Back to School 2013

The afternoon of Sunday 22 September was the time for old and new boarding students to arrive to school after the long summer holiday. It is the only Sunday afternoon when the JLSS office opens to receive parents and children. There are always last minute things to be done. Staff of the main office work patiently with an overload of late registrations and last minute follow-up of requirements to make sure every student, old and new, have met all the criteria to return to school.

Staff of the boarding department also return early that afternoon to welcome children. A few very young ones succumb to crying and tears as they confront the new reality of boarding life. Although we make sure every child visits the boarding home and gets to know the educator (house parent) during the first visit early in September, the shock of finally getting there is sometimes too much for some. Most of them courageously bite the lip and keep sorrow inside until there is a single burst of tears which then resonates with a tearful choir of sobs. That goes on for a few minutes until the cartoons on TV or the other distractions the educators prepared for the children work their magic and peace and harmony are restored.

Doing all that, yet at the same time checking that parents have met all the requirements of books, clothing, and other items is no easy task. Add to that the fact that they have to keep a stern eye on possible contagious diseases that a few children may be carrying. Those very few cases are referred to the school doctor who will have the no-easy task of making parents understand that the return of those children home is unavoidable for the good of all. Fortunately, only two children were returned home this year until they are totally free of their contagious eye conditions. The process went on very smoothly, and JLSS was restored to life with children bustling everywhere after the long summer holiday: a true resurrection in every respect!

On Monday morning 23 September the day-students returned, and that is a much more cheerful experience. The smiles and hugs of old friends meeting again with excitement over a new academic year brings the school to a full and pleasant revival. Students of Grade 9 who have been at school for the last two weeks for an early start in preparation for the official exams at the end of year, are the only few who are bemused with all the commotion.

The students this year also returned to many pleasant changes in our campus and buildings. Thanks to our partners LBMS (Lutheran Board for Mission Support - USA), the last boarding home (BBH2) that still had the old metal windows was finally fitted with double glazed aluminum windows in addition to classes of the Junior School and the whole floor below BBH2. The floor consists of a vocational classroom, the teachers room, the Fellowship Hall and a guest room. This was a superb transformation as it completed an overall plan started in 2006 to replace the old and battered windows (metal and wooden) going back to the nineteen fifties of all the boarding homes and classes. We still have four vocational classrooms to do, and that can easily be achieved next summer.

In addition to that project, thanks to the main supporter of JLSS, EVS (Evangelical Mission in Solidarity), the showers of five boys boarding homes, BBH2, BBH4, (BBH5, BBH6, and BBH7 one shower) had major renovation work done on them, allowing individual student control of water temperature, and even distribution of water pressure to all showers.

The roof balconies of two buildings were dug out and all the old tiles were removed. They were then treated with water proofing material and retiled. This will hopefully end the water leakage problems to two boys boarding homes below.

The stone facade of the Seminar building to the West side was cleaned and treated for waterproofing. All the cracks were treated. The same was done to South facade of Elizabet Von Der Decken Hall.

The water duct around the girls' boarding homes building was reinforced to prevent cracks resulting from land movement which the Beqaa region is known for.

All those projects in addition to a lot of paint, plumbing, and other repair-work were executed in order to deal with the increasing damp problem in buildings, and to make the JLSS campus healthy and pleasant for our students.

There was so much to thank God for at the beginning of this academic year 2013/2014. We praise our loving God for this new beginning, and we especially thank our partners LBMS and EVS for financing the above mentioned badly needed renovation projects.