Progress Report  -  Photographs of the Building  -   Photographs of the construction of the Building  -  Photographs of the construction of the Road (American Volunteers helped)  -  Aid Proposal

On Tuesday, August 24, 2010, Saint George Melkite Greek Catholic Church plans to bless and open Saint Ann (Al-Qiddissah Hannah) Kindergarten / After School Tutoring Center / Senior Citizen Center. The patrons of this School are Saint Ann (Al-Qiddissah Hannah) and Holy Great-Martyr George (Mar Giries) the Triumphant. Saint Ann Kindergarten will open with six children and two teachers. Saint Ann After School Tutoring Center is accepting students and hiring teachers.

Saint Ann (Al-Qiddissah Hannah) Kindergarten is a Preschool for children from 1 month to 5 years. This school will be an all day school, which serves lunch. In Arabic, the word "Kindergarten" includes schools for children from 1 month to 5 years (before the First Grade). There is no Arabic work for "Preschool", "Child Development Center", "Day Care", "Nursery School", etc.

Abouna Firas Khoury Diab expects that about fifteen (15) children will eventually enroll. If more students enroll, he will hire a as teacher a person who will graduate from college in Spring 2011.

Abouna Firas Khoury Diab is in the process of obtaining approval for Saint Ann Kindergarten and After School Tutoring Center from the Palestinian National Authority. Abouna Firas expects this approval.

Saint Ann Kindergarten will charge a tuition fee. However, this fee will be low so that many children can afford to attend. Abouna Firas hopes that the donations for the products produced by St. George Church will cover the most of the cost of the school.

The outside and inside of the School building are completed. School supplies, bathroom supplies, furniture, and food and drink heat-up and serving items are being purchased. However, the roof needs about a 5 cm slope for the rain to flow in the gutters. Additionally, in Oct. or Nov., one or two gas heaters need to be purchased.

This building is connected to the Convent (Abouna's home), which is connected to the Church. Then, the Church, Convent, and School are really one connected building. The outside entrances are to the Church and the School. The Convent is between the Church and the School and does not have an outside entrance. To enter the Convent, a person walks thru the Church or thru the School.

The plan is that eventually Saint Ann Kindergarten will expand into an elementary school and then to a high school.

Why add a Senior Citizen Center to the Kindergarten? The reason is that in the 2006, the deprived condition of the elderly received attention from the city officials. There are no senior services in Zababdeh. Now, the city officials wish to begin programs for this sector of the population. Moreover, Abouna Firas understands the importance of the link between the young children and the older adults.

Abouna Firas believes that a combined Kindergarten / Senior Citizen Center would aid the children and the elders of the parish: spiritually, socially, emotionally, and intellectually.

• Spiritually
  • The attendees will be able to participate in daily Liturgical Services in the Church
  • The pastor will be available to the attendees.
• Emotionally
  • The attendees will have a loving, caring, and stable group environment.
  • The pastor will be available to the attendees.
• Socially
• The attendees will develop a sense of community.
• The students will learn social skills from the seniors.
• The seniors will continue to utilize their social skills with the students and with each other.
• Intellectually
  • The students will expand their intellectual capability by learning knowledge from the seniors.
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  • The seniors will use their intellectual capability by teaching knowledge to the students and by sharing knowledge with each other.