ICS PTSA NEWSLETTER

April 8, 2025

See the ICS Calendar for more upcoming event dates.

BOARD SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR ICS PTSA AWARDS 

The ICS PTSA Board is accepting nominations for the following awards:

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR: This award is given in recognition of an individual who goes beyond the normal expectations of their job to make the learning environment fun, beneficial, and challenging.

PHOENIX AWARD: This award is given in recognition of an individual who has done an exceptional job on a task or committee.

GOLDEN ACORN: This award is given in recognition of an individual who has given outstanding service to the school community. It is to recognize volunteer service "above and beyond" a particular job description.

The Washington State PTA offers the Outstanding Educator and Golden Acorn awards. A contribution in the recipients' name is made to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Foundation. The Phoenix award is unique to ICS. 

Please nominate as many parents or staff members who you believe deserve recognition for their service. Kindly include some reasons why this person should receive the award. Note that a parent or staff member can only receive a specific award once, so please consult the ICS PTSA website to view prior years’ recipients.

Complete and return this form or simply email the PTSA co-presidents at president@icsptsa.org with your nominating information.

Nominations will close at 9pm on April 30th

LUNCHROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Due to recent staff changes, parent volunteers are urgently needed to help ease the lines for students and to support the lunchroom staff. There are many open spots during the month of April and beyond. Please sign up here. Thank you for supporting our students and staff!

FBLA STATE CONFERENCE - CHAPERONES REQUESTED

The FBLA State Conference is April 23 - 26 in Bellevue. The club is looking for 2 parent chaperones to walk with students between the Hyatt Regency Bellevue conference center and the lunch area on Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25 from 10:45 AM - 1:00 PM. Additionally, we are looking for 1 chaperone to attend the chapter dinner and handle payments on Thursday, April 24 from 4:45 PM - 6:45 PM. Please sign up here and more details will follow. Thank you for your support!

FOCUS WEEK - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GRADE 9 WHIDBEY ISLAND EXCURSION

Who: Any volunteer 18 or older who is approved or able to get approval. This opportunity is open to ALL volunteers, including any grade level parent, legal guardian, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or community member with a meaningful connection to an ICS family. Ninth grade parents are strongly encouraged to volunteer. We need 2-3 women and 2-3 men to chaperone.

What: Enjoy a week on Whidbey Island with an excursion to Port Townsend! Chaperones are required to stay overnight in cabins with approximately 7-11 students. During the day there will be a mix of downtime and chaperoning, with ample time each day for parents to work and/or leave camp if necessary. Please indicate any daytime conflicts when you volunteer. Driving skills are not required.

Where: Camp Casey + around Whidbey Island

When: May 19-23: Expect a full week commitment with duties primarily at night.

Contact jsnowden@lwsd.org to volunteer.

FREE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 101 WEBINARS HOSTED BY PTSA

Thank you for attending the College Admissions 101 webinars. You can find the webinar recordings and resources below:

Webinar #1 - PathIvy

• Webinar recording (Passcode: .vzB8zzQ)
• Slide deck
• PathIvy LinkedIn (follow this page to see where our students are being admitted)
• PathIvy website
• Contact information:
• Vicky (Founder & CEO): vicky@pathivy.com
• Calla (Director of College Counseling): calla@pathivy.com
• You are welcome to register for their free webinar "How to Plan Your High School Extracurriculars & Maximize Your Summer" 

Webinar #2 - Polaris College Counseling

• Polaris College Counseling Webinar 
• Contact: Alice Zeng (Founder/CEO): alice.zeng@polariscollegecounseling.com

Webinar #3 - Ivy Academic Prep 

• Ivy Academic Prep Webinar 
• Slide deck
• Contact: Matthew Riley (Founder/CEO): contact@ivyacademicprep.com

If you have any questions on Curriculum & Support, please reach out to smittal@icsptsa.org

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

The International Community School PTSA is now accepting scholarship applications. These scholarships are granted to award achievement and help further the education of the chosen ICS senior recipients. The Scholarship Committee recognizes that achievement is demonstrated in many ways; it is not limited to grades and test scores but, just as importantly, through community work, volunteer efforts, extracurricular activities, and a determination for continued improvement.

ICS PTSA will award the best 3 senior applicants this year based on the independent judges' assessment of the anonymized application. The scholarship amounts this year will be:

$1,500 (Gold Winner) / $1,000 (Silver Winner) / $500 (Bronze Winner).

IMPORTANT DATES: 

• March 25: ICS PTSA starts accepting Scholarship Applications through the Online Application Form.
• April 27: Last day to apply. No late or incomplete applications will be considered. All applications must be submitted electronically through the application link or QR Code below:

• June 6: Winners will be notified, and the recipients of the scholarships will be announced in the following PTSA newsletter. 
• December 31: Last date for winners to use scholarship amounts. In the event a recipient has not used the scholarship at a college, university, or vocational school of his/her choice by December 31, 2025, the PTSA scholarship will remain in the ICS PTSA Scholarship fund.

ELIGIBILITY: The applicant must be a graduating ICS senior and plan on continuing their education at an institution of higher learning (4-year college or university, community college, or vocational technical institute) in fall, 2025.

JUDGING:

A panel of three external judges (without direct connections to ICS) will score the applications.

Every effort is made to keep the information in these applications confidential. Copies of the application documents with student names redacted will be electronically distributed to judges.

Best of luck to all of our seniors!

ICS INTERNATIONAL NIGHT

ICS International Night is an exciting event that celebrates the diverse cultures and traditions within our community. Join us April 25 at 6:00 PM for an evening filled with vibrant performances, delicious international cuisine, and engaging activities that showcase the rich heritage of our participants.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others, learn about different cultures, and enjoy a night of fun and food. To sign up for ICS International Night, please fill out this form by April 10. We can't wait to celebrate with you! Email tazoz@icsptsa.org with any questions.

ICS COOKBOOK

The ICS Cookbook is a delightful project that brings together the diverse culinary traditions of our community. This cookbook will feature a collection of cherished recipes from around the world, contributed by members of our community. Whether you are a seasoned chef or a home cook, this cookbook offers a unique opportunity to share your favorite dishes and discover new ones.

We invite you to contribute your recipes and be a part of this exciting culinary journey.

To participate, please submit your recipes for the ICS Cookbook by May 15. To view the current version, please click here. Contact tazoz@icsptsa.org with any questions.