S ince 2008 Since 2008
Widening our Horizons
Thursday, April 2, 2009
What community service is doing now
M adaba - M anjaJordan , J ordan Madaba - Manja,
His Majesty Visits Campus
Students receive words of support before exams
By MARIA ZABANEH, â10 JUMANA SHAHZADEH, â10 STAFF WRITERS
The Kingâs Academy Community Service Program is widening its horizons by working with new people and new projects. The program is going strong and taking part in many different projects and helping out various organizations. For the second year, Community Service is working with the Amal Center in Madaba to help improve the school by cleaning the fields and renovating the interior. Future plans include painting and planting flowers. Additionally, Community Service students are using their creativity to make fun and informative games for the students who attend the school. Another project is reading for visiting children on Tuesdays. Students from Al Mahmoodia School come to Kingâs for around one and a half hours so that Community Service volunteers can read to them stories in both Arabic and English. Also, Community Service held a feed this past Tuesday at McDonaldâs to raise money for the program. Finally, students have recently been going to the Rowad organization, where they play with children and participate in the various activities that take place there. Community Service has been successful in promoting many projects, and more are soon to come! Students, faculty and staff at Kingâs Academy have all been very supportive of Community Service and continue to help out in many different ways to make these projects worthwhile to those who truly benefit from them.
Inside This Issue
By NADINE SOUSOU, â10 STAFF WRITER
His Majesty King Abdullah II visited Kingâs Academy on Monday, February 23rd, for Advisor Lunch. He encouraged the students through an uplifting speech to do their best in the PHOTO: WASIM AYESH final exams, reminding them that Backpacks adorn the steps outside the Auditorium they are privileged to be in this school and that they need to take advantage of the opportunity. Quoting the American World Backpacks vs. Lockers War II general, George S. Patton, His Majesty said, âAccept By LEEN HAJJAR, â11 REEM AL-HADDADIN, â11 challenges, so that you may feel STAFF WRITERS the exhilaration of victory.â He Since the very first day it less of a hassle, as they donât I have had several very important came to campus to remind the of school, the issue that has have to worry about going to the notebooks stolen out of my bag students to challenge themselves, startled many people on our lockers after every class. when I laid it in front of the indicating that he believes campus is the concern for However, recently there have academic building,â replied Dana ardently that the students here students carrying heavy bags been many theft-related issues of Arafeh â10. She now agrees with are the future of the country on their back every day instead people stealing things out of bags the use of lockers because of the and region. His Majesty trusts of using the lockers provided that are laying in front of academic theft issue. that education is what empowers for them. Many members of buildings (or even in front of class In conclusion, there are several youth. As he has said since the student population donât rooms) â students have been losing good reasons why some students the founding of the school, âI use their lockers or even know many important note books and prefer to use their lockers, finding envision a new generation of where their lockers are located. information. them a useful storage place for enlightened and creative minds As a result, they carry their bags In addition to the risk of theft, their books. But there are also emerging from Kingâs Academy.â to each and every class. students continuing to carry heavy reasonable explanations for why His Majesty also referred to The positive side of carrying bags on their backs and not making many students prefer carrying bags the fire alarms incident in his bags to class is that students use of their lockers may end up to every class, avoiding the bother speech to the students, reminding always have everything they need hurting themselves. Research of having to always go retrieve everyone that he is very up to ready with them in one place, and from The American Academy things from their lockers. Both date on the issues affecting our they donât have to worry about of Pediatrics shows the harmful the use of lockers and carrying school, both large and small. His forgetting something in their effects of carrying backpacks backpacks/bags will continue for Majesty then took time to observe lockers. Students sometimes which are too full; lugging around the students of Kingâs until they the ongoing Kingâs Academy have consecutive classes far heavy bags can directly lead to bad decide whatâs better for them. tradition of the Advisor Lunch. away from each other and they posture, back pain, and red marks Perhaps the best solution is the The presence of His Majesty donât have enough time to go on the shoulders. Carrying the bag rolling suitcase. Jaber Al Sabah inspired many of the students back to their lockers and get over only one shoulder can lead to â11, Ziad Lababdeh â12, Firas to strive harder for excellence their things ready for the next chronic neck pain, back pain, and Muasher â12, and Ali El Jundi in their daily lives and school class. Therefore, carrying bags headaches, and in the most serious â12 are four day-students known work. It was just what was with them on their backs makes cases, postural misalignments and around campus for their constant needed to give students a burst osteoarthritis. companions: the rolling suitcase. of energy and determination. Two Kingâs Academy students It seems a little funny looking People were amazed to think took the time to share their take â almost as if they are walking that he could somehow sense on the issue of lockers versus through the airport. And going when the students were starting backpack: up and down stairs can be a hassle. to experience burn-out. âWe never have enough time Still, the rolling suitcase seems The reactions of students to go back to our lockers and sometimes like the best solution, the next day were unanimously get our things for the next class especially for the Kingâs day student glowing. One student perhaps because some of our classes our in need of a mobile storage unit summed it up best: âWe all felt far away from where our lockers into which they can throw almost important [because] his Majesty are located,â Bashar Jarrarâ11 said everything: books, clothes, papers, wanted to spend his valuable when asked why he doesnât use his candy, and sandwiches. Most time to give us a push so that locker and instead takes his bag to importantly, they can be locked. we can achieve a better place every class with him. But it means that they must always for ourselves, and never regret âOn more than one occasion, have a sidekick, even when they go E M Y. E we F O R U P D AT E D N E W S A N D E V E N T S , V I S I T K A N E T . K I N G S A C A D anything D Udo.â .JO
A Heavy Burden to Bear
PHOTO: SIMONE SALVO
Hala Halaseh â10 and Sally Bisharat â10 with the kids from Rowad