At SJS, continuous professional development remains the cornerstone of our commitment to excellence, ensuring our staff is equipped to deliver the highest quality instruction.
The administrative and academic preparation for our Staff’s Professional Development (PD) Day held on the 22nd of October, 2025 was complete, demonstrating a collaborative effort across all levels of the school body.
The day began with a powerful plenary session that provided both spiritual direction and academic focus. Msgr. Chady Bou Habib, school rector, highlighted that LOVE is our mission as educators in our Catholic school. He highlighted the role of educators in these times where both parents and students need the support of the school staff in allowing them to thrive in the school context. Following this, Dr. Nancy Timonian, Vice Rector for Academics, linked that mission of love to the professional practice, explaining that as educators, we show our students love when we prepare lessons that reflect our love for every student, translated into targeted and measurable goals within our teaching. Moreover, Dr. Timonian added that in our continuous efforts to update our curricula, we define the SJS graduate characteristics, attitudes, and values on top of academic excellence.
Collaborative Workshops by Group
Throughout the day, various teams focused on targeted skill development:
- Academic Body (All Teachers): Successfully completed the foundational work on curriculum Scope and Sequence, which provided the structure for all subjects.
- Principals and School Counselors: Focused on student academic support by working with Mrs. Samar Azzi Rahme on Targeted Support: Meeting the Diverse Learning Needs of SJS Students.
- Administration: Focused on securing external partnerships and communication, particularly with the Central Administration and SAO group who received training on Communication Etiquette led by Mrs. Lisa Chrabieh Beyrouthi.
Specialty Group Sessions
Dedicated sessions addressed the unique needs of specialty groups:
- Supervisors: Focused on enhancing instructional leadership by working with Commandant Oliver Homsy on the topic From Reaction to Response: A Deep Dive into Self-Regulation Skills.
· Arts/Drama/Music/Dance explored The Reflective Lens: How Arts Transform Student Insight with Mrs. Roula Haddad & Ms. Nada Sawaya.
- Secretaries focused on digital tools in Pixels with Purpose with Mr. Marc Eid.
- Nurses trained on Listening Beyond the Symptoms with Mrs. Zeina Bou Kheir Mouawad.
- Preschool Assistants worked on From Frustration to Connection: Practical Strategies for Managing Difficult Situations with Young Learners with Mrs. Michèle Nemr Ghaleb.
- The IT team had a dedicated session on reviewing Technical Tasks and Exchange Information with Mr. Wassim Bou Zerdan.
This professional development day truly embodied the theme of the year, "Be the Change Maker," by empowering every staff member with the tools and motivation needed to transform the learning experience for our students.