School Closes because of Political Unrest

The political unrest in Lebanon forced us to close school on Tuesday 25 January 2011. We had all the boarding students at school, and the tough job of organizing their safe return to their respective homes was suddenly on our hands. It was extremely difficult to assure both students and their parents that the safest option for students was to stay at school. They will be provided with all their needs, and they will be at school ready for resumption of classes when the situation permits. Panic was the rule of the day, and Schneller staff, especially of the boarding department, had to go through enormous difficulty applying school regulations that only permit students to leave school accompanied by their parents. By Wednesday noontime, we only had four students left at school. All others left during the worst hours of the crisis. We are thankful to God that all our students reached home safely, but it was very obvious that the terrible long years of  war left scars on people in Lebanon that prevent them from making reasonable decisions in times of crisis. We express our gratitude to all our staff who patiently endured panic attacks of parents and students, and upheld school regulations for the safety of our children. We hope and pray that reconciliation and harmony will be restored in Lebanon, and such days will not be repeated. School reopened on Thursday 27 January 2011.