The School is pleased to have received the final evaluation results for the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Year Programme (MYP) undertaken by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Our status is confirmed once again as an IB World School.

The evaluation covered practical, educational, environmental, cultural and organization systems components. The report showcased the strength of the School and its powerful message as well as the commitment of the administration towards it.

Overall, it was a very positive report of which would not have been possible if not for the sustained efforts of our faculty and staff including teachers, counselors and administrators.

We are also incredibly thankful for the cooperation of parents, students and friends, and everyone who has contributed to this renowned school.

Sincerely,

Rania Maayeh, Head of School

Ramallah, Palestine — The Ramallah Friends School (RFS) received a generous gift from US-based Palestinian philanthropist Anan Adnan Anabtawi. The gift will support the School in overhauling its computer science education through the renovation of facilities, training, and funding of staff, as well as student scholarships in collaboration with Al Nayzak Organization.

The funds allocated will be utilized to renovate the computer labs in both the Lower and Upper Campuses. The Lower Campus lab will commemorate the late mother of Mr. Anabtawi, Ms. Wisam Malhas (Class of 1945). The Upper Campus lab will bear the name of Mr. Anan and Mrs. Taroub Anabtawi, in honor of their generous contribution to the development of the School. Moreover, Anabtawi’s gift will establish two new computer science and technology positions at the School and fund their training and professional development, in addition to funding several scholarships for high achieving current and incoming students from economically marginalized backgrounds. Al Nayzak will implement the renovations, curriculum development, and professional training for RFS.

In a statement to the School about what prompted this generous gift, Mr. Anabtawi said, “I attribute a large part of my success to the spirit of inquiry and entrepreneurship, love of reading and education, and above all the spirit of giving, to my late mother, and I’m sure that this was largely instilled in her through her RFS education, which also prepared her for a Masters in English Literature. I also wanted to acknowledge the memory of my late grandfather, Dr. Sudki Malhas, known in Nablus as the “Doctor of the poor”, as he would refuse payment from the underprivileged, who had the foresight in the 1940s to enroll my mother at RFS. I’m looking forward to helping RFS achieve even greater success for future generations to come”.

RFS Head of School Rania Maayeh says the School is very grateful for the gift. Maayeh said, “This gift represents an investment in Palestinian education as well as an investment in the Palestinian tech field. We are incredibly humbled by the acts of generosity by philanthropists such as Mr. Anabtawi who see the value of the education we offer and who want to support our students.” RFS says that Anabtawi’s gift will serve as a defining educational experience for technology and computer science in Palestine, one that will hone the future leaders of the tech field in Palestine and hopefully around the world. 

About Anan Anabtawi: Anabtawi and his wife, Taroub, are based in California, USA. He is an investor and venture capitalist. Anabtawi deeply cares about community, development, and is committed to improving the lives of others. 

By Frieda Dahdah-Khayat / Lower Campus Principal

“How can we learn from this experience?” we reflect once again.

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 sanguinely grown stronger and more knowledgeable. We innately respond to unprecedented crises no matter how unanticipated.

On February 2, 2022, the Palestinian Ministry of Education instigated an immediate school lockdown. Once again, Ramallah Friends School was forced to close its gates and remain bare and lifeless. The lights were dimmed, but our hopes were not.

As our thriving classrooms were disrupted, RFS seamlessly transitioned to online learning once again. Online essential agreements and virtual class schedules were impetuously formulated and communicated to the RFS community via the school platform Edunation. Teachers upended lessons using educational technology tools such as Kahoot, Jeopardy, and Edpuzzle to sustain meaningful student engagement. Updated features of our Edunation platform empowered our learners to congregate in breakout rooms to cultivate community and collaboration. Quality education prevails at RFS regardless of the learning landscape in our relentless world. 

Once again, we turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones! 

By Besan Omary-Jaawan / Development & Communications Manager

Meet RFS graduate Daoud Siniora, Class of 2005. Daoud double majored in Mathematics and Electronic Engineering at the American University of Cairo (AUC).

“During my studies at the AUC, I discovered my strong passion for pure Mathematics. Consequently, I decided to go for graduate studies in the subject.” –Daoud

In 2011, Daoud received the Chevening Scholarship to finish his graduate degree at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. In 2013, he enrolled at the University of Leeds PhD program in Mathematics. Today, he is a full-time faculty member, an assistant professor, at the American University of Cairo.

“The Friends School gave me the vision and the will to continue the journey in pursuing further academic degrees.”-Daoud

Daoud has a lot of memories of RFS, mostly connecting him to the home he misses. He remembers the entire school community singing the Palestinian national anthem in Chapel every Monday at Khalil Totah Auditorium.

As an educator, his life changed significantly during the pandemic as he had to transfer to distance teaching. 

“I had to give my lectures and all other teaching duties completely online. To do this I trained how to use software tools and electronic devices such as: Panopto, Zoom, Gradescope, Blackboard, and tablets with electronic pens. On the bright side, I uploaded all my recorded lectures on an interesting course called “Discrete Mathematics” on YouTube.”

With a passion for learning and seeking knowledge, Daoud believes that knowledge is precious, but his advice to future RFS graduates is: “Do not immigrate. Knowledge is precious. Return back to Palestine.”

After weeks of on-and-off quaratines and the transfer of schools in Palestine to online learning, schools were back to in-person teaching mid February. 

RFS Completes IB Evaluations                                            

By Rania Maayeh - Head of School

As an authorized International Baccalaureate School, Ramallah Friends School strives to maintain quality delivery of its three IB programs—the primary years program (PYP), middle years program (MYP), and the diploma program (DP). The International Baccalaureate organization evaluates the standards and practices of each IB school every five years. This month, RFS successfully passed the evaluations of the MYP and PYP programs. As part of the process, the School engaged in a self-study for each of the programs. This has helped all those involved to reflect and further understand the philosophy and the practices of the program and its alignment with the Schools’ mission and values as a Quaker school. The evaluation process was an opportunity to identify successes, celebrate them, highlight challenges, and create an action plan.

For both programs, RFS submitted evidence documenting the work of students and staff in several forms: short videos were recorded, and past exhibitions of student work were documented and shared.The evaluation process was collaborative, with all the school’s stakeholders involved, and in this way reflected what RFS does as a school and as a community. The school’s governing body, parents, teachers, and administration all took part in the evaluation. The process allowed for everyone’s voice to be heard, and all were able to witness the steps of the evaluation.The collaborative effort and commitment of the RFS community is undoubtedly the reason for our successful evaluation, which allows the school to maintain its status as an International Baccalaureate school. Ramallah Friends School is incredibly thankful for the cooperation of parents, friends, and everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute to the excellence of this renowned institution.