Green Apple Workshop with Dar Al-Handasah

SIS - Adma

On Saturday, September 28, 2013, four engineers from “Dar al-Handasah” visited the SABIS^® International School - Adma as part of the Green Apple Day of Service.

“Dar al-Handasah” has worked hand-in-hand with various countries in developing their industrial infrastructure, roads, airports, seaports, hospitals, schools, water and sewerage systems, housing, and telecom facilities. The Dar Group is an international network of professional service firms, comprised of over 13,000 staff members assisting clients in over 100 countries around the world. They are dedicated to planning, designing, engineering, and project managing facilities, installations and structures that contribute to the sustainable advance of communities worldwide. A meaningful project of Dar was the rebuilding of Beirut's Central Business District that was destroyed during the Lebanese Civil War.  They have a deep-rooted commitment to the development of Lebanon from which the firm's beginnings grew.

Twenty-eight high school students attended a presentation given by the engineers on water conservation and sustainability. The engineers were keen to answer all of the students’ questions. The presentation was followed by breakfast and a group photo.

On the day, students were divided into two groups for the following activities:

Signage Audit. With the help of two of the visiting engineers, prefects designed and constructed signs to encourage recycling, conservation, and sustainable practices. These signs were hung throughout Block C in the school.

Below is a sample of some of the signs that were designed by the prefects:

Water Audit. Prefects studied water fixtures throughout the school and measured water waste with the help of two engineers and the school’s Maintenance Department. In this survey, students estimated that replacing valves and flushes with tighter, more efficient versions might save over 100,000 liters of water yearly in one typical school bathroom alone.

"Attending the SLO Green Apple Workshop was a great opportunity which created an eco-friendly environment throughout the building. It gave me an in depth outlook on how supportive some strategies can be. Creating posters that included facts and pictures about the environment and learning how to develop a green healthy lifestyle were some of the approaches to create more awareness.” Samantha Youssef – Gr. 10

Healthier Food Choices in the Cafeteria

ISC - City of 6 October

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are.”

At the beginning of the new academic school year, the Sports & Health Department of the SLO^® took the initiative to change the menu at our school’s cafeteria by incorporating a variety of healthy food alternatives and reducing the amount of fried food available for consumption.  

“A new Health section was added to the SLO^® Sports Department this year.  The department name changed to the 'Sports and Health Department'. The new section promotes over-all healthy habits amongst the students. What better way to do that than to start with our own cafeteria,” says Omar Bishr, Deputy Head Prefect of Sports & Health.

Omar and his senior prefects met with the cafeteria manager to discuss a new, healthier menu.  These changes included serving yoghurt, cheese, eggs, salads, small sandwiches on whole wheat bread (cheese, tuna, turkey), fruit plates, milk, and fresh juices for breakfast.  It is no longer allowed to serve any hot meals during the first break. Instead, a well-balanced breakfast is now served.

It was also decided to limit the amount of fried food available at lunch, so that french-fries and fried chicken strips were to be served only once a week instead of everyday.  A larger variety of salads are now being served such as green salad, eggplant salad, pasta salad, corn & bean salad, and Greek salad to name only but a few.  In addition, replacing the fried chicken strips, are healthier grilled proteins such as grilled meat and chicken, thus giving students a chance to make healthier food choices.

Though some students are still hesitant about the cafeteria choices, we are hoping to get everybody on board by continuing to improve the menu.  Here is what some of the students had to say about these changes:

“I think the new breakfast plate is a great idea and I appreciate the new variety.”- Nessma El Hizzawi Gr. 9

“Healthy snacks are available all the time.”- Mohamed Nour El Din Gr. 2

 “The cafeteria food has never been better!”-  Farah El Misalami Gr. 12

 “Great initiative. Students and staff should become more health conscious! Cafeteria food can still be improved because some condiments are still fattening and some food items are oily.”- Mena El Okda Gr. 12

“I love the new salads, especially the pasta salad and tuna sandwiches.  But they always run out, so they need to make more!”- Laila Hatem Gr. 10

Primary School Fun Day

ISC - Amman

The Lower School - Activities Department prefects organized a Fun Day for Primary School students (Grade 1 – 3) on Thursday, October 28. The prefects wanted to give the younger students a great end to their Term 1. By the time lunch break starts on the last day of Term 1, all the grade 1 – 3 students are done with their CAT exams and revision classes. It was during this time that the SLO^® stepped in to provide fun, joyful activities and games that both the students and their teachers enjoyed.

The prefects prepared a set of group and team games that catered for around 400 students.  SLO^® recruited over 30 prefects to help the Primary School teachers while playing all these games. The young students were extremely excited in the build up to the day; they kept peeking through the SLO^® door to find out what were in store for them.

The Fun Day consisted of a variety of sports, music and team games, designed especially to satisfy the children’s desire for fun and to send them home glowing. They were divided according to their sections, and each section was divided into two teams. SLO^® Prefects painted the color of each student's team on their face, and then started moving from one game station to the next according to their planned schedule, all in an organized and perfectly safe environment.

From “The Wet Sponge Relay”, “Tug of War”, “Cha Cha Slide Dance” and other games, the younger kids’ laughter and shouts were filling the place.

It was also a great chance for the prefects to make connections and bond with the younger students, and help emphasizing important traits such as “fair-play” and “teamwork”.

Students for Students School Project

ISC - Cairo and ISC - City of 6 October

Sir Francis Bacon once said, “In charity there is no excess” and that is the literal aim of the SLO^® Social Responsibility Departments at ISC – City of 6 October and ISC - Cairo.  They set no boundaries to possible achievements and they believe that anything is possible.  This year both schools in Egypt decided to bridge the gap between the ISC students and students from local public schools in their neighborhoods.

ISC – City of 6 October decided to assist a government school in the city of 6 Of October called “Om El Momeneen”.  The goal is to fund the renovation of the classrooms and eventually the entire school.  The funds are raised through various bakes sales, selling of candy grams, and other SLO^® driven fundraisers.  The ISC – City of 6 October SLO^® team has raised enough money to furnish and fix 9 classrooms with desks, teachers’ desks, chairs, blackboards, windows, doors, and they also managed to repaint the classrooms and adjoining hallway.  In addition, they have renovated 3 bathrooms in the main building, before this there were no functioning bathrooms.

ISC – Cairo helped furnish 8 classrooms with desks, chairs, blackboards, and teacher’s desks at the Khadega Experimental Public School in their neighborhood. They have now also started with renovations on a an all girls public school.  Students from the SLO^® team have gone to paint classrooms and help out.  Hopefully by the end of this academic year they will have completed the entire school using the generous contributions from the parents, students, and staff members.

This initiative lies under the “Students For Students” banner, where students instigate positive changes in other students’ lives and are making tangible differences due to their hard work and determination.

One positive action can make a HUGE difference and at both ISC - Egypt schools we strive to constantly make a difference and we will keep striving towards bettering our communities and our country.

1. Green Apple Workshop @ Adma
2. Healthy Food Choices @ 6 Oct
3. Primary School Fun Day
4. Adopt a School - ISC Egypt