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ICS PTSA NEWSLETTER
January 22nd, 2023
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Art Day Update
Art Day is just around the corner (Monday, Jan 30th, 2023)!
Few things to be aware of are listed below.
Classes offered on Art Day and their description are available in this link.
One of our Art Day activity is Yoga. We are in need of 9 yoga mats. Parents willing to lend, please contact Himani Naresh (himaninaresh@hotmail.com), and you also will get an additional volunteer hour.
Art Day schedule for reference.
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From Focus Week Parent Committee
Dear ICS community,
You have spoken! Travel learning for secondary students is important to you. Your students have benefited from Focus Week travel.
Based on your comments, the Focus Week parent committee has concluded that travel-based learning should be supported for all students in our state. We have attached a letter writing campaign for you to advocate for funded travel-based learning in secondary. Continued access for travel based learning requires teacher compensation, district support, and state support.
Clicking this link will open a document you can save to create your email campaigns. It has 3 templates. One for the union, one for the administration, and one for your state legislators and PTA leaders. Please only write to the PTA if you have joined and paid your dues (pay here). We have included email addresses for directing your messages.
We encourage you to advocate for contract-based compensation for teachers and state funding support for students for secondary travel learning opportunities. We believe having at least one curricular travel learning opportunity in high school has the ability to change students’ lives for the better and benefit our state’s economy.
Change starts with you! Each letter, each person makes a difference. Invite alumni, employers, and friends in our district and around the state to join us in this campaign.
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From the DEI Committee
Welcome to the Diversity, Equity & Inclusive (DEI) part of the newsletter brought to you by the DEI Committee! Periodically, we’d like to highlight local DEI events as well as feature different cultural holidays and traditions celebrated around the world and in our very own ICS community.
In January we would like to highlight Lunar New Year.
Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives. In 2023, Lunar New Year begins on January 22.
Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals, which are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The year 2023 is slated to be the year of the rabbit.
Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will and good luck. Some households hold rituals to offer food and paper icons to ancestors. Others post red paper and banners inscribed with calligraphy messages of good health and fortune in front of, and inside, homes. Elders give out envelopes containing money to children.
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FBLA Donut Monday!
This Monday is FBLA’s third Donut Monday! Find us in front of Ms. White’s room to get a glazed or sprinkled donut before school from 7:00 to 7:30am. Glazed donuts are only 2 dollars and sprinkled donuts are 2.50. We hope to see you there!
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Nominations Committee Seeks New Board Members
The Nominations Committee has begun the process of finding new ICS PTSA Board members to replace those who are leaving their positions at the end of this school year.
For the 2023-2024 school year, the following positions are open and need to be filled by May 2023:
- Co-President - 2
- VP Activity Support
- VP Information Support
- Co-Secretary -2
- Treasurer - 2
All ICS PTSA members who would like to take a more active role in supporting our school and students are welcome to apply. Serving on the ICS PTSA Board is a great opportunity to be more engaged in school life and to quickly earn volunteer hours.
To nominate yourself or another parent, send an email to Nominations@icsptsa.org with the following information:
- First and Last Name,
- Mobile Phone Number,
- Email Address, and
- Board Position of Interest.
More information about the roles and key responsibilities can be found on the ICS PTSA web page. Board positions require a 2-year commitment and participation at all PTSA Board and parent meetings.
All nominations should be sent to the Nominations Committee by February 28. The Committee will then interview all nominated candidates.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us (Elizabeth Vogel, Usharani Mandava, and Roberto Baselli) at Nominations@icsptsa.org
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Summer Trip to Mexico
With the district's decision to disallow international travel during focus week, Señora Del Toro is planning a México trip for high school students this summer in order to continue learning about Hispanic cultures.
México. Put into practice what you have been learning at school. Would you like to experience a little bit of the culture of México, starting from the Mayas until modern times? The 8-day trip includes activities for each day from the arrival students will be able to connect with culture and a magnificent opportunity to a community service, explore a Cenote, Chichén Itza and Tulum pyramids, and wonderful beach to explore.
Students will need to reserve a place and sign up on the Explorica website before January 31st to secure the price. We realize that this time of year the cost will not be feasible for many. To find out more details about the trip and to register, go to Explorica if you are interested in attending, you'll need to register. The tour ID is DelToro-4642 (need to include the hyphen). There are different payment options, and you don’t have to full price in order to register.
Contact email: sdeltoroics@gmail.com
Dates: June 29 to July 6, registration deadline until Jan. 31
Cost: $3,281.00
Eligibility: current grades 9-12
Number of students: 15 with 1:5 Chaperone Ratio
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FBLA is looking for volunteers
ICS FBLA is looking for 2 parent volunteers to chaperone students at the Winter Leadership Conference, which will take place on Saturday, February 4th at North Creek High School. Volunteers are asked to supervise students as they prepare for their competitions from 7:30 to around 2-4 PM. Please email icsfbla@outlook.com with questions and to confirm that you will volunteer.
ICS FBLA is also looking for 5 volunteers to help judge the Winter Leadership Conference. Judges will be grading presenters on their projects, but no business knowledge is required. If interested, please fill out this form ASAP.
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From Ski Bus Club
Ski Bus has several open seats for the remaining Wednesdays (Jan 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, 22) going to Alpental. Want to come and free ski? Grab a friend and take them with you. We depart at 3PM and return around 8PM. Cost of the roundtrip ride is $55 per person. Bring your own gear and a lift ticket/pass. You can sign-up as late as the day of the trip. Paying guarantees your seat. Interested? Contact Boris at bvbar@hotmail.com
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Lunar New Year Celebration
for 9th Grade Students and Families
Happy Year of the Rabbit! All 9th graders and their families are invited to join in a Lunar New Year potluck dinner and celebration on Friday, January 27, from 5:30 to 8 pm, in the ICS Lyceum.
For more details and to sign up, go here
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In-person meeting survey
Now that things are opening up again, we have the option to return to meeting each other in person again. Online meetings have been convenient and average attendance has gone up. We will keep some meetings online, maybe all, if there isn't interest.
However, PTSA participation has dropped.
- Membership is down
- Donations are down
- Volunteer hours are down
In-person meetings offer a chance to meet the board, the administration, student leaders, and other parents face to face and build relationships that help put the community in International Community School.
How often would you like to meet in-person? Let us know in the survey.
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Senior Ads
Hello parents,
Senior ad submissions are due on February 9th. Senior ads are a great way for families to send a message to their kids congratulating their achievements.
If you’re interested in submitting senior ads to honor your child’s achievements, please go to this link and order one before February 9th.
On the website you will be asked to make an account to create an ad, please do so.
You are required to send in a small message about 2-3 sentences long about your kid. Please send in baby photos, dance competition photos, sports photos, or any photos you think would best showcase your child. These senior ads will be featured in the yearbook for your kids to read at the end of the year!
The price for an ad is $65.
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Parent Meetings
This Teams Link will take you to the recurring meeting; it works for all meetings this school year.
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