Basic HTML Version
SUMMER
2013
7
ground adjoined to theirs. Moreover, there
are strange children in that playground.
Who could they be?
“They are ACS (American Community
School) kids of course,” one preschooler is
heard explaining.The rest of the pre-
schoolers nod in agreement.
The elementary school children are
guided to their respective classes. As chil-
dren do, they seem to have already taken a
quick familiarity to it.There are still many
corners to explore and halls to speed
through.The adventure has just begun.
Teachers seemed to have gotten over
any melancholy as they proudly led their
charges on a tour of the school. Beyhum,
followed by her young students, waves
cheerfully.The suitcase had been opened
and the little ‘memories’ distributed. Hana
Bekdache, Assistant to the Director, greets
visitors with a beaming smile. “I feel so
happy,” she says. “It’s like I have moved to
a new home. It’s a fresh new start.”
Kozak, of course, is on hand to welcome the
children. She’s been back to the old Elemen-
tary School to collect some things and is
relieved to report that the building without
the ‘IC family’ is just an empty shell. “This is
where we belong,” she says firmly.
IC President, John Johnson, is the first to
make it to the playground for the ribbon
cutting ceremony to take place that morn-
ing. But it is still raining. Not that it fazes
him. “My mother always told me that rain
is good luck,” he says.
He looks around in silence. Since his ar-
rival in Lebanon seven years ago, building
this school and scrutinizing the details
has been a main preoccupation. He had
to worry about every single detail. But the
last chapter is this: plotting the details
of the move.There were many worries
for this day. Is it the right day for the
move? Are the teachers ready? Is the right
furniture in place? Will IC drop off times
drastically congest Ras Beirut?
All, it seems, went perfectly as planned.
“I feel so good,” he says. “The kids are in
school, the traffic worked, the children
are excited.”
He pauses.
“It was a dream. And here we are.”
At 9:00 am sharp, IC Directors and several
board members joined the President to cut
the inauguration ribbon. As if by cue, the
rain suddenly lets up. Students file out to
the playground. Some stand on the stairs,
some on the walkway above and some stand
with squished faces against their classroom
windows overlooking the playground.
The honor of cutting the ribbon went
to Board Member
ImadTaher ‘58
and
his second grade grandson, Imad. As
the Chair of the Buildings and Grounds
Committee, he has been overseeing and
approving every step of this project.
“We wanted to have a beautiful school for
beautiful children like yourselves,” he tells
the gathered youngsters. “Study well and
succeed.This is for you.”
As the children return to their classes, John-
son and Taher walk slowly up the stairs.
“It’s all been worth it, hasn’t it?” Johnson says.
Taher nods silently as the two men make
their way back to the main campus. Phase
Number I – the building and moving to a
new Elementary school is over.
Just below, the old Elementary School
stands forlorn.The usually impeccably
clean entrance is littered by flying debris.
The building was now a solid part of IC’s
history.