SABIS^®-Metn opened its doors in the fall of 2012 and welcomed 20 students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The school, which is one of the first tuition-free private schools for low-income families in Lebanon, is fully funded by the SABIS^® Foundation and serves the children of financially-disadvantaged families from the area. The school provides its students, some of whom have had no access to formal schooling, with a high-quality education that emphasizes a balance of academics and opportunities for self-exploration and development. In the current academic year, SABIS^®-Metn has an enrollment of 167 students in Kindergarten through Grade 7.

On their last day before the holiday break, SABIS^®-Metn students showcased their acting and musical talents in a holiday play written and produced by one of their teachers. All 167 students took part in the play on Friday, December 20, 2013, in the school’s hall.  The students and teachers had worked for more than a month to prepare costumes and perfect their performance of the play, which focused on a message emphasizing the importance of love, friendship, and family and which included dramatic, dance, and musical elements.  

Play-goers included parents and family members who smiled as broadly as the students performed on stage.  The audience also included SABIS^® co-founders, Mrs. Leila Saad and Mr. Ralph Bistany, members from the SABIS^® Board of Directors, Mr. Fadi Abboud, Lebanese Minister of Tourism, and Mr. Elias Bou Saab, President of the Municipality of Dhour El Choueir, Lebanon, where SABIS^®-Metn is located.

“I was lucky to be amongst the audience who watched the holiday play by the students of SABIS^®-Metn. Their performance instantly moved me to another world.  Helping the needy in a way which will change their lives to the better in my mind is what humanity is all about,” stated His Excellency Fadi Abboud, Lebanese Minister of Tourism and ISC-Choueifat graduate.  “I watched these kids coming from less fortunate families, different societies and religions, excelling together in a heavenly performance.  This mosaic was united only by the quality of schooling offered to them, and by the principles SABIS^® is applying in their schools all over the world.”

The audience gave the young performers an enthusiastic round of applause when the play finished.  On her way out of the hall, one mother’s sentiments summed up the difference that the school is making. She said, “I am so proud of my child and thankful for the positive impact and happiness that this school brings to our children and the community.”

At SABIS^®-Metn and in all SABIS^® member schools around the world, SABIS^® is committed to making a difference through education.