By Paul Parker - Upper School Principal
Late fall through early winter is a special time every year in Palestine, especially at Ramallah Friends School. The scorching sun has been replaced by wet, chilly days and warm jackets. The students have moved through the first quarter and second quarter with growing maturity, and are finishing mid-year exams. And Christmas lights, songs, and celebrations are everywhere. The two-thousand-year-old miracle of the First Noel continues daily at RFS.
An annual expression of this miraculous season is our White Gifts program. This is a uniquely RFS tradition in which students, teachers, the PTA, and the administration raise money through bake sales and other activities to donate to families and the elderly who are in need. This year the RFS community has raised NIS 34,250 which has been used to bless the lives of 83 families and the Ramallah Elderly Home.
Another event that marks the celebratory nature of late fall is the 12th graders’ annual International Baccalaureate (IB), Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition. This is a big deal for students academically and personally. Students choose and must answer an IB-prescribed question using three real-world objects as evidence. Then, they produce their research and evidence (what counts as “knowledge”) in a poster or other type of display. Finally, the seniors ensemble their displays, dress in their finest clothing, and present their work en masse to the public in the school's multipurpose hall This fall’s TOK Exhibition filled the gym with friends, families, and the public as they strolled among the spectacular presentations of creativity and intellectual prowess.
Then after a long semester of hard work, a small group of dedicated faculty and staff planned and performed an extraordinary Christmas celebration in Khalil Totah auditorium. It was standing-room-only as we sang Christmas carols with the school choir, laughed together with productions from our drama and comedy clubs, and received inspirational messages from Ustadz Abdallah Lahloh and Reverend Fadi Diab (St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Ramallah). As we left the auditorium we assembled around the largest cedar tree on campus which was now sparkling with Christmas lights. The two thousand-year-old miracle of the First Noel continues at RFS. Merry Christmas! And may the New Year be filled with grace, peace and justice.