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ICS PTSA NEWSLETTER
March 12th, 2023
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PTSA Parent meeting in person for March
March 14, 2023 PTSA Parent meeting will be in person at ICS Lyceum from 7pm-8:30pm. Please plan to attend in person for greater engagement and community connection.
Based on the survey feedback from the last PTSA parent meeting 65% of parents voted for one or more meetings each year to be in person. We heard you. We will be trying out in person meeting in March and then publish a schedule for future meetings.
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ICS College Round Table Event
The ICS College Round Table Even is on March 23rd at 6:30 PM till 8 PM via Teams. This Teams link will take you to the meeting. It is an opportunity to hear presentations from Lis Christiansen, ICS High School Comprehensive Counselor, Laila Hilfinger, Medina College Counselor, and Mary Pat O’Neil, True Fit College Counseling, in preparation for the college application process. We anticipate the event to last ~90 minutes to 2 hours. There will be a planned question and answer session following the presentation.
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Volunteer Hours
ICS Interior Cleaning Event
Let’s make ICS clean, shine and healthy.
ICS Interior Cleaning Event on Wednesday March 29th 2023, 5 - 8pm
Cleaning supplies provided
Food and Drinks provided
We will do wipes desk and chairs, vacuum and sweep class room and hallway, wipes windows and doors.
Earn you volunteer hours with immediate family and kids. Please no kids under grade 6. If you need more volunteer hours, please email me to help me prepare.
Please bring vacuum cleaner, if you can.
RSVP at msuklan@icsptsa.org
ICS Campus Clean up
Earn Hours! Beautify the School! Keep the Neighbors Happy! ICS and Community School families – it is that time of year to mulch and top up our garden beds with fresh soil. Our next site event is March 18th from 9 am to noon. Water and snacks will be provided. Bring LABELED shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows if you have them. Sign up here.
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From the Principal: Purpose of Focus Week
Focus Week is a longstanding tradition at International Community School to provide students with unique learning experiences. Students leave the confines of their daily classrooms to expand their knowledge, build relationships with teachers, test and apply learning, and foster new peer relationships. Teachers design programs that enhance and expand classroom learning.
Focus Week 2023 will be May 31 - June 2
We are planning local and school-based activities for all students in grades 6-11. Sessions are being developed by teachers. Students will receive a survey to complete and submit with their choices. Seniors will attend a Farewell Expedition on the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park.
Focus Week 2024 and Beyond
We are in the process of reimagining Focus Week – which hasn’t been reviewed and updated in many years. Historically, students had international trips within their menu of selections. During Covid travel wasn’t an option. This year, all travel restrictions have been lifted, except international travel. Our teachers are working on a Focus Week program that will include on-campus events, local experiences, and regional and domestic travel. We will continue the tradition of teachers designing and delivering Focus Week programs, while increasing our attention to predictability, sustainability, and access for all students. Watch for updates here and in the Principal’s Update.
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Parent Focus Week Committee
An update from the parent Focus Week committee (PFWC):
The State of Our Work
The PFWC is proposing an ongoing off-campus learning PTSA committee that will coordinate jointly with the school and teachers in future years on Focus Week development and planning. We are awaiting input from the teachers and school on that proposal. The refined proposal will be to the PTSA board for adoption. The teacher committee has been working independent of the parent committee on this year’s Focus Week.
GOOD NEWS for our SENIORS: The teachers are exploring a domestic travel option for them this year during Focus Week. Be sure to check your email and respond to the survey!
What You Need to Know About International Travel
One of our chartered tasks was to get clarity for our PTSA on district-level policies that influence the path forward. We had a great meeting with the district this week that gave us that clarity.
In the past, school-sponsored international travel was part of Focus Week at ICS and similar weeks at other schools. With COVID all activities were shut down. This year saw a resumption of most activities, including school-sponsored domestic travel. We learned that from the district’s perspective, Focus Week can include affordable and curricular-related overnight domestic travel. Teachers who want to offer a travel option can do so within those guidelines.
The district has not resumed and does not plan to resume international travel. This is not a school-level decision. Considerations taken into account included: (a) issues of different legal rules in different countries, (b) the ability of the district to mitigate risks to students and teachers, and (c) the ability of the district to insure against risks (spoiler – insurance is a significant problem). The district does not anticipate a return to international travel for the foreseeable future. We have followed district policy and shared the community’s feedback through the proper internal chain of command. At this time if parents have concerns with this district policy decision, the correct place to voice your concerns would be to the School Board. The PFWC will be focusing on working with the teachers and on a plan that includes robust and relevant domestic travel options.
The district remains supportive of non-school sponsored international travel during school breaks. The key being that those are not district or school sponsored trips. The committee has only recently learned the operating parameters and does not have a recommendation for the PTSA Board on this topic at this time. A recommendation will be developed.
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Scholarship Opportunity
The ICS PTSA is awarding 7 scholarships worth $1,500 each to graduating seniors who show exceptional dedication to community work, volunteer efforts, extracurricular activities, and determination for self-improvement.
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 2023. To apply students will need to answer essay questions and provide a letter of recommendation. Scholarship applications will be accepted from March 13th until April 24th. See link for the form.
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ICS FBLA
ICS FBLA is looking for two parents (at least one female) to help chaperone the club (30+ students) at the State Business Leadership Conference from April 19-22. This is an overnight trip to Spokane, WA for 3 days, 4 nights. All costs besides meals and pocket money will be covered. Please email icsfbla@outlook.com if interested.
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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. This week we would like to highlight International Woman’s Day
History of International Woman’s Day- International Woman’s Day is celebrated each year on March 8th. This is something that has been carried over from history. The first National Women’s Day celebrated in the United states on February 28th 1909, organized by the Socialist party of America. This date was later changed to March 8th to commemorate a major protest by female garment factory workers in the same year, as they demanded better working environments.
What is International Woman’s Day and why is it celebrated? International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the historical, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also observed in support of taking action against gender inequality around the world. Each year IWD has a theme, this year its- Embrace Equity. We can all truly embrace equity. It's not just something we say. It's not just something we write about. It's something we need to think about, know, and embrace. It's what we believe in, unconditionally. Equity means creating an inclusive world.
How is International Woman’s Day celebrated? As women come together to celebrate the advancement of gender equality and women’s rights on International Women’s Day, they receive ample support from men who give them flowers or other gifts. This tradition extends to educational institutes and workplaces as well. Inspiring female leaders and women with success stories in different areas of life are put in the spotlight to encourage and influence other women all over the world.
What can you do to celebrate it? In so many different ways- Ways to celebrate International Women's Day (internationalwomensday.com). Watch, read and listen. Gender equity can be a complex topic, so watching relevant videos, reading inspiring books, and listening to informative podcasts can help explore some of its topics. You can also donate to female focused charities, attend a local IWD event. How will you embrace equity? Share the passion and excitement that comes from valuing and supporting difference. Reflect on how we can all be part of the solution, not the problem.
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From the DEI Committee
We are launching Volume II of our ICS International Cookbook and we need your recipes. You can view last year volume here
Everyone knows a foodie in their house, and/or someone who cooks amazing food and loves to share it. In many cultures food is more than just sustenance for the body. Food is seen as something that ties people together through fellowship, love/care, and good times. With COVID being something that has shaken up everyone’s lives, we have not been able to share meals with our loved ones, friends, and/or coworkers. However, through sharing recipes we can have a little of that feeling back, even if it is by making the recipe ourselves.
We are fortunate to have families from across the world so we would like to give everyone an opportunity to contribute. Please fill out the ICS International Cookbook form and be a part of this initiative, Buon Appetite!
Questions? Email Tarek Azoz at tazoz@icsptsa.org
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