Letter from Pete December 7, 2017

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Dear ICE families -

I hope that you all are well and looking forward to the next phase of the holiday season, including the Winter Break from school. As we approach the holidays our 12th grade students lives are all getting busier and more exciting. Our first round of Literature Panels falls this Wednesday with round 2 next week. I hope that you will join us in evaluating our student's hard work, and participating in what makes the ICE community unique from the vast majority of schools nationwide. Our students' ownership of their work, and the evidence of their efforts to revise and improve their thinking is clearly on display in panel presentations, and if you have not seen a panel, please do come. I also want to mention that our students are hearing from colleges, and we already have many proud kids accepted into schools such as Ithaca College, SUNY Binghamton, Bard College and many others. I also want to congratulate the first of several possible POSSE foundation scholarship winners. An ICE 12th grade student has received a full scholarship to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, our first of 3 POSSE finalists. More details to come.

While I am celebrating the accomplishments of ICE students, I want to give a special shout out to a group of students who call themselves the ICE anti-sexual harassment club. These students have crafted a mission statement and policy for ICE to adopt with regard to a uniform response to all forms of sexual harassment that are witnessed or reported at ICE. Their thinking is crystal clear and they call upon us to create safe and discrete ways for students to report what they know to adults. I'm sure you are all paying close attention to the near constant breaking news as men in power are being accused and admitting to inappropriate and abusive behaviors that include rape and other crimes. At ICE our staff has begun a conversation in response to our students' policy work, and we will make the conversation a school-wide effort in the new year with the leadership and guidance from our thoughtful kids. I plan to host a conversation with parents about all forms of sexual harassment and assault in order to make sure the ICE community is safe for all, and responsive when safety and comfort are compromised. It is also essential that our kids think critically about the onslaught of information in order to make sound decisions about their own behavior. If the current events teach us anything I hope it is that sexual harassment and assault remain pervasive in our society, and we have a duty to think deeply about what all of this means for us and our children. I hope that you will join me and the PTA in the near future, and I am proud that our students have put so much thought into making ICE a safer community for all.

My best to you all -

Pete

ICE 7th-11th Grade Stomping Ground Photo Order Errors

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ICE 7th-11th Grade Stomping Ground Photo Order Errors

Stomping Ground made a mistake on some of your student photo orders. Several of you received the wrong Advisory Group picture in your orders. This would apply ONLY to orders ALREADY received.

IF you are one of these folks, please do the following:

Contact Stomping Ground by email. Please include the school and student name AND an explanation of the problem (i.e.:  received wrong Advisory Group Picture in our order package.  We are in Advisory #______!). Please copy Annette Tacconelli for our PTA records. You can also call at (212) 995-9379 ext 1.

Stomping Ground has agreed to send corrected Advisory Group photos to any affected families to ICE by 12/19/17 date. These envelopes will be distributed to your student via Advisory.

Thank you very much for all your patience and please know that your ICE PTA has been fiercely advocating for greater service and attention from Stomping Ground.
 

Fencing Now Offered After School

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On Monday, December 4, 2017 we will officially start our fencing activity with New Amsterdam Fencing Academy!

When: Every Monday

Time: 2:15pm - 4:15pm

Where: Small Gym

If your teen is interested please tell let them know to sign up with me and Rob in room 517 by this Friday, December 1st.

**NAFA and SONYC @ ICE are trying to get a competitive team going this year, in addition to those who just want to practice, so 'electric' gear may be used later in the season. More info on that later on.
 

Literary Criticism Presentations  

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Literary Criticism Presentations
 
Involving the I.C.E. community beyond just the staff and students is what makes panels so special. Sitting in on panels is a great opportunity to see the kind of critical reading and writing work our seniors have been doing. 
 
The seniors will be presenting and defending the critical work they did in analyzing the novels, plays, etc. they have been reading and writing about for over five months.
 
The dates of these panels are:

  • Wednesday, December 6th, 3:15 to 4:15 AND 4:20 to 5:20
  • Tuesday, December 12th, 3:15 to 4:15 AND 4:20 to 5:20

If you are interested and able to participate in this wonderfully enriching activity, could you please email Jeffrey Romanow (one of the 12G literature teachers) and let him know when and what panels you could sit in on. Jeffrey will fill you in on all the details for how the panel will work – and he will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
 

ICE Seniors' Internship Interests  

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ICE Seniors' Internship Interests
 
Our seniors are seeking leads for internships in the following industries. Please note that their interests are not limited to these areas, however. If you or anyone you know would be interested in learning more about the mutual benefits of participating in our internship program, please contact ICE’s Internship Coordinator, Josh Torpey. Thank you!
 
View and download FAQ Sheet Internship Institute for Collaborative Education
 
Physics
Biology
Social justice organizations
Film
Art gallery
Photography
Pottery
Sports management
Human rights
Journalism
Radio
TV production
Hospitals/medicine
Engineering
Musueums
Music school
Recording studios
Marketing / advertising
Graphic design
LGBTQ rights organizations
Immigrants’ rights organizations
Social services organizations
Fashion design / marketing (no too “The Devil Wears Prada,” please!)
Child welfare social work
Women’s rights / women’s health orgs
Algorithmic stock trader
Environmental organizations

 

Skittles (LGBTQ Club @ ICE) Organizes a Queer Prom Called The Ball

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Skittles (LGBTQ Club @ ICE) Organizes a Queer Prom Called The Ball

The Ball is Skittles’s effort to make the LGBTQ community at ICE feel like they are in fact part of a community. We want to make a space that deconstructs the harmful/toxic traditions that historically leave out queer folks from Middle/High school dances such as; bringing dates, paired heteronormative dance expectations etc. We want to center those folks by celebrating LGBTQ culture as well as the folks in our community who identify as queer while not excluding allies and other folks on the spectrum from joining .

As we are planning, we have created a list of needs/wants, and space is a top priority. It would be great if there was someone in the ICE community who has or knows of a space that could be donated to our cause, but we are also willing to look for our own space. In both scenarios, financial support would be wonderful from the PTA. With the costs we have looked into so far, including; decorations, a DJ, and potentially space, we are looking to raise overall in the ballpark of $5000. We have a gofundme and are looking to other schools as well to be involved in the process and help us make this happen but would love support from the ICE community. Thank you for your contributions and consideration.
 

Arts & Activism Now Accepting Applications

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Arts & Activism Now Accepting Applications

Willie Mae Rock Camp's 2018 Arts & Activism fellowship program for teen women*. Starting this January, participants will meet on a weekly basis to work on activities designed to broaden their understanding of the ways in which the arts can be invaluable tools in social activism - promoting tolerance, creativity, mindfulness and love. Throughout the fellowship, participants will design and create their own digital music, media-based visual art, and podcasts (listen to previous work here!).
 
The program theme for this year is Disruption!, which encourages youth to look at the ways in which they want to reshape systems that no longer serve the communities who need them most.
 
As the program year ends, youth will co-produce and curate the public showcase/listening party for their completed work, and during the summer, teens will also have the opportunity to participate in a 6-week, paid summer fellowship, offering support and/or design for Willie Mae Rock Camp's summer programs.
 
*Girls (trans- cis- & gender non-conforming) and gender non-binary youth ages 16-18 may apply. Priority is given to applicants from low- to moderate- income households in New York City. No music experience necessary. Selected applicants, including those who have not previously participated in WMRC programs, may be invited to participate in a group information session/ interview in mid-December (date/time TBD).

PROGRAM DATES:

  • January 9th – June 7th, 2018: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4 - 6PM
  • July 16th - August 18th (dates subject to change): approximately 140 hours, to be scheduled by participants and WMRC staff

PROGRAM LOCATIONS:
 
January - June: 

  • WMRC, 87 Irving Place in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
  • Various field trips throughout NYC

July - August:

  • WMRC, 87 Irving Place in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
  • Other camp locations TBD

 COST: FREE!!! Additionally, participants receive compensation for the summer fellowship.
 
Applications are due Friday December 15th.  For more information and to apply, please visit here. 
 
 

HS Summer Internship Application (Deadline 1/5/18)

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HS Summer Internship Application (Deadline 1/5/18)

During the summer of 2018 the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), in partnership with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (NYC DYCD), will offer a summer internship for thirty (30) talented NYC high school students to work full-time in house at New York City Department of Design and Construction.
  
The High School Summer Internship Program is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in architecture, engineering, building trades, public administration, business administration or information technology. Click the HS Summer Internship Program link for more info. Plus check out this page.  

 

I.C.E. Skate Swap

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Donate your unwanted skates of all sizes to the ICE Skate Swap. We will collect them from now until December 13th. Students may drop skates off with Mark or Eileen. Or bring them to the Holiday Party on December 13th.

We will put out all the skates at the Holiday Party and eager skaters can come find a pair that fits. 
 
Be ready for ICE All School Skating Day on December 19th! 

For questions or more info., contact Lisa Bleyer or click Here

I.C.E. Holiday Celebration & Cultural Potluck 

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December is a month of cookies, friends and music and we want to share all of those things with the ICE community. We are so grateful for our unique school, a place dependent upon the teachers and the families sharing a view of quality, invigorating education.

Let’s celebrate the season and our school at the


I.C.E. Holiday Celebration
Wednesday, December 13th, 4:00 – 7:00
in the 2nd floor Cafeteria
 
A Cultural Potluck to share holiday cheers
with faculty, staff, parents & students
 
RSVP and volunteer to donate a dish by clicking the link Cultural Potluck
 
We look forward to sharing warmth, peace and joy


Happy Holidays!