Miss Hultman-Green: Dedication is Key to Success

By Moustafa Barakat

Miss Barbara Hultman-Green came to Schutz this year to teach grade one. Miss Barbara has been a teacher for most of her life. She has taught in many places in the Middle East, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. She has four children and four grand children whom she loves dearly. Miss Barbara worked in the United States in Chicago where she taught Music and Kindergarten and worked as a Fine Arts Coordinator.
Miss Barbara has been to many historical places in Egypt. She visited Siwa, Cairo, Port Said, Luxor, and Aswan. She loves Egypt because of its weather and the very congenial people and surroundings. “Egypt is a nice place to live in ”, said Miss Barbara. She loves the teachers and kids in Schutz. Miss Barbara enjoys the grade one class, but she would like to have two divisions for it so that the students and the teachers could benefit. She would like to work with another teacher in grade one and plan things for the classes. Her classroom has an assorted range of students. There are different nationalities, such as Canadian, American, Turkish, Greeks, Egyptian, Hungarian, and Korean.
Miss Barbara is a very compassionate teacher. She said, “I like to listen to kids as listening to children is very rewarding for the child and the teacher”. She loves teaching children because of their honesty. She loves how honest the children are in her classrooms, and she values them to the heart. Another main aspect is their innocence.
Miss Barbara is a very experienced teacher who likes to make the world a better place. She will be definitely missed by her students and colleagues as her contract comes to an end this June.

A Part of Schutz Is Leaving

By Shereen Hassan
For an impressive twenty six years, Schutz has been blessed with Salwa Hussein one of the most caring and loving people on campus. She has made a strong commitment with her positive work ethic and a kind heart. Her success as a school nurse is evident through the highly organized clinic that she runs. Not only is Salwa qualified as a registered nurse in Egypt, but as of 2005 she has been qualified to practice nursing in the United States. Besides working at Schutz, Salwa taught at the Faculty of Nursing Alexandria Universities for five years and also worked in Tripoli for six years at the Oil Company Clinic. When asked why she chose the field of nursing, Salwa responded, “The challenge of helping and taking care of a person, not only physically but mentally, is very rewarding.”
Salwa has gained a lot of experience along with her education. Salwa not only practiced nursing but also taught health from pre-k to the high school level. Salwa was also an instructor in Medical Surgical Nursing and Public Health Nursing located at the Faculty of Nursing in Alexandria. When asked about her experience at Schutz, Salwa replied that “Schutz had a great impact on me. I learned a lot from the students of different age groups. The diverse student body has enabled me adapt to different aspects of the many cultures Schutz possesses.”
Salwa enjoys her leisure time and proudly takes advantage of it. Salwa loves sports, especially basketball and tennis. In fact, Salwa coached the Varsity Girls Basketball team and the JV Tennis not long ago. Salwa instructed aerobics at Schutz for at least five years and also coordinated Schutz’s summer program. Salwa also enjoys walking, jogging, reading, listening to soft music, and even singing. As many of you have probably noticed, Salwa sang a tune from the movie Music & Lyrics in this year’s Talent Show.
Although Schutz has seen several changes in recent years, Salwa was able to cope and to adapt. After Salwa retires from Schutz, she wishes to move to the States to live with her grandson and daughter where she plans to continue to practice nursing. To Salwa, Schutz will continue to be her second home: “Schutz is not just a school, it’s my school, and just like the song I wish that everyone carries with them the greatness of Schutz.” Salwa will be deeply missed by all, and our deepest wishes go to her as she embarks on a new experience in the United States.

The Fog: A State of Confusion between Darkness and Happiness

By Karim Maksoud

The title of the poem is a symbolic tool used in poetry mostly to refer to some kind of obstacle or hindrance in the path a protagonist is following. Mr. RAB uses the same for a thing that causes confusion. As the poem starts, it gives the reader a sense of happiness that the girl feels which can be understood by key words used in first and second stanzas, such as “skipped, ran, joy, toy, sang, delight, ecstatic, and bright”. It brings a mood of happiness to the reader as he sees this young lady elated.
As we proceed to the third stanza which seems to be the turning point of the poem, a sense of worry comes along. The girl thinks that something will come in the way and her happiness will not last very long. At this stage, Mr. RAB creates curiosity in readers as to what is that element which disturbs this young lady. At the end of the stanza even though having this feeling of apprehension the girl sill hopes that she stays happy forever.
It is in the fourth stanza that the symbolic tool “fog” is introduced to the reader. As in the denotation, the word “fog” means “a dark condition in the atmosphere that makes it difficult to see” or it also means “confusion and bewilderment”. Mr. RAB uses it to show the state of confusion in this work. As the fog advances, the girl gets confused as to whether her happiness will stay or will change. Even in the state of confusion she strongly hopes to have the experience of happiness.
In the final stanza, Mr. RAB portrays how this girl’s complete character changes. She is transformed from being happy and delighted to sad and depressed. The words “frowns and cries” most importantly contrasts the first stanza when she was happy. She feels that her happiness is turned into depression as the “fog” “embraces” her.
This is a very important stanza as it reveals the theme as whole as well as the moral behind the story. Mr. RAB says that the “fog” to the girl is like an “old friend” who comes back to her life reminding her of something sad that happened. Her depression is very strong as she cannot even recognize her face in the mirror. The poem in general talks about a situation in human life which has great a impact on one’s state of being. Therefore, this poem is a very creative work by Mr. RAB portraying the bipolar nature of people with extreme characteristics.

The Fog

By Ricardo A. Belgrave

She skipped.
She ran.
She even jumped up and down with joy.
For this was one of those rare moments
When life was to her an extraordinary toy.

She shouted.
She sang.
She even screamed with delight.
If only every moment of every day
Could be this ecstatic and bright.

She hoped.
She sighed.
She then fell to her knees to pray.
If only He would create a miracle
And never make this wonderful feeling ever go away.

She paused.
She thought.
She saw the fog quickly approaching.
If only it would go away forever
Without the usual pain and coaxing.

She frowned.
She cried.
She felt the fog and its embrace.
She met an old friend again that would eventually cause her
Not to recognize her very own face.

SAT Prep Course Master at Schutz

Ms. Linda Scura on Achievement and Individuality
By Moustafa Barakat

Linda Ann Scura was invited on February 27th to prep students from grade ten to grade twelve for the SAT. Her course is tough and intense, but the results are rather impressive. Ms. Scura has gone to countries all over the world; she has even been to the Cairo American College. She has also been to China, Malaysia, Morocco, and even Mexico.
With a perfect score in all the SAT tests, she clearly has seen a light. Ms. Scura says that the SAT is not a test about intelligence; it is just a number ranging form 200 to 800. But since there is nothing else other than the SAT that measures a person’s aptitude, it is important to value the test as it is the only way to have equal chance of evaluation upon applying to college.
Ms. Scura has two sons who got accepted to their dream college, but they did not quite achieve their potential on the SAT. Linda has improved many schools’ SAT average; for example she raised a score for a student from 1390 to a perfect score of 2400. This is the first year for Schutz to implement such a course, and hopefully it will continue for the next years.
Ms. Scura has examined the SAT thoroughly, and she might have a different perspective than you or your teachers. She sees patterns in the SAT. The SAT consists of three sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing, and she saw that in every one of these sections the same kind of questions come on each test.

In the writing section, she explained that the Dirty Dozen rule regarding grammar usage is everything you need to know to get a good score in the writing section. In the Math section, she says that the entire Math that comes on the SAT is basically grade nine Math, but the wording of the question is the difficult part. For international students, Ms. Scura said, “the Reading section of the SAT is the most challenging section for all international students.” The Critical Reading section of the SAT consists of long intensive passages with complex words and questions regarding sentence completion.
You might be surprised to hear this, but Linda did not take any SAT courses or even majored in Math or English. She simply recognized the patterns. Linda Scura has some advice that she would like to give to all students all over the world. First of all, she says, “You have to read to succeed,” and she would like to encourage parents to develop a reading style for their kids. Secondly, Linda wants everyone to know that the SAT is a sum of numbers whereas individuality and motivation are truly the important ways to judge students.

Teaching English and PE: What a Workout!

By Marina Guirguis

Since the end of the first semester, David Parker has taken charge of the athletic department due to Mindi Dryer’s resignation from Schutz, cutting her contract short. Originally coming to Schutz in August 2006 as an ESL (English Second Language) teacher in the Elementary Department, David Parker now jumps back and forth between the two positions.
Mr. Parker originally went into school training in agricultural commercial affairs, and he worked as self-employed valuing farm land. When in Cambridge University in London, he took a ten-week course that qualified him to teach English as a Second Language.
David Parker was enlisted in the New Zealand Army, and he was trained in Australia. He jokes, saying his physical education students may have figured that part out by now due to his intense fitness program. If anything he wishes to change about the school, he would like to see his students be more fit and get rid of junk food which drags them down.
His favorite aspect of the school is seeing the progress of the students, mainly those of his ESL class. Most of these students often come into the course at a no-English level finishing the year speaking fluently. “It’s quite a thrill,” David Parker expresses referring to the joy of knowing he has changed a student’s life by teaching him/her to speak the international language.
Prior to moving to Egypt, he lived in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. He most recently worked in Japan in an English language school while his wife, Sue, was teaching in the Tohuku International School in Sendai, Japan. He loves Alexandria for the climate and the beautiful days when the sea looks spectacular with magnificent waves and a cool breeze.
He and his wife, Sue, the second grade teacher, have enjoyed their stay here, but all good things must come to an end. This June, David Parker’s contract will come to terms, and the couple will be leaving. What is next for David Parker? Well, he shared thoughts of possibly moving to China, carrying on what he and his wife do best.

Daddy’s Little Girl Lives Diversity to the Fullest

By Aya Kordy

Her name is Linda Forde-Green. She is from Trinidad in the West Indies where she grew up and went to school. She calls it “a place that was dropped out of heaven, just a beautiful tropical island.” She majored in Science at Mercy College. She was a curious child she explained, a child that always wanted to know how things work and what makes them work that way. She has also been "daddy's little girl". She says that her father is the one who made her the person she is today.
After she graduated from High School at the age of 16, she moved to New York City where she got her B.Sc. in Biology. Linda Forde-Green loves animals especially panthers, tigers, and lions which are all exotic cats. Asking her about her only son Donavan was very touching. She describes him by saying that, “He is the joy of my life, a vibrant yet funny child, full of energy and has a great sense of humor.”
Linda Forde-Green comes from a very large family. She has ten siblings. They are a family that is totally diverse in their beliefs, yet they are still very loving to one another. They are seven girls and three boys. Two girls are Muslims, one boy and three girls are Christians, two boys and two girls are Hindus. Miss Linda makes this diversity sound natural by adding, “If you have a heart, it conquers everything”.
The most thing Miss Linda will miss in Egypt by far is the black and white deserts. She added that just looking at the desert makes her know that there truly is a God. As for the people she will most miss at Schutz, she insisted that it is the workers.
Miss Linda enjoys every step of life since every stage has its own memories and joy. "I enjoyed life to the fullest. I do feel truly blessed!", she added. Miss Linda has got no regrets in life; she learned from each mistake and placed it in her box of memories.

Miss Karra Simpson: Lively and Enthusiastic

By Moustafa Barakat

Miss Karra joined Schutz this year, and she really enjoys it here. Not only is she an enthusiastic teacher, but she also shows great involvement in our school. Miss Karra Simpson lived practically all her life in British Columbia, Canada. Before she came to Schutz, she was in South Korea teaching for four years. She considers the greatest thing about high school years is having friends, she said, “I had great friends, and I am really thankful for that”.
Miss Karra Simpson has been a teacher for nine years. She considers the people in Schutz friendly and nice. Miss Karra teaches Drama and Social Studies, two subjects that she used to enjoy in high school.
Miss Karra has two major hobbies, sewing and cooking. Miss Karra Simpson is just appalled when someone is being fake or “phony” by Holden’s words. When you talk to Miss Karra, be yourself and you will have a great conversation.
Miss Karra Simpson has a natural difficulty with Math, or just that she never really understood Math. This year was her first time to visit historical places in Egypt. She really enjoyed the medieval places in Egypt. She says that her utmost enjoyment was visiting the Pyramids.
Miss Karra is one of the two co-sponsors of the Middle School Student Council (MSSC). She was the organizer of the MS Iftar along with Miss April.. The MS Iftar was a great success for the MSSC. All the Middle School students enjoyed this social gathering at Schutz. The goal of the MS Iftar was primarily to have fun; it also resulted in the collection of substantial money for the financing of future social activities in Schutz. Miss Karra Simpson has already made great contributions to Schutz. Her liveliness and immensely enthusiastic personality have already marked her beginning months at Schutz.

Rainbow for a Friend

By Suraj Baadkar

Keep looking for a rainbow
It soon will fill the sky,
You never have to worry
When friends are standing by.

Love in life will gather
In times when you are blue,
With all the rain that's falling
The rainbow's there for you.

So here we are just waiting
For a storm to go away,
Knowing that our friendship
Always brightens up the day.

No wonder I feel happy
No matter what the weather,
You cover me with sunshine
Whenever we're together.

Arrivals from Burkina Faso: Introducing the World of the Collins

By Ibrahim Fathelbab

The Collins have been to so many different places, seen so many different things and interacted with a diverse number of people and cultures around the world. I got a chance to better understand the “world” of the Collins. My experience was very fascinating, and I had a great time getting to know them much more.

Where are you from?
Mr. Collins: Philadelphia
Mrs. Collins: Tennessee, but Philadelphia is home for both of us.
Is this your first overseas assignment?
Mr. Collins: No, our first overseas assignment was in Burkina Faso.
What are some of your hobbies?
Mr. Collins: Traveling
Mrs. Collins: Reading, traveling and playing with our cat.
What do you do on your free time or weekend?
Mr. Collins: Though we are still exploring Alexandria, the place that we have been to so far has been the Opera house to watch Flamenco Dancing, which we really enjoyed.
Mrs. Collins: I go to the beach and watch television.
Do you have any favorite eat outs in Alexandria?
Mr. Collins: We have not eaten out that many times, but we really liked Zefirion in Abou Kir.
Mrs. Collins: My favorite restaurants so far are sea food restaurants.
Where have you traveled before, and how did you like where you went?
Mr. Collins: We have traveled to Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Gibraltar and Andorra. We like seeing new places and trying new things.
Why did you choose to teach in Egypt?
Mr. Collins: We like teaching internationally and traveling.
How do you like your so-called home away from home so far?
Mr. Collins: I enjoy it, plus we do not have to travel far to see Egypt. I love it!
Mrs. Collins: It is nice living on campus, and there is so much culture and opportunity in Egypt.
What were your worst and best subjects in school?
Mr. Collins: I did not like handwriting, and I had a hard time in chemistry. My best subject was history.
Mrs. Collins: I did not really like math all that much. I also did not like music because I had to play the bassoon. Well, it is not really what class I liked the most, it is just that I liked any class which involved much discussion.
Mrs. Collins, is this your first time being a Principal?
No, this is not my first time working as a Principal. I was working at the Ouagadougou International School as the Elementary Principal and K-12 Counselor.
How do you like being the Elementary/Middle School Principal at Schutz?
I like it very much. It is a very neat environment. The kids are warm and positive,and everyone knows everyone.
How do you like your classes so far Mr. Collins?
I enjoy most of them, and the students seem very interested.
Are you excited about the upcoming soccer season? Have you coached soccer before?
Yes, I am very excited and hope that we will do very well this season. No, I have not coached soccer before, but I did play first string “goalie” in high school.
How is Schutz different from the school(s) you have taught at before, and is there anything that you would like to see change at Schutz? If so, why?
Mr. Collins: Students in our old school would stay on campus much longer than students here because there were not really any hangouts or anything like that.
Mrs. Collins: It is somewhat different, I guess I could say, since Mr. Collins and I never really see each much of each other like we did in our old school. There is not much that we would like to change. We would just like to support students to be successful inside and out of school. Also, we would like to prepare students for their later years in life.

Rock Star Footballer and the Photographer of the Century

By Marina Guirguis

In his college years, Clay Huggins played base guitar in a band called “Threshold.” The band toured, and even made a few CDs. Until this day, his rocker side is exposed when he plays guitar hero, a popular game for those interested into the genera of music. Don’t forget his obvious football appeal! Clay Huggins has been teaching for six years. He taught AP chemistry, chemistry and physical science. His favorite age group to teach is the high school age. “They are more able to deal with abstract things,” claims Mr. Huggins.
Susannah Huggins went to Texas Tech University. She was enlisted in a student exchange program, which sent her to Italy for half a year. “The artwork was amazing,” she said, her eyes dazed as if she was re-living the memory of the magical country. Susannah loves traveling. She has been teaching for about three years and has taught art, drawing, photography and AP art history. Susannah has taught every age group imaginable and even bilingual students. She expects more of the Schutz students. She thinks that since this is a private school, students pay to go here. They need to do their best otherwise it would be a loss of money and education opportunity. Stop being so lazy!
In Mrs. Huggins’ art career, she has won countless contests and awards, and she also won a scholarship to go to school in Florence. She has had many art shows, displaying both her photography and artwork.
The Huggins are one of the new fun-loving couples teaching at Schutz this year. Susannah teaches the art classes while Clay is in charge of a number of high school science classes. In the couple’s short time in Egypt, they have tried the legendary camel riding, which seems to be highly recommended to new comers. They enjoyed attempting such a daring activity. Together, they enjoy photography and claim to be addicted to Starbucks. Mrs. Huggins shared the story of when they taught in the U.S. There was a Starbucks a short distance from the school they taught at. When students would need to turn in late assignments, Susannah would direct them to come to Starbucks and find them there at anytime after school. The couple enjoys backpacking. They are from Texas, but they would backpack through California and Wyoming and even Washington DC at times.
Susannah and Clay Huggins love the school by far. They favor the size and the comfortable home-y feeling. If you ever want to find them after school, check out the gym, for at the moment the couple coach both girls and boys varsity volleyball.

One Man's Wonder

By Ibrahim Fathelbab

This prose poem, written by Mr. Rab, describes the lack of organization and the confusion prevalent in Cairo as the citizens go about their work each day. This poem has a metaphorical take on the aspects of human nature that one might observe in Cairo.
Mr. Rab uses loaded imagery when he describes his feelings. An unusual catch, some may say, towards the daily excitement in the big city. Mr. Rab also uses much symbolism, for instance “…Cairenes mentally rehearse the choreography of the cosmopolitan, dance-like shuffle.” This beautifully explains the locals’ daily routes through the streets of the prosperous city. Through this poem, Mr. Rab shows his poetic and imaginative side not often seen in the classroom. He gives his explanation of the city’s hustle and bustle on a daily basis within just a few lines, a real talent that calls for much preparation and understanding when writing.

Cairene Rehearsal

By Ricardo A. Belgrave


A haze of pollution creates atmospheric pressure in a city of endless,

labyrinthine streets simultaneously gorged with people seemingly lost

in the comfort of urban anonymity. No relief can be found in man-

made tunnels that provide passageways for metallic cylinders

intermittently expelling humans who push and plow their way through

with no intent of rudeness---just urgency, lest they find themselves

wedged between merciless mandibles of steel.


Above ground, voices murmur steadily and are interrupted by the

chorus of taxi horns frequently seeking to transport beings from trade

place to trade place, while whirlwind activity recycles itself until the city

steals a few hours of rest---much needed and much earned.


Friday morning allows for a delayed awakening and a welcomed

reprieve for this the respected holy day. Midday approaches and a

caffeine-addicted urbanism prepares itself for fever-pitched comings

and goings in which, one by one, Cairenes mentally rehearse the

choreography of the cosmopolitan, dance-like shuffle---each keeping

eyes on the lead dancer caught somewhere in the maelstrom.


In a metallic flying machine an audience waits for the curtain of haze to

part and to begin the first section of a three-act drama: “al-Qahirah.”

Pilots conduct with electronic batons signaling the need for seatbelts to

be fastened. Now all seats are occupied and engines produce the

background melody as the descent begins and the curtain of smog

separates.


Cairenes, your places please!