JLSS students were prepped for the new academic year 2021/2022 during the summer school which was held from 6 to 17 September 2021. We thank our Swiss partners SVS for supporting this program which was exceptionally important this year. It was held for all JLSS students. Grade 9 started the new academic year on 27 September and all other classes on 4 October 2021. Preventative measures are observed to protect students, teachers, trainers, and educators from COVID19. Individual temperature readings are taken for everyone upon arrival. Even minor symptoms of sickness compel the person to remain at home, and only return after a PCR test. Masks and social distancing are required. Sterilization of classrooms and facilities is conducted on a regular basis. Students are made to leave classrooms every second hour to ensure they get fresh air for five minutes through organized short walks by teachers. This also ensures adequate ventilation of classrooms. We were glad normal school continued without anyone getting sick. All measures proved successful until Tuesday 17 November. Trainers in the Industrial Mechanics workshop were not observing the rules of wearing masks in spite of repeated warnings. One contracted COVID outside JLSS and passed it to a colleague. To prevent the spread of the disease school closed until Tuesday 23 November 2021. The terrible economic situation in Lebanon was another difficult challenge at the beginning of the new academic year. The majority of Lebanese people and residents in Lebanon are now facing poverty. Most families are not able to manage basic needs. Transportation costs rose dramatically due to rising petrol prices. The families of most boarding students could not afford to pay for them to reach JLSS. We had to pay the bus charges for all boarding students to enable them to attend school. Thanks to EVS/EMS vocational students do not need to buy tools for training. We now have individual tool-sets for all vocational students that will be used year after year. Books were another problem. We shifted to textbooks used in government schools as they are cheap. Printing them was delayed and it was extremely difficult for students to buy their books. Only a few were available for sale. We also had to subsidize 50% of some expensive books we couldn't do without. We thank alumnus Aziz Shalabi who donates funds for shoes for boarding students year after year. He kindly sent us funds to buy 184 pairs this year. This was another highly appreciated support which was a great help to all our boarding students. UNHCR sent us nice blankets to give all boarding students to take home. This will ensure they also stay warm at home this winter. We express our thanks to UNHCR for these blankets. We hope people will realize the importance of adhering to COVID safety measures, at home and in school. Students must have a normal school-year with few interruptions. We urge all teachers, trainers, educators, and members of staff to act responsibly and avoid socialization and exposure in order to avoid unnecessary interruptions to the students' education. We also urge parents and students to do the same. The priority now is for the education of children who already lost two years. Socialization and observance of local traditions can wait for the long holidays. Unless we all commit to doing this, a generation will be impaired for life for not receiving proper education.