Last month was incredibly difficult for us as we lost a beloved teacher who had been a part of our family for two decades. Walid Ghuzi, a teacher of distinguished capabilities in teaching and leading the Model United Nations Conferences, was a true Palestinian leader and role model. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and despite our hopes and prayers, he ultimately passed away, leaving a significant void in our school community.

It's difficult to express just how much Walid meant to us. He was irreplaceable in every sense of the word. The impact that he had on our students, staff, and faculty was immeasurable, and it's impossible to imagine the school without him. His passing was a tremendous loss, and it left us all feeling a deep sense of sorrow and grief.

But even in the midst of this difficult time, we were able to find some solace in our unity. Walid's death brought us together as a family, from the board of trustees to the administration, staff, faculty, and PTA. We all came together to support each other, to remember Walid's life and legacy, and to find a way forward.

In many ways, this experience taught us the importance of thinking for the greater good, rather than our own personal interests. It also reminded us of the vital role that our school plays in our lives. The school is not just a place where we go to learn and teach, but it's also the foundation of our resilience, a testimony of our values, and a light that guides us.

We continue to mourn Walid's passing, but we also feel a renewed sense of purpose and unity. We are stronger together, and we will honor Walid's memory by continuing to strive for excellence and make our school a better place for all who enter its doors.

Sincerely,

Rania Maayeh

Head of School

By Paul Parker - Upper School Principal

Mutual communal responsibilities have been key to human survival since the earliest days of homo sapiens. In the modern era, schools and some businesses have emphasized communal responsibilities as “social responsibility” even so far as making it part of their mission statements. In this context, social responsibility is typically referred to as a duty, a principle, or an ethical theory. As such it is described as an individual’s or an organization’s obligation to act for the benefit of society rather than solely for one’s own interests. In the Quaker tradition, upon which Ramallah Friends School is founded, social responsibility is much, much more. 

In the Quaker tradition, an individual's experience of God is foundational. From this experience, Quakers believe that God is in a relationship with all human beings at all times. Therefore, all persons are equal with each other and before God. Universal human equality is a core value for Quakers. No exceptions, everyone counts, and everyone counts equally. 

From inclusive human equality, it is a short step to another core value of Quakers and RFS: community. We believe that all human beings are in community with God and with each other, no exceptions. In this inclusive human community, we all depend on each other in every realm of life for which truthfulness and peace are essential. Because we are all together in community, equal, and interdependent all of which requires peace and integrity, “social responsibility” is not a duty, a principle, or a theory. Social responsibility is fidelity to God and to all others including oneself. For all those within the Quaker tradition, social responsibility is rooted in God, expressed as a personal commitment, and to be reflected in our families, schools, businesses, nations, and international organizations. Social responsibility is who we are at Ramallah Friends School. 

By Riziq Armoush - IB CAS Coordinator

The International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) defines service as the collaborative engagement with the community in response to an authentic need. Our students are not only exposed to local needs but also respond to global needs. We planned a service experience through which our students helped at the YMCA. This experience aimed to collect, sort, and prepare clothes intended to be shipped to regions that suffered from the recent earthquakes.

Students reflected the IB Learner Profile attributes, International Mindedness, and Quaker values. Friends believe that we need each other since each and every one of us is precious to our community and the world. 

Yara Faraj; an #IBDP Year 1 (11th grade) student articulated her experience saying: “It was a very eye-opening experiment and highly needed as well. I feel as though it was not only needed to people in need, but for the school kids who didn’t know much about the situation and through this service, learned more or gotten the incentive to learn. It was also very noble of the YMCA to conduct this activity in their facilities seeing how dire the circumstances are and how so little can help a lot. With only a few hours of work, we sorted and folded all types of clothing that will reach out to many people and
help them, and it was great that this was don’t more than one day as a means of helping more and more people.”

Ramallah Friends School staff, teachers, and students organized three successful IB Exhibitions for the different IB Programmes throughout March and April. Seniors exhibited their artwork in the School's second IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition, and a few weeks later tenth graders presented their projects in the IBMYP Personal Project Exhibition. And only last week, fifth graders presented their projects in the School's fifth IBPYP Group Project Exhibition.