Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and in high spirits. I am writing to share with you the latest accomplishments of our beloved school and to showcase our pride in our unwavering commitment to excellence, the well-being of our students and staff, and our dedication to providing high-quality education.

Last week, we successfully hosted the Model United Nations Conference - PalMUN XII, which brought together over 500 students across Palestine. Our students represented our school with distinction and demonstrated their hard work, dedication, and skills in front of several distinguished guests, including His Excellency Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Ishtaye. His inspiring speech encouraged our students to pursue brighter futures and reminded us of the importance of education in shaping the next generation of leaders. The success of this event was only possible due to the tireless efforts of our teachers, staff, and students, who worked together to make it a reality.

I would also like to highlight our strong partnership with the PTA. This collaboration enables us to meet each student’s unique needs and provide them with the necessary resources to succeed. For example, we recently hosted workshops on children’s speech development, where we welcomed Dr. Nadia Abdel Haq. The Lower Campus staff and parents gained a deeper understanding of the critical role of speech and language in early childhood development, and our students will benefit from this for years to come.

Additionally, I am proud to announce that we have established a first aid committee on the Upper Campus in partnership with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. This showcases our commitment to ensuring our students' and community's safety and preparedness in emergencies. The donation of a first aid kit from the Red Crescent is greatly appreciated and will help us to promote public safety.

We were also thrilled to receive the results of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), which was conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Our third-grade students demonstrated outstanding performance compared to other schools in the country, and we are dedicated to constantly improving and using assessments to drive learning.
Our commitment to providing our students with a safe and healthy environment remains unwavering. We are dedicated to maintaining a top-notch education experience and are pleased to announce the completion of the upgrade to the HVAC system in our science building. Our goal is to have all of our school buildings fully equipped with this essential feature, further enhancing the comfort and well-being of our learning community.

We also want to bring to your attention a matter close to our hearts. Our student, Shadi Khoury, remains under house arrest without charge or trial. Our school is doing its best to support Shadi through remote lessons. We continue to call for justice and the release of Shadi and all Palestinian children facing similar injustices under the Israeli detention system.
Lastly, I would like to extend our heartfelt thoughts to those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, including Palestinian refugees who have been forced to flee their homes due to wars in Syria and Iraq. The cold weather only exacerbates their already difficult situation. We hope you will join us in holding those impacted in your thoughts and supporting relief efforts.

In Friendship,
Rania Maayeh

By Samah Totah - Upper School Art Teacher

International-mindedness is addressed in the educational philosophy of the IB and the curriculum framework of IB programs. To be internationally minded people in our school as an IB educational philosophy means that our students can see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility to its members.

To be international-minded persons, our students will have the chance to appreciate and value the diversity of cultures in the world and make an effort to learn more about them. We think that students can have the ability to be better prepared for the 21st-century's global challenges. They can also understand themselves and be aware that the world is much larger than the community in which we live. 

When our students have the attributes of internationally-minded people mainly in the IB learner profile, we can say it is the IB mission in action, students concerns will go beyond academic concerns and content, they will have a  commitment and practices that help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. Our students need to find their own lives reflected in the curriculum so that they can envision other ways of thinking and being.

Lower School Library Activities Celebrating National Storytelling Week

By Nadine Haj Abed - Lower School Librarian

First week of February the RFS lower campus celebrated stories in different forms during National Storytelling Week. Like its name, it encourages people of all ages, genders, and cultures to indulge in stories. It is a celebration of the power of sharing stories.

Storytellers were invited to read stories to the students. Some students also participated by reading their own stories during the weekly morning meeting and recess at the library.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that allows us to share stories that inspire and teach others.

By Besan Omary-Jaawan - Developments & Communications Manager                 

Continuing with our feature series at Ramallah Friends School, where we spotlight the achievements of our esteemed alumni and former students. After sharing the profile of Mr. Basem Hishmeh, our next profile is of Mr. Yousef Jubran and we hope his story will inspire and motivate our current students and the entire RFS community.

As a proud member of the RFS family, Mr. Jubran embodies the values and principles that we strive to instill in our students, and we are proud to share his journey with you.

A member of the Class of 2015, Yousef Jubran is the first RFS graduate to become an internationally certified actuary registered at the Palestine Capital Market Authority. Actuaries use statistics, mathematics, and financial theory to predict future risk and better manage financial cost and uncertainty. 

Yousef believes that his experience and the values he learned at RFS, specifically the importance of community and leadership, helped him become the analytical thinker he is today.

He said: “Being at RFS made me feel that I was part of a supportive community where I belonged. Being part of the RFS family allowed me to make new friends, both in Ramallah and the United States… I still cherish the great memories I made while participating in the Model United Nations Conference (PalMUN), as a fundraising co-chair, where we hosted a successful program that was attended by multiples schools across the country.”

After graduating from RFS, Yousef attended Pennsylvania State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science (and a minor in Statistics) with honors. Since then, he has been working as a full-time actuary for Lincoln Financial Group, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Yousef has received 8 awards from multiple leaders for outstanding execution and innovation throughout his work.

Yousef has already completed 7 actuarial exams and all other requirements needed to become an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA); an internationally recognized actuarial certification that allows one to perform actuarial services in most countries worldwide. Yousef is also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), the United States regulatory body for certified actuaries with experience in the United States.

About what he gained at RFS and his advice for future RFS graduates, Yousef said: “The sky is the limit. There are times when things get hard and plans don’t go as expected, but everything is possible with hard work, dedication, and a focused goal.”

We are very proud of Yousef Jubran as a graduate of the Ramallah Friends School. We look forward to hearing about his future accomplishments.

1. Over 600 students from across Palestine participated in PALMUN 2023. This was the return of an amazing celebration of cooperation and negotiation because PALMUN had been canceled due to COVID for the last two years. The opening ceremony featured an RFS wind ensemble, debka dancing, and an inspiring speech by Palestine's Prime minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh. 

2. The first semester ended in mid-January and now the students are racing toward the end of the school year. 

3. The opening for the second annual IB Visual Arts Seniors' Exhibition will be held on February 19th, from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm in the Middle School Gallery. The public is invited to this event to celebrate the incredible artistic accomplishments of our seniors. 

Please note all dates are tentative and subject to change due to external conditions.

Partners in Humanity Campaign

The entire RFS community has launched the "Partners in Humanity" campaign to aid earthquake survivors in Syria. Students, staff, teachers, parents, PTA, the Student Council, and the administration are joining together to help alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims in Syria.

This one-week campaign will continue until Wednesday, Feb. 22nd. Parents, teachers, staff, and administrators are kindly asked to bring their donations directly to Mrs. Sama in the Accounting Office at the Upper Campus. 

For upper school students donating any amounts less than 100 NIS, they are asked to hand their donations to their homeroom teachers.

RFS has coordinated with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, as they already have people on the ground in Syria and they have initiated an aid campaign.

All RFS donations will be delivered directly to the Palestine Red Crescent Society to help Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Syria.