IMPORTANT NOTICE
December 22, 2008
Damascus Community School Constituents:
The government of Syria officially ordered the closure of the
Damascus Community School (DCS) effective Thursday, November 6th,
2008, and overseas-hired teachers were required to depart Syria by midnight
on that date.
After the Syrian government’s order to close the school, the
DCS Board of Directors declared the school in temporary closure status until
December 31, 2008, for contractual purposes. This allowed DCS teachers to
provide long-distance educational support for students through the first
semester. It also allowed students to finish the first semester with grades
for their next school and gave families time to assess the situation and
make decisions regarding educational plans from January 2009 onwards. This
period might also have provided time for the Syrian government to reconsider
its decision and allow the DCS to reopen.
It has become increasingly evident that the Syrian government
will not change its decision in the near future. Therefore the DCS Board
of Directors has voted to declare DCS in “extended” closure status effective
January 1, 2009. The DCS Board and administration are saddened by the
need to make this decision, but found it imperative to do so in order to
meet the school’s legal, financial and ethical obligations and allow
teachers and students to plan their futures.
John E. Gates, Director
As of April 1, 2009 DCS remains on extended closure status.
