Welcome from the Head of School

In 1905, a handful of faculty members of the American University of Beirut decided to establish a school for their children. What started as a tiny school in some rented rooms has, over the course of the last 115 years, become one of the leading Pre-K through 12 schools in Beirut. Today we have almost 900 students, representing more than seventy different nationalities. We offer the Lebanese Baccalaureate, the IB diploma, and the US high school diploma. We are situated on a beautiful campus just blocks from the Mediterranean.

The mission of ACS Beirut is straightforward: “to empower students to solve problems with creativity and integrity, to lead well-balanced lives, and to serve Lebanon and the world community with understanding and compassion.” In these challenging times, especially in Lebanon but also across the region, it is crucial that our students graduate with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to positively impact the world in which they live. I’m proud to be head of a school where this is a priority.

I have worked in private independent schools, both in the United States and abroad, for more than 30 years. As a history teacher, a coach, and a housemaster of a boys’ dormitory at a boarding school, and finally as head of school, I learned that constructive, supportive student/teacher relationships are essential to ensuring positive student outcomes. I appreciate the importance of getting to know students, not just as learners, but as people. Encouraging students to develop ownership and agency over their learning when they are young helps them become self-motivated, independent, confident, and responsible learners as they get older. And that’s what we do at ACS.

One of the most important attributes of ACS Beirut, one that has struck me in the short time that I have been here, is our very strong sense of community. Students, faculty, staff, and, of course, our parents are all proud to be at ACS, and we all care deeply about this institution. We also care deeply about each other. When relationships at school are based on respect, trust, and empathy--and I know that this is the case at ACS--students will thrive.

Welcome to ACS Beirut! Please browse our website and check us out on social media.

Sincerely,

Thomas Cangiano
Head of School