ICS PTSA NEWSLETTER
March 19, 2017
Upcoming Important Dates

Date
Event/Activity
Time
Location
March 22nd
2pm
ICS
   March 22nd Foreign Language Curriculum Forum
 7pm  
LWSD Resource Center
March 23rd
Houghton Rezoning Meeting 6pm Kirkland City Hall
March 25th
NAHS Art Walk 6-9pm ICS
March 28th
Fundraising Luncheon 11:30am - 1pm Marriott, Redmond Town Center
April 3rd-7th
Spring Break - No School

FROM THE ASB
The NAHS Art Walk will be held on Saturday, March 25th, from 6-9pm .  An exhibit of artwork from our own ICS students will be on display. There is a five dollar suggested donation, all proceeds go to the non-profit organization "Art With Heart", which helps children overcome trauma through art.

Also, don't forget that Spring Break is during the first week of April, April 3rd - 7th.

Check out the ICS ASB on Instagram and Facebook at "@icsasb". Also, join the LWSD ICS Kirkland Facebook group to answer all your questions.
FROM THE SCHOOL
Input on Hiring New Principal
Thank you to everyone who attended the two meetings on Monday and Tuesday providing input on hiring a new principal.

While the combined turnout was less than what we hoped and expected, given the importance of the topic and the strong parent involvement at ICS, we appreciate the engagement by the attendees.

The PTSA workshop feedback can be found here.  The attendees provided responses to each question and then tagged the top three comments for each question.  The rank reflects the number of votes received.  The file has also been shared with the district coordinator.  

If you were unable to attend and want to provide your input, you may submit written input directly to the hiring coordinator, Sue Anne Sullivan, Director, School Support - Redmond Learning Community. 

Any feedback can be in free form or you can use this form which Ms. Sullivan used at the District-led feedback session on Monday.  For additional context, the principal evaluation system that the District is currently using can be found here.
Possible Future Impact to Local Traffic 
The Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center Rezoning Plan is up for Public Hearing.
  • Date: Thursday, March 23rd 
  • Time: 6pm Open House and 7pm Public Comment
  • Location: Kirkland City Hall
For more information, see  City of Kirkland Memorandum  and   City of Kirkland Website .
Foreign Language Curriculum Forum
There have been numerous discussions with Dr. Moncada and the parent community about the ICS foreign language curriculum. In the February PTSA meeting there were numerous comments from parents. Since Dr. Moncada is leaving, we would like to invite parents to give their feedback and recommendations to the PTSA so that we have documentation for the incoming Principal and the district. 

We would like to have at least one parent from each class give input. We will meet at 7pm on March 22nd at the LWSD Resource Center - Curriculum Library. Please contact Candice Boyd with any questions.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering Update
We want to thank all of the parents who have volunteered their time so far this year. Parent involvement makes such a difference in the experience of our ICS students. In fact, we have 103 families who have met or exceeded their 30 hour volunteer commitment for the year. Nice job! However, we also have 142 families who have not logged a single hour. If you have been volunteering and have not had a chance to report your hours, please do so ASAP. You can only get credit for your volunteer hours if you report them (see instructions below).

As a reminder, families will have to pay $30/outstanding hour in June.

There is only a little over three months of school remaining and it is going to become increasingly difficult to find opportunities to fill the 30 hour annual commitment. If you need help finding opportunities, please be sure to read the weekly newsletter - this is where the volunteer opportunities are advertised. You can also contact committee chairs directly if you would like to work with a particular committee. Their contact information can be found in the school directory or at this link

If you still need help identifying opportunities or have questions, please contact our Volunteer Coordinators, Kathy Thompson and Julie Kotler.
Reporting Volunteer Hours
In order to record your volunteer hours, first log into the PTSA website using the log in form on the right side of the homepage, and then click on Input Volunteer Hours under the Volunteering menu item on the left side of the screen. Complete all of the required information and click on the 'Submit' button. If you've already entered volunteer hours in the past, your last entry will be pre-populated on the screen. Simply edit the 'Category', 'Hours', and 'Comments' (if necessary) and click on the 'Submit' button once. If you do not click on the 'Submit' button, your hours will not be recorded.
FROM THE PTSA
PTSA Scholarship Application Process
The PTSA will be opening the Senior Scholarship application process beginning Tuesday, March 21st.

The ICS PTSA will award up to a total of FOUR scholarships of $1,000. All are standard merit-based scholarships. The Scholarship Committee recognizes that merit is demonstrated in many ways.

The criteria for awarding scholarships is delineated in the application packet. The applications will be made available in the front office on March 21st. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Diane Martin.
Last Chance for 2017/18 PTSA Board Nominations!
The Nominating Committee is still looking for nominees for board positions for the 2017/18 school year.

If you are interested in getting involved, or if you know someone who would like to be nominated, please send an email to  [email protected] and let us know what position would be the best fit.  All nominations and suggestions are confidential. 

No previous experience is required and training is provided.  The deadline for nominations is March 24th.

We are currently recruiting for the following board positions: 
  • Co-President 
  • Co-Treasurer 
  • Co-Secretary x 2
  • Vice President - Information Support 
  • Vice President - Activities Support 
  • Vice President - Curriculum Support

  For a list of board job descriptions please go to ICS PTSA web site.

Annual Washington State PTA Convention
The Annual Washington State PTA convention takes place on April 28th-30th (Friday through Sunday) at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Convention Center in SeaTac.  
The conference goes over three days, but you can attend just one or two days.
The program consists of training classes (approved training for new board members) and opportunities for PTA leaders to learn and grow leadership skills, network with PTA leaders, and obtain new ideas.   In addition there are General Business Sessions where you can see Robert's Rules of Order in action!


The ICS PTSA has a budget of up to $300 to pay for registration only. We can send up to 7 voting delegates. Please contact Oystein Harsvik if you're interested in attending and want to be a voting delegate.
REPEATED ARTICLES
Talent Show 
Key club is hosting its annual talent show on Friday, April 14th from 7-9pm in the ICS lyceum. There is a $5 suggested donation, and all proceeds will benefit the Kiwanis Children's Cancer Program. Please come and see your child or his/her peers perform on stage in this fun event. Snacks and drinks will be provided with a suggested donation.

Questions? Contact Mr. Plank.
Support ICS PTSA with Amazon Smile 
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support ICS PTSA every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to ICS.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. The web site will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.  Make sure to choose "International Community School PTSA 2 8 89 Kirkland WA" as your designated organization to support. More about AmazonSmile on this link .
Focus Week - Nurse Forms Required
If you have a student requiring medication for Focus Week, please read, and see the attached forms:  Medications Checklist  and   Authorization For Administration of Medication at School.

To be in compliance with the current laws around out of state or out of country field trips, all medication orders for Focus Week must be marked "Yes" for self-carry by the prescribing physician. 

It is very important that the attached forms get completed and signed by both the parent and student's physician where applicable, and returned to our school office,  no later than Tuesday, May 2nd. 

Please remember that all over the counter medications require the same medication authorization form. Please read  Requirements for Medication at School.

For additional questions, please email the school nurse,  Jennifer Harkestad .
YOU ARE INVITED! Annual Fund Raising Luncheon for LWSF 
Please join Dr. Moncada, the Koduri's and Glen Campbell, at the ICS Table for Lake Washington School Foundations annual fundraising Luncheon. The 2017 LWSF Spring for Learning Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, March 28th at the Marriott Redmond Town Center. 
  • 11:30am - 12pm   Check-in & Networking
  • 12:00pm - 1pm     Luncheon & Program 
We have an ICS table at the luncheon and we are looking for more people to join us! Glen can personally assist in registering you at the ICS table OR you can RSVP online here.
For those of you who attended in the past, welcome back, especially Sunil & Shalini Koduri who are attending for the 6th year! For those considering coming for the first time, you are in for quite a treat and a very moving experience to walk into a huge room filled with hundreds of people eager to support academic excellence and success for all students in the Lake Washington School District. 

The ICS community has benefited from LWSF for several years with over $17,000 in grants. The ICS table and our contributions are a tangible way to support ICS and fellow Lake Washington Schools. 

LWSF's annual Luncheon brings together members, friends and the public at-large for an inspirational morning. It will be an exciting program and I look forward to raising funds for LWSF's programs. 

Luncheon and parking are complimentary. The Luncheon is a benefit, so please bring your checkbook and a giving spirit. We ask you to consider $150 as the benchmark of your generosity but any contribution is gladly appreciated. 

Not able to attend? Not a problem! You can still support the cause with a Virtual Attendee gift made online  here.
 
Questions/comments, please contact Glen Campbell.