Dear ACS Families,
On Friday, I am travelling to New York for our annual fall meeting of the ACS Board of Trustees. I plan to return to Beirut on November 25. Since I will be away next week, I want to wish everyone a happy Lebanese Independence Day and also a Happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful that Linda and I will be able to spend Thanksgiving with our children in Rhode Island.
As our daily attendance continues to improve and more families have returned to Beirut, we have been thinking about our plans going forward. In the interest of transparency, we will stop posting asynchronous assignments for students in the Lower and Middle Schools after the long weekend next week. It is quite difficult and taxing for teachers to fully meet the needs of their students who are here and also that small number of children who are still away. High school attendance is actually even stronger, and the handful of students who are away may still be able to Zoom into class until the winter holiday break.
The plan is to go fully in person on Monday, November 27 and we will no longer be posting asynchronous assignments. If families are not able to return to Beirut by this date, we reluctantly suggest that you try to find another school option for your children. We would suggest that you inform our Business Office by Friday, November 17, so they can process whatever refund you are entitled to according to our school tuition policy. High school students, however, may still be able to Zoom into their classes if they are still away. Please contact Mr. Campana to see if this will be possible for your son or daughter.
Any families who remain outside of Lebanon for the remainder of this year but plan to return for the start of the 2024/25 school year should go through the normal re-enrollment process in March. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Najwa Zabad directly.
Once again, everything above assumes that the situation in Lebanon will not deteriorate significantly. If things do deteriorate, we will present a different slate of options for people based on what we think is feasible.
Happy Lebanese Independence Day and Happy Thanksgiving! I will look forward to seeing everyone when we return to school on Monday, November 27.
Sincerely,
