Farewell to the Walshes

Yet Another Couple Has Decided to Leave
By Hanna El-Amrawi

The amount of teachers leaving by the end of this year is a surprise for everyone on campus. However, nothing is more shocking than the resignation of Mr. Walsh, the Upper School Principal, and his wife Ms. Jane Walsh, the Head Librarian. It was completely unexpected to have this couple resign after only being in Schutz for two years. Mr. Walsh explains that the couple was planning on staying for a third year, but then half way through the year many aspects changed their mind.
There are many burning questions on Schutz students’ minds, most importantly why this couple decided to leave. When asked this specific question, Mr. Walsh replied with, “ It is hard to answer this question, really it isn’t any one thing, it is just that I am not sure Schutz and I are a match, personally and culturally. He later added that he feels that his family is better off somewhere else, and that Schutz is better with someone else’s ideas and plans.
While Mr. Walsh feels like he has not made “a lot of changes in Schutz”, I bet every Schutz student can agree with me that, Mr. Walsh has brought about a dramatic transformation to the place. To name a few, a change in the quality of the canteen food, a ban on food delivery, the addition of the Falcon block, and a reinforcement of the absence policy.
Mr. Walsh started off his career studying Economics at Brown University in Rhode Island, where he met Ms. Jane Walsh. He was successful at juggling between school work, the wrestling team and the American football team at Brown University. However, with a major in Economics, he soon became more interested in Secondary Education. He began to pursue his career as a teacher in a public school in Rhode Island. Later on, he moved to Maine to work in a private school. While working in Maine for 18 years, the couple’s close friends got a job offer at the Cairo American College. A year after, the Walshes decided to go visit their friends and they “absolutely fell in love with Egypt”. “In a week we saw the Pyramids, sailed on a felukah, and dove the Red sea! Great place!”, explained Mr. Walsh. Upon leaving, the couple felt that Egypt was the right place for them. After a couple of work experiences at several different schools in the Middle East and Africa, it was time for the Walshes to enter the Schutz family!
Having worked in many different schools, Mr. Walsh feels that Schutz is different. “It has a lot of people that stay for a long time, whereas the other school, I worked at were more international”, he explains.
Having decided to put their teaching job on a hold, the couple has decided to possibly return to Maine, where the rest of the family will be waiting. The couple explained that, in their sixteen years of teaching abroad, they have really missed out on a lot of family events. Mr. Walsh adds that it is time for the couple to take a break, maybe a year off, but if the right job swings their way, then they will definitely give it a try.
Mr. and Ms. Walsh you will definitely be missed by the Schutz a family. We wish you a successful future!

The Schutz Sphinx that Guards Schutz Traditions

Through the Eyes of the Man Who Has Seen It All
By Ingy Fahmy

Coming from an Italian school in Alexandria, Massimo Laterza attended Schutz as a student from 1972 to 1980. As a Schutz graduate, Massimo attended the American University in Cairo (AUC) to major in Political Science and minor in Middle Eastern Studies. He then continued his graduate studies in many prestigious schools and acquired various degrees, such as: London School Of Economics, Michigan State University, and the University of Bath. Massimo decided that all the skills he learned would best be applied to the place he considered to be his home for practically his entire life.
Hence, he returned to the Schutz community in 1987 and has been a part of it ever since. Massimo knows every little aspect of Schutz inside out. First being a student, then moving to becoming a faculty member holding various positions including, working as a teacher, dean of students, test center supervisor, college admission counselor, EMAC/ISAC coordinator, and HS principal.
Looking back at the different stages of Schutz’s history through Massimo’s eyes and experience, he recognizes two distinctive time frames. Firstly during his early years at Schutz as a faculty member, Massimo describes the school as being more informal than it is now. He explains, “Now the school has many more committees, more paper work, and more formalities. Then it was a more casual and laidback atmosphere; which sometimes I tend to miss”. Secondly 15 years ago, he claims that the school was different because it was more international and had a vast diversity in its student population. “It had a different flavor”, as Massimo explains, and he hopes that the school does get more international students because then you have the capability of doing so many more things.
When asked about next year’s huge faculty turnover, Massimo admits he is a little concerned because while the school is used to the change of teachers, next year in particular there is going to be a lot of turnover. It is not an easy obstacle to tackle because when new people come, it takes a lot of time and effort to orient, train, and bring them up to speed on the school’s system and expectations.
While Massimo might put on a front of being extremely sociable, he considers himself to be more introverted than extraverted. He enjoys his privacy and being alone for hours and even days without having any outside communication with the world.
Massimo looks to Karl Popper, a philosopher of science who lived in the 20th century, as one of his leading role models because his thinking is an aspect that Massimo values a lot. He was one of the most influential people on Massimo’s reasoning and thinking. As a student, Massimo reminisces on his “discovery” of books and reading when he first came to Schutz. He explains that, at his old school, reading for the sake of reading was not encouraged and that the first time he saw a library was during his first year at Schutz.
What the future holds for Massimo and his goals lie in the fact that he is a passionate learner who loves to learn and study more. The pursuit of knowledge is his most important goal. When asked if he had anything else to add, Massimo says, “I will miss Kelly. And students, you do not always realize the opportunities you are afforded at Schutz and you should always take advantage of the school’s educational resources.”

A Wonderful Tradition that Lives On

Schutz Honor Societies Welcome Its New Inductees
By Nikhil Krishnan

An important traditional event held every year, the NHS/NJHS Induction Ceremony was held on May 24, 2010 in the auditorium to recognize and welcome the new inductees in the Schutz Honor Societies (SHS). This year, six students became part of the Schutz Honor Societies. Christian Atallah, Mena Alla Bedran, Hana Kira and Farida Sabry were inducted in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) chapter of Schutz while Sarah El Sebakhy and Nada Zaher were inducted in the National Honor Society (NHS) chapter of Schutz.
The event commenced with Arnab Chaudhuri, the current Schutz Honor Societies President, giving an introductory speech that described the ideals and qualities that SHS students abide with. The ceremony then proceeded with the current SHS members lighting the five candles that represent the five characteristics that lead the Schutz Honor Societies: Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, Character and Service. Each new inductee was then called upon to choose one of the characteristics that he/she associated most with and provide a brief speech on how it represented him/her.
The new inductees finally took the pledge of allegiance for the SHS before Arnab and were provided with a membership badge and card by their parents in order to officially be recognized as members of the Schutz Honor Societies. After the ceremony in the auditorium, everyone raced to the delicious annual ceremony cake and refreshments served by the Schutz kitchen staff outside of the auditorium. The ceremony was truly a success as every individual present at the event, whether he or she was a student, teacher or a parent, smiled energetically and felt proud. “I thought it was a lovely evening. The current members did a beautiful job with the ceremony. After I heard the speeches given by the new inductees, I am sure that Schutz will have a great group next year,” stated Kelly Marie Sullivan, the SHS Advisor.

The Dare Devil

I love Schutz Because of the People
By Farah Kashwa

Nahla Hassan came to Schutz as a ninth grader not knowing what the school will be like and not knowing what to expect about the people there. However, as time went by, Nahla fell in love with the school, not because of its environment, but because of the people themselves. Even though she liked the students, she felt that the teachers did not have as much spirit as the students.

Whoever knows Nahla, knows that she is strong, independent, and confident. Even though Nahla has no role model, she is determined to someday serve as one for the younger generations. Even though her family gives her advice concerning her life, because of her being such an independent girl, they do not influence her decisions so much. Nahla makes her own choices and decisions in life and believes that a person cannot learn life’s great lessons unless they make mistakes and learn from them.

Even though school occupies a lot of her time, Nahla never fails to make some time to do her favorite things. She loves to draw during the weekdays when she has some free time. However, on the weekends, Nahla can be seen dancing the night away and shopping with her friends. Her favorite hobbies though, are sought during the summer since she can go tanning and travel to all the places she dreams of. One of Nahla’s favorite vacation destinations was Russia because she got to spend time with her family during the day, then go out with her cousins at night.

Also due to Nahla’s strong and independent personality, she wants to study abroad. When I asked Nahla where she wishes to study, she replied saying that her top choices are Parsons in New York City and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Although it is not her priority school, she might be attending the American University in Cairo (AUC). I am sure that Nahla will be successful no matter where she plans to study.

Over the years, we have known Nahla to be the daring and the adventurous one so when she graduates, people will feel the difference. She has always been the one to stir up the genius plans that defy authority. Nahla, I am sure people will miss your free and bold spirit on campus so do not change, wherever you end up going.

A New Tradition Begun At Schutz

Schutz’s Second Annual Science Fair Labeled a Success

By Nikhil Krishnan

Science education not only requires students to understand its theoretical aspects, but it also requires them to understand its practical use in real world applications. Science fair events at schools have always been a great opportunity for students to explore and apply the scientific method and concepts in their projects.

Following last year’s success with the science fair, the 2nd Annual Science Fair was held on March 18, 2010 at the covered court. Elementary students from 4th to 6th grades presented their projects based on varying scientific topics to an audience that included the staff, parents and upper school students.

This year’s science fair was especially noted for a great improvement in the quality of experiments and projects compared to that of last year’s science fair. “It was Ms. Lianne’s idea of having a science fair last year. We really didn’t know what to expect and the results were quite surprising. This year, the quality of the projects is a lot better since the 5th and 6th graders have already done this last year and know what to do,” said Mr. Mike Wavrin, the grade five teacher. He further believed that science fairs give students an opportunity to venture freely into the practical aspects of science and learn something on their own as opposed to being taught in a small, restricted classroom. Most parents and teachers genuinely enjoyed watching students use their scientific skills and put a lot of effort in their projects. “I am very impressed. Most of the kids have put a lot of effort. They are quite creative and parents also get to take part too,” said Mr. John Luke, the president of the Board of Trustees and a parent at Schutz.

Just as parents and teachers enjoyed watching the science fair, students also enjoyed working on their projects. Last year’s science fair’s winner, 5th grade student Jonathan Drew, expressed his delight at the event as follows, “It takes a lot of hard work, but at the same time it is fun. And yes, it’s rewarding.” This year, each grade level had two winners each. The overall winner for the fair was Jaida Abbas, in grade 4 for her project on fingerprints. Most students expressed the fact that they learned a lot and found themselves applying whatever they had learnt in their projects. “One of the great things about science fair is that the students learn the scientific method and apply it. They have also worked with their parents on their projects and put in a lot of effort,” said Ms. Debbie Bacon, the grade four teacher.

Infantasy- World of Magic and Wonderment

Infantasy Chooses Schutz to Celebrate Easter and Mother’s Day
By Aya Kordy

An Easter festival along with a late celebration of Mother’s Day was held on the 10th of April, at Schutz American School. It was organized by the Infantasy team with the help of Elisa Jackson, the Marketing and Communication Coordinator. Infantasy’s aim was to set a world of fun and magic for the children, and indeed that aim was reached.

Upon entrance, kids were divided into five age ranges and given colored pennies according to their age group. Activities were divided into zones; each activity had a colored flag (same color as the pennies) that indicated which age range could participate at the game. Each activity ran in rounds through out the festival. Each round was about 25 minutes long (depending on the activity) and the child who succeeded in the game was given a prize. A total of one hundred and forty prizes were distributed to all of the winners and their mothers. After five hours of magic and enchantment, all the games came to an end, giving time and space for the huge egg hunt to commence. Ten prizes were given to the top two from each age range. Subsequently after the hunt, the tombola was initiated allowing five mothers to prevail gifts from El Kady Brothers (jewelry), kitchen objects and tickets to the movies.

There were several booths at the festival like; McDonalds, Bupa (health insurance), Leo Club of Alexandria (charity/ social club with the intention of selling enjoyable items for the kids). Activities and workshops included, arts and crafts, balloons tied to the feet, liquid painting, computer animation, cones race, pin the tail, sand pool race, bags jump race, egg in spoon race, surprise box, fishing race, ground board game and musical chairs.

The day was certainly a blast. Mothers referred to it as “children’s heaven on earth”. The Infantasy association came to be as it is today as a result of four female friends wanting to fulfill a need for kids that they felt missing. The phrase Infantasy is derived from both infant and fantasy combined together. The Infantasy association highlighted that their choice of place was Schutz American School, for its well- recognized and acknowledged reputation in the city of Alexandria.

New Blood, New Ideas

The Thought behind the Citizenship Award Program
By Farah Kashwa

At the beginning of the year, Ms. Rovack introduced a new program at Schutz American School: the Citizenship Award program. At a sit down with Ms. Rovack, she expressed that she wants for everyone to come to school feeling comfortable and not intimidated. Ms. Rovack continued by saying that sometimes when someone is emotionally upset, they can miss school or even do badly on assignments which would hold them back. It would also prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Because not every country in the world is the same in terms of culture and living style, the program could be implemented differently depending on the country. “I would continue this in my future schools. The program’s core would be the same, but just implemented differently. The main goal would be to help people become better”, explained Ms. Rovack. Ms. Rovack also stressed that the role of a psychologist is different from the role of a counselor. In some big schools where she has worked, they had a psychologist and also a counselor. So sometimes her work plan for the year did not allow her to have such a program. But at an age when students face a lot of peer pressure, they need something that will help them become better people ethically.

Students should know that being a good and kind person is as important as being smart. People who have good morals and who are good and king help make the world we live in a better place. Since school is an academic based facility, good grades are celebrated so it is refreshing to have a program that shows another side of the students.

Ms. Rovack will change the awards the next month to stir things up. For next year, she plans on working to make advisory better. She is also very open to students’ feedback and comments about anything. She also welcomes all students for a talk.

Love amidst the World of Coat Hangers

Elanor Wren, New Baby On Board
By Hanna El-Amrawi

As of the next school year, over ten teachers have decided to leave our campus. With many new faces coming in, it just seems like Schutz will never be the same. However, two recognizable faces, that we will still be able to spot in the crowd, will be the Ortegas. The Ortegas are one of the few couples at Schutz who have decided to remain with us on campus. “We love the Schutz community, especially the teachers we work with” stated Mr. Ortega, the Kindergarten teacher. They love the Schutz community so much, that they want their new born baby girl, Elanor Wren Ortega, to be raised amidst the Schutz family.

The Ortegas moved to Schutz two years ago from sunny California. Mr. Ortega attended San Francisco State University for his undergraduate studies and then, did his masters in childhood learning at Bankstreet University in New York. When asked which state he liked more, he replied with; “My heart is always in California”. While Mr. Ortega was doing his undergraduate studies, he took a part-time job at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts, as a coat hanger. “It is the coolest job ever! You don’t do much work, just hang people’s coats, plus you get paid well!”, explained Mr. Ortega. Not only was this a fun job that paid well, but it was also where he met his true love, Mrs. Jill Ortega. Mrs. Jill, the current 2nd grade teacher, also happened to work as a coat hanger at the same museum. Since there was a lot of free time, the two were able to get to know each other very well. It was not surprising that within a few years the couple was happily married. “We never get sick of each other, we have been together for six years! And I just love her”, explained Mr. Ortega. After some work experience at several schools, the Ortegas got many interviews; one being to teach at Schutz American School. Mr. Ortega admits that the couple at first went into the interview as a joke; they just wanted to have an experience at being interviewed. “We had no plans whatsoever of moving to Africa or to the Middle East”, explained the couple. However, when they sat down with Matthew Farwell, the ex-principal, they just loved him! Within a few months they were all packed and ready to head to Alexandria. “We wanted Egypt to surprise us, we came having no expectations”, stated Mr. Ortega.

Having come with no expectations set, Schutz definitely blew their minds away. They feel proud that they part of the Schutz community. Once entering the classrooms, the Ortegas became attached to the children they taught. “I have been teaching early childhood for nine years, but the children I teach her at Schutz are different. They love to learn and I love to teach them” stated Mr. Ortega. For the past two years, Mr. Ortega has been teaching Kindergarten, but as of next year, he will be teaching the second graders. “I am ready to start something new”, he explained. Mrs. Jill will also be trying something new, as she will be staying at home and taking care of Elanor. “Jill and I not only love her, but we like her a lot”.

Well Mr. and Mrs. Ortaga, we are glad you decided to stay with us on campus! And we welcome Elanor Wren Curtleck with open arms into our Schutz family.

Knock Knock, Come in Dr. Seuss

Schutz Celebrates Dr. Seuss's Birthday

By Hanna El-Amrawi

Knock Knock! Who is there? March 3rd!? March 3rd? What is happening on March 3rd? Dr Seuss’s birthday! This March, the spirit of Dr. Seuss has come to Schutz American School. Let me tell you this, if Dr. Seuss were still alive he would have been so impressed at the decorated doors, which certain grades have decided to decorate in celebration of his birthday.

This brilliant idea started when Mrs. Jane Walsh, the upper school librarian, encountered Tonya Drummond, a ninth grader, and was informed that March 3rd was the birthday of Dr. Sues. Tonia related that, in her old school, on March 3rd, every door from Pre-k to twelfth grade, was decorated in honor of Dr. Seuss. ‘I love Dr. Seuss! He is quirky”, said Tonya. Having heard this idea, Mrs. Walsh decided to add a little bit of enthusiasm to our school and had created a contest where all grades can compete for the best decorated door. On march 3rd during the afternoon, two committees were formed in order to judge the Lower and Upper school doors. The first committee headed by Mr.Bob Medina judged the lower school, while the committee headed by Dr. Joyce, judged the Upper school doors. The results were as follows:

Pre K 4 and Senior Class: Best Eye Appeal

Grade 1 and Grade 8: Best Dr. Suess Spirit

Grade 2: Best evidence of Student Work

Grade 3: Most creative

Grade 6: Participation

A Rising Young Business Man

Saad Attia Aspires to Follow in his Father's Footsteps

By Ingy Fahmy

Saad Attia arrived to the Schutz gates 11 years ago as a humble and shy young boy from Kawmeya Language School. He describes that single moment as, “possibly one of the greatest and most beneficial decisions my parents have made in my childhood years”. Saad explains that growing up within the Schutz community has enabled him to be a well-rounded person who is eager and fervent about the next step in his life- his college career and soon after the real world!

Saad is planning to attend the American University in Cairo (AUC) where he will be pursuing a degree in BA Business Management. He hopes to apply this education when he steppes into the real world where he will be working alongside his father, managing a real estate company. Saad puts his father on a pedestal; therefore, all his visions for his future derive from how he aspires to be the man his father is. He describes his father as being a viable role model because “he built his company with no one’s effort but his own and still managed to be successful in his life as a business man, husband, father, and simply an honorable man”. Saad credits his father for the young man that he currently stands to be.

As a personality, Saad might come off as a person who is reserved and does not have much to say. But for those who truly know Saad and grew up with him at Schutz, they know better; Saad is a man of many words and he could possibly be one of the most outgoing and gregarious people on campus. He never has something bad to tell you and always leaves the person with a smile from a nice comment he made or the joke he cracked.

Saad points out that a strong point in him is the fact that he views work as a fun element and not just a duty that he has to perform. He claims that not many of his friends are aware of the fact that he likes to work, and they tend to think he is just very lazy. Saad does admit, however, that he has a flaw of losing his temper sometimes. But that weakness tends to be covered up by the benevolent, blissful, and gratified character that Saad was able to establish for himself.

The years at Schutz will be embedded into Saad’s memory for many, many years to come. He describes one of the most memorable moments at Schutz as being both Varsity Soccer and Volleyball tournaments in Doha this year where he enjoyed his last EMAC/ISAC events alongside his lifelong classmates which he now considers to be his brothers and sisters. Leaving behind all the soccer games played at lunch, his well-spent free blocks, and his classes with the former Arabic teacher, Miss Samiha, will truly be a daunting task for Saad, as he will miss every single minute of them. On the contrary, Saad is glad to finally be closing the door on his Math and Science classes as he suffered a great deal in both.

Saad is eager to start a new page in his life as he closes this chapter of his life. But before he exits the familiar grounds he grew up in, he would like to extend a few words to various Schutz parties, “First off, I would like to thank Schutz as a teaching institution not only as an academic one but also as sociable one as it helped me form the responsible and independent person I graduate as. In return Schutz, I would like to offer you my own advice: it truly is time to establish a healthy and high-quality canteen for your students. Finally, upcoming seniors, start your college applications early and get it out of the way so the rest of your senior year would be one for the books”.

The Cycle of Welcomes and Farewells

New Faces Will Show Up as Some of Our Favorite Faces Leave

By Nikhil Krishnan

Schutz’s family has always been a changing family: senior students tend to commence their journey to college life while new recruits for pre-K 3 students enter the Schutz gates. Teachers follow a very similar pattern and tend to move on in their career. This year, unfortunately, several teachers are going to bid farewell to Schutz and Schutz will have several new teachers initiating their journey at Schutz next year. The teachers that are going to leave by the end of this year are the Meleks, the Wavrins, the Spurlocks, the Collins, Kelly and Mr. Blankinship.

On the other hand, we have a number of new faces who will teach at Schutz next year. Ms. Carrie Danziger will be replacing Mr. Robert Blankinship to teach Upper School Science. Ms. Jessica Koch will replace Mr. Seth Spurlock and teach Math. Mr. Benjamin Dunbar will replace Ms. Melek and teach upper school English. Mr. William “Joe” Donahue will teach High School math, replacing Ms. Kelly Sullivan. Ms. Kathryn Smith will be teaching upper school social studies, replacing Mr. Collins. Mr. Joshua Pickell will replace coach Melek and teach Physical Education next year. In the lower school, Ms. Penny Johnson will replace Mr. Mike Wavrin in teaching the 5th grade.

Moreover, several members of the staff are going to be changing positions for the next year. Mr. Ortega, who was teaching the Kindergarten class along with Ms. Maie Abou Gad, will be teaching the 2nd grade next year. Ms. Sara Salem will start teaching the Pre-K 3 class next year. Ms. Nawal Selim, who is teaching Pre-K 3 this year, will be teaching the 1st grade next year replacing Ms. Barb Hultman. Ms. Randa Shoeb who has been teaching 7th and 8th grade language arts, will now shift from teaching to administration by becoming the lower school principal next year, replacing Dr. Collins.

While we get ready to welcome new faces in the Schutz staff, we will also get ready to bid farewell to the faces that are going to leave us to commence on a new phase of their lives. “It’s time to move on”, Kelly stated after being part of Schutz’s family for about 15 years. Mr. Collins also expressed mixed feelings about leaving Schutz, “We have lived here for 3 years, which is a great amount of time, and it has been great teaching here. However, both of us are getting great opportunities next year: Dr. C will be a principal in a bigger school, and I will get the opportunity to teach IB History, something I look forward to. We have been having a good international experience, and we would like to continue it.”

People leaving and entering is part of our lives. On a more optimistic note, we get to meet new faces, and old faces commence on a new beginning. We wish all the leaving teachers a great success in the following year.

Michele Serros: It All Began with Writing a Daily Journal

A Woman to Watch For in the New Century

By Aya Kordy

Since the beginning of the school year Schutz hosted two author visits. Luckily enough on the 6th of September 2009, Tom Palmer visited the Schutz campus. He was invited by the 13 year old 8th grader Omar Younis. In December Schutz was once again fortunate with another author visiting campus, Michele Serros. She was invited on campus by the high school Librarian Mrs. Walsh. Nonetheless, many upper school classes were at a time of closure due to swine flu cases; hence, many students did not get the chance to meet the unparalleled author. Therefore, the journalism class choice to conduct an interview with Serros to acquaint the students with the author who they would have desired to meet.

Surprisingly, Michele Serros’ personality is almost as fascinating as her writings, and it was a privilege to speak to her recently and get to know more about her writings as well as her personal life. Michele’s openness of spirit was immediately evident. It is my pleasure to introduce this rare talent to those who have not yet read her books and to those who read them, but have not yet had the opportunity to meet her in person to get to know the amazing personality that lies behind her astonishing words.
Michele Serros is an American author and poet described as “A woman to watch for in the new century.” Her journey began when she wrote her first book of short stories and poems Chicana Falsa, reflecting on death and identity. She also entered the TV business in 2002, and subsequently became the official screenwriter for the George Lopez Show; nevertheless, she left after only a year for medical reasons.
When asked if the reason that made her become interested in writing was her parents’ separation, Michele Serros answered, “Yes, definitely their separation was a great factor, I used to keep journals of how I feel”. She started telling her story and how she started her path in writing. The first person who advised her to write was her favorite author, Judy Plume. After sending Plume her first letter, Serros was surprised that she wrote her back and advised her to keep a journal about her fears or concerns over her parents` separation to help her vent her worries. She admits that keeping this daily journal set a foundation for her as a writer. Answering my question whether she sends a message to her audience through her books, Michele Serros declares that she does usually send a message but with a humorous approach.

I then asked,” I noticed that in your previous novels you wrote about deep issues like death, separation and role models. Why that path? Serros opens up and speaks about herself the way she sees it telling that she tends to be that type of writer who writes not only what she has a passion for, but of what she knows. Writing is very cathartic to her. She usually writes during or after a painful experience. Chicana Falsa was written after her mother's death while How to be a Chicana Role Model was written during the separation from her husband at the time. I found it a good opportunity to ask Serros about the way she felt after she was hailed as “a woman to watch for in the new century”. Being a down to earth person as I realized from the way she has been responding to my questions, she answered “I was much honored, but now the accolade is somewhat intimidating. After all, it is a big title to live up to! And we are ten years into the new century. What have I really done that was so worthy of watching for?”

Finally, I asked Serros whether she would like to be hosted on the Oprah Winfrey Show and have her book in Oprah`s book club as the show was actually coming to an end. I was actually very surprised when she answered frankly saying, “Every author would love to have more people read their work and, of course, Oprah's Book Club would allow this. But to be frank, I've never really fanaticized about being featured on Oprah's Book Club. I have, however, fanaticized, about winning a new car from her!” At last, I would like to say that it was my pleasure to interview this amazingly talented author.

The Owner of Simplicity and Modesty

Tias Amazes the World with Her Art of Being Simple

By Nikhil Krishnan

Tias Sneh Paul has been consistently identified as the quietest girl at Schutz’s campus. However, when it came to interviewing her, she was quite open about describing herself and her life. With an admirable high school academic record and a prestigious membership in the Schutz’s Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), Tias has genuinely been a great student with a high level of modesty at.
Tias was born in the city of Kolkata in the western part of India. Before coming to Schutz, she studied at an Indian school in the city of Baroda. She commenced her educational expedition at Schutz when she entered Grade 2. She stated that she came to Schutz as a shy nobody who refused to speak up even when picked on. However, she strongly believes that Schutz has given her her own voice and taught her to be a better person since it has taught her firsthand of what it is like to be picked on. She has truly come a long way in the past ten years as she presently holds the office of Treasurer in the NHS and the office of Secretary of the senior class.

Tias admires her dad and considers him as her role model. She marvels her dad because of his ability to work hard and the fact that “he built himself from scratch” “Being the oldest son in a family of five not only did he have to do odd jobs to make ends meet, but also keep up with his studies along with tutoring his younger siblings. Due to his outstanding performance he earned himself a scholarship to one of the best institutes in India, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)”, says Tias.

In her spare time, Tias enjoys reading, watching movies and taking care of her plants. Currently, she plans to be an engineer and earn a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering at a reputable university. Later on, she would like to get a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and work at a respectable company. She has already received acceptance letters from universities such as Michigan State University (MSU), Purdue University, and the prestigious Ivy League University, Penn State University.
She loves the fact that Egyptians are kind, warm and open people and will miss them when she leaves Schutz and Egypt. Her most memorable moment at Schutz was in the Comparitive Religions class last year when Mr. Collins called up a group of people which included her. “All of us thought we were going to be congratulated for having a great paper, but actually, it was that we had incidentally taken down the same notes, since we were told to jot down the most important points. All of us burst out laughing because all of us had worked very hard on it and each of us, including Mr. Collins, knew that we had not cheated.” Her advice to the coming seniors and other high school students is to take High School seriously, but at the same time, to take time off to enjoy the little moments that can never be re-lived. Tias has a great future in store, and we all wish her to succeed.

What Every Junior Looks Forward To!

Thimuners Head to The Hague

By Hanna El Amrawi

As the year goes on, the 12th graders look forward to graduating and entering a new phase in life. The 8th graders might start to feel anxious as they enter High school. But what about the 11th graders? Do they have anything to look forward to? Of course, they do. Most of the juniors at Schutz get to travel to the Hague and take part in a very prestigious conference. Hoda Eldib(Ambassador of Tajikistan), Dikran Alexanian, Hana Afifi, Soha Afifi, Ahmed Ayroud, and Moustafa El Naggar represented Tajikistan at the 2010 The Hague International Model United Nations conference. The THIMUN conference is one of the biggest MUN conferences in the world, holding around 3000 delegates. For the past years at Schutz, it has always been the History teacher who accompanies the MUNers but, this year’s juniors were accompanied by Massimo Latereza, the Dean of Students.

Each student was placed in a different committee where they negotiated and debated on various issues from the country they represents, point of view. By meeting and interacting with new people, the delegates were able to experience what actual MUN members go through. Hoda Eldib, our ambassador, felt that this experience was very memorable to her as she was able to meet people from all over the world.

As you can tell, this MUN conference is definitely an event that you would look forward to.

Mai Eldib: Living in "Empire State of Mind"

Grasping Every Experience to Achieve Independence

By Ingy Fahmy

Mai Eldib graduated from Schutz in 2004 and went on to attend Barnard College, Columbia University in NYC where she acquired her bachelor of arts degree in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies in 2008. Since then, Mai has had a couple of internships in the city; she interned for ABC News and a botique venture captilist firm. She describes both internships as being great learning experiences.

Currently, Mai is working in NYC as a client developer at Sotheby's, one of the most prominent international auction houses that deal with the sale of fine art, jewelry, watches, furniture, wine, books, etc. She loves her job and explains, "It is so different from what I studied, so it feels like I am going to school all over again. I get to work with great pieces of art and see them on a daily basis; it's like working in a museum!". Mai further explains that her job gives her the fortunate opportunity to engage in so much people interaction; she gets to meet such fascinating and interesting people whom she must understand in order to help enhance Sotheby's multinational clientale.

Schutz has affected Mai's life tremendously; she came to Schutz as a young sixth grade girl and came out as a fully prepared young lady ready for the Big Apple. She says it would not have been possible were it not for Schutz instilling a sense of independence in her which has grown over the years. It has enabled Mai to become her own person who is able to identify her own strong and weak points. Mai describes one of Schutz's benefits is being such a small school because it allows and teaches you to foster great relationships with those around you.

When asked if there is anything she would have done since graduating, Mai said, "Maybe stayed on for another five years in Schutz; they were seriously some of the most amazing days". She claims that things have changed so much from her time at high school. After being realeased from the Schutz gates almost six years ago, Mai admits it has been a little scary and crazy being in the real world. She has primarily gained so much independence since graduating. Mai has gradually learned to become aquainted with what she really wants out of life and to know how she should go about getting it. She explains, "If you were to tell me during my senior year of high school that I would be working in New York in the Art Industry, I would have laughed; I thought I was going to be a lawyer or a diplomat, but I soon realized that I am not really a desk job person or a 9 to 5 person either".

Mai hopes her future path takes her back to Egypt at some point where she will be working and maybe even serving on the Schutz Board, but for now she is happy with work and is open for whatever plans her future might hold for her. "I am totally indebted to Schutz for making me the person that I am today. Without Schutz I would not have learned the importance of thinking outside the box or managing life. Schutz really teaches you how to be your own self and that is very important when you are at whatever job, because being confident and assured about your identity always enables you to grow in your life and flourish".

As a successful Schutz graduate, Mai Eldib offers current Schutz students some advice about their days at school, "Enjoy every single minute at Schutz, from MUN to Sports Day to the EMAC/ISAC events. Cherish them; because once you graduate you will miss every thing you did at school. The bond you shared with your friends there – it is truly irreplaceble".

Taking the World by Storm, One Country at a Time

By Farah Kashwa

Sarah El Sebakhy is the new face we all see around campus. Before she came to Schutz, she attended the American-British Academy (ABA) in Muscat, Oman. She lived in Qatar before moving to Oman. She really liked ABA and she also liked Oman. Sarah, at first, was afraid about coming to Schutz because she felt like everyone had their own friends already and she was also concerned about the American diploma. However, as the weeks went by, she got used to the system and made her own friends. Even though she misses her old school and friends, she believes that Schutz is a good way to end high school.

When it comes to Sarah’s hobbies, she has more than one. She likes taking photographs and watching movies and documentaries; especially documentaries on politics and history. She also likes to read books and chill with friends. Her favorite author is Jodie Picoult.

Sarah is fairly sure about her future. She wants to attend the American University in Cairo (AUC) and she wants to major in International Relations and Modern History. She wants to attend AUC for about two years and then transfer abroad to the United States or Europe. For Sarah, thinking 10 years down the road is a little too far but she wants to have seen a lot of places and wants to have earned her bachelor’s degree and maybe even master’s. Although she wants to get a good job in a big, busy city, she excludes Cairo and New York City.

Sarah has a lot of talents. She speaks three languages fluently, she is currently learning Spanish, and she would like to touch up on her French. One of the most memorable moments in Sarah’s life was when she won 3rd place in one of the categories for a photography competition in a famous travel magazine in Oman called Oman2day.

Sarah’s family is very supportive of her. Although they give her advice and try to lead her to making the right decision, she makes the final decisions herself. According to Sarah, they are always there to back her up. Sarah wants to have a broad knowledge about everything, just like her dad. She says that her dad reads a lot and someday she wants to read as much as he does. One of Sarah’s family supporters includes her sister, Farah, who is currently enrolled at British School of Alexandria.

Although she is a shy person, she is a very open person once you get to know her. So let’s give Sarah a big Schutz welcome. Sarah, welcome to the family!

Establishing Peace by Books and not by Bombs

The Big Read Project Takes Place for our Community’s Well-Being

By Nikhil Krishnan

A man named Greg Mortenson climbs the K2 mountain of Pakistan, the world’s second highest mountain in the Karakorum Range, to honor his sister’s memory. While coming back and staying at a village called Korphe for a while, he sees a group of underprivileged girls trying to write with sticks on sand. He walks up to them, and promises to build them a school. As of 2009, Greg Mortenson has built 131 schools. His incentive of establishing peace by ‘books and not by bombs’, has awarded him several honors including a nomination for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Big Read project at Schutz American School is strongly inspired by the story of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Three Cups of Tea, written by Greg Mortenson. Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea is an inspirational autobiographical account of how Mortenson successfully established a number of schools in the remote communities and areas of Central Asia and how he is changing the state of the world one school at a time

The Big Read project similarly aims to assist in providing needed resources and build libraries for three underprivileged schools in the neighborhood of Alexandria. For a kickoff start, the Big Read project contributors and members introduced the long-term project at an Upper School Falcon Block assembly held on November 19, 2009. The two upper school Language Arts teachers, Ms. Randa Shoeb and Ms. Jean Melek have been encouraging their students to read Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea for exciting rewards, such as opportunities for earning bonus points in their Language Arts classes, occasional tea-parties and pizza offering at book discussions during lunch times. Since then, there have been several successful book discussions during lunch times.

On the other hand, many fundraising activities and events have been held at Schutz such as the National Honor Society’s Big Read Bake Sale, Upper School library’s Book Donation and Sale etc. All raised funds and money are being donated to the Central Asia Institute (CAI), the organization that is co-founded by Greg Mortenson and that builds schools in the remote mountainous areas of northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and the steppes of Mongolia.

Greg Mortenson with the Central Asia Institute has effectively enlightened and motivated the world with one of the most staggering humanitarian campaigns ever, and the Big Read Project is certainly one result. We are proud of Ms. Melek and Co. for establishing Schutz’s Big Read Project and hope that it successfully serves its community to make it healthier than ever.

The Transformed Man

Mohamed Seif’s Journey Through School Helped Establish His Masculinity

By Ingy Fahmy

Mohamed Seif, more widely known as Aboody, came to Schutz seven years ago as a timid, introverted sixth grader. He recalls his first day, “I went into class and I was sitting next to Tias. Noureen was supposed to sit next to me as well, but she was still in Spain. It was later time for recess, and a few boys called me over to play tetherball and I hung out for a while with them then pulled myself away. I remember being extremely shy at the time”. It was not until a few years later that Mohamed started converting his character and transforming his personality into one that you no longer overlooked as you sat with the different boys in his class. Mohamed established himself as one of the most recognizable students in the senior class.
Mohamed plans to attend American University in Cairo (AUC) to specialize and major in Engineering. He plans to pursue a graduate degree after acquiring his undergraduate one. Mohamed envisions himself in the future, as a well-respected, established working man among the elites of the country. He will be joining his family’s business, where he wants to be working side-by-side with his father. Parallel to that, Mohamed wants to be raising his own family and raising them with the morals that he was brought up with during his own childhood.
Mohamed is one of those people who really concentrate at what he has at hand; he makes sure that his work is done on time and in high quality. However, he does admit that he tends to cram and wait until the last moment to do the required work. Despite that, Mohamed leaves no room for anyone to argue that he truly is a hard worker. Amongst his friends, Mohamed is described to be the tall, loud, kind, and hyper guy who is always guaranteed to be a smile on your face.
Reminiscing on his days at Schutz, Mohamed will always cherish the precious moments he has spent here during his adolescent years. In particular, he tends to take pleasure in the Dr. Atef was a substitute for his Algebra class; Mohamed claims that time to be full of laughter and happiness. Mohamed will sincerely miss Schutz’s friendly and secure environment. He explains that in previous schools he never correctly felt at home till he became acclaimed in the Schutz family.
Mohamed would like to end his days at Schutz by thanking it for everything it has harbored in him for the rest of his life. In particular, Mohamed explains, “Schutz has embedded in me the most important lesson of all time: You only achieve success through hard work and commitment”. Mohamed would also like to thank Dr. Tony Spencer, the former Head of School, for helping him become the man he is today. He explains that Dr. Spencer is the person who saved him for going down a path that would have lead him to places he would later regret. Finally, Mohamed would like to extend the best of luck to the junior class and tells them, “Work hard, you only have one more year to go. Enjoy it…”

Delegation of Japan Head-Off to Turkey!

Delegates Declare TIMUN ’09 A Success!

By Farah Kashwa

One of the greatest advantages of being a junior is getting a chance to travel to the Turkish International Model United Nations (TIMUN). The delegation from Schutz that represented Japan at TIMUN this year were Hana Kotb (Ambassador), Hala Abou El Seoud, Sandrine Aziz, Nourhan El Sallab, and Nathaniel Helminiak. Travelling along with them were Noureen Ben Halim and Hanna El-Amrawi for the journalistic experience of TIMUN; of course the students were accompanied by Mr. Collins since he is the MUN director.

It is the first time in the history of Schutz to send non-delegates to the conference. This year, Hanna El-Amrawi and Noureen Ben Halim made history when they travelled to TIMUN to be part of the journalism department of the conference. When participating in an MUN conference, there is a daily newspaper updating you on the happenings of the previous day. Usually throughout the conference you are sitting down on a chair in your committee; however, Hanna and Noureen were running in the building to find their next big story. Apart from writing, several documentaries were made about the diversity of the conference. When I asked Hanna about what she thought of the journalism department of there conference, she said, “Comparing being a delegate to this I enjoyed this a lot more because I have a strong passion for journalism so I thought this was the right thing to do. It made me feel that I was in a real press room.”

While the students are attending the conference, they lobby with other delegates. While lobbying they discuss resolutions and aspects of the issues that they weres presented with. All preparations and discussions should be made from their country’s point of view of course. Also, while lobbying, people from all around the world were present at the conference. You are constantly being introduced to new cultures and new thoughts.

The advantage of TIMUN is that it is a smaller conference than The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) therefore delegates have more opportunities to speak in their committees.

When I asked Hala Abou El Seoud about that conference, she had this to say, “I loved the people there; it was different and diverse, and it was really interesting for me to get to know so many different people from so many different places. The experience I got was magnificent and I learned a lot from it! Mr. Collins was great!”

Travelling to Istanbul, Turkey for TIMUN does not only mean conferencing throughout the trip. The delegation managed to get a chance to explore the lovely city of Istanbul; a city filled with so much culture. Being a delegation dominated by girls of course there was a lot of shopping involved. Apart from some shopping time, they visited the European side of Turkey which was a fun experience. Noureen Ben Halim pointed out that the banquet at the end of the conference was a lot of fun.

Overall, the trip was a great success! The delegates had a great experience and also a lot of fun. What better combination than that can there be?

Mr. K.G. Knows the Best!

Armed To Equip His Students with Technological Skills

By Nikhil Krishnan

Mr. Linroy Kilgore is yet another new distinguished addition to Schutz’s teaching militia. He is commonly known as, Mr. K.G., who is armed to equip his students in order to have their best foot forward in the changing world with technology skills. Mr. K.G. is not the kind of person one would go around addressing as a tech geek because he has been around the block regarding many things and has lots of different things to do in the future.

Mr. K.G. was born in Abilene, Texas but was raised mostly in Fort Worth, Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Texas Christian University and majored in Science Education. He then enrolled in the Air Force and served as a target intelligence officer for 8 years, reaching the rank of captain and serving in Desert Storm. At the Air Force, he was assigned various technological jobs to handle top secret information and inevitably, that is where his interest for technology received a spark. He further continued his studies by receiving his masters in MBA for technology. Since then, he has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and head director in the eclectic and rewarding field of education. Last year, he finally decided that he wanted to teach overseas, and therefore took the next available plane to Alexandria, Egypt to start his newly generated overseas experience.

Mr. K.G. has expressed an affinity for Egypt. “I like the place in general but it’s a bit too loud. If I had a magic wand to do something, I would like to lower the volume on the streets, especially at 2am! Other than that, it’s a beautiful place.” states Mr. K.G.

Mr. K.G.’s model student is someone who has the ability to learn on their own. “We’re here to help students learn how to learn, particularly in regard to technology. They have to be able to use and apply these tools in college and their future careers.” Further states Mr. K.G. Mr. K.G. is quite concerned about the state of secondary and post-secondary education today. He believes the reason why so many students fall behind is because the educational system is no longer relevant to how students learn today. “Many students in the U.S. appear to believe they are entitled to the easy way and are less willing to work toward their own learning.” He also believes that the K-12 educational system in the U.S. has some serious flaws. “That is why I chose to teach overseas. I wanted to get out of the U.S. Educational system for a while.” He further believes that students should stay at school and make the most of it to have a deserving future.

Apart from being the average tech guy, he is also an avid reader. He claims that he has over 300 books on the Kindle and has about 60 eBooks on his Ipod. He often enjoys playing online games and working on his own online school website. Though he has achieved much in his life, he is hungry for more and wants to earn a doctorate in education (PhD.) and serve a school by being part of the administration or as the head principal.

Mr. K.G. came up with a well-put piece of advice: “We’re estimating between the years 2006 and 2016 that there will be nearly a 1,000 new jobs in technology. The U.S. is short about 100,000 engineers every year. Therefore, it is a very good time for students to go into technology. Kids can write their own tickets.” We wish Mr. K.G. a successful first overseas year at Schutz.