DEARBORN — Star International Academy of Dearborn was the recipient of a visit from the mayor of Amsheet, Lebanon on Monday for a first-hand look at how the highly-regarded preschool-12th grade school operates.

Star Academy founder and superintendent Nawal Hamadeh, L, enjoys lunch with Ghattas Sleiman, Mayor of Amsheet, Lebanon and brother of Lebanese president Michael Sleiman.

Sleiman, the brother of Lebanese president Michael Sleiman and mayor of Amsheet, Lebanon, was given a plaque and flowers as well as a day of performances featuring the Lebanese and American national anthems, a dabke and both a poem and song in his honor. He then ate a home-cooked lunch with Star Academy staff and other distinguished guests to discuss education.
Star International founder, superintendent and CEO, Nawal Hamadeh, whose Hamadeh Educational Services, Inc. group was named one of the 15 most promising charter school groups by the Charter School Growth Fund in Colorado, said that Sleiman enjoyed his visit.

“He was quite impressed by the school programs, accomplishments, the Arabic language program, and the student performances reflecting the Arabic language and culture,” she said.

Despite more than half of its students qualifying for subsidized lunch programs, Star still boasts a 100% college acceptance rate for graduates and recently was one of three U.S. schools to receive almost $1 million for Arabic education in 2007 from the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Hamadeh talked about the aim of the visit.

“The Academy has an international cultures focus, particularly with the implementation of its International Baccalaureate (MYP- IB) program,” she said. “It aims at offering a quality educational program with focus on the Michigan, national and international academic standards as well as international cultures and foreign languages.”

Hamadeh hopes to invite more dignitaries from other countries as Star continues to educate students on the importance of international unity.

“On behalf of the Academy board, staff, parents, students and myself, I want to sincerely thank the honorable Mayor Ghattas Sleiman for his kind visit to our Academy,” she said. “We were all delighted to visit with him and to share our school program with him and we look forward to future visits and perhaps an exchange of educational programs between both countries: the U.S. and Lebanon.”