INSIDE IC Spring 2023

IC Athletics is part of NESAC, the Near East Sports Activity Conference. For the very first time, IC hosted the NESAC Badminton tournament just this March with teams in JV and Varsity. It was a three day event with both singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. “We have created a double mixed bracket where students pick their teammate from another school to compete in a double elimination”, explains Omar Shmaitilly, Head of Athletics. Following the event was a closing ceremony and a gala. IC is proud to announce that JV Girls, Varsity Boys, and Varsity Girls all won NESAC plaques.

Read more on page 40

Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Organize Ourselves

During the unit of inquiry under the transdisciplinary theme: How we organize ourselves, the Grade 1 students looked at different books from the library, to see how the book covers are organized. What is the system followed? But, the students got curious about the medals they found on a few books. The students decided to inquire in another direction. Why did those books get awards? Who gives the award?

La semaine de la francophonie

Pour la semaine de la francophonie, les élèves de la PSB ont décidé d’aller dans la classe de Nursery pour raconter une histoire en français.

Après l’écoute de l’histoire, les élèves de Nursery ont fait le lien avec la même histoire qu’ils ont lu en anglais.

Ils ont alors compris que nous pouvons partager les mêmes idées dans des langues différentes.

A Reflection Turned into a Poem

In Language Arts and Literacy, the Grade 5A students have been inquiring about the elements of poetry. One cannot have poetry without creativity, so the students found this to be an opportunity to take action by writing a poem of their own! They were inspired by many things around them. After all, to draft rich poems, there needs to be a variety of similes and metaphors. However, the driving force for creating their poetry came after having an urgent class meeting discussing their self-management skills. Students reflected on how much learning time they were wasting when it came to not lining up quickly, not packing efficiently, not taking turns in class to talk, and not staying on task! In order to express their ideas, the students decided to write a poem of three stanzas about this topic! This turned out to be an interesting take on poetry and its connection to what has been taking place!

Time is gold, That’s what I was told! Wasting time is a crime, That will cost more than a dime!

If I waste time, I am considered a slob, It would cost me a lifetime, That I would not find a job!

Wasting time at school, Makes me a fool! My grades would drop, That’s chaos, nonstop!

“Wasting Time”

by Grade 5 A students

Every Child is an Artist

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

-Pablo Picasso

Art is all around us!

Art plays a major role in a human’s life. It is even more important in a child’s growth. To children, art is a language through which they can express and share their thoughts. I often see in my students’ drawings many ideas and emotions that can’t be expressed in words at their age. Through scribbling, drawing a heart, or a sad face, I learn a lot about them.

Every child is an artist. Every child has creativity and imagination which will develop and grow with time.

Colors, shapes, tools, and working with one’s hands are ways that help a child form his/her identity and express what can’t be said in words.

Art skills are not only learned in art sessions at school. They have to be practiced at home too, especially if the child would like that. Art is a process of growing in discovery, imagination, creativity, and practical skills. It has no limits.

Here are some examples of activities that students engage in during our sessions.

Let’s help to keep the artist in every child alive! Raphaella, pre-and lower elementary Art teacher.

Full STEAM ahead!

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly important in today’s world. To ensure that young children are prepared for the future, many preschools are now incorporating STEAM labs into their curriculum. A STEAM lab is a dedicated space where children can engage in hands-on learning experiences that focus on STEAM subjects and at the same time connect to the units of inquiry. These labs are designed to encourage curiosity, exploration, and problem-solving skills in young children.

In the STEAM lab, the learners are engaged in activities such as building structures with blocks, experimenting with magnets,

Knowledge Tree-Nursery-STP

In the unit “Sharing the Planet”, the Nursery students created a knowledge tree. Whenever they acquired new knowledge, they would add leaves to their tree. They used their research skills to look at books and used digital devices to research further. They learned that “caterpillars make cocoons,” “giraffes live in the Savannah,” ‘bears hibernate in winter” and so much more. The Nursery students observed how their knowledge tree grew as their knowledge increased throughout the unit.

exploring shapes and patterns, and learning about the natural world through sensory activities. In addition to providing a fun and engaging learning environment, STEAM labs also help children develop important skills that will serve them well in the future. By engaging in STEAM activities, children learn critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills.

Incorporating the STEAM lab in the primary school at Ain Aar is a positive step toward preparing children for the demands of the 21st century. The learners are engaged in hands-on learning experiences that focus on STEAM subjects, that help children develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future.

100 Days Smarter!

100 days have come and gone 100 days of fun!

100 days of learning together, 100 days of laughter.

100 days of figuring out, how and what, and where?

100 days of listening and showing how we care.

100 days for Grade 1 to come up with a letter

To share with you a little glimpse of days spent together.

We’ve made it through 100 days of school!

The 100th day of school was an exciting milestone for Grade 1 students. It was a special opportunity for students to reflect on their hard work and celebrate their progress in making it through these first 100 days!

In celebration, on February 10, Grade 1 students were engaged in several activities like participating in 100 workouts, filling out the “100 words we know”

chart, and sorting materials to make 100 using different strategies. The students even thought about 100 ways to be kind to their classmates and everyone else around! What a fantastic way to grow and mature with our hearts and minds.

Durant la semaine de la francophonie

Les élèves de la classe CM1A ont mis leur chapeau d’investigateurs et se sont lancés dans la découverte de plusieurs pays francophones (traditions, langue, costumes, spécialités, cuisine, musique, danse etc …) tels que le Liban, le Canada, la Suisse, la Belgique et le Maroc.

Ils ont présenté le pays à leurs camarades de classe ainsi qu’à d’autres classes.

Bake Sale (CM2 A)

Dans le cadre de notre thème transdisciplinaire « Le partage de la planète», les élèves de CM2 se sont interrogés sur la nécessité d’utiliser les ressources d’énergies renouvelables pour des raisons économiques et environnementales.

Pour mieux traduire leur compréhension de ce thème, ils ont pris action en organisant un “bake sale” auquel ont participé les petits et les grands.

Ce “bake sale” avait pour objectif de collecter de l’argent pour aider à éclairer une partie de l’Université Libanaise-Faculté des Lettres- grâce à l’énergie solaire, en achetant des panneaux

photovoltaïques,en coopération avec l’ONG «Lebanon of tomorrow» .

En préparant ce bake sale, les élèves de CM2 se sont montrés engagés, motivés , intègres et ouverts d’esprit !

Lower School - Ain Aar

Forces Field Trip

Grade 3 students went on a field trip to see first hand how forces cause change in the environment. The students saw a skateboarding and rollerblading show with an explanation on how forces are used in such sports. They inquired into motion, friction, speed and force.

Le partage de la planète

Agir : Upcycling

Dans le cadre de notre unité de recherche “Le Partage de la planète”, les élèves de CM1 A ont découvert les différentes ressources naturelles, leur emplacement et les moyens de les conserver.

À la fin de l’unité de recherche, ils ont clairement compris que le recyclage et la réutilisation des objets (upcycling) sont des moyens importants de conserver les ressources.

Pour cela, nos élèves bienveillants et équilibrés ont décidé de passer à l’action et de réutiliser des boîtes en carton pour fabriquer des couvertures pour de nouveaux cahiers.

Comment nous nous organisons

Dans le cadre du thème « Comment Nous Nous Organisons » et pour comprendre l’idée maîtresse « Les villes ont des caractéristiques propres qui les rendent uniques », les classes de CE1 ont organisé une sortie scolaire à Beyrouth avec l’organisation « Citysightseeing Lebanon Tours

» dans le but de découvrir les caractéristiques d’une cité. Ainsi, ils ont approfondi leur recherche concernant les différents aspects culturels, historiques et géographiques de Beyrouth.

Nos élèves de CE1 gardent toujours de beaux souvenirs de cette journée agréable.

Simulation: The Digestive System

What happens to your food after you eat it? As part of their learning journey, Grade 4 students were inquirers in the unit “Who We Are” and learned about the human body and its systems. The path of food throughout the digestive system was learned through a hands-on activity and an engaging simulation. The students used the scientific method to come up with hypotheses about what

would happen to the food in each organ. With this experiment, students were able to find out if their hypotheses were correct. This activity was really effective since after its completion, all the students were able to name the organs of the digestive system and explain correctly the path of food through the organs.

Taking Action- Upcycling

In the unit “Sharing The Planet”, Grade 4 students learned about different natural resources, their locations, and ways to conserve them. By the end of the unit, it was clear that upcycling and recycling are important ways of reusing resources.

Our caring students were highly inspired by the golden line “What happens tomorrow, depends

on what you do today” from Lynne Cherry’s children’s picture book The Great Kapok Tree about rainforest conservation. They decided to take action and reuse cardboard boxes to make covers for new copybooks. This was just a start for our global citizens in taking care of our planet!

Discovering

the Art of Poetry: A Journey through Poetry with 5th Graders

Poetry is an expressive form of writing that can often be challenging for students to understand and appreciate. However, at International College, the poetry workshop gave 5th Grade students an opportunity to explore the elements of poetry and express their own feelings through creative writing, while also developing important skills and the IB learner profile attributes.

The workshop was based on the inquiry cycle that is central to the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) curriculum. Using the PYP’s Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework, students were encouraged to engage in critical thinking, communication, and selfmanagement as they explored poetry. They were also given the opportunity to develop their social skills through collaboration with their peers.

Students observed, identified, and analyzed various poems to discover the elements of poetry which included figurative language, sound devices, and sensory details. This enabled them to develop their analytical skills.

Once students had a solid understanding of the various elements of poetry, they were given the freedom to choose a topic of their choice to express their feelings through writing. Using the PYP’s learner profile, students were encouraged to develop attributes such as open-mindedness, risk-taking, and communication as they wrote their poems. The topics varied greatly from writing

about their classroom to expressing love for their mothers or exploring their passion for football.

Through this creative writing process, students were able to hone their writing skills, while also developing their ability to express their emotions in a thoughtful and effective manner. The workshop provided students with a platform to experiment with language and engage in selfexpression which is critical in their personal and academic growth.

Finally, students took pride in their work and shared their poems with the class. This allowed for a collaborative and supportive environment in which students could appreciate and learn from each other’s work. Through this sharing process, students were able to develop their social skills as well as their ability to give and receive feedback.

In conclusion, 5th Grade students were given an opportunity to explore and appreciate the art of poetry while also developing important skills and attitudes through the PYP approaches to learning and the learner profile. The workshop was a testament to the power of self-expression and communication, and a valuable experience for all involved.

Sortie UNDP

Dans le cadre de la troisième unité de recherche “Où nous nous situons dans l’espace et le temps” qui vise les conflits, les CM2 ont visité l’ONU à SIN EL FIL. Cette sortie a permis aux élèves d’approfondir la 3ème piste de recherche: “Les efforts de maintien de la paix des organisations“. En effet, ils se sont montrés équilibrés et communicatifs lors des différentes interventions

et ils étaient très motivés et engagés durant la présentation faite par les agents de paix. Nos petits apprenants ont pris notes et ont participé activement aux discussions. Les élèves ont clôturé l’unité de recherche en ayant bien compris les efforts de l’ONU dans le cadre du maintien de la paix.

Comment nous nous exprimons

Dans le cadre du thème “ comment nous nous exprimons” les élèves de la MSB ont décidé de “ lire des histoires” aux élèves de la Nursery. Durant cette activité les élèves ont fait de leur mieux pour communiquer avec les élèves de la nursery qui ne comprennent pas le français. Ils ont alors utilisé le langage non-verbal en faisant des gestes et en leur montrant des images mais aussi quelques mots en Anglais. Ils ont montré qu’ils étaient ouverts d’esprit et communicatifs en faisant de leur mieux pour communiquer avec les autres élèves et en acceptant leur différence. Ils ont fini l’activité par analyser comment le fait d’être bilingue/trilingue favorise le profil de l’apprenant.

Lower School - Ain Aar

En FLE, les élèves des grade 8 et 9, ont célébré la francophonie dans la bonne humeur autour d’un délicieux pique-nique. Les élèves ont dégusté des délices de la gastronomie française qu’ils avaient eux-mêmes concoctés : des escargots, des croissants, des éclairs, du fromage français, des pains au chocolat, de la confiture, des tartes, des crêpes, sans oublier les baguettes !

Nos apprenants étaient tout heureux d’interpréter de célèbres chansons françaises.

Ce fut aussi un moment culturel enrichissant qui a donné lieu à des échanges autour de sujets

intéressants comme la francophonie, la fin de la monarchie absolue, les monuments français dont la Tour Eiffel, l’origine des croissants et autres.

Ce moment de pur plaisir associé à la francophonie ne sera pas de sitôt oublié par les élèves…

Mathématiques sans Frontières is an annual international mathematics competition held in AEFE accredited schools. It is an interclass competition containing 10 critical thinking math questions for 3eme/G9 levels and 13 for seconde/G10 levels, out of which, one should be answered in a foreign language. Each class should work as a team to solve the maximum number of problems correctly in 100 minutes. On Friday, March 17th, the “seniors” of IC AA combined their math and languages skills to compete in the Mathématiques sans Frontières competition.

Mathématiques sans Frontières vibes at IC Middle school Ain Aar

Les élèves de FLE autour d’un pique-nique à la française

Mathématiques sans Frontières

Les modèles moléculaires - 4ème

La compréhension des modèles moléculaires est facilitée par ce kit en deux parties spécialement conçu. Les élèves de la classe de 4ème étudient d’abord les caractéristiques des électrons à l’aide du modèle de Bohr pour la structure électronique de l’atome. Ils progressent vers une étude d’atomes gagnant, perdant ou partageant des électrons afin de former les molécules d’une substance. L’activité suivante traite de la structure tridimensionnelle de l’atome. Les atomes bidimensionnels et tridimensionnels sont colorés, faciles à assembler et aident les étudiants à visualiser la structure de la formule moléculaire qu’ils représentent. et une introduction aux concepts atome-molécule.

Réaction entre le fer et l’acide chlorhydrique - 3ème

Grade 8/ 4ème Elective: Engineering course

Design of a car powered with balloon inflation and constructed from reused materials by applying the engineering design process and learning the necessary skills of a technical drawing.

Une ambiance culturelle et festive régnait à l’auditorium ce mercredi 29 mars où les jeunes candidats des classes de 6ème et de 5ème se sont confrontés lors de la finale du concours de culture générale “Questions pour jeunes Champions” organisé par le département de français.

Les yeux brillants d’enthousiasme, parents et élèves étaient bien présents pour supporter

les joueurs qui participaient avec passion et compétitivité !

Félicitations à nos chers gagnants Anthony Wadih (5ème) et Bruno Moretti (6ème) dont les performances ont été acclamées haut et fort par le public.

Le lot distribué aux lauréats était un jeu de société. Bravo !

La culture française à l’honneur dans les classes de 6ème et de 5ème avec le concours “Questions pour jeunes Champions” !

Anti-bullying Ambassadors

Our class representatives were trained to deal with bullying on campus as part of the anti-bullying month campaign.In order to fight bullying, they have been appointed “Anti-Bullying Ambassadors” as role models for their friends.

Transition Ain Aar Elementary to Middle

On Wednesday, March 22 the Middle School Leadership team held an Orientation session for the parents of the Grade 5 / CM 2 in Ain Aar. The session aimed to introduce the parents to the different programs at the Middle School. These sessions aim to ease the transition for both parents and students and help them get acquainted with the academic and school life changes that are faced at the Middle School.

Transition Ain Aar Middle to Secondary

On Monday, March 27 the Secondary Leadership team held an Orientation Session for the Grade 9 / 3eme students at Ain Aar. The session introduced the students to the four different academic programs at the Secondary School and provided them with information to aid them in making their choices for the transition into secondary school next year.

Grade 9/ 3ème Parent Webinar_March 2023 Passcode: Wq#L4srG

Exploring the World Through Inquiry and Hands-On Science Experiments: Developing Essential Approaches to Learning Skills in PYP Learners in ESRB

Hands-on activities are an essential part of our inquiry-based learning approach in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP).

The pictures and videos below showcase our PYP learners engaged in hands-on science experiments and inquiry-based learning activities. From designing and conducting experiments to exploring real-world problems, our students are actively involved in the learning process, developing a deeper understanding of key concepts and skills.

Through inquiry-based learning and handson science experiments, our PYP learners are developing essential approaches to learning skills, including thinking, social, communication, research, and self-management skills. These skills are critical for success in the 21st century and will prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

We hope you enjoy browsing through the pictures and videos showcasing our PYP learners engaged in inquiry and hands-on science experiments, and we invite you to join us in celebrating their achievements and growth.

Grade 1: Learning about simple machines

Grade 2: Exploring the properties of materials

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Grade 3: Investigating contact and non-contact forces

Grade 4: Exploring the digestive system

Grade 5: Preparing mixtures and solutions

Check Out Our PYP Library Newsletters and Discover Our Exciting Events At ESRB!

In the past few months, our librarians have organized exciting events such as Academic Integrity Month and Reading Week. During Academic Integrity Month, students learned about the importance of academic honesty and how to properly cite sources. Reading Week, on the other hand, was a celebration of the joy of reading with a focus on folktales around the world. Students were able to learn about different cultures and

traditions through these tales, and develop a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives. Through their work, our librarians help our students to develop key skills such as research, critical thinking, and communication. They also promote a love of reading and lifelong learning. We invite you to check out our PYP library newsletters to discover the exciting events and learning opportunities happening in our library.

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Empowering ESRB Students: Witness the Action they Take!

At our PYP school, we believe in empowering our learners to take action and make a positive difference in the world. Our students have been busy taking action in various ways, and we invite you to look at the pictures and videos showcasing their efforts. From organizing fundraisers to support local charities, to participating in community service projects and advocating for important causes, our learners are making a difference and demonstrating their commitment to being responsible global citizens. Check out our pictures and videos to see the amazing actions taken by our PYP learners!

As part of the unit of inquiry How the World Works, a group of students in grade 5 C (Yasmina Bendakji, Yasmina Majed, Clara Mashmoushi and Joud Hammoud) took the initiative to raise awareness about medicine by writing a rap song.

Rap Song Video-5C

Karim Achkar was moved by the earthquake that hit Turkey and North of Syria. He prepared a presentation to bring awareness and encourage people to help.

Earthquake initiative

As a response to the earthquake initiative, a group of G.2 students invented a poem, while another group wrote a song to bring awareness and encourage donations.

Zia Chehade showed interest in our unit and decided to prepare a poem on multiple intelligences to show her understanding post our session on multiple intelligences. She had the opportunity to even recite her poem in front of the Grade 5/ CM2 students during our assembly.

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Exploring the World: Field Trips at the Elementary SchoolRas

Beirut for Authentic Learning and Inquiry-based Teaching

The Elementary School has been bustling with activity as students have been participating in a series of field trips that have enriched their education. These field trips are an important part of the school’s Primary Years Programme (PYP) and are designed to support authentic learning and inquiry-based teaching.

Students have had the opportunity to explore their community and the world around them, including visits to the local supermarket to learn about how a system functions, a flower mill to learn about mixtures and separation techniques, Najm quarrying to learn about Quarry in Lebanon, and the AUB museum to learn about different civilizations and the artifacts of each civilization.

Through these experiences, students have developed important skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication.

At the heart of the Primary Years Programme is the belief that students should be active learners who are constantly engaged in the process of inquiry. By taking learning outside of the classroom, students are able to connect with the world around them and apply what they have learned in meaningful ways.

We are incredibly proud of our students and grateful for the support of our community. We invite you to take a look at the pictures and videos from our different field trips.

Grade 1: As part of the How We Organize ourselves unit, the grade 1/CP PYP learners visited Spinneys to learn about how systems function.

Grade 2: As part of the Who We Are unit, grade 2/CE1 PYP learners visited the Hall of Fame to get acquainted with different personalities that made a difference in the world and are considered as role models.

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Grade 3: As part of the Where We Are in Place and Time unit, grade 3/CE2 visited the AUB museum and learned about the different civilizations and explored different tools and artifacts from different periods of time.

Grade 4: As part of the Sharing the Planet unit, grade 4/CM1 visited Najm Quarry to learn about natural resources and the process of quarrying in Lebanon.

Grade 5: As part of the How the World Works unit of inquiry, grade 5/CM2 students visited a flour mill and learned about the separation techniques involved in making flour.

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Elementary School - Ras Beirut

Beyrouth

A l’école élémentaire de Ras Beyrouth, nous avons vécu une semaine de lecture extraordinaire, remplie d’aventures magiques et d’histoires passionnantes. Les élèves ont découvert la magie des contes de fées et ont été ravis d’en entendre parler !

Les contes de fées ont transporté les élèves dans des mondes féeriques et ont stimulé leur imagination. Il ne s’agissait pas seulement d’une exploration d’histoires divertissantes, mais aussi de leçons précieuses sur la vie, l’amour et le courage. En plongeant dans ces contes pendant la semaine de la lecture, les élèves ont découvert à quel point ces histoires peuvent être captivantes. Les activités organisées à la bibliothèque et dans les classes ont permis aux enfants de découvrir le pouvoir des contes de fées et de comprendre

comment ces histoires peuvent être applicables à leur propre vie. Les enfants ont été inspirés par le pouvoir de ces histoires pour rêver grand et poursuivre leurs passions. Ils avaient les yeux écarquillés et étaient heureux d’accueillir à bras ouverts des parents lecteurs qui passaient dans les classes pour lire des histoires féeriques comportant des leçons intemporelles sur la bravoure, la persévérance et la gentillesse. Il était merveilleux de voir comment les contes de fées, cette source inépuisable d’histoires passionnantes et de leçons de vie intemporelles, ont pu captiver les élèves qui continuent de captiver les jeunes et les moins jeunes. La semaine de la lecture a été l’occasion de célébrer le plaisir de lire et de redécouvrir la magie des contes.

Une semaine de lecture extraordinaire a l’école élémentaire de Ras

Building a Stronger Learning Community at ESRB: The Power of Parent and Community Involvement in PYP Inquiry-based Learning

In the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), inquiry-based learning is at the heart of the curriculum, where students explore real-world problems, generate questions, and investigate answers.

While the classroom teacher is an essential guide in this journey, the involvement of parents and community members can play a significant role in supporting students’ inquiry-based learning and research skills. They can help students develop research questions, provide access to resources, mentor and guide students in the research process, and help students reflect on their learning. Ultimately, by involving parents and community members in the PYP learning journey, we can create a collaborative and inclusive learning community that supports the growth and development of our students.

Parents have been actively engaged in their children’s learning. From working on science experiments to

participating in small group discussions in class, parents have been instrumental in supporting their children’s understanding of key concepts and skills. Moreover, community members have been invited to share their expertise and experience with our students, providing valuable insights and perspectives on real-world problems.

We invite you to take a look at the pictures below, which showcase the impact of parental involvement and community members’ contributions in our PYP learning journey.

Celebrating Our Students’ Writing Through End of Unit Writing Celebrations At ESRB

Writing workshops are a great way to introduce elementary school students to the fundamentals of writing, different writing genres and help them develop their skills. Our writers learn how to express their thoughts and ideas in written form, while also improving their grammar and spelling. They write about topics of their choice and issues they are inquiring into in our units of inquiry as we aim for transdisciplinary integration across different subjects. We provide a safe and supportive environment for students to explore their imagination and develop their creativity while building confidence in their writing abilities. The process encourages them to think critically about their writing, helping them to identify areas

for improvement and make revisions. This fosters a love of writing by making it a fun and engaging activity in an authentic context. At the end of each writing unit, we celebrate our students’ work by having them publish and share their work in a variety of fun ways. They read to their classmates, students from other grade levels and even to parents during UOI celebrations. Celebrating writing showcases our learners’ writing skills and they receive recognition and validation for their efforts. It helps students see writing as a joyful and rewarding activity rather than a chore or obligation which encourages them to continue writing throughout their academic and personal lives.

Questions pour Jeunes Champions

Pour célébrer à l’IC la semaine de la Francophonie, le département de Français de RB-MS, avec son coordinateur Monsieur Hayek, a pris l’initiative d’organiser le sympathique concours « Questions pour Jeunes Champions » dans nos classes de 6ème et de 5ème.

Des présélections en classe ont désigné 4 candidats par niveau et, le mercredi 29 mars, la compétition finale s’est déroulée dans l’enthousiasme et la bonne humeur, à l’auditorium Irani, en présence des familles des finalistes, de Monsieur Joël Peinado et de Monsieur Ludovic Marty. Ce concours offre l’avantage de promouvoir la langue française et surtout les cultures francophones, dans leur diversité, ce qui a garanti la richesse et l’intérêt des questions proposées aux élèves. Il s’inscrit aussi parfaitement dans une priorité de l’IC qui ambitionne de former des citoyens globaux ouverts à toutes les cultures.

Dans la catégorie 6ème, le 1er prix est revenu à Nabih SIDANI (6ème C) et le 2nd prix à Kamal ABOU ZAHR (6ème A).

Pour le niveau 5ème, c’est Nael KHATER (5ème C) qui remporte le 1er prix et Issam ALIE (5ème C) le 2nd.

Les lauréats ont été récompensés par des bons d’achat et tous les finalistes ont reçu de beaux livres offerts par la Librairie Antoine, notre partenaire officiel.

Félicitations à tous nos jeunes champions et à toute l’équipe de Français qui nous ont offert un spectacle des plus réjouissants !

Middle School - Ras Beirut

Il était question au départ de traiter un chapitre du programme de Sciences Economiques et Sociales en classe de terminale, de le traiter comme on traiterait n’importe quel chapitre, en commençant par une introduction, quelques photographies, un documentaire d’accroche éventuellement, bref, une « simple » entrée en matière comme on dit.

Mais comment expliquer l’engagement politique dans les sociétés démocratiques à une jeunesse révoltée de ne pouvoir agir et de n’être pas sérieusement considérée comme moteur de changement ; une jeunesse qui, contrairement à ce que l’on dit, est bien loin d’être insouciante ?

C’est de cette problématique qu’est né le projet d’une table ronde, initiée par Madame Josette Haddad (professeure de Sciences Economiques et Sociales à l’IC Ras Beyrouth ainsi qu’au Lycée Montaigne de Beyt Chabab) dans le cadre de ses enseignements en première et terminale, afin que les élèves de ses classes interrogent directement des personnalités du monde de l’éducation, du droit et de la politique, du journalisme, engagées dans leurs domaines professionnels respectifs, et que cette rencontre leur permette, in fine, de réfléchir à l’impact des réseaux sociaux sur l’opinion publique, la participation des jeunes à la vie publique, mais aussi au sens et formes multiples que

peut prendre l’engagement politique au Liban, les élections présidentielles, le rôle de la femme en politique, la censure dans la presse ou encore l’objectivité de l’information communiquée dans les medias.

Le 06 mars dernier, ce sont donc plus de 60 lycéens du Lycée Montaigne de Beyt Chabab et de l’IC Ras Beyrouth qui ont eu l’honneur de recevoir dans les locaux du Lycée Montaigne, et en présence de Madame Rachel Atallah, cheffe d’Etablissement du Lycée Montaigne, et Monsieur Boualem Maizia, Proviseur du Programme Français et Directeur adjoint du Secondaire à l’IC : Maître Ziyad Baroud, ancien ministre de l’Intérieur et des Municipalités, Madame Nada Moghayzel-Nasr, doyenne honoraire de la Faculté des Sciences de l’Education à l’USJ et déléguée du Recteur à l’Assurance qualité et la Pédagogie universitaire, Madame Nayla Tuéni, ancienne députée et PDG du journal Al-Nahar, Monsieur Marc Saikali, ancien PDG et directeur des rédactions de France 24, fondateur du media global Ici Beyrouth.

Plus de 60 lycéens qui ont été entendus, à qui chacun des intervenants a su rappeler que les départs, s’ils sont parfois nécessaires, ne doivent pas pour autant nous faire oublier le chemin du retour, qu’un pays se construit à petit pas, par la prise de conscience de notre part de responsabilité dans l’amorce du changement, et qu’il n’est pas de fatalité ni de résignation qui tienne dans ce pays où il y a tant à faire, défaire, refaire encore, à l’image d’un Sisyphe heureux.

Une journée dira Nada Moghaizel-Nasr «extraterritoriale, qui confirme le choix de l’espoir», car « avec nos jeunes, rajoute Ziyad Baroud, l’avenir n’est pas ce que le présent nous interdit. »

Josette Y. Haddad

Comment expliquer l’engagement politique dans les sociétés démocratiques ?

IB DP Students Exploring the IB Learner Profile

IB 1 students explored the IB learner profile attributes through activities during advisory periods. They worked in groups on the 10 attributes of the profile responding to 3 questions per attribute:

1. What does this attribute mean to you?

2. How are you applying it?

3. How can you enhance it?

The students posted the charts they were working on and went through a gallery walk to read their friends’ responses and to add their understanding. The sessions ended with a discussion on these attributes by the advisors.

IB DP 2023 Visual Arts Exhibition

Sociology (6th B LB)

To show the importance of culture and socialization and its impact on the individual, students of 6th B LB didn’t hesitate to shoot a small documentary asking each other and some of their teachers and friends about what they think marks them the most by being socialized in a Lebanese environment. Their video was fun, right to the point, and very clear concerning the impact of Lebanese culture on each one of us.

Legal Awareness Sessions

Legal Awareness sessions were the focal point of our secondary school advisory sessions, particularly with our Seniors! Several Legal Awareness sessions were held in collaboration with the IC Alumni Association and Mrs. Mayssam Skaf, our former Head of the Parents Committee at International College (IC) Ras Beirut School (2017-

2021), with a specific focus on “Addiction Crimes,” “Cyber Crimes,” “Gambling,” “Drug Addiction,” and “Protection Against Violence and Abuse in all Its Forms”. The IC Alumni Association invited the most knowledgeable lawyers and experts in the field to raise awareness, debate, and inform our students about the risks and legal implications.

Me, Mayssam Skaf, Me. Karim Noueihed (class of 98) Me. Sulaima Al Rassi (Class of 93), and Me. Jihad Sbeity had an interactive and “Illuminating Talk” with our 12th grade students about Legal Awareness.

An illuminating Talk on Gambling and Drug Addiction with the highest experts in the field: Me. Rita Bou Habib, Me. Claire Frem Rahbani and Me. Karim Noueihed (class of 98) were joined by Colonel Bachar Al Khatib (Head of the Drug Enforcement Bureau) and Colonel Khaled Nasser (Head of the Anti-Gambling Bureau) for an hour-long session and spoke to our 11th and 12th grade students.

An Interactive Awareness Session on Protection Against Violence & Abuse in all its forms with: Me. Brigitte Chelebian, Me. Mayssam Skaf, & Me. Karim Noueihed.

JV Girls Winning 1st Place

The Ain Aar JV basketball teams for both girls and boys made it to the Ministry of Education METN District finals! These final matches happened on Sunday, March 26 with our JV boys arriving 2nd and our JV girls winning 1st place. Go Cougars!! We are all so proud of this unprecedented achievement for our Ain Aar teams. A special thanks to coach Pascal Hitti and assistant coaches Yorgo Azar, and Charbel Achkar as well as our Athletics Coordinator, Assad El Hajj.

Gymnastics Trip to LVLUPInternational Competition

IC was the only school to compete against clubs in the International Artistic Competition that was held in Dubai LVLUP with 14 gymnasts.

NESAC Season 2

JV Basketball & Football Abu Dhabi:

JV Basketball Girls - 1st place

JV Boys - 1st place

JV Boys Football - 2nd place

Varsity Basketball & Football Qatar:

Varsity Girls - 1st place

Varsity Boys - 1st place

Varsity Boys Football - 1st place

Season 3

Alton Reynolds - Badminton First Edition

IC Athletics

NESAC Hosting

IC Hosted the NESAC Badminton

4 Teams in JV and Varsity:

IC - ACS - AISK - ASK / 2 schools from Kuwait

3 days event

Including Singles & Doubles & Mixed Doubles

We have created a double mixed bracket where students pick their teammate from another school to compete in a double elimination.

Plaque NESAC Winners:

JV Girls: IC

JV Boys: AISK

Varsity Boys: IC

Varsity Girls: IC

NESAC Track & Field: Varsity Men - Qatar - Sportsmanship Awards

IC will be the only school competing against clubs in the JR.NBA League. Having said that and since it is a great opportunity

and exposure for all our Under14 (2008/2009) players, we are arranging the team to consist of RB & AA players for this season.

A Lebanese Champion and Internationally Ranked Athlete

On Saturday, March 2nd, Lydia Salameh, PE teacher, won the Lebanese Cup for Wushu Sanda (A Chinese Martial Arts competition). This marks Lydia’s 8th consecutive Lebanese Champion title. She placed 3rd in the world championship and currently ranks 2nd in Europe. She is currently preparing for the world championship that will be held in Texas this year in October.

Rayan Mneimneh National Junior Champion in Karting

Grand Finals. It was a thrilling week of practice and racing in extreme weather conditions and races won and lost by seconds.

Lebanon came home with 1 world title in a younger category, and we are proud Rayan was part of this winning Lebanese Team.

Rayan took part in the World Grand Finals, which is considered as the Olympics of motorsport, where over 400 champions drivers from all over the world competed for the world champion title. This is Rayan’s 3rd time participating in the World

Rayan Mneimneh, Ras Beirut 3eme, is the National Junior Champion in Karting this year and he represented Lebanon in the Rotax World Grand Finals in Portugal in November 2022.

Ryan is a two times Lebanon national karting title holder. The National Championship takes place at Pitstop in Zouk Mosbeh under the supervision of the ATCL.

Enviromental Sustainability

Preschool (Ras Beirut & Ain Aar)

Preserving Native Lebanese Species - Nursery/PS

As part of their unit of inquiry “Sharing the Planet”, PS/Nursery students in AA and Ras Beirut inquired about the characteristics of Lebanese wild animal species (wolf, jackal, hyena, Rock hyrax or Tabsoun, fox…). They welcomed a team from the Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa, who helped them explore the rich native animal biodiversity of Lebanon.

Learners in Ain Aar decided to take action and are currently producing a digital picture book about the Tabsoun species’ characteristics and habitat, and our responsibility towards preserving this rare and endangered animal.

A Sustainable Use of Materials - KG1 / MS

As part of their unit of inquiry “How the World Works”, KG1 and Moyenne Section students in Ras Beirut inquired into the different types of materials, their properties, and how people manipulate them to meet their needs and wants in a responsible manner. By the end of the unit, students gained an understanding of how they could use upcycling as a sustainable and creative solution for reducing waste and creating new objects. Therefore, in Art, students took action by creating a Christmas tree

and snowman out of used shoe boxes to decorate the stage for their Christmas concert. In class, they upcycled materials to create further decorations, toys to gift each other and games to play. Furthermore, a Music Wall made from household utensils was installed in the Preschool Playground to further enrich students’ outdoor play experience and encourage them to investigate sounds, rhythms and beats.

Enviromental Sustainability

Elementary School (Ras Beirut & Ain Aar)

Maintaining Healthy Habitats - CP / Grade 1

As part of their unit of inquiry “Sharing the planet”, grade 1 students learned how living things interact within their habitats to meet their needs. They inquired into the characteristics of different species’ habitats and understood their responsibility in maintaining healthy habitats for animals and plants. Then they decided to take action.

Their first action consisted in creating a habitat. They chose to build bugs’ hotels, a structure that provides shelter and nesting facilities for bugs.

Their second action was to contribute to the preservation of an existing habitat. Students collaborated with the Association for protection of Jabal Moussa and learned about the famous Rock Hyrax, a rare and endangered species that lives in the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve.

Students welcomed members of the association at school and decided to support the NGO in its efforts to preserve the Tabsoun’s habitat in Jabal Moussa. Therefore, they bought the Tabsoun books and donated a sum of around 21.5 million Lebanese pounds to the organization.

Enviromental Sustainability

An Upcycled Giant Turtle - CE1/ Grade 2

As part of their unit of inquiry “How do we express ourselves”, students inquired into the different types of materials and explored the ways people manipulate materials to express their creativity. The students welcomed Mrs. Caroline Chaptini, an environmental activist and an upcycling artist, who broke the “Guinness” world record 5 times for her upcycling masterpieces, created from recyclable waste. Mrs. Chaptini explained to the students the importance of valorizing recyclable materials in order to avoid pollution and contribute to recycling.

Following this intervention, the students decided to take action and to contribute, with Mrs. Chaptini, to the construction of her new masterpiece: the largest sea turtle in the world, made from plastic bottles and plastic caps. This initiative aims at raising awareness on both the importance of waste upcycling and the importance of conserving the sea turtles in Lebanon.

To achieve this goal, our CE1 / Grade 2 students are currently collecting all kinds of plastic bottles and caps. Our learners will then meet Mrs. Chaptini in May in Amchit, to help her build the turtle from the collected plastic.

Enviromental Sustainability

Supporting the Sustainability of Water - CE2 / Grade 3

As part of their unit of inquiry “Sharing the Planet”, CE2/Grade 3 learners have been inquiring into our rights and responsibilities in the sustainable management of water resources and in the struggle to share water with other people and other living things. Students decided to take action to support the sustainability of water.

CE2/ Grade 3 learners in Ras Beirut collected unfinished bottles of water from the elementary school to water indoor plants located in offices throughout the school and spray outdoor plants. Then, they used the empty plastic bottles to design and create a bench that they placed in the school’s playground.

CE2/Grade 3 learners at Ain Aar explored the concept of rainwater harvesting. They welcomed Sustainability Advocates (éco-délégués) from the Middle school, who raised their awareness about the importance of sustainable water management and conservation and guided them into new techniques for sustainable water conservation such as rainwater harvesting. Together, CE2/Gr3 students and the éco-délégués, will implement a rainwater harvesting system on the Ain Aar campus. Stay tuned for news about the project’s implementation!

Enviromental Sustainability

Sustaining

Natural

Resources

As part of their unit of inquiry “Sharing the Planet”, students inquired on how the use of natural resources entails social and environmental consequences. They welcomed Mrs. Rita Hajj, Head of IC’s Sustainability Program, who talked to them about the different types of natural resources and their importance in satisfying human needs. They also explored the negative impacts of human activities on these resources (quarrying, deforestation, pollution, water waste...), and recognized their responsibility in the sustainable use and management of these resources.

By the end of the unit, it was clear for our CM1/Grade 4 learners in Ain Aar that upcycling and recycling are important ways of reusing resources. Our caring students decided to take action and reuse cardboard boxes to make new copybooks. This was just a start for our global citizens in taking care of our planet! Students offered these copybooks to their mothers on Mothers’ Day.

In turn, CM1/Grade 4 learners in Ras Beirut visited the Najem quarry and decided to prepare a public awareness campaign about quarrying, in order to inform and educate the community about this problem and push people into taking action in order to sustainably preserve our mountains.

- CM1 / Grade 4

CM2/Grade 5 Students Light the Lebanese University

As part of the unit of inquiry “Sharing the Planet” which focuses on energy, our grade 5/CM2 students decided to take action to demonstrate their understanding of how the increasing demand and unequal distribution of energy sparks conflict and innovation. The fifth graders proposed installing solar lights in an underprivileged area or institution. They wrote a persuasive letter to Lebanon of Tomorrow, a local NGO, and carried out a fundraising campaign to support this initiative. Together, our Ain Aar and Ras Beirut CM2/Grade 5 learners were able to collect an amount of around 3000 USD that they donated to Lebanon of Tomorrow. In turn, the NGO will buy solar lamps to install in the Lebanese University - Faculty of Arts. Soon, the students and the NGO will install the solar lamps. Stay tuned for news about the action’s implementation!

A Sustainable Waste Sorting System at IC Ain Aar

After the successful implementation of the new waste sorting system at the Ain Aar Middle school, this year, the waste sorting system was made consistent throughout all the Ain Aar campus. Students of the preschool and elementary school were taught about the universal technique of waste sorting through three bins : One for recyclable waste (cardboard, paper, plastic, metal and glass), another for organic waste, and a third one for nonrecyclable waste (dirty waste and fake plastics). Bins

were placed all over the preschool and elementary school premises. To ensure a maximum quality of waste sorting, small boxes were also placed in classrooms to control the sorting process.

Recyclable waste will be collected by a local NGO “S’aider Aider” who will sell them to recycling companies and get funds in return to implement social projects aiming at supporting underprivileged families.

Enviromental Sustainability

Middle School (Ras Beirut & Ain Aar)

Counteracting Deforestation (5ème / Grade 7 - Ain Aar)

If there’s a will, there’s always a way, and YES you can counteract deforestation! In the frame of their interdisciplinary project, our Ain Aar 5ème/Grade 7 students planted trees and seed balls and made new ones for future generations to plant.

Permaculture (Grade 7 - Ras Beirut)

As part of Grade 7’s Interdisciplinary project revolving around empathy, students explored, within their biology curriculum, how interactions between different species contribute to permaculture, and how companion planting, used in permaculture, helps promote biodiversity and preserve the environment.

Students inquired into ways to be environmentally responsible and empathic, and found a strong link between their learnings about symbiotic relationships and permaculture. The concept of permaculture strongly stresses on the importance of optimizing the choice of plants and of conserving the soil’s characteristics in order to grow sustainable crops in an environmentally responsible way. The sciences unit related to symbiotic relationships highlighted the importance

of symbiotic relationships to the environment, mainly in permaculture. The 5E model was applied (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). Students were engaged through a series of activities and games (EdPuzzle, ID card game, virtual garden creation, etc.) that enabled them to understand how permaculture fields depend on these relations to sustain themselves. To deepen their understanding, they welcomed Mrs. Rita Hajj, Head of IC’s Environmental Sustainability Program, who talked to them about the main concepts of permaculture.

Students will now create digital brochures, to raise the community’s awareness on the importance of adopting sustainable agricultural techniques in order to preserve natural resources and show empathy towards the environment.

Enviromental Sustainability

Oceans’ Acidification (3ème A - Ras Beirut)

As part of the 3ème A interdisciplinary project “Values and Ethics of a Responsible Citizen”, students worked in chemistry on oceans’ acidification in Lebanon, within their unit related to acids and bases. Students explored the causes and effects of oceans’ acidification in Lebanon. They welcomed Ms. Agness Nohra from the NGO “diaries of the Ocean”, who thoroughly explained to them the main causes underlying this environmental challenge, the chemical reactions leading to water acidification and the potential solutions to fight

against this problem. As responsible and ethical citizens, our students decided to take action. They conducted research, collected water samples from different seas in Lebanon and measured their acidity, and led interviews with key stakeholders engaged in preserving Lebanon’s marine resources. Students will now write and publish an article to communicate their learnings and findings to the community, in order to raise awareness about the gravity of this problem and on the importance of responsibly conserving our marine ecosystems.

Towards a Green School in Ain Aar (3ème B / Grade 9 CPP)

This project aspires to transform Ain Aar into a green school. Through the different disciplines, students acquired knowledge and skills that demonstrated that they are environmentally responsible citizens who act towards improving the sustainability of their community. As part of this project, students welcomed two guest speakers who respectively explained to them the concepts and criteria of a Green School and the techniques of an “Energy Audit”. Students built on these interventions and implemented an energy audit, providing a complete electricity consumption and energy efficiency assessment for their classroom. Then, they took room measurements in the different classes in

order to identify the needed number of solar panels to install for the Ain Aar campus.

The students are currently developing an action plan for the installation of Solar PV panels in Ain Aar, which they will present to the school’s administration.

Enviromental Sustainability Secondary School

Slow Fashion vs. Fast Fashion - Grade 10

In the context of the interdisciplinary project “Slow fashion vs Fast fashion”, students of grade 10 Lebanese program and CPP received a guest speaker about upcycling straps for handbags, guitars, cameras, etc. They visited the social enterprise Fabric Aid and researched about the exact definitions of fast fashion and slow fashion in French, as well as the impact of fast fashion on the

environment and the economy. They are still in the process of studying about this topic in chemistry and economy and brainstorming actions they could implement to increase awareness about this topic mainly in their own society. Students will showcase their projects in the hall of the second floor at Rockefeller.

IC Students are Spreading their Wings and Flying to Qatar!

Under the IC Responsibility initiative and the environmental sustainability program, IC secondary school students represented IC at the Global Innovation Sustainability Summit that took place in Qatar in March 2023. This summit focused on environmental SDGs 12 (responsible consumption and production), 13 (climate action), 14 (life below water) and 15 (life on land). Two groups, working on the “Zeit w Saboon” project (turning used cooking oil into soap) and the “Quarry Rehabilitation” project (implementing a rehabilitation scheme to an abandoned quarry in Lebanon), won the final rounds and showcased their projects at the summit.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Earthquake Relief Camaign

IC is committed to empowering its students to become global citizen leaders of tomorrow. An important part of this citizenship entails taking on social responsibilities and serving disadvantaged communities locally and internationally.

In the wake of the two massive earthquakes that hit south-eastern Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6th, the students and the administration were mobilized to collect relief items such as clothes and shoes, hygiene items, blankets, towels, sheets, sleeping bags and Non-breakable kitchen utensils. This collection campaign was done in collaboration with the Lebanese Red Cross.

Students’ engagement was highlighted in all schools’ plans. For instance, at SS and MS (RB & AA), student representatives brainstormed about action, awareness, and promotion of the campaign. Students documented and reflected on their actions and shared their experiences on

social media. At the SS, students took charge of the sorting and packaging procedures and ESE students organized a fundraising bake sale event and used the funds raised to donate hygiene products. At the elementary level, the advisory period was used to raise awareness and incite donations. Teachers engaged students through activities/ presentations and discussions.

At AA and during the assembly, grade 4/CM1 students shared their awareness presentation and preschoolers at RB were able to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in sorting, recording and delivering the collected items.

The involvement of the IC community as a whole in this relief campaign initiative is yet another demonstration of the school’s civic commitment to address social adversities. It is indeed a testimony of the IC community coming together to work for the common good.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Projet Interdisciplinaire 3ème A MSRBAcidification des océans

Pour leur projet interdisciplinaire, sous le thème “valeurs et éthique d’un citoyen responsable”, les étudiants de la 3eme A ont été questionnés sur les actions qu’ils peuvent entreprendre en tant que leaders citoyen mondiaux pour améliorer les conditions de vie de leur communauté. Ils ont décidé de mener une enquête sur l’acidification des océans.

Ils ont commencé par une recherche afin de se mettre en situation; ils ont ensuite suivi une présentation interactive offerte par Mme Agnes Nohra (représentante de l’ONG Diaries of the Ocean).

Les élèves ont donc suivi un apprentissage sur l’apprentissage par le service détaillé.

Suite à cela, les élèves se sont divisés en groupe: 2 groupes pour la collecte des échantillonnages sur la côte libanaise et 2 groupes pour effectuer des entrevues et lancer des questionnaires.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

MSRB’s Grade 9 LB Persuasive Speech! Interdisciplinary project

After having viewed, read and analyzed Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech, and participating in a presentation about SDGs, the students wrote a persuasive/inspiring speech in which they identified 1 social injustice in the Lebanese community and addressed 3 aspects of change regarding this injustice that they would like to initiate.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

MSRB’s Student-Led World Down Syndrome Day 2023

A group of Grade 9 and 3ème students are joining efforts and resources with the ICPC, the Learning Support, and the CCSL Departments to organize an event to raise awareness for World Down Syndrome Day.

Our student leaders of tomorrow have worked together, put up a plan, and talked to all relevant parties! Our students met with AUB’s Next Program students last week and were part of an inspirational talk and a Q&A with neurodiverse students. They have met with the physical plant for the booths, with the music department to organize the music detail, with the educational technology coordinator to create filters, and they have created flyers themselves!

They also hosted Ms. Hana Salem, the cofounder and Curriculum Development advisor of The Next Step Program at AUB and member of the Lebanese Down Syndrome Association, who joined them in raising awareness about Down Syndrome. She was accompanied by some students with Down Syndrome who shared their

experiences. The presentation was held during an advisory for Grade 9 and 3ème students.

This project was fully student-led. Our students were self-directed, and this gave them the agency to achieve IC’s vision of being the global citizen leaders of tomorrow.

WDSD Committee

Chairpersons: Naram Melki, Serena Jundi, Saad Hijazi

Co-Chairs recording secretaries: Yara Toufeily, Aya Rachel Shahin

Treasurers: Laura Nassif, Jude Chidiac

Marketing: Celine Kotob, Cyrine El Khatib, Adam Hassnieh, Zuheir Wehbe

Communications & Networking: Celine Shihab, Karim Shair, Nadim El Husseini

Facilitators: Bahera Abbas (Learning Support Teacher at MSRB) & Lama Dabbous (MSRB CCSL Coordinator)

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

After our very successful FIFA event during which the school raised money for the elderly and as part of the Civic Commitment Program, and in an attempt to teach our students to honor and value the elderly in their families and the community, the 6ème A & B were on a morning entertainment mission on Wednesday, the 8th of March, 2023 playing board games, pingpong and babyfoot with a group of elderly who need companionship, and need us to champion their social need to feel loved and valued.

Keebarouna (Ain Aar 6ème A-B)

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Elderly (Ain Aar 5ème A B )

After our very successful FIFA event during which the school raised money for the elderly and as part of the Civic Commitment program and in an attempt to teach our students to honor and value the elderly in their families and the community, the 5ème A & B hosted a Mother’s Day lunch on Wednesday, the 15th of March, 2023 for elderly who live in solitude, who are lonely, need to socialize and might not have their children around to celebrate that day with them.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Acsauvel: A Life Changing Experience

Visiting Acsauvel provided me with the ability to learn about the reality of the people that share my community. Our lives are surrounded with people who are struggling with their lives and we do not know much about them. Before this experience, I was never in a situation where I had to communicate or have fun with a mentally challenged person, but now, I have come to realize

Maamoul Initiative

“To add a smile and warm the hearts of those who cannot afford the luxury of the traditional Easter sweets, Ain Aar teachers and staff along with the CCSL parents have decided to roll up their sleeves, get their molds and meet on Wednesday the 5th of April at 1:30 p.m for a fun afternoon.

The maamoul sweets will be added to the savory Easter lunch distributed to the underprivileged families of Mar Mansour. Despite the economic challenges, this initiative aims at allowing the families to maintain their Easter tradition and enjoy the festivities.”

that although they may be different in some ways, have their own challenges and difficulties as we all do, they were happy and serene in their own world and they were able to communicate these feelings to me. I am looking forward to visiting them in the near future now that I have learned about their needs.

Chloe Batri -Ain Aar Grade 9 CPP

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

A New Milestone for the Mobile Kitchen Initiative

The yellow truck has been roaming around for the last six months visiting different regions and serving several local communities. AWB reached a new milestone this year: the CCSL team

Fundraising Flower Sale Event

A group of Grade 11 students organized a flower sale event on Mother’s Day to raise funds and support the Akle w Bassme initiative.

successfully partnered with two restaurants and chefs and planned two outings with Leila and Mayrig restaurants.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Fundraising Bake Sales Event by Tle1 students

Tle1 students chose to tackle the topic of injustice between the private and public school sectors. They decided to support one public school by raising funds through a Mexican bake sale.

Lebanese Traffic Law With the NGO “Kunhadi

As part of the capacity building program, Grade 12 students attended a two parts workshop about the Lebanese traffic law with the NGO “Kunhadi“. Students acquired knowledge about different topics, namely driving license registration, must have in a car, road signs, lanes/ lines, safety distance, alcohol, and mobile phone usage. Students will soon receive a Certificate of Lebanese Traffic Law.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Grade 11 Volunteering Experiences

As part of the Civic Commitment and Service Learning program, and after meeting with different NGOs during the NGO fair at the beginning of the year, grade 11 students completed 15 hours of volunteering in an NGO of their choice.

Civic Commitment and Service Learning

Membres du CCSL, nous avons eu le privilège d’assister aux quatre sessions de formation menées par la Jeunesse Croix Rouge. Nous constatons que cette expérience était non seulement divertissante, mais aussi une excellente leçon de vie qui a permis de développer nos compétences sociales et de faire les premiers pas dans notre parcours citoyen.

Nous avons participé à des activités diversifiées et intéressantes. Celles-ci ont donné lieu à des discussions autour du respect des droits de l’homme découverts à travers les jeux. Nous en avons tiré des conclusions et proposé des moyens d’adopter et de vivre ces valeurs dans notre quotidien.

Pendant les séances, nous avons pris conscience à quel point le harcèlement verbal et physique est un facteur qui peut rendre l’être humain malheureux . Un autre sujet qui a été abordé est la gestion du stress, ses sources et les solutions à adapter dans ces situations en tant que bon citoyen dans ce monde agité.

Plus encore, nous avons expérimenté l’importance de la tolérance et de l’acceptation d’autrui malgré toutes ses différences et celle d’une bonne communication et négociation avec les parents et les gens qui nous entourent.

Toute l’équipe de bénévoles chargée d’animer les jeux était positive et une source d’inspiration. Leur motivation ne peut que nous pousser à vouloir rejoindre “Jeunesse Croix Rouge”.

Nous avons passé de bons moments inoubliables entre amis.

Tous nos hommages à la Croix Rouge qui sauve des milliers de vies par jour, allège les souffrances humaines, protège la santé. Par son exemple, nous apprenons à respecter la dignité humaine et à servir humblement les autres.

Rédigé par Ivy El Chami, Estelle Shawkatly (Ain Aar)

Quatre sessions de formation menées par la Jeunesse Croix Rouge

Wellbeing Week 2023

At IC, we are all about well-being!

The counseling department planned a well-being week for the 4th year. The week included events for the IC community: students, parents, faculty and staff.

The well-being week’s aim is to provide everyone with an opportunity to focus on their mental, emotional, and physical health.

For younger kids, the counselors planned many activities in class and during recess with the help of the homeroom teachers.

For teenagers and their parents, professionals in the field gave talks and workshops to raise awareness about different aspects of health. Some topics included: importance of sleep, eating

habits, trauma, concentration, resilience, emotional regulation, and many more..

Counselors also offered mindfulness workshops for teachers!

NGOs also joined by helping students learn about the importance of maintaining good physical and mental health and developing healthy habits that they can carry with them through their lives.

Around 400 students joined the physical activity day that was planned for the secondary school students to encourage them to be active, and engage in healthy physical activity.

Finally, the aim of this week was to help everyone develop healthy habits, build resilience, raise awareness and promote a positive school culture.

The Ali Ghandour Center for Leadership, Diversity and Civic Engagement (AGC)

AGC Students’ Engagements During the First Term

By the end of the first trimester, the AGC level 1 students got engaged with ShababLab in an online asynchronous learning experience “Web for Change” where they are creating a web-based solution to a social challenge related to the topic of “Civic Engagement in Development”. Through the module, the students are learning concepts of applying positive leadership, design thinking, entrepreneurship & business planning, designing a website, and pitching. The aim of the platform is to empower students to learn how to innovate and create their own technology solutions that will change their communities.

To integrate experiential learning to the concepts taught, the students were involved in hands-on experience of working directly with the community through volunteering in different opportunities. During their Christmas break, students volunteered in Souk El Balad, a Lebanese community market initiative to empower and aid small scale Lebanese producers, farmers, and artists. Our students took part in the Logistics & In Souk Events, Sales, Marketing, Photography & Social Media, and Quality Control alongside with expertise from the Souk. Moreover, a group from the Level 1 and 2 AGC students are volunteering at establishing and equipping a Library at the Pine Community School (PCS) in Shouf. The Pine Community School, is a subsidized school founded in 1953 that is operating with minimal basic requirements and a very constrained budget. As a start, the students visited the school to conduct a needs assessment. They engaged with the students, did ice breaker activities, got a feel of the school environment, and identified needs. Meanwhile they are collecting books and sorting, with the help of the IC librarian Ms. Nora Kabraelian, books that will soon fill the shelves at the Pine Community School.

Meanwhile, the AGC level 2 students, who are in the process of planning and designing their Community Service projects (CSPs), started following the “Empathy to Impact” approach. The approach helps students, through an interdisciplinary learning experience, to design transformative projects with a deep purpose, applied skills, and community

The Ali Ghandour Center for Leadership, Diversity and Civic Engagement (AGC)

engagement: Care, Aware, Able, Impact. This holistic approach empowers learners to become global citizens at heart. The above is in addition to the set of training workshops provided on assessing community needs through a participatory approach methodology,

As a result, the students were able to do a selfreflection on personal experiences, their community, and the immediate community around them, or social issues that are of importance to them, to come up with six CSP themes/ project ideas they wish to work on this year.

The “Empathy to Impact” approach was part of a workshop provided to IC by “Inspire Citizens” to address the Holistic Global Citizenship in teaching and learning. IC educators were provided with a three-day workshop on co-creating learning to powerfully connect students to the outside world, as global citizens, in an action-driven learning experience.

Emergency Drills

Earthquake Drill at Ain Aar

Emergency Evacuation at Ras Beirut

A Total Evacuation Drill at IC Ras Beirut and Earthquake drill at Ain Aar took place.

Students, teachers and staff practiced evacuation of school buildings as though there was an actual fire, earthquake or other emergency.

Remembering Daria, A Bright Light Gone Too Soon

On February 24, 2023, five students from the University of Balamand were driving back to their dorms on the Chekka-Batroun highway when three of the students: Mohamed Rahal, Mirella Ezzedine and Daria Maktabi ’22 were killed in a car accident. Daria’s death sent shockwaves through the IC community. In honor of Daria, her friends from the Class of 2022 have written a letter to her that they would like to share.

“I was walking in Hamra once and I had to sit on a bench. I was tearing up. When I looked up, I saw her. She was so beautiful and glowing. I really felt like I saw an angel. She asked me if I’m alright, and without hesitation, I said that I wasn’t ok. She just sat down, and I let everything out to a complete stranger. We talked for 2-3 hours on that bench, and she said things that enlightened me. She even invited me for a piece of cake. We walked our separate ways, and I haven’t seen her since. I couldn’t remember her name, until I saw the news... It just fills me with joy that I once felt her presence.”

Message received by someone who had once met

Daria Maktabi

Dear Daria, we never thought we would be writing this letter to you. We never thought you would leave us soon. Our lives have just begun. 18-years-old. Are we supposed to die at 18?

Dear Daria, the emptiness that you have left behind is huge. We miss you. We miss you. We miss you. We get together but you are not with us. But still, we pretend you are. We talk about you and our great times together. We giggle at your jokes. Can you hear us, Daria? Are you laughing with us? Oh, how we miss your laughter. Your witty and unique sense of humor. Your kindness. Your love and care for everyone. Your way of putting people at ease. Even when we made fun of each other, you were there to defend one and all. Your loving heart couldn’t bare the thought of anyone being mocked. To you, everyone was a best friend. Even those you barely met. You left a profound impact on everyone, Daria.

Dear Daria, you were the light in our lives, especially during some of our dark days. Always encouraging us to become the best version of ourselves. Your love for life was contagious. Remember our adventures? You insisted that every weekend was an opportunity to make

memories. So, we visited Batroun and drank lemonade. We explored Faraya. We did so many things together. Did you know you were leaving us soon? Is that why you wanted us to make all these memories together?

Daria, your brilliance shone through. You had a way expressing your love. Your way with words made you an excellent writer and a deep thinker – well beyond your years. Your beautiful words in letters, birthday cards and messages were inspirational. Be grateful. Be resilient. Be true to yourselves. Isn’t that you always told us? That’s why we always called you first for advice. You always listened.

Even at university, you immediately grew a community of new friends. You brought them together to share your love for cooking and entertaining – fun days that would sometimes last all day and all night. And coffee! How you loved finding new ways to make your morning coffee! That was your favorite part of the day, wasn’t it?

Somehow you managed it all. Friends, entertaining, studying and even running your own fashion store online, that you started when you were only 16.

But we all knew that your best friend was your lovely mother, Irina. Your family saw you as their secret treasure. How you adored being around your three siblings, going on long drives with them and listening to music. You had so many inside jokes with Wassim. You would laugh so much with him. “All that was beautiful was Daria. She taught us how to love each other even more than we ever imagined as a family.” These are Sherif’s words, Daria. Your family loved you so very much.

Dear Daria, we don’t understand why you had to go. Why you, Daria? Why you? How could someone so dear and precious just disappear? Our parents tell us that time will heal. Maybe. Maybe our tears will dry up sometime. But you will always remain part of who we are and who we will become. We promise you that we will never take anything for granted.

Thank you, Daria, for having been part of our lives. Thank you for your love, time, honesty, patience, and selflessness.

Rest in peace our sweet angel. Your friends forever