Director's Letter Week 6

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

12th November 2009

Dear Parents and Pupils,

A challenging year has been made even more difficult as we lost a favoured pupil in the National school, Mostafa Ayman, and our beloved founder, Eng. Sameer Gaballa. This reminds us to value our health, our educators, and that life has a higher purpose. I hope that you will join me in praying for their souls and that God grant their families patience during this difficult time. This year is also teaching us to value our school community. Students and pupils have missed each other profusely these past two weeks and are very sad that we were not able to return today. Our e-learning program has been a successful one and will be even more effective as we all master the technological skills that are required of us to ensure that learning remains uninterrupted. The EBIS faculty remains dedicated to our mission to prepare young people with the attitude, knowledge, and skills that encourage the aspiration of excellence in learning and living!

School Hours
School is set to resume Sunday, the 15th of November. School hours will be 7:30 until 3:00 from Sundays until Wednesdays. On Thursdays, school will end at 2:40. Special Saturday sessions will also be announced. These days will be used to review the material that students covered through e-learning. School will be closed, as per the Ministry of Education, from November 26th until December 5th. Students will return to school on December 6th.

EBIS Online Forum
The EBIS community forum is a hit! As of Wednesday evening, we had 105 registered users. Parents, pupils, and faculty members have been using it to ensure that academic progress is not hindered by unscheduled school closings. We will continue to use it as an academic tool throughout the year. Expect more e-learning during the extended EID vacation.

EBIS Read-a-thon
Students, I highly encouraged you to READ, READ, READ! Please complete one Turtle for each book that you have read and submit it to your Literacy teacher when you return. Will your castle win the Pizza Party for reading the most books this month?

House Points
England has taken the lead with 231 points. Wales has moved up to second place with 197 points. Good Job! Scotland is still in 3rd place with 196 points, only one point away from Wales. Northern Ireland students need to pull together as they have fallen from 1st to last place with 183 points.

Scary Mask Competition & House Spirit Day – Thursday, 12th November
Show how much EBIS PRIDE you have!
To participate:
1. Wear your house colours,
2. Make and wear a homemade scary mask
3. Follow the out of school uniform policy
4. Contribute 10 LE to the Cancer Hospital (please give this to your form tutor Saturday morning)

Yours truly,


Rania El-Sioufi, Director