. During his last 15 years at EU, he developed and led many people-to-people diplomacy and learning tours in the region to introduce North Americans to the situation. He has also delivered public lectures to civil society organizations (Islamic, Christian, and secular) about the region. In 2019, he moved to Beit Jala with his wife to accept a three-year appointment with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Paul has been engaged with Palestine as a trustee with the Seraj Library Project (headquartered in Ramallah and Chicago) and the Friends of Sabeel North America which is affiliated with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. 

Paul adds:
“Ramallah Friends School has such a long and distinguished history that I am honored beyond words to be offered the position of Upper Campus Principal. I am excited to work with the staff, students, parents, faculty, administration, and trustees to assist RFS to achieve its mission to the highest degree possible. I promise to give to you my best efforts and ask for your patience and forbearance as I settle into my new position. You already do great work, and I look forward to joining your endeavors.” 

Please join us in welcoming Paul. Please find ways to support him, he will need the full support of the community, staff, teachers, parents, and administration to be faithful to this call and help the School continue to accomplish great things.

By Michael Madormo - I Know I Can Co-director

The "I Know I Can" Summer Academies are returning for the summer of 2022 - Sponsored by Bank of Palestine.

After two years off, IKIC will be returning for its 10th summer camps, including programs for UKG-2 and 3-5 at the Lower School, and 6-8 and 9-11 at the Upper School.  IKIC camps integrate relationship-building and joyful enrichment activities with English language development that is culturally relevant, so that campers have a great time while improving their English skills.  Our staff is made up of local and diaspora Palestinian educators as well as educators from the US and other countries, all of whom bring passion and experience to their work. 

For 2022, the IKIC team is prioritizing social-emotional learning so that campers grow in their ability to relate to themselves and others in a healthy, caring way.  There are still spots remaining in the camp, so interested families should visit the website www.ikic.live, fill out the online sign-up form, and make the payment at the Finance office - Upper Campus to confirm their spot.  

RFS turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones with Faith and Hope!

By Frieda Dahdah Khayat – Lower School Principal

As Palestinians living under occupation, we ceaselessly endure turbulence but never succumb to the challenges of unrest. We have not only learned to cope and mitigate the impacts of adversity, but we have optimistically grown stronger and more knowledgeable. Quality education prevails at RFS regardless of the learning landscape in our relentless world. We innately respond to unprecedented circumstances with utter conviction. 

With hope and light, the educational journey continues at RFS, driven by the full dedication, sustained efforts, and cooperation of all the stakeholders ensuring that students develop a love for lifelong learning, especially through a learning environment based on understanding and respect. This was truly reflected in the PYP evaluation visit this year in which we were met with an outpouring of uplifting comments.  One comment that truly stood out was, “Not one child is left behind.” We take great pride in being the sole institution that provides inclusive education to address the needs of every single child. 

Our success is collective, proofed, and steadfast. We continue to learn and grow through every obstacle that we face. We pave every unpaved road to ensure that our students and our community transition in times of uncertainty to advance into the future. So, despite the pandemic, deteriorating economic situation, and living under occupation, we maintain our consistency of the values we teach to our children and continue to successfully provide to our community through numerous programs such as the white gifts program, community service activities, environmental program, fundraising initiatives in coordination with the PTA for less fortunate families during Ramadan and Easter, and many other activities and initiatives. 

This is RFS, the home to generations of thoughtful, compassionate, internationally- minded, and committed individuals who continue to work together to provide a promising future for the generations to come. It is a privilege to serve in this historic Palestinian Quaker community led by the light and hope that keeps us going.  

By Walid Musarsa - Go Palestine Camp Director

We are so excited to restart Go Palestine after a 2-year hiatus due to COVID-19. This year we are witnessing unprecedented demand: we had to expand camp twice! We are now at 62 campers, slightly more than half the campers are from the diaspora  with the rest being local hosts. Our campers this year are coming from all over the world. Many are coming from the United States, but we also have a sizable cohort coming from the UK. We are also proud of our work to continue to build connections and bridges with the Latin American diaspora, this year we will have 3 participants (2 campers and a counselor) from Chile (Chile has the largest Palestinian Diaspora outside the Arab world). This is a result of our outreach with the Palestinian diaspora there. Other countries where we have campers from include Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Norway, and Canada. 

We are now finalizing the recruitment stage and making final hosting arrangements. We have also begun organizing a jam-packed itinerary and figuring out the logistics. We are hoping to bring back many of our camp traditions from past years, but also bring in new activities, trips, lectures, and events to make sure our campers are getting the most out of their experience with us. We want our campers to learn and witness the complexities, diversity, and beauty of Palestine. Most importantly, we want them to create their own memories and new concepts and understandings of Palestine that are in addition to the ones they have learned from their parents and grandparents. 

Go Palestine is a beautiful concept. We build bridges and rekindle connections between communities that were forcibly separated from one another. Our vision is a re-imagination of Palestinian community and a revitalization of the diaspora’s role. To learn more about what we do, visit our website (summerinpalestine.org) or follow us on social media (Instagram and Facebook), @GoPalestineSummerCamp. 

By Carmen Abdulhadi - Middle School Librarian

There’s an old saying “If you don’t use it you lose it” …Therefore summer reading programs are meant to help children avoid "learning los" during the vacation, reintroduce them to the joy of reading for pleasure and maintain important literacy skills.
Children who read four or more books over the summer perform better on reading-comprehension tests when they return to school than their peers who don’t.

The RFS Middle School library summer reading challenge for this year is “One school one book”.
Students are encouraged to use the library's virtual site where they can find online the book “The War That Saved My Life”. 
Once finished the reading, students are going to create and submit a Book Trailer (a short teaser trailer, called” Boovie”; full instructions were emailed through the monthly library newsletter). Book trailers are creative short videos that tell students something about the book without giving away the ending, and convince others to read the book!

 A prize will be awarded to the winning “Boovie”.

It’s fun, interesting, can involve the whole family, and will help the child academically.
The book trailer project requires students to summarize, synthesize and analyze the book and put that analysis in their trailer.

Furthermore, having students create book trailers is a great way to incorporate technology, encourage and foster a love of reading. Students can teach each other concepts by making the explainer videos and give others an insight into their thinking.

Reading over the summer really does make a difference! 

By Besan Omary-Jaawan - Development & Communications Manager

This month we meet RFS graduate Zeina Siam, Class of 2008. Zeina is a well known researcher and has consulted for the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Microclinic International. She was deemed as one of the most influential instructors on Edraak’s platform for public health courses.

As an RFS graduate, Zeina says the values she learnt in school are still a part of who she is today, she says: “Striving for simplicity and peace have been cornerstone values I hold close to my heart… Ramallah Friends School was also a space for my emotional growth. The environment --with the perks and challenges it brought my way-- and the incredible mentorship from several teachers, taught me early on to remain true to myself, believe in my life calling, and embrace my thirst for learning and excellence.”

Zeina is now the Senior Research Manager of the Primary Health Care Team at Harvard’s Center for Health Systems Innovation, Ariadne. She is the thought leader for the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, a multi-organization partnership that aims to innovate measurement methods for primary health care.

Zeina believes her experience at RFS helped shape her future path, she says: “My experience at Ramallah Friends School shaped my professional path. I discovered my talent in applied mathematics in high school. Applied mathematics, particularly statistics, remains to be one of my passions!”

After graduating from RFS, Zeina completed her Bachelors in Biological Engineering at MIT in 2012, and her Masters in Epidemiology at Harvard University in 2014. Afterwards, she first worked with the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights on the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan. She then joined the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead health systems strengthening initiatives in the East Mediterranean and spent a year of her tenure at WHO in Palestine.

“My most exciting accomplishment was immunizing children in hard-to-reach areas in Syria.” – Zeina said to the Olive Press.

Zeina obtained her PhD from Harvard University in 2019, focusing on Population Health Sciences, and focused on maternal and child health in the Middle East. Zeina later joined the Gates Foundation as part of the polio/immunization strengthening team for the East Mediterranean.