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They thought they couldn’t. They thought
they wouldn’t but they did. And they did it
.with flying colors
All of Brevet and Baccalaureate students
passed their exams last year andmore than
.half received honors
Mishka Mourani, IC’s Senior Vice Pres-
ident, personally called or messaged each
of the 160 secondary students to tell them
.the good news
I was thrilled, “she said. “I just wanted”
to congratulate them on the amazing re-
“.sults. We really didn’t expect it
Everything was questionable for stu-
dents that year. Would they finish the
scholastic program? Would classes be can-
?celled? Would exams be held
Faculty found themselves asking the
same questions. Meetings were held. IC
.must stay one step ahead
We knew that things were going to go”
awry in the winter,” recalled Mourani.
“.“You could sense it
Foreseeing the political troubles ahead,
a decision was taken to alter the scholastic
.program
Exams, usually held in February, were
moved up to January – an unpopular
choice with students as it means that they
would have to spend their Christmas
.break studying
But teachers explained the situation
clearly. Except for a few gripes, students
complied. A sense of determination and
commitment prevailed in the upper
.school
Exams were held in early January. On
January 25th, a university squabble in a
Beirut neighborhood led to a gunfight
in the streets. The country was engulfed
in tension and schools closed for sev-
eral days. Bomb threats, real or rumored,
.gripped the country
Trouble was obviously far from over and
faculty looked for a way to stay ahead of
the political developments. Parents of stu-
dents in academic difficulties were called
in. Usually, parent meetings were set up as
needed or “we wait for parents to come to
.us,” said Mourani
This time, however, faculty and the ad-
ministration called in the parents. Togeth-
er – teachers, parents and students – met
.to devise a plan to help the students
.It was real teamwork,” said Mourani”
And it worked. Of the group, only 20
percent of the students remained at risk
(the program has now become a perma-
.(nent feature at IC
Faculty remained wary. Schools across
the country were reporting student fights
in their campuses as the political bickering
continued. Determined to make sure the
school’s tradition of respect for diversity is
upheld, the school focused on appropri-
ate behavior and attitudes. Still, the staff
braced themselves. Nothing happened. If
anything, students committed themselves
.even harder to their studies and activities
In September, Mourani walked up to
the stage in the Elementary School audito-
rium. She looked at the teachers and staff
.gathered at the Planery session
In many ways this year has been an”
annus mirabilis,” she said. “A year of won-
ders. Every external setback was confront-
ed as a challenge to be overcome. We al-
tered exam schedules, scheduled make-up
days and extra sessions and did our best to
motivate and to create a safe haven for our
“.students at every level at the college
And to the thunderous applause of the
teachers she announced that all students
.passed – many with outstanding results
I think it was the sense of community”
that teachers developed and that we cre-
ated for ourselves that saw us through the
year,” she said. “We set goals for ourselves,
defined where we were going, and kept
that focus. So much positive energy and
support came out of this year. In our pro-
fession, we’re blessed in that we are build-
ing something and not destroying. It’s all
about trust and valuing the community.
Once you see where you’re going, you de-
termine how you can get there and you try
“.your best. The rest is a leap of faith
They did it!
IC students come on top!
Campus News
Lebanese Brevet: all passed - 72% of students in Ain Aar/
Ras Beirut combined obtained honors.
French Bacc: all passed but for one retake - 75% of students
obtained honors [averages of 12 or above] in the French Bacc
IB: all passed
The second highest average in Lebanon in the scientific track
of the French Bacc went to Salim Rahhal, who also obtained the
highest average at IC.
Lebanese Bacc: all passed - 85% of students obtained honors [av-
erages of 12 or above]
The mean score of IC students rose to 81%
Among the top ten students in Beirut, 9 came from IC:
two
in the General Sciences track
two
in Life Sciences,
one
in Humanities, and
four
in Economics Sociology
RESULTS