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23rdInt
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InternationalConvention24th
24 - 25 July 2015
Congratulations to everyone on this occasionfrom an Old Scholar residing in Dubai
A United, Visible, and AffluentGlobal Network
InternationalConvention24th
24 - 25 July 2015
Brum
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24thInt
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By Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Class of ’66 Reunion – October 2014
REUNIONS
Class of ’66 Reunion held in Sidon, Lebanon, in October 2014
A Day at the Park in Dubai – November 2014
Stephanie Malhame ’05, Rita Barakat’00, Mireille Azar ’00, Amine AbouJawdeh ’00, Suzy Malhame ’02, NajiHawayek ’00
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A Gulf Chapter Heads’ meeting, led by PresidentNazih Khattar ’66, was held on 7 November 2014 toupdate all the chapter heads and their newlyappointed deputies on the latest OSA news; toreinforce the vision, mission and objectives of theOSA; and to plan ways of moving these forward.
President Khattar took this opportunity to also presentthe newly appointed general manager of the OSA —
and previous BHS teacher and Head of the EnglishDepartment -— Mrs Tanya Nammour. Mr Hani AboulJabine ’61, newly elected Chairman of the BHS Boardof Governors, was also introduced and especiallyhonoured during that day.
The productive meeting was followed by a cocktailreception at President Khattar’s residence and by dinner.
I SERVE
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerGulf Chapter Heads’ Meeting – 7 November 2014
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In his efforts to reactivate and revive the OSA membership abroad, lastDecember President Nazih Khattar ’66 undertook trips to Montreal, Canada,and Los Angeles, USA, where he invited old scholars residing in and aroundMontreal and Los Angeles to dinner. On both occasions, those attendingwere delighted to be reunited with, or to become acquainted with fellow oldscholars living in the same area.
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USA & Canada Chapters’ Reunions – December 2014
REUNIONS
By Tanya NammourOSA General Manager
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Since graduating from BHS, it has been customary forthe classes of ’99 and ’00 to get together at leastonce a year, usually in December.
This past December marked our 15th year ofgraduation, and to make it more memorable, wedecided to hold it at the OSA Clubhouse. The cherryon top of the cake was to also invite our formerteachers, whom we hadn’t seen in fifteen years.They gladly accepted, as they, too, wanted to see
what has become of their former students.
Those who attended the gathering were delighted tosee each other, especially that many students weresurprised by their teachers’ presence. As Mrs RimaHabib’s ’82 email below shows, the feedback on theevent was excellent, and its success is living proof thata BHS bond is eternal.
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By Mona Karam ’00OSA Community ManagerClasses of ’99 & ’00 Reunion on 26 December 2014
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Classes of ’99 & ’00 Reunion on 26 December 2014
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Tribute to Karim Baz '00
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Thanks to WhatsApp® andJihad Mezher's brilliantidea, the debaucheryweekend at Camil Sader’sin Miami, South Beach,became reality. Laced withinnuendos from the movieThe Hangover, theWolfpack prepared forwhat would be a longoverdue reunion of alifetime. Roger Francis was
leaving Dubai to meet his wife, Safa, in Los Angelesfor the birth of their son, Luca, which confirmed theneed to meet.
Once the Wolfpack group was created onWhatsapp®, within minutes mayhem ensued. Wecouldn't control our boyish excitement nor ourgiggling. It was like being in high school all over
again and as if the past twenty five years hadn't goneby. Within hours, the group grew to 9 grown mentexting each other away in a totally “unprofessional”and childish frenzy.
The weekend of 27 February to 2 March 2015 wasthe date when 7 of us, pictured below ended upmeeting in South Florida.
The reunion was a great success. We all enjoyedseeing each other; some of us hadn’t seen each otherin more than twenty years. It felt like we werecontinuing where we had left off all those years ago.The weekend was eventful and memorable. Itincluded meals at elite restaurants, time spent atbeach resorts, South Beach Clubs, and in a privatelyrented villa.
Often did we catch ourselves chanting, "Oh, we won'tforget Brummana School, and won't let you forget!"
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By Dr Carlos Bechara ’90
Class of ’90 - A Reunion After 25 Years!
From left to right: CamilSader, Jihad Mezher,Roger Francis, CarlosBechara, Carl KamalYagizi, Michael Kühn,and Roger Balech
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The Gulf Reunion, held in Dubai on 6 and 7 March2015, gathered together old scholars mainly fromLebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, andthe UAE. It was heartwarming to witness the oldscholars’ delight and excitement at seeing each otherand spending time together again. Approximately 80old scholars and their partners attended the events.The genuine pleasure and fellow feeling wereinfectious and lasted throughout the weekend.
There were three major events bringing the oldscholar community together over the two days. OnFriday morning, a General Assembly was held at AlMurooj Rotana Hotel, followed by lunch. UAE
Chapter Head and Master of Ceremonies, Zeki Farra‘61, warmly welcomed all those present andintroduced OSA President Nazih Khattar ‘66, whogave an update on the latest developments andactivities of the OSA.
In his turn, President Khattar introduced belovedformer English teacher and old-scholar-by-adoptionJohn Kirkbright, who entertained us all with his vividand witty account of his first arrival in Lebanon manyyears ago.
Then, it was BHS Principal Dr Walid El Khoury’s turnto give a presentation on the school’s most recentactivities, developments, and achievements, as well asthe educational initiatives already taken to ensure thatthe school continues to thrive and prosper.
At this point, Chairperson of the Board of Governors,Hani Aboul Jabine ‘61, announced that Dr ElKhoury’s term in office had recently been extendedfor a further two years. He also added that the newmulti-purpose hall in the recently completed theRizkallah Building Extension had been given the nameof Khoury Hall in recognition of Dr El Khoury’s
By Tanya NammourOSA General Manager
OSA Gulf Reunion 6-7 March 2015
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fourteen years of service and dedication to theschool. This was followed by a brief discussion duringwhich various members suggested a number ofinitiatives to further advance the goals of the OSA,and for which President Khattar was thankful.
A leisurely and delicious lunch ended the productivemorning.
Almost twice the number of old scholars and theirpartners attended the gala dinner later in theevening, at Eau Zone Restaurant, at the RoyalMirage Hotel. Apart from the scrumptious dinner andthe beautiful beach setting, a perfect musical fusion oforiental and western songs and tunes added to thegenial and joyful atmosphere. It would have beendifficult to imagine a better ending to the day.
Fewer old scholars participated in the Desert Safariplanned for the next afternoon, an event which
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definitely was not for the faint-hearted. The majoritythoroughly enjoyed the roller-coaster dune-bashingadventure the journey to the camp offered.The remaining wiser members — yours truly included— opted to reach the desert camp using a lessstomach-churning and limb-jerking route. Needless tosay that the desert landscape set against the sunsetwas another enchanting scene to appreciate.
Having finally reached our destination in one piece,we settled down to another pleasant evening of foodand entertainment. The Oriental barbecue at thecamp could not compare with previous meals but wasquite good by desert standards. The entertainment,which included a skirted twirling dervish, and atalented and voluptuous belly-dancer, provided asuitably enjoyable finale to the lively weekend.
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OSA Gulf Reunion 6-7 March 2015
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In line with President Nazih Khattar's '66 initiative to establish a UK OSA Chapter,a small gathering took place in London on 6 June 2015. Many who could not cometo this gathering for different reasons expressed their willingness to attend a futurereunion.
The same friendly sense of comradeship, with old scholars remembering old times,was as apparent as ever at this gathering. Many teachers were fondly remembered,and amusing anecdotes about the school and pupils were shared. We also missedand remembered our two recently departed classmates, Issa Sawabini '66 andRamsay Bisharah '55.
Below are photographs of those attending with a banner proclaiming the vitality ofBHS OSA. A key ring commemorating the gathering was also presented to everyoneattending.
After reading and accepting the President’s letter, the gathering recommendedinviting Old Scholars to a UK reunion in London tentatively on Saturday 24October2015. This will be further discussed during the International Convention in July2015.
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UK Chapter Reunion – June 2015
By Nayla Tawil Cookson ’65UK Chapter Head
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Dr Ismail Sukkarieh ’65, Gastroenterologist (AUH),and former MP for Baalbeck and Hermel, was thekeynote speaker at the Secondary Section Assemblyon the occasion of Founders’ Day on Friday 28November 2014 at 2:00 pm. The assembly was heldat the BHS Meeting House.
Dr Sukkarieh’s talk was most engaging. Among manytopics he tackled, he talked about his experience atBHS, about the fond memories of the school hetreasures to this day, and about the values he hadbeen taught there and that have guided himthroughout his life.
He spoke about his experience as MP for the Bekaaregion, about the Lebanese government’s serious
shortcomings in dealing withthe country’s widespreadcorruption, about its leaders’greed and indifference tohuman values, and morespecifically about theauthorities’ neglect of seriouspublic health issues. He talked about his life journey inthe last twenty years, about his mission and struggleto fight for citizens’ right to quality, effective, andreliable medical care, and expressed hisdisappointment about Lebanon being one of the veryfew countries in the world still lacking properlaboratory control and a national inspection bodymonitoring pharmaceutical products.
Dr Sukkarieh ended his talk by urging thestudents to become more sociallyresponsible citizens, and to demandand/or become accountable leaders oftheir country. He hoped they realised theyhad a duty not to stand by and accept theway things are, but to protest and demandbetter public health organizations andmore conscientious and scrupulousgovernmental and public institutions. Mostof the secondary students showed theirinterest and appreciation by warmlyapplauding his final words.
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerBHS Founders' Day on 28 November 2014
Dr Sukkarieh’s Address
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BHS Independence Day – November 2014Upper Elementary Independence Day Parade
Infant Section Independence Day Parade
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BHS Christmas Shows - December 2014
Infant Section Christmas Show
Upper Elementary Christmas Show
Briefings & News
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerOSA Official Visits to HE Prime Minister Tammam Salam '65 and
HE President Emile Lahoud '53 – January 2015OSA President Nazih Khattar ’66 — with a delegationfrom the OSA board which included Mr NajiChakhtoura ’92, OSA Vice-President; former OSAPresidents Dr Elias Shammas ’60, Mr Khaled Saab’64, and Mr Fayez Bizri ’68; as well as OSA BoardMember and BHS Board of Governors Member, MrMaher Beydoun ’66 — visited PM Tammam Salam
’64, a fellow old scholar and HE former PresidentGeneral Emile Lahoud ’53, also a fellow old scholar,soon after the new year. The purpose of these visitswas to update both eminent old scholars on the latestevents and activities organised by the OSA, and towish them the best for the New Year.
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Book Signing – Tarek Yared
Grade 8 LP student, Tarek Yared, author ofPhoenix, was honoured for his achievementon Friday 13 February 2015 at the OSAClubhouse. A group of students, includinghis classmates and class representatives, DrWalid El Khoury, Mrs Rima Habib ’82, aswell as Tarek’s family attended theceremony during which President NazihKhattar ’66 presented him with a gift of$1,500. In his turn, Tarek presented MrKhattar and the OSA Library with signedcopies of his book. The OSA is proud ofTarek’s promising achievement andencourages him to continue in his journeyas a writer.
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BHS Covered in Snow – February 2015
Briefings & News
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Parents' Association Mother’s Day Dinner - March 2015
The BHS Parents’ Association held its annual Mother’s Day fundraising dinner atMounir Restaurant in Brummana on 21 March, 2015.
The event was very well attended with over 200 parents, teachers, old scholars,members from the Board of Governors, Dr Walid El Khoury, the BHS Heads of
Departments, and friends ofthe school. Entertainment forthe evening was provided bythe lovely and talentedMarianne Zeinoun and a DJ.The event was a greatsuccess with funds raisedfrom tickets and tombola tobe used by the PA to supportenhancements to the schoolcampus and students’scholarships.
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By Lara AshkarPA Treasurer
Briefings & News
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerEmmanuel Guiragossian Exhibition - March 2015
Brummana High School held an exhibition of thepaintings and sculptures of the eminent artistEmmanuel Guiragossian in the new Rizkallah BuildingExtension, in Khoury Hall. The opening of theexhibition took place in the presence of the artisthimself and of many members of the BHS communityon Wednesday 18 March, 2015. The exhibition,
which was very successful and well attended,continued until Saturday, 21 March 2015, andincluded many beautiful art works by BHS students —our budding artists of the future — displayed in theadjoining rooms to the hall.
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By Tanya NammourOSA General Manager
Information provided byRaymond El Feghali
BHS Bursar
The new Rizkallah Building Extension was inauguratedon the evening of 23 April 2015 under the patronageof HE Prime Minister Tammam Salam ’64, who wasrepresented by his wife Mrs Lama Salam. The eventwas attended by many prominent dignitaries, membersof the community, BHS trustees and governors, BHSstaff and friends, as well as OSA staff.
This project, which includes the renovation of theRizkallah building as well as the new Rizkallahbuilding extension, should be seen as a singlecomplex with the two buildings completing eachother. The Extension started in July 2012, has cost theschool over $4,000,000- to date, and is the biggestproject to have been undertaken by the school since1967, when the Edinburgh, Little, and Arts & Craftsbuildings were erected.
The Rizkallah building extension was completed inMarch 2015 with the exception of the basement floorwhich had not been initially allocated any particularfunction. It was recently used to display the EmmanuelGuiragossian exhibition of paintings and sculpture.The basement will now serveas an indoor Sports area soonto be equipped with soundinsulation and flooringappropriate for the purpose.
The distinctive design of thenew building bears thesignature of the late OmarSalhab ’66, partner in MIMARArchitects, who sadly passedaway before its completion,and of their senior architectTony El Youssef. The quantity
surveyors and contract managers were D. G. Jones &Partners Middle East Ltd, whose chairman wasGeorge Younis ’65. The building contractor wasanother old scholar, Emile Abi Rady Abu Jawdeh ’75,and the project engineer was Paul Bou Rjeily and hisassistant architect, Bachir Khoury.
The purpose of the project was primarily strategic — toincrease the school’s capacity for taking on morestudents at infant level. These students are more likelyto stay on for the remaining years of their schooling,so that by the time they graduate they will becomereal BHS products, as opposed to those students whoenrol in the school later in their lives and whosebackgrounds and history may be different from BHS’s. The Rizkallah Building now has three classrooms forKGI, and the purpose-built Annex has threeclassrooms each for KGII and KGIII. All theclassrooms, which were built with environmentallyfriendly materials, are self-contained with double-glazing, each with its own toilet and sink. All areequipped with the latest technology, includinginteractive whiteboards, computers and the Internet.
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Inauguration of the RizkallahBuilding Extension – April 2015
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Inauguration of the Rizkallah Building Extension – April 2015 Also worth mentioning is the fact that both thebuilding and its extension have been designed withramps between the different parts of the building andclasses, thus providing easy access for the physicallychallenged or for those with special needs.
Besides the obvious need for more space, thecomplex fulfils several other needs of the school, themost basic of which include two new playgrounds,additional storage rooms, and a water reservoirbelow the basement, which is filled with rain water inan area where water provision is scarce. The purpose-built complex also contains space for theadministration’s offices, for a computer lab, a library,
and for a kitchenette (in the extension) where infantscan now be served with hot meals.
Finally, the multi-purpose Khoury Hall can function asa covered playground area on rainy days, as a diningroom, or as an auditorium, with adjoining roomsserving as backstage servicing rooms depending onthe function. Being bigger than the Meeting House andDobbing Hall, the Khoury Hall can seat more than 400persons and is fitted with modern sound and lightsystems, thus enhancing its capacity to hold events andactivities which will enrich the cultural life and enhancethe image of the whole school.
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Inauguration of the New Rizkallah Building Extension byMrs Lama Salam, spouse of HE Prime Minister TamamSalam ’64
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BHS Field Day & Games Day Results - April 2015 Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
GIRLS Captains BOYS Captains HOUSE HOUSE MASTERSDouha Knio Michael Atallah R Mr Samir ZiadeIngrid Aswad Peter Abou Jaoudeh W Mr Samir AyacheNour Asmar Sami Fadel L Mr Chadi Nakhle
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NewRecord2015
Student name House Result Old RecordLAURA AOUAD Waldmeier 10.80m 10.40m shot putINGRID ASWAD Waldmeier 30.80s 31.40s 200mLAURA AOUAD Waldmeier 23.80m 21.00m discus
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GIRLS Captains BOYS Captains HOUSE HOUSE MASTERSDouha Knio Michael Atallah R Mr Samir ZiadeIngrid Aswad Peter Abou Jaoudeh W Mr Samir AyacheNour Asmar Sami Fadel L Mr Chadi Nakhle
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NewRecord2015
Student name House Result Old RecordLAURA AOUAD Waldmeier 10.80m 10.40m shot putINGRID ASWAD Waldmeier 30.80s 31.40s 200mLAURA AOUAD Waldmeier 23.80m 21.00m discus
BHS Field Day & Games Day Results - April 2015
Briefings & News
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerOSA Prom Contribution Presentation – May 2015
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On Friday 22 May 2015, the BHS Prom Committee, accompanied byDean of Students Chadi Nakhle, visited the OSA Clubhouse, wherePresident Nazih Khattar ’66 presented Dany Hermes ’15, PromCommittee Head, with a cheque for $7000 - as the OSA’scontribution towards the expenses of their Prom party. PresidentKhattar also informed the graduates that the OSA was offering themall a five-year membership free of charge. Vice President NajiChakhtoura ’92 and the OSA Secretariat staff were present duringthe visit which provided another opportunity for the OSA and the newgraduates, soon-to-be old scholars themselves, to interact in a warmand pleasant atmosphere.
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By Tanya NammourOSA General ManagerClass of ’15 OSA End of Year Gathering – 8 May 2015
The OSA annual open air End of Year Graduates’Gathering took place on the evening of 8 May, 2015.Most of the graduates, and a good number of theirteachers and advisors were present and joined in thecelebrations.
In addition to Dr Walid El Khoury and BHSmanagement staff, the OSA Secretariat, former OSAPresident Fayez Bizri ’68, OSA Treasurer Emily Salem’82, OSA Accountant Michel Azar ’04, and OSABoard Member George Obeid ’78 were also present
to host the gathering. The evening started withexciting western music.
Then the new young Old Scholars stormed the stageand took charge of their own entertainment withlively Arabic music and dancing. The food preparedby the BHS cafeteria staff was also delicious. Inbrief, it was a pleasant and balmy evening full ofgood cheer and fun.
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Class of ’15 OSA End of Year Gathering – 8May 2015
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Captain Ingrid Aswad ’15 receiving the 2015 BasketballLebanese Championship Cup from Dr Walid El Khoury
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BHS Girls Win 2015 Lebanese Basketball and Futsal ChampionshipsThe BHS Varsity Girls Basketball Team won first place in the 2015 Lebanese SchoolsChampionship. Congratulations to the girls and their coach, Christina Bado.
The BHS Varsity Girls Futsal Team won first place in the 2015 Lebanese SchoolsChampionship. Bravo to the girls and their coach, Sami Brakh.
Captain Douha Knio ’15 receiving the 2015 FutsalLebanese Championship Cup from Dr Walid El Khoury
From BHS NewsletterVol. 18 – No. 7
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BHS Drama Club: When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet – June 2015The BHS Drama Club presented a play, When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet, written byAmerican playwright T. C. George on 4 and 5 June 2015 in Dobbing Hall. TheGrade 7 — 9 (Intermediate classses) all-female cast, directed by their instructor, MrsRasha Al Haddad, delighted their audience with their performances of femalecharacters, all taken as the title indicates, from Shakespeare’s plays. Portia, from TheMerchant of Venice; Desdemona, from Othello; Kate, from The Taming of the Shrew;Ophelia, from Hamlet; Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet; and Cleopatra, the Egyptianqueen, from Anthony and Cleopatra, were all featured and each was played withconfidence and distinctive individuality. The play was short and left the audiencewanting more and wishing plays were staged more often at Brummana High School.
By Tanya NammourOSA General Manager
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BHS 2015 GraduationsThis year’s Graduations were, as every year, excitingoccasions and a proud moments for the students, theirparents, their teachers, the BHS administration, and theBHS community at large.
The Infant Section Graduation took place onWednesday 17 June, 2015 and was an endearingexperience to all present.
The Upper Elementary Graduation took place onFriday 19 June, 2015, and the Guest Speakerwas the lively and engaging Lebanese JournalistMaguy Farah. Three Old Scholars Awardrecipients were given to the graduating studentswho joined BHS in the Infant Section and whobest demonstrated outstanding achievement byway of scholarship, character and service. MrsTanya Nammour, General Manager of the OSA,gave out these awards on behalf of PresidentNazih Khattar ’66 to Natalie Ashkar, KareemJoseph BouAkl and Edward Prescott-Decie.
By Tanya NammourOSA General Manager
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The BHS 142nd Speech Day tookplace on Tuesday 23 June,2015. The equally engagingand entertaining Guest Speakerwas HE Tom Fletcher CMG,United Kingdom Ambassador toLebanon. OSA Vice PresidentNaji Chakhtoura ‘92 presentedthe Old Scholars’ Award, givento the graduating student inthe Lebanese Programme whodemonstrated general excellenceby way of character, scholarship,and integrity, to Daniel Hilal.
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Achievements
Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Yasmina Audi ’96
Yasmina Audi ’96, is the Founder of SUPERMOMMY in BEIRUT - (SUPER GENIO children'sprogramme) and Licensed Educator atKindermusik.
Kindermusik is part of SUPER MOMMY in BEIRUT,which is a child development programme aimedat developing children from the ages of 3 monthsto 7 years through the medium of music.Kindermusik uses a multi-sensory approachallowing children to see, feel, hear, and thenexpress concepts in their own creative way.Research proves that music is the best activity fornurturing every area of a child’s development.From birth onward, it is the optimum vehicle forlearning.
ELLE FIESTA - also part ofSUPER MOMMY inBEIRUT - was the FIRSTWomen's Empowermentand Education event in
Lebanon. It was organized by Yasmina’scommunity with plans to expand in Dubai (2015),Cairo (2016), and Amman (2017).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtr_67XKDMQ&feature=youtu.be
Yasmina’s Kindermusik programme was featuredin an interview on B Beirut on LBCI in 2014(www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1j5a4eXWoQ),and has been gaining popularity since then.Yasmina also dedicates a lot of her time to helpingmothers around the Arab region through herSuper Mommy Group on Facebook, which hasover 650 mums interacting with each other anddiscussing important child-related issues.
Yasmina is an inspiration to many mothers. She isthe Super Mommy of 2 gorgeous children of herown and managing a successful career at thesame time.
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Achievements
Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Maxime Chaya ’78
With his never ending motivation and numeroussuccessful achievements to date, current OSABoard Member Maxime Chaaya ’78, continuesto be a source of great pride to OSA membersworldwide.
Since climbing Mount Everest in 2006, Max hasbeen visiting various Lebanese schools andcompanies, and giving presentations that include:
• Keynote Presentations• Tailored Speeches• Excerpts from A/V Documentaries• Short A/V Documentaries • Q&A Sessions• 50 to 100 minutes presentations in English,French or Arabic
On 5 August 2013, Maxime beat the worldrecord in rowing the Indian Ocean(www.rowingtheindianocean.com)
He has also published abook, Steep Dreams: MyJourney to the Top of theWorld which recounts hisadventures.
His most recent activity isteaming up with HeartBeat,a humanitarian association with a mission to treatchildren with heart disease.
http://www.iloubnan.info/social/85929/Heartbeat-launches-the-Heartbeat-Box-initiativehttp://www.maximechaya.com
Through his activities, hard work andachievements, Maxime truly exemplifies the BHSmotto, "I Serve."
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Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Wadih Haddad ’98
Wadih Haddad ’98, or Woody, as most peopleknow him, like many BHS old scholars, hasalready made a mark in the world of business ata young age.
He is the CEO and Founder of The Box SelfStorage LLC (www.theboxme.com), the first multi-national and leading storage and movingprovider in the U.A.E which caters to personaland business needs.
Founded during the Dubai economic crisis in2007, Wadih started from scratch as a home-runbusiness and has grown since then with more than24 facilities within the U.A.E and with presence inLebanon, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Canada.Currently, with over 10,000 likes on its Facebookpage (www.facebook.com/theboxstorage) and14708 customers, The Box Self Storage has beennominated for 3 awards in the U.A.E, The DubaiSME100 (Small & Medium Enterprises) in 2013
and was ranked number 72 out of the top100 enterprises; The Gulf Capital SME
Awards in 2014, for which Woody wasa finalist in the Business Leader of the
Year and Entrepreneur of the Yearcategory; then again in 2014, The
Box Self Storage won theGreen Business of the Year
Award at Stars of Business Award 2014.
“We are extremely honoured to have receivedsuch a prestigious recognition. We invite otherSMEs to follow Dubai’s initiatives for a greener,sustainable city by making simple changes in theirday-to-day activities,” says Wadih.
The Box Self Storage is also the First ISO CertifiedSelf Storage facility in the region, recognized forits environmental friendly business model andapplying CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)values in its day-to-day operations. It alsosupports humanitarian causes such as sending aid(clothes, water and other essential supplies) to theHaiyan Typhoon Victims in the Philippines back in2013.
Wadih and his team at The Box Self Storage LLCcontinue to prosper today by “thinking inside thebox” and developing new methods, and throughstrategic attempts at space-conservation andorganization. In his own words, “We will continueour journey to fulfil our mission, and this is onlythe beginning! Let’s keep working together closelyas a team and keep moving forward to achieveour departmental goals.”
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Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Dr Lana Hawayek ’91
Dr Lana Hawayek '91 trained with some of themost eminent experts in the field of cosmeticdermatology, Drs Richard Glogau, Roy Grekin,and Whitney Tope, at the University of Californiain San Francisco, and graduated in 2006 with afellowship in Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery andLasers. During the fellowship, she trained in Botoxinjections, all the different facial fillers, such asZyderm, Zyplast, Cosmoderm, Cosmoplast,Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane, Hylaform,Captique, Radiesse and Sculptra as well as all thedifferent lasers. She also completed a course inLiposuction with Dr Jeffrey Klein, as well as one inSclerotherapy and the treatment of leg veins fromthe prestigious Morrison Institute, in Arizona.
Dr Hawayek then became Assistant Professor ofDermatology at the University of Cincinnati,where she taught general medical and surgicaldermatology, and where she gave workshops incosmetic procedures and laser training. She alsoworked at the VA Hospital and was part of avascular malformation clinic at the Children’sHospital in Cincinnati. She also trained
dermatologists on performing Botox injectionsfor hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating.
Over the years, Dr Hawayek has takenpart in many courses and national
meetings, and has spoken at several of them. Apresentation dear to her heart was "The PerfectLip", handed over by her mentor. She haspublished articles and chapters on numerousdermatologic diseases, as well as being an editoron several journals. She is a fellow/member ofseveral professional organizations, including theAmerican Academy of Dermatology, theAmerican Society for Dermatologic Surgery, theTexas Dermatologic Society, the Texas MedicalAssociation, and the Harris County MedicalSociety.
Dr Hawayek treats skin conditions with a passion.She believes in establishing a good rapport withher patients to better understand their needs andconcerns, and insists on examining and treatingthem with the highest level of expert care.
Dr Hawayek loves travelling and cooking, andlives in The Woodlands with her husband anddaughter.
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Original courtesy of Joe Hawayek ’96Adapted for the OSA Yearbook
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Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Margaret Jabara ’95
Our old scholar, Margaret Jabara ’95,participated in setting up Chreek-Doori, which is anew NGO and social business in Lebanonestablished in July 2013.
Chreek-Doori is a team of five highly motivatedand qualified young people striving to makeLebanon, the region, and the rest of the world abetter place to live in. They mentor, train, andemploy marginalized women, former drug users,and former prisoners to help them in their businessof innovatively converting junk and non-recyclablematerials into eco-friendly furniture anddecorative items with creative designs for thehome, garden, balcony, and office.
Chreek-Doori recently launched their firstbrand called ‘Doori,’ through which they aimto create more job opportunities formarginalized people, whilst always beingmindful of protecting the environment. Through their work, they also hope to encourage other
innovative and entrepreneurial young peopleto stay in Lebanon and contribute to boostingthe Lebanese economy.
Chreek-Doori won an Arcenciel – Nabad SocialEntrepreneurship Competition award from thePACE – USAID programme in 2013 and theBerytech Global Social Venture Competitionaward [3rd place] in 2014.
They were featured in various newspaper articles,magazines, TV shows, and interviews. Lately,Margaret Jabara ’95 was featured in a 30 minuteinterview on Nour Jadeed, which was broadcastLIVE on the Satellite TV channel Nour El Sharik.
If you are an individual, an NGO, a school, auniversity, a company, or a bank, and you wish tosupport their cause and become a “CHREEK,”kindly call 03-707088 or 71-499732.
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Compiled by Mona Karam ’00OSA Community Manager
Samer Karam ’00
Samer Karam ’00 is the chairman and founderof Startup Megaphone, an independent andneutral organisation tasked by Banque du Liban(the Central Bank of Lebanon) to manage theinternational image of Lebanon’s startupecosystem. He is also the chairman and founderof Seeqnce (www.seeqnce.com), a startupaccelerator 0based in Beirut, Lebanon, which hefounded in 2010.
Startup accelerators design programmes throughwhich entrepreneurs, with or without an idea, canapply to go through a selection process wherebythe best ones are accelerated for a defined periodof time. The accelerated startups are subsequentlyprovided with cash investments, in return forequity, along with unique services such asmentoring, access to facilities as well as exposureto investors for their startup upon completing theprogram. All these added value services increasethe valuation of the startup rapidly.
Usually three hundred entrepreneurs have thechance to apply and go through a series ofchallenges. The best 8 Arab world’s web and mobilestartups join the second phase of the programme,which lasts for 6 months at Seeqnce’s offices.
After operating for year and a half, Wamda — aplatform of programmes and networks that aims
to accelerate entrepreneurship ecosystemsacross MENA (Middle East & North Africa)
— elected Seeqnce as one of "the top 10accelerators" in the MENA region. Most
recently, Seeqnce organized thegroundbreaking Banque du Liban
Accelerate 2014, Lebanon's first
international startup conference, which attractedover 1,600 professionals with a lineup of 53international speakers from 25 countries andspanning 5 continents.
“Seeqnce” has been featured in The Economist,TechCrunch, Forbes, The New York Times, TheWall Street Journal, BBC News, WIRED, LeMonde, France 24, among others. In addition tohaving founded his own successful business, sinceearly 2005, Samer has been investing in startupswhich include:
- MENA: Over 10 investments since 2007.- USA: 3 investments since 2005.- Southeast Asia: 1 investment in 2014.- Scandinavia: 1 investment in 2015.
Samer has also been invited to speak atconferences, large events, roadshows, tours, andworkshops since early 2009. Recently, he wasfeatured on TEDxAthens to speak on Startups &Innovation on Peripheral Ecosystems(www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc7lFOWyUHg).
Currently, he also advises the Central Bank ofLebanon's $400M Sovereign Startup Fund(Circular 331) on all matters related to earlystage startup investment.
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Haytham Nasr ’98
Haytham Nasr ’98, old scholar and son of Mrs YvonneNasr, former BHS Head of the Upper School, is one of theExecutive Producers of the recently released Hollywoodmovie Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet, starring Salma Hayekand Liam Neeson. Haytham became involved in the moviesome five years ago when his company Mygroup, whichhad had a solid track record in raising funds for variousprojects, was asked to co-fund the movie. In that same yearMygroup announced officially that it had signed on to co-finance the Hollywood production of Khalil Gibran's TheProphet, produced by Clark Peterson and Salma Hayek. Itwas the first time in history that the feature film and relatedrights to The Prophet had been granted.
Haytham appeared on Future TV news discussing theproject, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4D9jEGwkgw),and just recently was invited onto Sky News to discuss theregional theatrical release of the movie.
As a pioneer in equity crowd funding in Lebanon,Haytham was able to raise funds for other projectsincluding the “million-dollar bar” in Beirut Central District,mybar, which received acclaimed global exposure from
leading publications including The Independent,The Financial Times, Virgin.com, Monocle, and
Elle magazine. However, as with many otherentrepreneurs, Haytham found the path
towards success was not linear and afterseveral years of successful operations
in Lebanon, Haytham made the
difficult decision to close down many of his on-goingoperations in Beirut. In 2013, as a guest speaker atTedxAUB, Haytham discussed his journey to dateand his incredible experience of crowd funding. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBx14m4wMFM).
Gibran Khalil Gibran’s animated movie“The Prophet” was first showcased at the acclaimedfilm festivals Cannes and Toronto, and thenpremiered on Monday, 27 April, 2015 in Lebanonat Cinemacity in Beirut Souks, in the presence ofSalma Hayek. It was truly a proud moment not onlyfor Haytham but also for everyone who had beeninvolved in the movie. A global release is scheduledfor 7 August when Haytham is hoping the responseto the movie in the rest ofthe world will be as specialas the reception it receivedin Lebanon. The movie isalready being touted as apotential Oscar awardnominee and winner.
Among his other currentachievements, Haytham as Group MarketingDirector of Montegrappa, has presented Shah RukhKhan with an achievement award and taken part inThe Arab Luxury World Conference, discussingdigital trends within the Middle East.
Haytham is a seasoned marketeer, leader,entrepreneur and strategist. In his words, “Myfavourite anthem is You’ll Never Walk Alone. Abig idea is only a bigidea if you make ithappen.”
It is gratifying tonote that anotherBHS Old Scholar ismaking an impacton an internationallevel.
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With the compliments of
Wishinga successful2015Reunion
SUPPORT SERVICES Co, Ltd. (HAMARD)O & M and Catering Contractors
Saudi Arabia
2015 1-136_1-91 7/10/15 7:22 PM Page 96
9797111112
With the compliments of
Wishinga successful2015Reunion
SUPPORT SERVICES Co, Ltd. (HAMARD)O & M and Catering Contractors
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh Office:P.O.Box 4180, Riyadh 11491Tel: 01 465 2220 • Fax: 01 465 3466
Jeddah Office:P.O.Box 7634, Jeddah 21472Tel: 02 665 1230 • Fax: 02 665 1220
2015 1-136_1-91 7/10/15 7:22 PM Page 97
