Day 1 Rawdah High School

Today we officially kicked off the connecting classrooms reciprocal visit to our partner school in Beirut, Lebanon. An assembly was held where I shared our videos from the school visit and also our project work on traffic safety. 

Lunch! Tasty cheese bread that was shaped like a handbag! 

I presented the director, Mr Chalhoub with a commemorative plaque embedding another year of project work between our schools.

We had an English coordinators meeting and shared some English mince pies! Then there was the computing lesson- raspberry pi! 

We then had some lunch and went to the sports arena to play football with the boys and games with the girls in year 10.

Tomorrow is a visit to the caves and then back in school on Wednesday. The week is filled with events that incorporate our project objectives such as our traffic safety and green spaces project.

At the sports hall.

Girls warming up! 

Keep following for tomorrow's update! 

Connecting the classrooms in Beirut

Today is the first day of our partnership visit in Lebanon. There is a lot on the agenda including an assembly and football! I will write more later! Bonne journee! 

Students working on project work for visit next week to Beirut

A wonderful effort on partnership work done by year 8 and 9 students during international club. They placed handprints signifying their commitment to our project work and global links with our partner school in Beirut. I look forward to completing the handprint journey in Beirut where students will do the same - one half of the cloth will stay at Rawdah high school while the other half will return to LSA where we intend to hang it proudly! 

Tia, who made sure all flowed smoothly, painted hands.

Sammy and Molly attend the club regularly and also will be heading to Cyprus for our first visit of our Erasmus+ journey.

Morgan and Ally entered their logo designs for the project.

Thank you to all who helped and follow the blog to see activities in school during the week of October 24-30.

Ambassadors

New project development with connecting our classrooms

Students at Rawdah High School have presented part of our project objective yesterday after many weeks of hard work and dedication of the staff at the school. We look forward to the video and making preparations for LSA to host our own EDucateX. 

School trip and Farewell Rawdah high School

Today was my last day in Beirut and with the students from the high school. I had the immense pleasure of accompanying year 7 and some teachers on their trip to Beit el Dine, an historic palace in the mountain region of Lebanon about an hour from Beirut. 

Prince Bashir I built the castle for the Druze people and he called on Italians and Syrians to decorate it. It was built in 1814, 200 years ago. The local population were also invited to help build  the unique palace though legend has it that after completion, he cut off the hands of those who built it so it would remain one of a kind! 

Every year they celebrate festivals at Beit el Dine. These festivals have continued for the past two hundred years.

An ancient olive press

There are 160 rooms in this castle. In every room there is a water fountain which was strategically placed for when important meetings took place the sound of the water blocked others from hearing the discussion.

The writing on the wall is a quote by the Prince which translates to "he has to keep a watchful eye over his people"

The president's room who really does spend most summers at the palace.

An example of a mosaic which dates back to the 4th century. 

The gardens of the place with many cedar trees, which you will find illustrated on Lebanon's national flag. 

Our students design work on the wall at school.

Our Farewell meal with the English department and Mr Chaloub and his wife at the best Lebanese reataurant in town! And it was!  All in all, this has been an absolutely professionally and personally enriching experience and I hope that everyone learned something about this partnership visit which we no doubt intend to continue. I also look forward to sharing it all with students and staff upon my return to LSA.

Thank you Rawdah high school for an unforgettable first experience of Lebanon. I look forward to visit number two! 

Wit Katia, and Bassima at the restaurant and  With Eli, and Reema on the school trip. 

And with Hanadi. Though only a few of the great team of teachers at Rawdah.

Drama, art and cooking today! October 16th

Today was busy with classroom activites. From finishing the art project to watching a drama lesson where the students were all really engaged and trying hard at the same time as having fun. 

Today's cookery lesson was English scones! The students had never had them before and were very keen to get their hands dirty to bake. The girls and boys were in direct competition with one another while preparing them. We managed to create some very tasty treats! 

The evening was eventful! I just happened to be in town for the grand event which was the launch of a new resort project in Beirut called Eden Rock resort. Reema kindly took me as a guest. A very lavish affair and lots of important people in Lebanon were present including the minister of tourism. 

After that Reema and I went for a lovely meal to an Italian restaurant in town....delicious! 

The year 8 scone makers! 

Miss Sonia the art teacher

Adding jam and butter to our scones.

Drama with Rasha and year 5 teaching communication and self assertiveness through fun games.

A quick stop to the spice shop after school! 

At the launch of Eden rock resort. 

Nice resort planned for Beirut! 

Serving up the sushi! 

The minister and the owner (of Rawdah high school too)

And finally at the restaurant with Reema.