They visited the Dakota Village where they saw the teepees, the original Indian tents, as well as the caravans. They also met different kinds of animals at the ranch such as horses, cows, peacock, quails, bulls, and mules.

The students experienced horseback riding and mechanical-bull riding. They learned about mature and organic farming and how and when to grow vegetables.

It was as experience the students will never forget!

We are very proud of our young champions in Grade 3, Maya, Sabryna and Cynthia! They participated in different sports competitions and won the following medals:

·       Maya Maamari participated in the Lebanese Gymnastics Federation Competition on May 13, 2012 and won the silver medal.

·       Sabryna Lebedzeva participated in the Russian Sports Championship in April and won the Gold medal.

·       Cynthia Francis participated in the Spring Cup 2012 for swimming in April. She won the silver medal in the 50m race and the bronze medal in the 200m freestyle race.

Congratulations!!

Le département des sciences sociales en  collaboration avec la bibliothèque du cycle secondaire ont  invité docteur Amine Jules Inskandar qui a suivi des études d’ingénierie en France. Il enseigne aujourd’hui à l’université libanaise et à l’université Notre Dame de Louaizé. Il a écrit cinq livres entre autres: La Nouvelle Cilicie, La Dimension Syriaque…Dans son intervention, docteur Iskandar s’est adressé aux jeunes de la classe de seconde à qui il a expliqué l’influence directe de l’architecture sur le Liban et sur sa culture. Il a expliqué les significations des maisons arabes et leur rapport avec la culture syriaque. Il a aidé les élèves à comprendre le sens des images, des maisons arabes, et le symbole des trois arcades.Il  a aussi présenté les catégories de la religion syriaque (les occidentaux et les orientaux).

Ensuite, il a parlé des villages du Liban et l’origine de leurs  noms et de leur signification (Beit Chabeb, Bcharré, Broumana..)

Il a pour la suite, évoqué le premier livre imprimé en syriaque par des maronites en Europe et comment il l’ont transporté à « Mar Antonios Kozhaya » au Liban.

A la fin de son intervention, il a mentionné les tapis arméniens en honneur de sainte Hripsimé et le symbole de «  SOUSS W NO2TA. »

Ce fut une séance bien enrichissante pour les éléves. Espérons que la langue Syriaque ne mourra jamais, mais restera vivante dans notre esprit et notre culture pour les générations à venir.

Grace Nazarian - 1SC

On Friday 20^th of April, the High school Division had the honor and pleasure of welcoming Ms.Nour Ayoub, AUB student with a degree in Creative Writing, who visited the division’s library to encourage all willing students to give in to their poetic side. By reading out poems and playing games, she proved how easy it is to be creative and write poems. She stated that poems don’t always have to make sense, or they might have a logic not everyone can relate to. Yet, art is art, and anyone can become a poet.

بمناسبة أسبوع الثقافة والقراءة، إستقبلت المدرسة، بمساعدة مكتبة القسم الثانوي و قسم العلوم الإجتماعيّة، الأستاذ جو برينس. قدّم  الأستاذ جو محاضرة مختصرة حول السينما وعالم الأفلام. فتحدّث عن مراحل ما قبل إنتاج الأفلام السينمائيّة والمراحل التي تليها وصولاً إلى العصر الحاليّ.
أولاً, تكلّم ألأستاذ جو عن النجوم السينمائيين وأهمّيّتهم. فهم الوجه الأساسيّ  للسينما فمن دونهم يكون هذا العالم الخياليّ شبه فارغ.
وبعدها، عدّد الأعمال التي يجب القيام بها قبل الإنتاج، في مرحلة ال( production). ففي هذه المرحلة، تتداخل جهود المصمّمين والكاتب والمسؤولين عن توزيع الأدوار بهدف خلق بيئة يصلح فيها تصوير الفيلم.
عندما ينتهي التصوير، ينكبّ العاملون على وضع اللمسات الأخيرة، وتصميم الصّوت والصورة. وهذا الجزء مهمّ لتحقيق الفيلم الكامل. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فقد تطوّر العمل السينمائي كثيراً وصولاً إلى تصميم الصوت والصورة.
وأخيراً ردّ الأستاذ جو على أسئلة التلاميذ وشاهد الفيلم الذي عمل على الإخراج فيه التلميذ عماد شلاويط.
لقد اطّلع التلاميذ على العمل المضني الذي يقوم به النّاس من أجل نشر العمل السينمائي. وبذلك، تعرّفوا فنّاً جديداً وهذا هو الهدف من أسبوع المطالعة الثقافي.
Julien Chedid - 2SD

In celebration of the annual Cultural and Reading week at Saint Joseph School, the High School Library, with the support of Mr. Rolland Homsy and the librarians, organized two events on Wednesday April 25^th and Thursday April 26^th with the third secondary students. These events were highly musical and entertaining showing the true level of musical expertise and talent our students are gifted with. Not only did these events serve as a reminder to us of how we, the “modernized” generation, can still cherish our heritage in a unique way, but they also allowed students such as Marc Medlej, Marc Merhej, George Azar, Rami Chebli and several others to entertain the public and perform, something they are experienced at and enjoy well.

In this increasingly globalized world, with our country suffering from a cultural and identity void, we can not help but be thankful that students today were able to mix between the traditional Lebanese songs and instruments, and their western counterparts. It is evident that the students of Saint Joseph will always hold true at heart their identity and Lebanese heritage.

by Joy Nasr

On Tuesday April 24, which is part of the cultural and reading week, we gathered in the library to witness one of the many events planned by the librarians and the social department which included Mr Rani Sader , a well-known lawyer.  It commenced by defining intellectual property right as being the rightful ownership of a person to his inventions and ideas.  As Mr. Rani Sader stated “Piracy is just as illegal and wrong as stealing tangible properties”.  He emphasized inventions that changed our lives and highlighted that without intellectual property these same ideas could not have been as successful.  Mr. Rani summed up his presentation by informing us that if we aspire to be creative and different we can be as rich and famous as legends such as Steve Jobs and Michael Jordan.  The idea of not stealing must be implanted in our brains to achieve the goal of intellectual property which is to halt all wrong doings.

IMAD ZARD AND MICHAEL TIMONIAN 1SA

ضمن فاعليات أسبوع الثقافة والقراءة الذي احتفلت به، تشرفت مدرسة مار يوسف – قرنة شهوان باستضافة الفنان أسامة الرحباني يوم الإثنين 23 نيسان 2012. النشاط الذي نظمته مكتبة المدرسة بالتنسيق مع الأستاذ رولان حمصي، حضره تلامذة الصف الثانوي الثاني الذين استمعوا إلى شرح الرحباني عن تاريخ العائلة الموسيقي، من المسرح إلى الأعمال الفنية المختلفة.  وكانت زاوية من الحديث تناولت كرة القدم، حيث تحدث الرحباني عن شغفه تجاه هذا النوع من الرياضة، ما لفت انتباه القسم الأكبر من الحضور. في نهاية اللقاء، تعرف الرحباني إلى مواهب عدد من التلامذة، وشجعهم على تنمية مواهبهم من خلال العمل الكثيف مع الاختصاصيين.

by Sara Watchi-Hayek

The septet of dusk-to-dawns befalls us. Not particularly ubiquitous among a generation of incompetents, it is a final effort, a feeble attempt at a juggernaut aiming to smite blank parchment and entranced faces into oblivion. On the final eve of yonder fortnight, six in fellowship, doppelganged by nothing but the orange cross on their chests, were set out to a place of lesser fortunes, namely the much overlooked institute of Saint Coeurs Cornet Chehwan. Petra Rahbani, Magali Jalkh, Rimal Choueiry, and Perla Hanna found their paths leading to a shockingly fifth grade classroom, where they barded the illustrated Biblical tales of ancient times, adjusting them to a more local linguistic level, in accordance with the pupils’ ghastly English proficiency. Meanwhile, literary collaborators Sary Sader and Patrick Gemayel crossed galleys and cupboards to an even snugger room of mentorship, where a sixth grade class were introduced to the mythical adventures of Sinbad. Promising a better future to come with reading, keeper of librariums Mrs. Carla Mitri ushered the party back to the campus they are so fortunate to have.  Eyes widened by the misfortune of others, the Reading Week came to a close, and thus, the everlasting quest for global enlightenment goes on with no horizon in sight…

By Sari Sader

Two words come to our mind as April draws near, and that is “Reading Week”.

Students from all divisions wait impatiently to celebrate this special event through participating in the different activities organized by our teachers and librarians. Some are curious to meet our remarkable guests speakers and authors; others rush in to buy the latest titles at the book fair; while some, like us, look for those special reading aloud moments with young ones. 

In this spirit, students from the secondary school, Petra Rahbani, Magali Jalkh, Rimal Choueiry, Perla Hanna, Sary Sader and Patrick Gemayel, read aloud interesting stories from miscellaneous books such as “Sinbad Journeys” and “Noah’s Ark and Other Stories” in front of innocent yet keen students of “Saints Coeurs, Cornet Chehwan “ on April 30, 2012. Students were enthusiastic and joyful to participate in this fun activity. They were able to follow the lines of the plot and give their feedback. At the end of the storytelling, the student’s smiles were widened upon receiving delicious sweets from us and most of all for being inspired by our great stories.

As we left the place, we felt a kind of regret for not having stayed longer. However, we knew that each of these students will remember that day and, who knows, will retell our stories to their family and friends.

Petra Rahbani and Magali Jalkh

This year the student council went of the box to think of a new way to celebrate teachers’ day. The idea was that the council would host an event called “Talk of the School”, with Melissa Abdallah and Michel Moukarzel as hosts.

A light and smooth interview was conducted with the teachers who chose to participate.  

The highlight of the event was the testimony of Tatiana Labaki former President of the student council and the surprise skype intervention of former president Peter Keyrouz with his recognition to the school and its administration. The event left the teachers with a joyful heart and smiles on the faces as the students cheers filled the theater.

Bassel Maamary – 2SC

Vice president of the student council

It is our last at school, the only things we will carry with us for the rest of our lives are our memories. This is why the music team 2012 decided to take an initiative and organized an Easter concert as part of the Easter campaign to reach out to the needy. The concert was held in the school theater on April 4, 2012. This special event opened a leeway for all the Secondary students to display their impressive talents. The concert had a spiritual as well as a festive dimension. Diverse songs and symphonies were beautifully performed. The preparation of this successful endeavor required sacrifice, hard work and hours of rehearsal.  But the joy perpetrated on that day and reflected in the eyes and hearts of many a student and teacher told us that it was all worth it. Easter blessings to you all!

Cynthia Sadaka LSB

وبعد اللقاء أولم سيادة المطران يوسف بشارة على شرف الوزير زياد بارود

“Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader,” a famous saying that describes very well our aim at the Lower Elementary at SJS. With the Reading week activities, guest authors, and Book Fair visits, we are aiming at raising a young generation that enjoys reading! From April 20 till April 27, our students had the chance to participate in different reading activities prepared by our guest authors, Mrs. Samar Barraj and Mrs. Margo Khoury, who signed their respective books to the children. Students also visited the Book Fair and were exposed to a wide variety of books very well displayed by different publishers

Who are the people that make up our community? The list is quite long, but one of the major players is the Civil Defense. Grade 2 students learnt about firefighters in their English class, and on Wednesday April 18^th, enjoyed a visit with the firefighters in the Greenfield. The firefighters talked to them about basic fire safety and reminded them to dial 125 in case they see a lot of smoke or fire at home. They showed them two different types of fire suits that they wear. Needless to say, the children loved seeing the red helmet. But the highlight of the visit was when the fire truck was turned on, and the pipes swelled with water. The firefighter showed them how he could play around with the spout increasing or decreasing the intensity of the water. “Oohs” and “Aahs” filled the air when he climbed onto the truck and turned the water canon up into the sky.

As part of our community, the Civil Defense has an important role in keeping us all safe. We thank them for all the hours of volunteering and dedication that they have shown towards the larger community as a whole.  

On March 21 and 23, KG1 students performed dances and songs in front of their parents and administrators at Saint Joseph School Theater.

A DVD showed main steps of a KG1 school day.

The Daycare Play took place on March 28, 2012 at Saint Joseph School Theater.

A DVD showed main steps of Daycare students’ activities, and the students performed dances.

Adults and children both appreciated this celebration.

Le service social a organisé durant le cours de religion des séances de sensibilisation au sujet de la «personne à besoin spécifique».

La présence de l’assistante sociale en classe avait pour objectifs:

1.     d’aider les élèves à comprendre la problématique d’handicap

2.     de préparer les élèves avant de passer aux visites des institutions

3.     accepter et faciliter la communication avec des personnes différentes de nous.

Les visites ont eu lieu à: Acsauvel – IRAP – Message de Paix

Durant les visites, les élèves étaient très contents de concrétiser le contact aves ces personnes. C’était une expérience pleine d’interaction entre les élèves et les différentes associations. Les visites ont étés complétées par une retraite spirituelle prise en charge par le département spirituel de l’école adoptant le même sujet.

Dans le but de conscientiser les élèves tout au long de leur parcours scolaire aux risques et problèmes sociaux, nous avons voulu intervenir auprès des élèves de la 4^ème année élémentaire et ceci au sujet de la sécurité routière, car cette dernière s’éduque définitivement dès le bas âge. Pour cela, nous avons fait appel à « Kunhadi », qui est une organisation qui s’occupe de sensibiliser, surtout les jeunes aux risques de la route, et qui a institué un programme adéquat aux enfants de l’âge de 8 à 9 ans.

Over and over again, SJS never fails to impress. For the second year in a row in the Middle School Model United Nations Conference, young leaders who are barely fifteen stepped up to the podium of the Lebanese American University to provide wide assemblies with their views on issues plaguing our world. This year, six of our ambassadors, as delegates of Finland and Qatar, preached to vast assemblies of up to 80 people to spread awareness to their peers and even elders. Following what they learnt in several diligent training sessions, our students used the Convention on the Rights of the Child to argue in favor of child rights, religious freedom, and international health and security for children all over the globe. Furthermore, our students took this task one step further once they won 4 Secretary General awards (the highest achievement in the conference), 1 diplomacy award honoring a delegate’s superb skills in negotiation and crisis management, and 1 speech finalist award acclaiming a talent of one of our delegates in effective speech writing. As a result, Saint Joseph School won the Best Delegation School Award for the second year in a row out of 75 other participant schools. Truly, the SJS legacy continues. SJS provided this opportunity for its young students to take a chance in international affairs. Progressively, SJS allowed its students to raise their school’s name up high when they provided effective procedures for eliminating discrimination in the world. Indeed, it is a true gift to have this passion for solving the crises of the world around us. In fact, that is one thing SJS takes great pride in: It is teaching its students to love the world, be active leaders, and cause a change. Thankfully, our students tacked into their inner diplomats and proved that we truly are, and shall remain, the best delegation school in promoting international peace and security.

By Joy Nasr 2SC

في إطار نشاطات الصَّوم المُبارك، قامَ تلامذة الصّف الأساسي الخامس بِزيارة "علّية مَراناتا" في قرنة الحمرا.

تَضَمَّنت الزيارة بَرنامجًا روحيًّا بدأ بِعَرض من قِبَل الخوري خليل الحايك إكتشفَ فيه التلاميذ معنى كلمة "علّية" وأهمّية العشاء الأخير ليسوع وتلاميذه فيها.

تخلّل البرنامج عدّة محطات: في نهر الأردن تعرّفوا على الماء رمز الروح القدس وازدادوا إيمانًا بِهِ. في قانا الجليل، إمتلأوا فَرحًا بعد أن تعرَّفوا على الخمر ورموزه، وعرفوا أنّ مريم العذراء هي الوَسيط لهذا الفرح. في أريحا، تعرّفوا على الإنجيل المقدّس من خلال شفاء الأعمى وتوبة زكّا العشّار ومَثَل السامريّ الصالح، وامتلأوا تَوبةً وغفرانًا. في بستان الزيتون، عاشوا الصلاة مع يسوع وامتلأوا من سَلامِه. في بيت لحم، تعرَّفوا على محبَّةِ يسوع اللاّمتناهية وأنّه هو خبز الحياة.

بارِك يا رَبّ صومَنا واجعَله مُرضيًا ومَقبولاً لدَيك.

Pushups are a superb upper body exercises that use the body’s own weight to build a sound fitness foundation. Pushups can also contribute to better posture and help protect your back from injury and strain.

The sit ups are strength training exercises, commonly performed with the aim of strengthening the hip flexors and the abdominal muscles. they begin with lying with the back on the floor, typically with the arms across the chest or hands behind the head and the knees bent in an attempt to reduce stress on the back muscles and spine, and then elevating both the upper and lower vertebrae from the floor until everything superior to the buttocks is not touching the ground.

 As a result, pushups and sits ups  promote strength, balance, and stability by developing several key muscles, including the pectorals major in the chest, the deltoids or shoulder muscles, the scapular muscles and rotator cuff, the triceps located on the back of the upper arm and the upper back muscles.

 On Thursday, March 8, 2012 the Saint Joseph School Sports Department, with the collaboration of the Lower Elementary administration, organized a pushups and sit ups competition for Grade 3 students during the 2^nd recess.  

The list of techniques and the benefits of the strength exercises stated in the above paragraphs were professionally applied by the 3^rd graders who participated in the competition. Two students were selected from each class section; a girl and a boy were representing their class to perform in the finals.

The Lower Elementary sports teachers were present to count and time the record of the participants with the enthusiastic support of the division principal.

The results for the Grade 3 pushups and sit ups competition were:

At the end, a closing ceremony was carried out during the assembly to distribute the medals for the first three winners in each category.

تقاطرت وفود الطلاّب منذ ساعات الصباح الأولى يوم الإثنين في 20 شباط 2012 إلى كنيسة مار يوسف لإستقبال زمن الصوم والمصالحة برش الرماد على جباهها والتسلّح بصليب الخلاص كيما تستطيع محاربة الشرّير وحيَله. وقد حضّر التنشيط الروحي تعريفًا بمعنى هذا اليوم المقدّس وتاريخيّته كما كانت رتبة خاصّة للقسم الثانويّ في مسرح المدرسة، في سنة الكتاب المقدّس حملت العنوان التالي: " ليس بالخبز وحده يحيا الإنسان بل بكلّ كلمة تخرج من فم الله"، وفيها جرى عرضٌ لفيلم تحدّث عن انهيار مبنى فسّوح وتداعياته وأسبابه ليضيء على مبنى داخلي هو النفس المبنيّة أساساتها على كلمة الله وقد تسلّم كلّ طالب وهو يترمّد الكتاب المقدّس، الغذاء الروحي كهديّة من الأمانة العامّة للمدارس الكاثوليكيّة وسلّم كلّ طالب بدوره من مشتقّات الخبز الأرضي ( كعك، كورن فليكس، قربان) جرى توزيعها على مدرسة القلبين الأقدسين قرنة شهوان ومؤسّسة الإيراب عين عار.  

Et voilà c’est reparti à nouveau !

Une nouvelle année pour le Cooking  Club ; la quatrième déjà et comme d’habitude le succès est au rendez-vous.

Nos chers petits chefs augmentent en nombre et en enthousiasme, comme l’affirment les témoignages de quelques-uns de ses membres :

·         Le Cooking Club m’a appris que la cuisine est un art, surtout comme il est écrit dans « RATATOUILLE » : TOUT LE MONDE PEUT CUISINER !!! Ce club m’a appris aussi à être créative, à travailler en groupe et à valoriser le travail des autres.

                                                                                                Maria-Paola Nahed (6A)

·         Au Cooking Club on s’amuse beaucoup. C’est une bonne expérience. Nous avons apprécié toute recette saine comme celle de la salade de fruits. Et aussi le fait de nous regrouper autour d’un bon plat.    

Tina, Joy et Sarah (6F)

·         In the Cooking Club we learn a lot of things:

-          Share

-          Work together without competition 

-          Cooking

               It is cultural and exciting. Join the Cooking Club you will learn new things. 

Ella Waked (5B)                                          

·         In Cooking Club this year, I learned how to cut fruits into design: the potato Lady-bird and the cake-walk. The Cooking Club made me more interested in cooking.    

Sarah Azar (5B)

·         Cooking is one of the talents a person can have. So we made a “cooking club” for those who are talented in cooking. Any person can learn how to cook, just try, because practice makes perfect. In the Cooking Club we also cook happiness and love.
We had a lot of fun during these four sessions; there was delicious food and activities.

                                                                                     Charbel Haddad, Joe Labaki (5B)

·         Cooking Club is so nice!
It’s a very beautiful experience. Cooking is fun too and we could learn to prepare delicious recipes and to have responsibility as well. We wish we could continue cooking this year. 

                                                                                  Chloe Hayek, Reem Dabbagh (5C)

لأنّ المدرسة هي الكنف الذي يتربّى فيه أولادنا على عيش القيم المسيحيّة ، وبخاصّة الوقوف قرب المريض والضعيف، كانت زيارة الطفولة والشبيبة المرسلة في أسبوع المريض إلى مركز بحنّس الطبّي، يوم الأربعاء 8 شباط 2012 ، ترافقهم السيّدتان ماريّا عبد النور ونورما الغزال. هناك كانت الأخت دانيلاّ حدّاد في استقبال الطلاّب بابتسامتها ونشاطها، وتوزّع الجميع على الغرف حيث عرّفوا عن ذواتهم والغرض من الزيارة، ثمّ كانت صلوات محضّرة وأخرى عفويّة صدرت منهم كصلاة مار يوسف التي حفظها الطلاّب وصلّوها مع المرضى في جناح مار يوسف عن ظهر غيب، ما أفرحنا جدًّا وحمل الجميع على تهنئتهم. وقد عبرّ المرضى عن فرحتهم عند الصلاة وتقديم الهدايا التي حملها الطلاّب، بالشكر وبعضهم أجهش بالبكاء. وفي بعض الغرف صدحت التراتيل مع الغيتار، واستطاع طلاّبنا في ساعة من الوقت إدخال الفرح والسلام إلى قلوب متألّمة. كانت الزيارة مؤثّرة عاش من خلالها طلاّبنا فرح افتقاد الآخر في مرضه والشهادة للربّ من خلال القيم التي يتربّى على عيشها في المدرسة.

At the beginning of the second term, the eight sections competed against each other in English, Arabic and French languages.

The students were able to answer in a correct and full sentence. An atmosphere of happiness, cheerfulness and enthusiasm prevailed.

On the 23^rd of January, and during the snack period, all the Preschool students gathered in their classrooms to taste the delicious “Galette des Rois”.

The students were excited to find out who will get the “fève” inside her/his piece of cake so as to get the crown.

The child with the crown was asked to choose a partner.

As part of a very distinguished school that embraces extracurricular activities as a basic part of its program and creates a wide space for them, MUN is considered as a very important club that has made many achievements throughout the years. With a pragmatic, prudent, and very enthusiastic advisor, Mr. Jihad Yaacoub, the delegates of the MUN club were able to acquire many skills that enabled them to be good negotiators and diplomatic leaders. Mr. Jihad Yaacoub always looks for the best opportunities for his students to take part of, and because of his constant efforts and steady perseverance, we were able to reach once considered far-fetched goals that are now undoubtedly within our reach. These opportunities varied from being national and international as our last participation was in the International Georgetown University Model United Nations in Qatar, where the participants form our school were Hind Bou Jaoude representing Gambia in the African Union, Francesca Kahale representing Germany in the IAEA, Yara Neaime representing Germany in the ECOSOC, Micheal Karam representing Germany in SPECPOL, Wadih Khnaisir representing Germany in the security council, and myself, Melissa Abdallah, representing Guatemala in the HRC. This conference was funded by the Georgetown University and hosted by the Marriott hotel, where we attended it with full anticipation with our advisor and principal. Talking about the conference, it is certainly one of high calibers and standards that were explicitly shown day after day. Throughout the 4-day-long conference, the delegates were met with many difficulties that were met by the Saint Joseph School delegates with teamwork and cooperation. These difficulties started out with waking up early every morning and going to the conference where we had a huge responsibility to portray the image of intelligent and informed delegates through speeches and to depict high leadership skills by forming alliances, finding common ground with other delegates, and reaching compromise. The elements of surprise that targeted some of the committees were the unexpected crises that hit them. Crises? Who would have thought of them? Might sound weird, but guess that’s what happens in conferences where the chairs want to discover the abilities of the leaders in crisis management on the spot. For instance, our delegate representing Germany in the Security Council, Wadih Khnaisir, was forced to leave his room at 12 am in his pajamas and meet with other delegates in the lobby in order to solve a crisis that had just taken place. Wadih highlighted the importance of staying coherent and comprehensive in such cases and he won the award for “Best Delegate in Crisis Management”, finding the best solution to handle the problem at hand. Many other delegates proved to be ideal in such cases and put their skills in action as many other cases happened and showed the various unexpected things that could happen in the real UN. As delegates of the same competition, one would think that we have problems with each other. On the contrary, our team defines cooperation; our team describes coherence; our team equals teamwork and nothing but coming along through the ups and downs. Teamwork starts with the way we were trained to become the leaders we are today, and continues to be revealed in the conferences. Our teamwork unveils itself under any circumstance where one can find us all helping each other to work any problem out. We, as delegates of Saint Joseph School, learn first and foremost to respect any person. This value was accentuated upon while meeting with a diversity of people coming from 56 different countries to participate in this conference. The founders and the staff of the GMUN were impressed to see what we had to offer for other people,   in conference or in the activities that we made in our free time. Punctuality, respect, care, acceptance, negotiation, and many other values were the prime bases of any action we made. And as expected, our school once again proved itself among many other schools to be one of high standards winning the award of BEST DELEGATION FOR THE GEORGETOWN MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2012 with a total of 3 awards. This victory is one of great importance, and it raised many questions and exclamation marks to everyone since this was our first participation in this conference. Last but not least, it is significant to mention our regards and thanks to our advisor, Mr. Jihad Yaacoub, who accompanies us throughout all our conferences and teaches us how to be the leaders of the future, and we send special thanks to our principal, Mrs. Claudine Aziz, and her encouragement in every activity we decide to participate in.

By Melissa Abdallah

Cette année, les prêtres âgés hébergés chez les sœurs de La Croix-Broummana étaient les personnes que les élèves des classes secondaires voulaient aider.

Une première visite du couvent des sœurs était nécessaire pour se familiariser avec les personnes en question et les connaître ainsi que découvrir leurs besoins.

Ultérieurement, les élèves ont organisé à l’école durant une journée qu’ils ont appelée «Campaign Day», des jeux inter classes qui ont duré plusieurs heures et dans lesquels étaient aussi engagés les profs et les surveillants. Un esprit très joyeux et de solidarité a régné.

Un moment a été consacré à vendre des aliments de tous genres que les parents d’élèves ont préparé ou acheté ; et ceci dans le but de ramasser de l’argent pour la campagne.

Le soir, une fête était organisée dans le but aussi de collecter plus d’argent pour pouvoir aider le couvent en question.

Une deuxième visite avant Noël a eu lieu pour délivrer la contribution des élèves et pour fêter avec les prêtres qui nous attendaient. Tous les présents ont mis de tout leur cœur et de leur talent au service de ce moment passé ensemble.

Des impressions très positives et touchantes ont été relevées et rédigées par ses élèves pour les publier ultérieurement dans leur journal «vision».

On Monday, January 23, 2012, an over excited bunch of Third Secondary students gathered at the assembly hall with their snow gear and bright smiles. Teachers, no less equipped, and students all jumped happily into the awaiting buses. Our first stop was at Bickfaya, at Our Mother of Deliverance church, were a very solemn and heartwarming mass was held.  We left the church under the soft pitter patter of rain to have a manoushe and juice together. Soon we were on our way to Faraya. There, under glittering snowflakes, we had the time of our lives: Snow angels, snowmen, snow ball fights, dancing and a lovely lunch. It sure was a day to remember; our laughter and giggles echoed at the restaurant long after we had left.

On November 21, 2011 for the occasion of the Flag Day and the Independence Day, the Secondary School held a very special ceremony focusing on the values portrayed in the honor code. Mr. Charbel Rizk, the master of ceremony, ingeniously linked the various activities to make a meaningful entity of the teachers’ and students wondrous talents and performances. The program aimed at expressing how SJS in its “façon-d’être” and “façon de faire” lives the values it proclaims. Mrs. Maria Abdel Nour prepared small excerpts from the bible in the form of small scenes with the 1S students. The excerpts highlighted the Christian intake on social and patriotic issues. Following came a beautiful dance performed by the cheerleading team and choreographed by Mr. Pierre Geagea, then came various presentation movies and songs played and sung lives by the 2S and 3S students.

The audience was awed by the quality of the ceremony. Fr. George Antaby, the Vice Rector for academics representing our Rector, Msgr. Richard Abou Moussa, addressed the students with a speech that highlighted the multiple talents and initiatives taken on by the students, and the values that define who we are, as reflected in our honor code and lead us to shine on.

As part of the Civics curriculum, and to give real life dimension to in-class teaching, Mr. Walid Abboud, graciously honored us with his presence on October 28, and offered insight on his rich professional background. The Third Secondary students related theories taken in class to a practitioner’s experience. It was a very fruitful and interesting  conference.

كان عنوان الريسيتال الميلادي السنوي الذي أحيته مدرسة مار يوسف يوم الخميس 22 كانون الأوّل 2011 على مسرح المدرسة، وجمع الطلاّب من الأقسام كافّة مع الإدارة والأهل بحضور صاحب السيادة المطران يوسف بشارة. فصدحت الأصوات معلنة مجيء نور العالم باللغات الثلاث، وأضفت المشاهد المسرحيّة على الريسيتال أنوار المعرفة إذ ربطت مشاهد من العهد القديم بمشاهد أخرى لها صداها في العهد الجديد ليظهر المسيح نور العالم، الذي بتجسّده أعطى المعنى الكامل لكلّ أحداث التاريخ. هذا الريسيتال الذي صار سنويًا، يبدأ التحضير له مع نهاية كلّ سنة، وتتضافر فيه جهود المربّين والإدارة والطلاّب الذين يمضون وقتًا طويلاً في التمرينات والتحضيرات، ليأتي العمل مميّزًا تتألّق من خلاله مدرستنا مشعّة بالعلم والمواهب والإيمان الحقّ.

تحضّر الطلاّب في الأقسام كافّة لاستقبال مجيء المخلّص بقدّاسات تعاقب على إحيائها المرشدون في الأقسام، وتركّزت العظات فيها على التحضير الحقيقي للعيد، الذي يتعدّى الإهتمام بالمظاهر، ليصل إلى تحضير الذات بعيش كلمة الله والإهتداء بها لتتنوّر حياتنا ويحلّ السلام في عالمنا. فالربّ وحده هو المحرّك لطاقاتنا، ومن تجسّده وحضوره فينا ينبع كلّ فرح، لأنّه الحبّ الذي نزل من عليائه لخلاص كلّ واحد منّا لتكون له الحياة وتكون بوفرة.

شكّل زمن الميلاد محطّة لفريق الطفولة المرسلة في المدرسة ليشهد لتجسّد الإبن بمسرحيّة أضاءت على المعاني الحقيقيّة لمعاني رموز العيد ( الشجرة- الأنوار- الجرس- الطابات- بطاقات المعايدة...) في زمن صار فيه العيد بعيدًا مع المظاهر الخارجيّة التي بات يرتديها. وقدّم الفريق المسرحيّة التي أعدّتها المنشطة الروحيّة لطلاّب الأساسي الثاني في إطار النشاطات الإستعداديّة لإستقبال نور العالم.

 “Only true artists understand and know
 How life would be so grey and dark
 Life without love is life without art.                                                                                              

Museum walls crying for frames

 Artifacts unknown fossil names
Markers paint oil and lead

Art cannot live if it is dead
Art is a baby waiting to be
Nurtured and loved eternally
Art is a Rose in full bloom
Life without art is Death after Doom…”

It has become a tradition; every winter our third graders await and welcome Fabriano to the Lower Elementary Division. A curious assembly is gathered to find out the winners of last year’s art contest. As usual, they make us very pleased and proud. Mabrouk Grade Three! We hopefully forward for another colorful year of art and creativity!

وفي ذلك اليوم تحديداً 23/11/2011 إنطلقت بنا الحافلة في تمام الساعة الثامنة والنصف من مدرسة مار يوسف باتجاه دير القديسة رفقا في جربتا برفقة الخوري روكز براك والسيدة نورما الغزال.

بعد ساعة ونصف، وصلنا إلى المكان المحدد وعلى الرغم من طول المسافة ووعورة الطريق، دهشنا بالمناظر الطبيعيّة التي يعجز الفنانون البارعون عن رسمها. ترجّلنا من الحافلة واتجهنا صعوداً على الأدراج إلى القاعة حيث سجّي جثمان القديسة رفقا ليفتتح الخوري روكز هذه الرياضة بالصلاة الصباحية، ثم حضرت إحدى راهبات الدير لتخبرنا عن حياة القديسة رفقا منذ ولادتها وحتى وفاتها. وبعد ذلك التقينا مجدداً الخوري روكز الذي روى لنا قصّة مثيرة الإهتمام عن طفل في العام الخامس حلم بأن يكون كاهناً، وكيف تحققت أمنيته فيما بعد، كما أضاف بعض المعلومات عن الدعوة في الحياة المسيحيّة. وحوالي الساعة الحادية عشرة، تنزّهنا في أرجاء الدير واكتشفنا روائعه. وفي المرحلة الأخيرة كان علينا أن نفحص ضميرنا، ونندم على الخطايا التي اقترفناها ونعترف بها عند الكاهن لنبدأ حياة جديدة. اختتمنا نهارنا بالقداس الإلهي في كنيسة الدير وقدّمنا النوايا على نيتنا ونيّة أهلنا وأساتذتنا ومدرستنا.

كان نهارأً رائعاً عشناه سوياً وليته يتكرر.

ماري حبّو

الصف التاسع أساسي "ف"

Saint Joseph School and the Lower Elementary Division are very proud of their student Christopher Kabalan -G3F who won the first prize in the Recycling Competition organized by the Municipality of Cornet Chahwan.  Christopher was warmly received by the Rector, Msgr. Richard Abou Moussa in his office and proudly presented the trophy to him. Christopher also received a scholarship and a certificate, and had previously presented his project at the Science Fair at school and won the bronze medal.

SJS congratulates Christopher and his parents for the prizes well deserved!!

"وأمّا الحبّ الّذي وقع في الأرض الجيّدة ، فهم الذين يسمعون كلام الّله ويحفظونه بقلب طيّب صالح، فيثمرون بثباتهم" لوقا 8\15

في إطار الاستعداد للقربانة الأولى، إحتفل طلاّب الصف الثالث أساسي، مع مرشدهم حضرة الخوري إيلي عدوان، باستلام الكتاب المقدّس "العهد الجديد" يوم الأربعاء 7 كانون الأول 2011. تميّز الاحتفال بجوّ من الفرح والإصغاء لكلمة الربّ من خلال مثل الزارع الذي تأمّل فيه الطلاّب بعد حضور فيلم شكّل مدخلا للتأمّل. كما كان للأولاد حصّتهم في المشاركة، إذ تقدّم سبعة منهم يمثّلون الصفوف السبعة التي ينتمون إليها، حاملين الشموع و مرتّلين: "كلمتك مصباح لخطاي"، ثمّ قدّموا بعد الإنجيل حبوب القمح التي أثمرت، رمزاً للأرض الجيدة التي تثمر ووعدوا الربّ بأن يكونوا كمثل هذه الأرض الطيّبة التي تُزرع فيها كلمة الربّ فتعطي ثمار المحبّة والإيمان.

La remise des prix “Concours Fabriano” pour l’année 2011 a eu lieu le Jeudi 8 Décembre. Dans la cour des EB5, des diplômes et des cadeaux ont été distribués aux élèves, et une bourse scolaire a été octroyée à l’élève Lara Zoghbi.

Ci-joint les noms des gagnants:

1.     Christelle Rmeily

2.     Maria Moubarak

3.     Toufic Lattouf

4.     Rony Zoghbi

5.     Ferdinand Khoury

6.     Nour Yazbeck

7.     Sarah Zarifeh

8.     Priscilla-Lynn Moukarzel

9.     Jennifer Khoury

10.   David Kallassi

Félicitations à tous les gagnants!

هم طلاّب القسم الثانوي الذين يهبّون للشهادة حين يدقّ النفير ولا يوفّرون جهدًا أو موهبة إلاّ ويضعونها في خدمة الرسالة. هم هكذا لأنّ التربية المسيحيّة الصالحة التي اكتسبوها في المدرسة لا بدّ بأن تعطي ثمارها، وهذه المرّة أتى الحصاد من معرض الإعلام المسيحي العاشر، الذي كان بعنوان الشباب وقضايا العصر الملحّة، درعًا تكريميّة بمثابة جائزة المدارس المشاركة لمدرسة مار يوسف التي قدّم طلاّبها الثانويّون، بالتعاون مع إدارة القسم والتنشيط الروحي، أغنية حول الشباب والتمسّك بالوطن، ورقصة حول الموضوع عينه، ولوحات رسموها عبّرت عن المواضيع الملحّة التي تعني الشباب اليوم كالأرض والهجرة والبيئة و العلوم والفنون والإعلام، كما المخاطر التي تتعرّض لها كالمخدّرات والتدخين... وقد حازت هذه المواهب على تقدير اللجنة برئاسة رئيس الإتحاد الكاثوليكي للصحافة، الأب طوني خضرة، الذي نوّه بالمشاركين وهنأهم مسلّمًا إيّاهم الدرع لتتألق مدرسة مار يوسف بإيمان وشهادة أبنائها.

كعادته كلّ سنة، يحيي التنشيط الروحي عيد القدّيسة بربارة في الأقسام كافّة من خلال مشاهد مسرحيّة تلقي الضوء على المعنى الروحي للعيد. وتمبّزت هذه السنة بالتعاون مع مجلس الطلبة في القسم الثانوي في التعريف عن الإختلاف ما بين عيد القدّيسة بربارة وهالوين فكان مشهد مسرحيّ وهوّارة عرّفت بحياة القدّيسة. وفي القسم المتوسّط كان مشهد حول معنى الوجوه التي نتخفّى وراءها كلّ يوم وكيفيّة قبولنا الآخر كما هو. أمّا القسم الإبتدائي فقد حضّر فريق الطفولة المرسلة مشهدًا تناول حياة القدّيسة قدّمه للقسم المذكور وللأساسي الثاني. أضفى الإحتفال جوًا من الفرح عسى أن ينعكس على طلاّبنا في وجوهم وحياتهم لتزهر قداسة وتشعّ نورًا.

ما أجمل أن يجتمع الإخوة معًا، وما أعظم أن تبنى روح الشّركة والمحبّة في المدرسة، ممّا يعزّز حقًّا ويحوّل الأساتذة إلى شهودٍ أمام تلامذتهم. هذا ما حصل في اللقاء الّذي جمع مسؤولي المرحلة الإبتدائيّة بمناسبة عيد القدّيسة بربارة. وهذا ما نسعى لعيشه في كلّ يومٍ، محاولين أن نعيش ما قاله لنا سيّدنا يسوع المسيح: "كلّما اجتمع اثنان باسمي أكون أنا الثّالث بينهما"، فكم بالأحرى إذا اجتمعت الجماعة بأكملها!

On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Daycare, Nursery, KG1 and KG2 students had a blast when they put on their masks and went around the classes singing and celebrating Saint Barbara’s Feast Day!

Later on, all the students ate delicious wheat on this special occasion.

 لقد تقدم طلاب المعهد الموسيقي  مدرسة مار يوسف-قرنة شهوان من الامتحانات التي اقيمت في Trinnity   College   London

يوم  الخميس  10 – 11 – 2011

ونهنىء الطلاب الذين نجحوا بتفوق  وهم :

 إيلي نعيم  Saxophone – Advanced Certificate         

 غدي حايك Flute  –  Grade 8    

 إستير بو داغرPiano – Intermediate Certificate   

 إحياءً  لذكرى عيد الإستقلال، وكعادتها في كلّ سنةٍ، أقامت مدرسة مار يوسف قرنة شهوان إحتفالات شملت الأقسام كافّةً، وقد تألّق تلامذة قسم المتوسط كعادتهم في كلّ سنة بتقديم أبرز اللوحات الثقافية والفنّية للتعبير عن حبّهم وانتمائهم للوطن.

"وطنٌ أحببناه، عشقناه، حميناه، واحترامًا له نقف للنشيد الوطني اللبناني"

هكذا استُهلّ الإحتفال بالوقوف إجلالاً للنشيد الوطني مع السيّدة رولا الخوري مقدّمة الحفل، وتلتها كلمة ترحيب بمجلس الإدارة  وبالزملاء والطّلاب.

" كتب اسمك يا بلادي عالشّمس لما بتغيب"

أغنيةٌ بصوت الفنان اللّبناني الأصيل "جوزف عازار" أطلقت الإحتفال و جسّدت شعار المدرسة لهذه السنة  "أشرق" "Shine on".

ولا ننسى حضور لبنان بأقلام طلابنا الذين غمسوا أقلامهم بحبّ الوطن بعد أن ناجوه وحلموا به مفتخرين بإنتمائهم إليه. فتفجرّت أقلامهم صورًا أدبيّةً رائعةً سلبت القلوب بما احتوت من أجمل ما كُتب عن لبنان وأُلقيت بصوت أساتذة اللغة العربية في قسم اللغة العربية.

كذلك لم تغب مادّة الرّسم عن الإحتفال فتألّقت بما قدّمه الطّلاب من لوحاتٍ عبّروا من خلالها عن إشراق بلدنا راسمين بريشتهم الساحرة شعار مدرستنا، فتوهّجت الأحرف بنورها وجسّدت كلمة "Shine on".

وقد تابع هذا  الإشعاع  إضاءته بعملٍ  تحت عنوان "إشعاع لبنان 2011-2012" حيث عُرضت فيه أبرز إنجازات لبنان لهذا العام ولا سيما وصول مغارة جعيتا إلى التصفيات النهائية، وفوز الفريق اللبناني على كوريا.

وكالعادة أتى الختام مميّزًا بأغنيةٍ تُتوّج الإحتفال سنويًّا وهي "جايين يا أهل الجبل جايين"، حيثُ تلاقى تصفيق الطّلاب بصوت العملاق "وديع الصافي" وبإشعاع قرانا  فرسم لوحةً مؤثرةً حُفرت في أذهان الحضور.

وتلتها كلمات الشّكر لكلّ من ساهم في إنجاح هذا الإحتفال من إداريين وزملاء وطلاب وجنود مجهوليين.

أمّا كلمة الختام فقد ألقاها الأب "جورج عنتابي"، نائب الرّئيس للشؤون الأكاديمية ممثلاً رئيس المدرسة المونسيور ريشارد أبو موسى، الذي نوّه برقيّ الطّلاب والنّظام الذي ساد القاعة أثناء الإحتفال واعتبر أنّ كلّ فردٍ منّا هو لبنان، فلبنان ليس فقط فيروز وصباح ووديع الصافي وجبران خليل جبران، بل هو كلّ طالب وكل من يسعى للحفاظ عليه، وقد استشهد بمقولة  الطّالب "إليو عازار" حين قال: اعدك يا لبناني في بحر المصاعب، في زمن العواصف، لن أغيب!

On November 21, 2011, we celebrated the “Flag Day”.

There was a joyful atmosphere in the Preschool Division because all the students danced, sang and ate labneh sandwiches.

Many School Administrators were present to encourage all the Preschool students.

May God bless our country LEBANON!

Traditions, traditions, traditions - Lebanon is full of traditions!! That's why our theme for Flag Day 2011 in the Lower Elementary Division was 'Traditions in Lebanon'. Children enjoyed portraying these traditions through dances, songs, and poems. Children from Grades One, Two, and Three arrived to the theater with their lovely traditional hats prepared during craft class.  They proudly performed songs that they learned with music teachers, poems they wrote during the English class, sketches they learned with French teachers, not to forget the traditional “zajal” they prepared with the help of the Arabic teachers. After an hour of fun, laughter, and joy, children of the three classes enjoyed singing and dancing to a 'medley mix' during which they released many inner talents!
What a joy it was for our teachers to see their students' faces shining with wonderful smiles of happiness.

Shining they were indeed! Shining like the waving flag on a starry moonlit night, shining like the cedar covered with white snow, shining like the sun that shines after the storm.

One of the targets for the Aim to Act (A2A) Student Council was to increase student’s sense of belonging to Mother Nature. To accomplish this aim, the Student Council organized a day where students would clean a natural place together.

On Saturday, November 12, 100 students came to school to accomplish this goal. Three buses were filled, along with Mrs. Claudine Aziz, our principal, the Secondary supervisors, a few teachers and the President of the Cornet Chahwan Municipality. We got to the streets of Biyadah and spent three hours cleaning them up in groups. Students, as well as teachers, worked with enthusiasm and spent fun and useful times.  Passers-by even complimented us on the good job we were doing hoping that could make a difference somehow.

At the end of the day, we were eager to make more than one more activity that would bring students together to clean up such places and help Mother Nature become a cleaner and more agreeable to live in place.

As promised, the Student Council 2011-2012 launched its first drink booth on October 25, 2011. The booth sold fresh orange juice and chocolate-banana milkshakes. The members expected enthusiasm from the students, but were extremely surprised by the participation of the teachers in the event. Students were glad that this year's Student Council is working on events that are in direct contact with them.

According to our school’s traditions, the elections of the Student Council occur early in October, after the elections of class delegates.

On Thursday, October 13, 2011, and in an atmosphere of competition, the 45 representatives (3 for each class) chose the most competent people to take part of this year’s Council. The voting lasted for about 2 hours in the school’s auditorium in the presence of the Secondary School Principal, Mrs. Claudine Aziz, the Director of SAO,  Mr. Jihad Yaacoub, and the SAO assistant, Karim Chebli. After announcing the winners, the council met and assigned the positions.

The results were as follows:

 The Award Distribution Ceremony has become a tradition at Saint Joseph School. It takes place at the beginning of the academic year and aims at motivating the students shine in different fields such as: academics, arts, social activities and others.

Mrs. Mona Doueiry, the Principal of the Middle School Division, covered the introduction of the ceremony by advising the students to maintain their efforts so that their achievements will always shine on and know that their accomplishments will never be overlooked, not even by the new picture loving society. Moreover, she emphasized the importance of writing by quoting the title of a French article: “I write, therefore I am.”

Mr. Tony Khawand, master of the ceremony, considered the students as the flame of this world, and success as the tasteful juicy raisin of a grape, tasted by the distinguished students who are shining today among their colleagues and filling their hearts with magic.

Mrs. Antoinette Abou Jaoudeh, representative of the Parents’ Association, encouraged the students to excel and meet the expectations of their school and parents.

To sum up, Fr. Richard Abou Moussa, the Rector of Saint Joseph School, introduced    the theme of the year 2011-2012: “SHINE ON.”  Moreover, he considered the students as the hope of the future, and informed them to thank their parents and teachers who are working very hard to succeed and shine in any domain.

I. Certificates and Prizes of Academic Excellence by Class

II. Certificates and Prizes of Academic Excellence by Level

III. Progress by Class:

حول موضوع السنة "أشرق"

في تتويج مميَّز لعناوين كبرى وضعتها إدارة مدرستنا لسنوات خلت للتأمّل والعمل، أتى موضوع السنة بعنوان "أشرق" أو "Shine on". وقد اهتمَّ القسم المتوسِّط كعادته بتعميق الموضوع ضمن لقاءات الأسبوع الأوّل من السنة الدراسيّة والذي امتدّ من 29 أيلول حتّى 2 تشرين الأوّل 2011، بحيث توزَّعت المحاور على الشكل التالي:

المحور الأوّل بعنوان "بالخلق أشرق" مع الأستاذ طوني الخوند: وقد تحدَّث فيه عن خلق الله للكون، واختياره للإنسان كشريك له في تطوير الكون من خلال استعماله لطاقاته المتنوِّعة. وهكذا على مثال الملك سليمان، الذي لم يطلب من الربّ سوى الحكمة ليحكم بالعدل شعبه، علينا نحن أيضًا أن نطلب الحكمة من الربّ فنقيّم حياتنا على ضوء المشاريع والإنجازات التي ينتظرها منّا الجميع، فنكون مميَّزين نشعّ نورًا باهرًا لأنّنا في مدرسة تعطينا الكثير، وتطلب منّا أن نحقِّق بدورنا الإنجازات لأنّنا خلاّقون على مثال الله خالقنا.

وكما يقول الشاعر:   على قدر أهل العزم تأتي العزائم            وتأتي على قدر الكرامِ المكارمُ

المحور الثاني بعنوان "ثمرة الجهود" مع السيّدة رولا الخوري: وقد انطلقت من حادثة حقيقيّة وقعت على الفيسبوك، حيث كان أحد طلاّبنا يكتب كلمات نابية وقد تدخّلت المعلّمة لتنبّهه إلى خطورة استعمال لغة لا تنمّ عن هويّتنا الحقيقيّة وعن احترامنا لأنفسنا. وكانت ردّة فعل الطالب الإحترام الكلّي، إذ ألغى ما كتبه من عبارات لأنّه، بحسب تعبيره لاحقًا، وجد فيما قالته المعلّمة نقدًا إيجابيًّا، وبذلك كان مشرقًا باحترامه وبطاعته، وبجهوده من أجل تحسين أدائه في سبيل تميُّز إيجابيّ في مجتمعه.

المحور الثالث بعنوان "روح القيادة" مع الآنسة سمر الهاشم: وقد انطلقت من قصّة رجل أعمى مطروح عند طرف الطريق، تدخَّل رجلٌ بحكمته ليجعل الناس تساعده بعدما كانت تمرّ به غير آبهة بحاجته. إذ كتب على لوحةٍ بقربه : "كم هو رائع هذا اليوم، أنتَ تستطيع أن تراه ولكن أنا لا أستطيع". هكذا كلٌّ منّا يستطيع أن يكون قائدًا عندما يحاول كطالب مثلاً أن يجعل من الصفّ مكانًا أفضل للتعلّم، عندما يبرهن عن حسّ مسؤوليّة، عندما يُظهر استعداده لمساعدة الآخرين، عندما يتصرَّف بنضج وفعاليّة. وختمت كلامها بجملة مميَّزة :

“Real leaders are brilliant stars that not only generate light for themselves but also shine on the lives of others”. 

المحور الرابع بعنوان "ألمَعُ أو أُشرق" مع السيّدة جورجيت ماياك: وقد انطلقت من التمييز بين المرآة والمصباح: فالمرآة تعكس النور من الخارج ولكن لا نور في داخلها. أمّا المصباح فهو يضيء ممّا يحويه من الداخل كي ينير للآخرين. وهكذا إذا كنّا نحقِّق أعلى النتائج وأفضل المراكز، ولكنّنا نعمل كلّ ذلك من أجل مجدنا الشخصي، نبقى فارغين، نلمع ولا نشعّ. أمّا إذا كنّا ننظر إلى إنجازاتنا كعطيّة من الله لنا لخدمة الآخرين، حينها نشعّ بالحبّ. فمَنْ يلمَعُ من الخارج يبقى محدودًا بنفسه، أمّا الذي يَشعّ من الداخل يصبح نورًا للآخرين. وكانت جملة معبّرة ذكرتها:

“C’est quand je ne suis pas que je suis vraiment car je suis AMOUR”

المحور الرابع بعنوان "أسمو فأُشرق" مع الآنسة رولاند سلامه: وقد رَوَت فيه قصّة النسر الذي عاش على الأرض بين الصيصان فظنَّ أنّه منهم، إلى اليوم الذي حلّق فوقه رفَّ نسورٍ فتحرَّك في قلبه حلم التحليق. ولكنّه حاول وفشل حتّى تمكَّن أخيرًا، بعد انتصاره على سخرية الصيصان، أن يطير محلِّقًا في السّماء عاليًا فرحًا، ملتحقًا بأترابه النسور. هكذا نحن، ففي قلب كلٍّ منّا توقٌّ إلى عيش حقيقة الألوهة التي زرعها الله في داخلنا، والتي علينا أن نؤمن بها ونعمل بجهد على عيشها يوميًّا، بحياة تتميَّز بالقناعة والبساطة والشكر والرّجاء، فنسمو بالروح، أمام إخوتنا ومعهم، ونطير بالقداسة نحو عالم يحاول الكثيرون اليوم أن يستهزئوا به أو يتنكّروا له، فنشرق كالكواكب مع مَنْ سبقونا.

ترافق هذا الأسبوع بلوحات إعلانيّة في كلّ الملاعب وفي غرفة الأساتذة تعبِّر عن موضوع السنة عَمِلَت على اختيار صورها السيّدة رولا رزق. على أن يتتابع تعميق الموضوع تباعًا في كلّ المواد وعلى مدار السنة المدرسيّة، فتكون مدرستنا في إشعاعٍ مستمرّ أكاديميّ وإنسانيّ وروحيّ لخدمة الإنسان كلِّ إنسان وكلِّ الإنسان.

It was a glorious Saturday morning, the sun glazed from a cloudless sky. The Secondary School gathered next to the green field to start up their day by signing in the Bible verses that mean a lot to them as part of an activity planned and organized by Mrs. Maria Abdelnour. Then the day started by a symbolic prayer and a song by performed and played by the students.

Then the day started, the deliciously colorful food stands reflecting Lebanese and continental culture, the funny stand names “Teta w Baneta”, “Chiens Chauds”. Teachers and students grabbed a bite and moved on to the covered basketball playground where a match took place and ended with the victory of the teachers.

Later on, all the students were entertained by a breathtaking martial arts show organized by Coach Elie Elia. Simultaneously, chess and backgammon competitions were taking place. Football and Basketball matches were held in parallel coached by Mr. Zouein, Mr. Gemayel and Mr. Rizk.

At the end of the day, everybody proceeded to the theater for the closing ceremony. It started with a special prayer prepared by Mrs. Maria Abdel Nour and a team of students followed by the investiture and presentation of the Student Council, the awards distributions and the bands performances. A melodious start and a melodious end, it was a day to remember.

LERC-NDU Field Trip

Tony Blair once said, “A simple way to take measures of a country is to look at how many went in and how many went out.”

Despite some drawbacks of immigration, we still need to highlight and acknowledge the Lebanese spirit and charisma which have been propagated in different countries, and that is thanks to our outstanding Lebanese emigrants whose resiliency and determination are a key to success.

In this regard, and to strengthen their knowledge in this field, our First Secondary students are excited to do further research, work in groups, gather data, conduct interviews, analyze the information gathered, and communicate their ideas through a written and oral presentation.

To provide an enriching learning environment, our students had the chance on October 31 and November 2, 2011, to go on a field trip and attend a presentation, which was conducted by the team members of LERC (Lebanese Emigration Research Center) at NDU, Louayze.

In his welcoming note, Mr. Elie Nabhan, reporter and LERC website editor, outlined the LERC’s mission and objectives. Afterwards, Ms. Liliane Haddad, chief indexer and archivist, using a PowerPoint presentation, explained how emigration started, its different phases, causes, and effects.

The presentation was followed by a guided tour at the Nucleus Museum which holds a rich collection offered by the Lebanese emigrants from personal letters, diaries, belongings, to pictures and stamps.

During the trip, students took down notes, asked challenging questions, and interviewed LERC members and teachers.

To reminisce this moment we had together, a photo was taken in front of “el emeirante” sculpture.

With such a wealth of information, students will learn to appreciate more the Lebanese emigrants, and most of all, their own homeland.

At the Secondary School we make it a point to help every student adapt, work hard and thrive. As such, on the first day of school, a workshop was held for the First Secondary students. Its aim was to get them acquainted with the dynamics of the Secondary School, and get us acquainted with them in terms of basic data, as well as study habits, time management and study skills. The workshop comprised 5 components: (1) A tour of the Secondary School to get to know the place, the services offered and the people concerned, (2) Organization and logistics including receiving their timetable, test schedules and posting them in the locker and on the agenda, (3)  Secondary School related matters with Mr. Yaacoub, including everything related to elections, council and university-related matters (4) setting objectives and study schedules with the Principal, Mrs. Aziz and (5) Taking surveys on study skills, multiple intelligence and various student data.  

This workshop offered insight to the students and helped set guidelines and expectations for Secondary School life, and offered us a golden opportunity to get to know our students.

A leadership weekend organized by the Secondary School Administration and the Students’ Affairs Office took place on October 14 and 15, 2011 in Bethania Harissa. The attendees were the Student Council and the Dimensions Team. The aim of the weekend was to offer the chance to the students to set a plan for the year and the tasks at hand under the guidance of professionals.

Students worked diligently on building the necessary structure on which to base their work. Mrs. Paula Semaan met with the Dimensions Team and worked on supplying them with all the technical tips required to perfect their task. The Dimensions 11 Team helped Mrs. Semaan by sharing hands on experience with the team.  In parallel, Mrs. Gisele Karaa worked with the Student Council on the required archiving and documentation so as to ensure the information flow to all concerned. The council then, based on Mrs. Karaa’s templates and under the guidance of the whole organizing team, worked on the details of their yearly plan.

This weekend offered the students the chance to interact as a team, the know-how to build participative leadership skills and the necessary support in terms of techniques and theories provided by Fr. Richard Abou Moussa, our Rector, through his presentation on leadership, Mrs. Claudine Aziz, the Principal, through her intervention on team building and Mr. Jihad, Yaacoub, the SAO Director, through his intervention on time management.

The students’ teams worked together impressively well, the day and a half were chock-full of intensive work, the weekend through the students evaluation and the organizers’ feedback was a great success. The expectations are very high from both teams this year. God bless the Secondary School.

On the 12^th of October, the Secondary School gathered at the theater to celebrate the successes of its students. Honored by the presence of the Rector, Central Administration members, and the Parents’ Association, the ceremony took place with Ms. Rima Moukarzel as master of ceremony. In a spirit of academic optimism, genuine belief in the capacity of each and every student to succeed, genuine belief in our capacity to make a difference in the students’ ability to learn, sincere valuing of students’ achievements and progress, we cheered together. The ceremony set a tone of intense spirituality with a touching heartfelt testimony by George Azar (GSA), and a video of the World Youth Day. Then, Ms. Rima inspired us with a speech starting with Frost’s “Two roads in the woods diverged ..”. Mr. George Moujaes shared with us his journey at school as an alumnus and a father in the parents’ committee.  The Rector’s closing speech touched the hearts of the students and the audience as he reiterated his belief in the capacity of each and every student to shine to reach the summits that our Lord has set for him/her.

Here are our awardees, and may each and every one of our students shine in his own way: (Please click here)

LAU Awards

MUN Awards

Mr. Jihad Yaacoub has been elected as the best informed advisor in the Approval Panel at the St. Andrews International Model United Nations in Dublin, Ireland.

من الصليب يُشعّ الخلاص

أشاعت أنوار الصليب فرحًا وسلامًا على كافّة الطلاّب الذين أمّوا كنيسة شفيعهم القديس يوسف ليسلّموا للربّ ،في قدّاسات تعاقب على إحيائها المرشدون، سنة دراسيّة جديدة واعدة بالتألق على كافّة الصعد، مستمدّين القوّة من صليبه، مستنيرين بكلامه : "أنا نور العالم، من يتبعني لا يمشي في الظلام" ، متزوّدين بجسده ودمه لينطلقوا فيضيئوا بنور معرفتهم وإيمانهم العالم لتيمجّد اسم الآب على الدوام.

Secondary School Assemblies Highlighting the Theme of the Year

The assembly is a special time of the day in the Secondary School. It is our way of starting the day on a positive note. The teachers have helped set a wonderful spirit by participating in the assemblies and highlighting our yearly theme. Mr. Akiki enchanted us with an animated poem on empathy and sharing as a means to shine. Mr. Jalkh raised our awareness on world issues and our capacity to make this world a brighter place for all through massive involvement and caring. Mr. Youssef El Khoury shared some inspirational words about the potential of each to shine. Ms. Moukarzel shared with the Assembly a poem written by Mr. Zaidan about shining on.

Shine On

Standing alone, 

A faint light 

The rose gives off.

But together with its like, 

A strong light it emits.

Likewise, be not 

Satisfied with one, 

But more particles collect; 

Together fit in, 

Mold and reshape.

A great achievement

Along with others, 

A stronger light 

Surely they give off.

More and more 

Of that kind, 

Soon an orchard 

Of achievements 

You’ll create and 

A blinding light 

You shall reap.

A light that attracts and guides 

Even the blind 

In their darkness 

Wish to be.

Louis Zeidan

مدعوون للتألّق والإشعاع بالربّ

"على مثال المسيح الذي هو إشعاع الأب بكلامه وعيشه، أنتم مدعوون للإشعاع والتألق بالسير على خطاه والإنتقال دومًا من الإيجابيّة إلى السلبيّة في المسلك، من اليأس إلى الرجاء في النظرة إلى الأمور، من الأنانيّة إلى المشاركة في اتخاذ القرارات، من الكبرياء إلى التفاعل مع الآخرين ومن اللامبالاة إلى الإختبار، إختبار كلّ واحد منكم للربّ في حياته حتّى تتمكّنوا من أن تكونوا انعكاسًا لصورته المشعّة في الحياة" .

بهذه الكلمات افتتح مرشد القسم الثانوي الخوري أندره شكري سنة التألق والإشعاع بالربّ في أوّل لقاء صباحي للطلاّب الثانويين ضمّنه تعريفًا عن المسيح الذي هو اشعاع الآب ودعوة لكلّ واحد منهم للتمثّل به من خلال عرض سمعبصري، أعدّته بالتنسيق مع المرشد المنشّطة الروحيّة ماريّا عبد النور.

Upon arriving at the airport in Britain, one could sense that all the weariness the students may have felt after the flight simply evaporated; they were energized and spent the bus trip to the dormitory enjoying the landscape and commenting about the roads, the houses, the flight….etc. The dormitory in Hastings where the whole group was staying was situated on a slightly steep slope facing a magnificent church, only a couple of blocks away from the seashore. On the afternoon of our first day in Hastings, we had the pleasure of taking a long walk along the seashore. Despite the cloudy, chilly and somewhat windy weather, the walk was just what we all needed. When Sunday morning sun rose, the students were ready for London. The weather was much warmer than that of Saturday. The day in London can be simply described as ‘unforgettable’. Unfortunately since it was a Sunday, prayers were held in Westminster Abbey; tourists were not allowed in, so we could not enjoy the beauty of the place. The other sites, however, proved impressive and magnificent: London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace….etc.

Monday morning saw a large group of sleepy yet anxious students make their way to the classes at Shane Global International School. The students were divided randomly into two classes. They then sat for a paper-and-pen exam and an oral interview with a few teachers. We all felt extremely proud when we were told that the greater majority of our students were placed in Advanced Level and that their teachers were very impressed by their fluency and their command of the English language. At noon, we all gathered in Soldiers’ Garden facing the school, enjoyed lunch and took the bus again to Brighton. The afternoon was spent touring the Brighton Pier, the old town’s streets and The Pavilion- an impressive palace built and designed based on King George IV’s own vision. Tuesday, the first day of real lessons did not prove challenging to our students though, for they again surprised their instructors with how much they know and how well they use the English language. Most of the instructors realized that they will have to modify their plans for the coming few days to accommodate to the level of this special group of students. It was time to get acquainted with another impressive castle, Leeds Castle in Kent. After classes finished on Wednesday, the group boarded the bus and enjoyed a short ride to Leeds Castle which dates back to 1119.

Since we value sports and how it energizes the human body and since Ms. Anita hadn’t had the chance to push our students on a playground, Thursday afternoon saw the students make their way up a hill in Hastings towards a sports club. The students not only enjoyed games of football and basketball, but also won. Friday was special because it was the last day of classes; after the handing out of degrees, taking pictures, and celebrating everyone headed to the aquarium towards the end of the town. Many students were impressed by the colors, shapes and schools of fish there. The farewell party on Friday night proved both extremely fun, yet somewhat sad, for students had grown to love the place and didn’t feel ready to leave just then.

•   "Sing, Listen, move and Play" presented by Dr. Ibrahim  Baltagi for Preschool teachers.
• Teacher Leadership: “Being and Becoming" presented by Dr. Rima Karami for all the divisions from L.E. →Secondary School.
• "Stress Management" by Miss Carine Elia for all the divisions from LE till the Secondary School.
•   "Adobe Acrobat Reader 9" by Miss Véra Boyadjian for all Computer Teachers and the IT Department.

• Christian Education : Multimedia/Child Development
• Arabic: تعلم العربية : الواقع والمرتجى -
• French : ActivBoard, La Lecture au CP, Les verbes consignes, Synthèse et remédiations.
• English: Integrating critical thinking into process writing - by Dr. Ghazi Gaith.
• Math: Lesson Presentation by a Math teacher on the ActivBoard.
• Sciences: Critical Thinking in the Science Classroom -  by Dr. Hagop  Yaacoubian.
• Music Teachers: "Music Moves Me" -  by Dr. Ibrahim Baltaji
• Social Sciences: Official Exams’ issues.
• Social Studies: Interactive lesson plans.
• IT Department: Adobe Acrobat Reader 9 - by  Ms. Véra Boyadjian
• Supervisors: "Dealing with Difficult Students" - by Ms. Carine Elia

The Sessions that took place on 7 September, 2011 were all departmental work.

The sessions that took place on 6 September, 2011 for all teachers were:

The event of "professional days" has become an academic tradition at Saint Joseph School. It takes place twice per year, 2 days at the beginning of the school year 6 and 7 September and one day during the school year around the end of February.

Another year has ended, another year passed by.  On June 17, the Lower Elementary students spent their last day at school for the current academic year 2011. Grade 3 students started their day with a walk around the Cornet Chahwan village to reach St. Peter and Paul Church where they celebrated mass. Meanwhile, the other G1 and G2 students had different organized activities such as: races, games, movies and a picnic buffet. G3 students joined in as well, and they all had lots of fun with their teachers and friends.

Wishing you all great summer holidays,

From the Lower Elementary administration!

The Grade 3 students went on a field trip to Enfeh- Batroun to learn more about salt extraction and the water cycle. First, they visited the attractive old church “Saydet El Natour” which was built in the 18^th century and has 21 fine, painted panels and carved wooden doves above the altar. Then they walked along the length of the bay where the salt marshes lay.  They saw the “flower of the salt”, “big crystal”, as well as the “fine salt” which will be refined and purified in a special factory that they visited. At last, our students visited the “Grotto of El-Shek” where they watched a projection summarizing the whole cycle, and then had a snack before going back to school.

كعادته كلّ سنة وفي اليوم الذي يلي اختتام مهرجان القطاف قام فريق الطفولة والشبيبة المرسلة في المدرسة يرافقه كلّ من المرشد الخوري ايلي عدوان والسيّدتين نورما الغزال وماريّا عبد النور بزيارة مؤسّسة أنت أخي في بلّونة التي تُعنى بالمعوّقين الجسديّين. واستقبلتنا المرشدة الإجتماعيّة الآنسة بيغي بابتسامة، وعرفّت المجموعة على مؤسّسة أنت أخي التي تكمل عمل السيسوبيل، المؤسّسة التي تهتمّ بالأطفال المصابين بالإعاقة. فالسيّدة إيفون الشامي التي كانت تعمل قابلة قانونيّة في إحدى مستشفيات بيروت إبّان حرب السبعينات رأت الحاجة لإنشاء هذه المؤسّسة بعد أن لمست رفض الأهل لوجود ولد معوّق في العائلة، أو حتّى فكرة قبوله ضمنها. إيمانها بالله ومحبّتها للإنسان كونه ابن الله وله الحق بحياة كريمة جعلها تستند على العناية الإلهيّة لتقوم بمشروعها. وبعد إنشاء السيسوبيل كانت مؤسّسة أنت أخي التي تساعد المعوّق الشاب على اكتشاف مواهبه وقدراته من خلال المشاغل التي تؤمّنها، من مشغل الفخَار إلى مشاغل الشوكولا والزراعة والمعلوماتيّة في جوّ من الحنيّة والإهتمام، وتؤهّلهم للإنخلراط في المجتمع. ثمّ كانت فترة ترفيهيّة حيث تعرّف الجميع على بعضهم وتعرّفت المجموعة على المعوّق وكيفيّة تقبّله لوضعه، وقدّمت لهم رقصة وصلّت معهم. بعدها غادرت إلى مقرّ السفارة البابويّة حيث قابلت سكريتير السفارة المونسينيور باولو بورجا مرحبّا بهم، كون هذه الروحانيّة الإرساليّة هي تحت اشراف الكرسي الرسولي. وتحدّث معهم حول الرسالة  ناقلاً لهم تحيّات السفير، وشجّعهم على المضي في حمل البشارة التي هم مؤتمنون عليها، ثمّ كانت جولة معه في باحة السفارة اختتمت بصلاة أمام تمثال سيّدة لبنان في حريصا وبأخذ الصورة التذكاريّة.

The Saint Joseph School family from students to teachers and staff, to parents and alumni gathered on June 3, 4 and 5 to watch the year’s Vintage events, and to enjoy the games and food variety available in the premises.

On June 3, the Opening Ceremony was magnificent with the students’ performances from KG2 to the Second Secondary classes. The Green Field was decorated with our talents. At 9:00 pm, we gathered in the theatre to watch teachers and students perform “Bayn el Yowm wo Bokra”, a play written by Mrs. Marie-Thérèse Ghalbouni.

On June 4, Fr. Richard Abou Moussa announced the opening of the exhibitions and activities. Everyone was impressed by the Art and Science exhibitions; the subjects’ activities were numerous, and students competed among each other in a friendly atmosphere. At the same time, the SJS Bands performed and students sang and danced in the Secondary School playground. Then at 9:00 pm, Elio Kallassi, our former student, played classical pieces on the piano in the church courtyard under the arcades, and at the end, Tenor Edgard Aoun accompanied him by performing five songs. The atmosphere was angelic and the audience hypnotized. The concert was a huge success!

On the last day, other than the activities and exhibitions, the evening was crowned with the Student of the Year event. The eight candidates were self-confident and the jury members asked their questions. In the end, Daniel Kallassi and Yara Naimeh were elected as Students of the Year 2010-2011. Congratulations.

In the end, we leave you to enjoy the following pictures that sum up all of the above.

نهار الأثنين الواقع فيه ٣ أيار ٢٠١١، إجتَمع تلامذة صفوف الحلقة الأولى في مدرسة مار يوسف قرنة شهوان، بمناسبة ختام الشهر المريمي وبحضور مرشد القسم الخوري ايلي عدوان، حيث تُليت الصلوات والتراتيل المريميّة من كافة الصفوف وقدمت الأزهار والشموع إكراماً وحباً للأم العذراء.  

On Tuesday, May 31, the Nursery, KG1 and KG2 students celebrated the end of May by offering colorful flowers and roses to our Lady Mary while singing and praying from all their hearts.

May Lady Mary bless our students and keep them safe!

        بمناسبة اليوبيل الفضي الأسقفي لرئيس أساقفة أبرشية انطلياس المارونية، المطران يوسف بشاره، دعت مدرسة مار يوسف قرنة شهوان إلى ندوة حول كتاب لصاحب السيادة بعنوان "تباشير الرحيل" حضرها عددٌ من رجال الكنيسة والسياسة وفعاليات. قدّم الندوة رئيس مدرسة مار يوسف، الخوري ريشار ابو موسى،  وشارك فيها المطران منصور حبيقه، رئيس أساقفة أبرشية زحله المارونية، إلى جانب الدكتورة ميرنا مزوّق، والمحامي سمير عبد الملك. يتضمّن الكتاب تعاليم وخبرات عن الموت منظوراً إليه من خبرة شخصيّة وصلاة الكنيسة والكتاب المقدس.

        مع الكتاب وللمناسبة ذاتها، جمعت مدرسة مار يوسف كتابات صاحب السيادة خلال اسقفيته في خمس مجلدّات وزّعت على الحاضرين بعد توقيع الكتاب.

        تلا الاحتفال عشاء في المطرانية استقبل فيه صاحب السيادة، سعادة السفير البابوي المونسنيور غابريال كاسيا، إلى جانب عدد من المطارنة ومشاركين في الندوة.

On May 24, 26 and 27, the Daycare and Nursery students had a date with fun and happiness at Summer Land Dhour el Shweir. All the students were amazed by the magician’s mind dazzling show, and had a blast playing out in the nature, under the warm sun of spring!

شارك حوالي 40 مربّيًا نهار الثلاثاء 24 أيار، 2011 في الإستراحة الإختياريّة للمربّين التي حملت عنوانًا: "على درب البشارة". وقد انطلقنا في الخامسة إلاّ ربعًا من أمام باحة المدرسة يرافقنا الخوري إيلي عدوان والمرّيض أبونا مارون شمعون نحو كنيسة قلب يسوع قرنة الحمرا حيث كانت مجموعة أخرى من المربّين تنتظرنا، وكانت المحطّة الأولى في الكنيسة مع الخوري مارون تناولت الثوابت اللاهوتيّة والإيمانيّة للأرض من خلال المجمع البطريركي والتي هي بركة الربّ لنا من خلالها حقّق مشروعه الخلاصي فدعوة الله لشعبه أن يقدّسوه ويتقدّسوا في الأرض التي أورثها لهم فتكون لهم مساحة حريّة لا تقوقع يشهدوا من خلالها للقيم التي تربّوا عليها. ثمّ كان بيت من المسبحة وانطلقنا على درب البشارة (وهي مستحدثة من لجنة البيئة في الأبرشيّة لتشجيع السياحة البيئيّة) ، وعلى الطريق توقفنا عند بيت الأستاذ فارس سعد حيث استقبلنا بالعصير والحلوى ومشينا قرابة الساعتين في الطبيعة نتأمّل في محطّات ثلاث في الثوابت التاريخيّة ومفهوم الأرض خاصّة عند الموارنة وتعلّقهم بها وتجذّرهم ومدافعة بطاركتهم عنها ورهنها عند الحاجة لإستمرار وجود الشعب، ودور الكنيسة اليوم في مسألة شراء العقارات وكيفيّة استثمارها، وعدم ترك الأرض لأي سبب لأنّها هوّيتنا ومسألة الهجرة والصمود مع الآخر في هذه الأرض مع تراتيل وصلاة المسبحة وبالرغم من وعورة الطريق إلاّ أن الجميع أشاد بهذه المغامرة حيث كانت روائح الصعتر والقصعين تعبق في الأجواء تنسي المجموعة تعبها فتعلّمها الصبر من خلال ما قاساه الشعب قديمًا في تنقلاتهم حيث اليوم الرفاهيّة في كلّ شيئ كما كانت فترات من الصمت رجع من خلالها الجميع لذواتهم في قراءة فحص ضمير. والملفت مشاركة الأولاد في هذه المسيرة وفرحتهم كونهم لا يعيشون في الطبيعة ولا يعرفون أسرارها. ثمّ كانت نهاية الإستراحة في دير مار عبدا المشمَر حيث استقبلنا الأب مارون الحايك متحدّثًا عن تاريخيّة الدير، لتختتم الرياضة الروحيّة عند الثامنة والنصف بلقمة محبّة وشكر لما بثّته من وعي لمفهوم الأرض وقناعة وشكر للربّ على نعمه.

In Celebration of The Reading Week Event from April 8 to April 15, 2011, the School Library Media at the Upper Elementary Division presented dozens of book-themed activities varying from weaving story puzzles, writing analogies, to storytelling activities that enhanced and captured the students’ interests. The winners received prizes as a reward for their enthusiastic participation. We ended our week with a play of “young King Cole” performed by a group of Grade 4 and 5 students.

In addition to our activities inside the library, Grade 6 students attended a PowerPoint presentation prepared by our guest author, Mrs.Rania Yazbeck, on book printing and promoting her series of books “Pataplume”.

Different stories and poems were read and sung by our guest Authors Aida Naaman and Noha Hammoud to Grade 5 students.

Grade 4 students have also attended a fascinating storytelling performance presented by Miss Chantal Maillac.

The story of dinosaurs, prehistoric times, and planets has always captured the attention and aroused the curiosity of our Grade 1 students. For that reason, the Lower Elementary Administration, with the coordination of the Science Department, organized a trip for the Grade 1 students to Dino City, a park that tells the prehistory as never told before. There, the miracle of life is displayed in a natural and magical setting based on scientific data.

A walk through a prehistoric forest gave the students a clear idea about the different kinds of dinosaurs that they have already heard so much about. Students were able to visualize and take pictures of real-sized dinosaurs like: Pteranodon, TyrannosaurusR, Maiasaura, Triceratops, and finally one of the biggest dinosaurs that dominated the prehistoric times: the Diplodocus.

A journey into prehistoric caves told the story of the miracle of life from the Big Bang theory to the formation of our Solar System including the nine planets orbiting the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The evolution of life on Earth as well as we all know it until the progress of the Homo Sapiens was clearly put into perspective.

Students were amazed with the park exhibiting the real sized prehistoric man as well as the Gigantic Gorilla!!

Un bol de lait ou du jus? Cette simple question m'a ramené 15 ans en arrière.

15 ans déjà, aujourd'hui (c’était il y a quelques jours) toute notre classe est passée dans le cycle préscolaire, où la maitresse nous a posés cette simple question:

Tu préfères le lait ou le jus?

Cela m'a rappelé mon enfance et ma première année scolaire, mes larmes,… mes pleurs,… mes copains,… et surtout ma 1^ère maitresse (ma Jardinière).

Je ne sais pas ce que demain me cache, quel sera mon avenir. Je sais seulement que, les 15 ans sont marqués au plus profond de moi-même.

Par Angela Turky

دقت الساعة يا رفاق كم أكره أن أشير عليها بساعة الصفر وأرفض ذلك. مرت ١٥ عاماً علينا في هذه المدرسة وحان وقت الرحيل. منذ أيامٍ قليلة عدنا معاً إلى الصغر، جلسنا في ملعب الطفولة وشربنا حليب الذي يرسم في ذاكرة كل تلميذ منا صغره هنا. في كل كوب استرجعنا ذكرياتنا، ففي ذلك الملعب كبرنا والأن أصبح بإمكاننا أن نطير.

باميلا تركي

Life goes on, and it’s time to spread those wings and venture the unknown lands, for we have been well trained. I’d like to specifically thank our lovely principals, Mrs. Aziz, who accompanied us through out last and most vital steps, and Mrs. Ghalbouni, who allowed us to revisit our childhood here at SJS and remember the value of this great complex. In a few years, I am positive that we’ll all come back here and remember what the Secondary School made of us:  students, leaders, and proud pioneers of the highest caliber. What SJS offered us in terms of education, character, and unity we’ll take and hopefully be high achievers in the future.

By Elyo Jabra

What a glorious way to wrap up 15 years of schooling! What a wondrous mark to leave in our hearts! Way to go Class of ‘011! Under the theme music, you brightened our spirit and our day! The Class of 011 and the Second Secondary classes met under the oak tree, which never fails to put on its festive dress for the occasion. Students, teachers and administration tasted the delicious food offered by the 2S classes. The 3S provided the entertainment, beautiful songs and hilarious imitations! The Rector, principal and students cut the cake together and then the 3S performed a lively promotion dance! Everyone then gathered in the church where two “class of 87” alumni launched a competition for the coming year.  Three students shared an emotional testimony of the visit to the preschool and thanked Mrs. Ghalbouni who was present. Mrs. Aziz, the principal, displayed a presentation with two verses of poetry for each student. Fr. Richard Abou Moussa, our Rector, gave his final blessing and then the class of ‘011 carried their candles outside amongst the cheers of their fellow students. The buses awaited to take us for a 24 hour outing in Bekaa.

May all you do be as bright as that day Class of ‘011 and as our Rector said, “we are proud of you”!

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, the Notre Dame University organized a closing ceremony to distribute the medals and cups for the winners who participated in its interschool tournaments where around 250 participants from 50 different schools were competing.

The results for Saint Joseph School were:

• Football Team: 1^st place
• Volleyball Team: 2^nd place
• Sarah Saad (1SC): 1^st place (Tennis Tournament)
• Hoda Habib (5B): 2^nd place (Tennis Tournament)
• Hadi Habib (7A): 1^st place (Tennis Tournament)

On the occasion of the Reading Week which was held at our school from April 8 till April 15, our students had the pleasure of meeting with great authors, as well as participating in our exciting reading and writing activities.

One of the greatest events was the book talk presentation of “Le trèfle et les quatre royaumes” conducted by our author and illustrator Ralph Doumit to grade 7 students on April 15. Students were thrilled and amazed by his creativity in making the stories come alive.

Another yet awesome event is the play “The Worst of the Worst” performed by a group of grade 7 students on April 8. Students from the middle school gathered at recess time to attend one of the most hilarious plays ever seen.

To satisfy even more their curiosity and the love of reading, other related activities held in the library were: “Book Buffet” to “Book Title Bingo” and “Split Poem of Adventure with Books”.

 Our students were enthusiastic as ever to participate and share their joy of reading and writing with us.

-  The Injaz Student Company Program, an experience worth a thousand; an experience that Saint Joseph School students were fortunate enough to be a part of, progress through, and triumph in. 

Injaz Lebanon is an NGO established in the year 2001 aiming at bridging the gap between the educational field and the market place by offering the youth of tomorrow a variety of extracurricular activities that present the participants much needed life skills in order to mold a better future. Now, Injaz is a non-profit organization which is a part of Injaz Al Arab that consists of 13 different Arab countries which in itself is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide found in hundreds of countries worldwide. In short, this NGO has played an important role in shaping the minds of tens of thousands of future leaders, and it continues to do so today.

25 students of the former 2SE class (2009-2010) at our school were given the chance to partake in a very special program conducted by Injaz called the Student Company Program. As the name implies, the students themselves were asked to create a company, sell a product, and later liquidate that company in a matter of months. Our students did exactly that; they created 5^th Wheel, their company, sold 264 units of their handmade product Carmate to the public, and liquidated the company with a significant profit which was donated to a good cause.

5^th Wheel proved to be very much of a hit in both Lebanon and the region, as our SJS students won the national competition against 3 other contenders. This, in turn, gave them the significant role of representing Lebanon in the regional competition where they represented their company and were compared to 12 other Arabian countries. Again, 5^th Wheel proved to be superior to the other companies and won the Best Student Company in the Region.

This, of course, wasn’t something easy to achieve. In fact, this was the first time Injaz Lebanon had won this competition since its establishment. This brought great pride to Injaz, Saint Joseph School, and our dear country, Lebanon.

The unprecedented success of 5^th Wheel along with its students received much media attention be it in newspapers, on the radio, and in several TV interviews. Moreover, the students were greatly honored by the school in a grand award distribution ceremony where the former students were given tokens of appreciation, Injaz was given symbolic gifts by the school honoring their admirable efforts, and the upcoming 2SE students were given inspirational words of advice for their anticipated success.

It was the first time our students were exposed to such a program and they proved more than capable of undertaking such colossal tasks like opening a company from scratch. This comes to prove that when given the chance, the impossible becomes possible for eager minds.

• Un jour pour les manakishs et les jus.
• Un autre pour les salades variées.
• Le troisième pour les pizzas et Kaaks…. etc…….

في إطار النشاطات اللاصفيّة الروحيّة قام طلاّب الأساسي الخامس بزيارة إلى علّية مارانتا في المجمّع الراعوي لكنيسة قلب يسوع قرنة الحمرا حيث كان في استقبالهم الخوري خليل الحايك كاهن الرعيّة ومؤسس فكرة علّية مارانتا فتعرّف الطلاّب إلى معنى أسرار النور التي أضافها السعيد الذكر البابا يوحنّا بولس الثاني إلى المسبحة الورديّة وتتضمّن رسالة يسوع العلنيّة وهي تنقسم إلى خمسة أقسام افتتحها بعماده في نهر الأردن وإقامته لأوّل آية في عرس قانا الجليل وتجلّيه أمام تلاميذه على جبل طابور وإعلانه سرّ الملكوت وإجتماعه مع الرسل في العلّية ليلة العشاء السرّي. هذه المحطّات الخمس تعرّف إليها طلاّبنا في زيارة مشوّقة استغرقت ساعتين من الوقت لتنتهي بصلاة المسبحة.

On March 15 and 16, KG1 students celebrated Mother’s Day with songs, poems and dances.

From time to time, their performance was interrupted to show a DVD viewing a school day in KG1 sections.

Parents, students, School Administration and teachers were very happy and joyful during the whole celebration.

On Thursday February 24^th, Ghinwa and her wonderful characters came to our theater and ignited the stage with vivid costumes, amazing lighting and great music.

All the children of Daycare, Nursery, KG1 and KG2 were dazzled and had a great time! They were singing, clapping hands and enjoying every moment with eyes wide open and hearts filled with joy!

What a joy to see the KG2 students’ hard work pays off in a language competition.

The activities in the Upper Elementary turned out to be very special this year. For the past two weeks students have been gathering 1000 LP bills and on Tuesday, December 21, each class cued their bills to form a long line. The longest one was completed by grade 6B whose 1000 LP line reached 34 m 50 cm!

Hope this effort will make a difference in other people’s lives as it did in our students’.

إستُهِلّ اللقاء بقصة حياة القدّيسة بربارة وبعدها بعدة تساؤلات حول معنى الوجوه ورمزيتها: أيُّ وجهٍ أُريد أن أُظهره للآخرين؟ ماذا أُخفي وراء هذا الوجه؟ هل هو وجهي الحقيقي؟ هل أحكم على الآخر من خلال الوجه الذي أراه؟ أخيراً يجب عليّ أن أرى وجه يسوع في الآخرين لأننا جميعاً خلقنا على صورته ومثاله، عليّ أن أسعى لأبرز صورته من خلال وحه المحبة واللطف والتسامح الذي ألبسه. وفي نهاية اللقاء كانت هناك ضيافة مميزة وهي سكريات لكن على كل قطعة كُتب إسم الوجه الذي أتمنّى أن أُظهِره: وجه يسوع، وجه التسامح، وجه اللطف، وجه العطاء، وجه التضحية...

Not only did we have a great time of fun on Tuesday, November 23, but our Lower Elementary students learnt new things! Flag Day Celebration was a blast! Did you know that the National Anthem which we sing today is a result of a competition done in 1926? The poet Rashid Nakhleh won, and to this day we sing his poem. The children also sang other songs in both Arabic and English to show their joy, pride and respect for their country and flag. During the celebration, they were introduced to a little history of the Lebanese flag, and its change in color and shape over the years. Three students acted out a skit reminding us of the importance of being united. Two others recited a poem about the same topic. But it was the “Dabkeh” and Mr. Elie’s final song that brought the children and their teachers to their feet! Holding hands they walked into the aisles, danced and cheered!