Dear Friend,
One of the greatest gifts to the Holy Child Program is the stability of the faculty and staff. The long-term dedication of this group of Palestinian professionals is the unseen glue that holds this program together through all sorts of challenging circumstances. This team of professionals has been able to adapt well, if not easily, to all manner of obstacles. The COVID outbreak and the current state of armed conflict in the Holy Land are two examples of things that might have derailed a less-experienced group.
Holy Child Program started in 1995. Iskander, our director, joined the program as a counselor in 1996 and became the director in 2008 (28 years). Miss Hanni, our social worker/nurse started with the program in 1999 (25 years). Miss Vivian started as a teacher in 2005 and then transitioned to being the office manager in 2014 (19 years combined.) Miss Suzanne, our educational administrator began work at HCP in 2004 (20 years). Mr. Yousef, also known as Abu Amjad, our maintenance man/groundskeeper has been with us since 2005 (19 years).
Within our faculty, Miss Sana began in 2007 (17 years); Miss Ghada and Miss Shorooq started in 2008 (16 years). Miss Sireen joined HCP in 2013 (10 years). Miss Antoinette began working as a substitute teacher (mostly for either Miss Nataly or Miss Sireen) in 2012 and then joined the faculty full-time in 2020 (10-11 years depending on how you count). Miss Nataly began working at HCP as a single woman in 2010, got married, has had 5 daughters and returned after each one, though she did take a one year sabbatical (13 years). Miss Maha is our newest teacher. She started in 2021(3 years).
When you combine the staff and faculty years, you get an astounding number; 196 years of service to a very needy and often disenfranchised group of children and their families. We are so grateful for that service and do not take it for granted.
Many of our faculty members have been recruited by other educational institutions. They choose to stay at Holy Child Program because of the collegial focus on doing good work for students who most need it and also because the faculty has become a second family to them.
Perhaps the most significant and long-lasting part of the faculty’s efforts has been in its faithful implementation of the Incredible Years program over the past 15 years. Holy Child Program is one of the only, if not the only program in the Middle East region to use both the classroom and parenting programs. Their sustained efforts using the Incredible Years program has made a significant, positive difference in the climate of the school, all its programs, and the lives of many families in the Bethlehem region.
Sincerely yours,
Bethlehem Holy Child Program Board of Directors
