ICS PTSA NEWSLETTER

March 5th, 2023

See the ICS Calendar for more upcoming event dates.

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.

ICS College Round Table Event

The ICS College Round Table Even is on March 23rd at 6:30 PM via Zoom (link to be shared later). 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.

Volunteer Hours

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.

Recognition

DePaul University in Chicago is publishing their inaugural issue of DePaul’s Blue Book: Best American High School Writing 2022.

DePaul’s Editorial Staff selected two poems by current ICS seniors: “Pledge of Allegiance” by Sia Gaind and “Z is for” by Clio Erignac to be published in their inaugural DePaul’s Blue Book: Best American High School Writing 2022! Sia and Clio will receive free copies of the book when it’s published.

Four other ICS students were honored as finalists:

“Shredding Potatoes” by Lucy Zhang ICS ‘22, “Pledge of Allegiance” by Ayla Bosworth ICS ‘23, “Crows” by Lauren McKay ICS ‘27, and “Four Letters” by Cora Madison ICS ‘22. These students’ names and the titles of their work will be acknowledged in the Finalists section of the anthology.

A message from DePaul said, “Our editors read thousands of submissions, and only a small percentage of pieces became Finalists.”

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.

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.  

REPEATED ARTICLES

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