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Campus News
IC NEWSLETTER -
SUMMER 2009
18
More thana thousandpersons
showed up on International
day – among them 650
student participants. This
was the fourth International
Day held at IC. The event
attracted more people than
expected as students brought
their entire families and friends
to see them performing.
Students from grades 3, and
CE2,sixièmeandfirst,cinquième
and second, were assigned
eight countries to represent:
India, Korea, Iraq, Guatemala,
New Zealand, Germany, Ghana
and Ethiopia. Every year, different
nations are selected.
These assignments go much more
beyond just reading about their
countries. Teachers, parents and
students have to research them
extensively and come out the
representative music, dances, food
and displays.
Since the end of December, teams
of volunteer parents have been
meeting with each other and with
embassies. Music teachers have
been researching the needed
music and choreographing the
countries’ dances. Students have
been practicing and studying
the language, economy, history
and geography of their assigned
countries. The objective is for
students
to
learn,
recognize,
understand and appreciate the
customs of different countries in
order to promote respect of others
and peace.
The result was a series of mesmerizing
dances: salsa, Hindu, African dance,
funeral march, Korean fan dance,
Haka Dance and others. The songs
were performed in the country’s
language. There was barely a
space left in the amphitheatre as
parents and friends cheered the
students. Among the spectators
were her Excellency the Ethiopian
ambassador and his Excellency the
Guatemalan ambassador.
Following the performances, guests
were treated to spectacular displays
along the campus. Parents have
been hard at work recreating the
nations’ customs. Some had erected
replicas of monuments such as the
Bab el Babel of Iraq. The India display
conducted yoga lessons. Every stand
was accompanied by a slide show.
As for food, few guests left the camps
hungry as food stands offered a huge
amount of representative dishes. The
New Zealand stand actually offered
fruits brought in from New Zealand
for the occasion. Ethiopians and
Ghanaians nationals were present
cooking their custom food.
Long after the show had ended,
guests continued to mingle in the late
evening hours nibbling on the exotic
foods and enjoying the serenity of the
green campus.
TheInternationalDaywasorganizedby
acommitteechairedbyAntoineBoulad
(DirectorofFrenchandCulturalAffairs)
and formed of Randa Sabbah (Head of
the Music Department), Marie Helene
Gholam (Social Studies instructor and
Chairperson,AinAar),JoumanaKhairallah
(CE2instructor,AinAar),DianaKaaki(CE2
instructor,RasBeirut)andChafiaFarran
(6ème instructor Ras Beirut)
INTERNATIONAL
DAY