Dear ACS Families,
I hope that you and your families are managing this difficult situation. I know that some families have relatives and friends in conflict areas, and we hope and pray that everyone is safe and well.
Since it is difficult to foresee just where events are heading, we have been thinking about our short and long-term plans to provide the best education we can for students who are here in Beirut and for those who are out of the country. Our principals shared with you their instructional plans for the next few weeks, and I hope that clarified things.
Interestingly, Monday was the most challenging day in terms of school attendance, with 293 students absent. During the remainder of the week, we saw incremental improvement in attendance each day. Today, for example, there are 250 students absent (26% of our student body).
Although we've lost a few more teachers who have left the country temporarily, largely in response to the warnings to foreign nationals from various embassies, we are still in very good shape. Of our 29 expat teachers and administrative staff, 16 are still here in Beirut. Of the 13 who have left Lebanon, 7 (4 high school and 3 middle school) are classroom teachers. The other 6 are administrative staff and/or support students in other ways. Please know that all teachers and staff who are outside the country have expressed a very strong desire to return to ACS as quickly as possible.
Teachers in middle school and high school who are away will be conducting their classes via Zoom and holding to their normal local time schedule. We'll have an extra adult in the room to help facilitate and assist with these lessons.
I have been helping out in the Middle School office this week, and I've been impressed with the tone and mood in the building. I'm also teaching a history class in the high school, and three of my students who are outside of Lebanon joined the class via Zoom. It's not the best experience for these students, of course, but it was so nice to have the back "in" class. I'm so glad they were able to join us.
We are all hoping for a quiet weekend and looking forward to another normal day on Monday. As I mentioned in my previous note, we are committed to remaining open for in-person learning for all students who are in Beirut for the duration of this crisis. This is our top priority.
Have a nice weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.
Sincerely,
