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6
SUMMER
2011
The six fifth graders were concerned. Very
concerned. Yes, they agreed that IC needs
a new elementary school. But - after much
research – they concluded that Beirut is an
over built city with very few trees and gar-
dens. So how is it that IC – THEIR school
– uprooted some trees during the construc-
tion of the new building? Something had to
be done about this.
And so they set up a meeting with the
school’s Senior Vice President Mishka
Mourani,
“IC has destroyed some trees,” began Nay
Hachem, 10. “And we are here to see if we
can replant them.”
For her part, Mourani listened very at-
tentively to their worries. It’s true, she
replied. Some trees were indeed uprooted
but “those trees were not rare ones,” she
explained. “They were Ficus trees and grow
rather quickly.”
Moreover, IC will not only plant new trees
once the construction is finished, but will
be adding new kinds of plants.
The students seemed relieved. Upon
Mourani’s advice, they decided to seek
out Youssef Abi Abdullah, the Director of
Facilities. He had a list of the plants.
The six marched off to Abi Abdullah’s office.
“Oh yes,” he said. “I have the list. Let me
show it to you.”
The students crowded around as Abi
Abdullah showed them the blueprints of
the new school and provided them with the
very important fauna and flora list.
“I feel better,” said Omar Dandan, 11, in a
meeting with his group afterwards. Like all
Lebanese children, Omar has nowhere to play
after school. Even the empty plot – where he
used to play – near his mountain home has
been turned into a construction area.
“There are hardly any trees left,” agreed
Rawad Lakkis, 10. “We’re surrounded with
buildings.”
These were the concerns which spurred the
group to adopt “buildings replacing trees” as
their topic for the Primary Years Program
exhibition (PYPX) in June.
The exhibition marks the last PYP project
before fifth graders graduate to middle
A Green Concern
Mourani talking to students about the different type of trees on campus.