Meet the Spring Fling Committee!

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We thought we'd introduce all of the awesome parents working to make the Spring Fling happen. 

We're gathering donations for an awesome auction and planning a super-fun party for June1st. Have something to donate? Want to join the committee or just volunteer to help out a bit? Hit us up if you see us around ICE, or reach out to us by email.  

Johanna Abinusawa,(Adetayo Abinusawa, 9th)
Stephanie Anderson (Elle Aronowitz, 702)
Arnold Barkus  & Gabrielle Hamill (Ali Barkus, 601)
Jennifer Belle (Jasper Krents, 703)
Miguel Clarke (Maddox Clarke, 802)
Rachel Cohen (Isaac Smith, 801)
Kristen Couse (Wile Schwarz-Couse, 802)
Kirsti Craig (Wyatt Craig-Michaels, 10th)
Amy Gropp Forbes (Beatrice 6th+ Owen + Oliver Forbes 9th)
Arza Gilad (Aya Gilad-Muth, 603)
Rene van Haaften (Cleo Van Haaften, 601)
Gail Greenberg (Ava Hanadel, 902)
Raheesha Harrison (Savannah Harrison, 602)
Ileen Kohn (Milena Sosa, 1101)
Annette Tacconelli (Sal Pinciotti,1003)
 

ICE PAC (Parent Action/Education Advocacy Committee

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We are pleased to announce that we now have video ready from the 2/7/18 event, A Standardized Test is a Poor Substitute for Justice: the Intersection of High-Stakes Testing and Race in NYC schools. The video is broken into 6 sections (with one more to come). Part 1, "Black Childhood Matters," showcases moderator Takiema Bunche Smith's moving opening remarks. Links to the other sections ("Related Videos") can be found in the description that accompanies that video. If you have limited time to watch, definitely catch Part 4a (featuring ICE teacher Jehan) and Part 4b (featuring ICE senior & Posse Scholar Chris Lopez); they did us proud.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS!
The state ELA & Math tests are around the corner (2nd week of April and early May). The school is obligated by law to offer the tests, but students are not required to take them. If you wish to refuse the tests for your child, you'll see ICE PAC parents with test refusal ("opt out") letters roaming around parent-teacher conferences next week. You sign; we'll collect and deliver to administration. New to the school and wonder what opt out looks like at ICE? If this year is anything like the previous 5, the vast majority (over 80%) of students will not be taking the tests. Practically speaking, that means that unlike at many other schools, testing days will look more or less like regular school days, with most teachers staying with their classes and teaching. A few will proctor exams for those students who choose to test. In the coming weeks, ICE PAC will be distributing information about the tests and initiating gradewide test-focused e-discussions. We look forward to answering any testing or opt out questions you may have at that time.
 

ICE Spring Fling Committee Needs Help from You!

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Want to meet more parents and feel connected to the ICE community? Feeling guilty because you haven’t been involved? Here’s the opportunity you’ve been looking for!
 
The Spring Fling Committee is hard at work, making plans for the best ever Spring Fling, coming up on June 1st. Please volunteer to help. If this job doesn’t sound right for you, let them know you’d like to do something else, you won’t be turned away. Reply via email. 
 
The Spring Fling Needs Help Soliciting Donations!
 
We need another awesome volunteer to help us find donations for the auction. As part of the existing Soliciting Team, you would:

  • Contact past donors to see if they can donate again
  • Think of new donors who we can reach out to, and reach out to them
  • Work with Stephanie Anderson, the SF Committee member in charge of Outreach, to solicit donations from the ICE parents 
  • Follow up with donors to make sure that promised donations are received
  • Input donor and donation information & track donations using a simple online database (we'll show you how to use it, it's easy as pie)
  • Attend a handful of Spring Fling meetings over the next few months

 

Girls HS JV Soccer

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Ninth and tenth grade ICE girls who think they may be interested in learning the ins and outs of soccer or just improving their skills in a friendly, encouraging, and fun environment should consider joining our JV soccer team!

Practices will be Tuesdays and Fridays after school (specific times TBD).  Interested players should complete this interest form (Girls JV Soccer Sign-up) and stop by JD's room (508) on Monday during lunch for an information al meeting.  The game schedule can be found here: ICE JV Soccer Games.  Go ICE!

 

Parent Teacher Conferences

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Parent Teacher Conferences

The Appointment Scheduler closes on Saturday (tomorrow) at 8:00pm.
 
Families on the Wait List will be able to sign themselves up for any available appointments on Monday, March 5th from 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM on a first come first serve basis. 

If you are not able to schedule an appointment with your child's teacher during the regular sign up period or during the Wait List period email your teacher and arrange for a phone, email or in-person appointment for another day. 

Sign Up Instructions:

  • Use this link for access to the Appointment Scheduler
  • You are not required to have a Signup Genius Account however if you have one you should sign in.
  • Select your teacher from the list
  • Find a time slot that best fits your schedule & click Signup
  • Then click on the Submit & Signup button at the bottom of the page
  • Your Name, Email & Child’s Name is required.
  • When finished entering the required information click the  Sign Up Now button

An email reminder will be sent to parents one day before the date they signed up.

Parents who have questions about the sign-up please contact the sign-up Administrator at iceschool345@gmail.com
 

Parent Teacher Conferences

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Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, March 7th 5:00pm – 8:00 pm and on Friday, March 9th 1:30pm - 4:30 pm in the 2nd floor cafeterias located on the 16th street side of the building. 

We will be using an online appointment sign up to schedule a conference with your current teachers all on a first come first serve basis. Appointments are 5 minutes long so plan accordingly to leave your self -adequate time to go from one meeting to the next. 

Families who do not have access to a computer should contact their child’s Advisor to arrange for Wait List Appointments. Please provide the best date and timeframes for the appointments. Parents who are not able to meet with their teachers during the available dates & times should email teachers directly to arrange for a phone or email discussion. 

The appointment Sign Up begins on Wednesday, February 28th at 8:00 pm and will end on Saturday, March 3rd at 8:00 pm. 

Please click here for sign up instructions

ICE Students to Compete at NYCSEF

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On Sunday, March 4, five ICE seniors, Zander Donowitz, Isa Yehya, Eva Schulz, Adryanne Gordon and Phoebe Yates, will be presenting their science research at the preliminary round of the New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF). 

Stop by to show your support, learn more about their research, and see the other great science that NYC students are doing at The Great Hall in The City College of New York on Sunday, March 4th.  CCNY is located on Convent Avenue and 138th Street in Manhattan and public viewing is from 2:00-4:00 PM. More information about NYCSEF can be found here.

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ICE/No Barriers Summer 2018 Costa Rica Trip!

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The time has come to apply for this summer's Costa Rica trip! This is a scholarship program run by No Barriers, a program that has partnered with ICE to provide opportunities such as the summit trips and the Camp Jewell trip. The scholarship fully covers the cost of the trip, including airfare, meals, a full-time local guide, transportation, activities, etc.** During the 10-day trip, we travel to different areas of the country, such as the Osa Peninsula, Monteverde, and Sarapiqui, engaging with local communities, experiencing the lush biodiversity, and challenging ourselves outside of our comfort zones. Some activities include ziplining, kayaking in the Pacific Ocean, night and day hikes through the rainforest, community service projects, and much more! This summer the Costa Rica trip will run from August 4th through August 13th, 2018. All current 10th and 11th graders are eligible, and the application can be found online. The application is due on March 1st. Please contact Juliana  (6G Humanities, 9G/12G Literature) with any questions, and students are encouraged to drop by room 505 for more information! **If a student is not offered a scholarship, there is an option to pay to attend the trip, given the student's application is accepted.

The Spring Fling is Coming!

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The Spring Fling is Coming!


Never mind what that groundhog said, spring is right around the corner. And at ICE, spring means the Spring Fling! This year's festivities will take place on Friday June 1st, at the Dumbo Loft.

The Spring Fling is ICE's biggest fundraiser.
To make this year's Spring Fling a success,
we need our ICE families to donate amazing items for the auction. 
 
You can easily donate using our Online Donation Form.
 
We appreciate all of your generosity!

- The Spring Fling Committee



 

Scholarship Opportunity for 11th Grade Girls through New York Road Runners  

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NYRR Run for the Future is a free summer scholarship program for current juniors going into their senior year of high school. This opportunity is designed for young women with little to no prior athletic experience. With support and guidance from NYRR’s coaching staff, NYRR Run for the Future participants are introduced to the sport of running. Participants are given access to workshops that teach running technique, nutrition, goal setting, and stretching so they may develop the ability, confidence, and motivation to be active for life. At the conclusion of the seven-week program, the runners participate in their first race at the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k Run (3.1 miles) on August 25. Those accepted into NYRR Run for the Future who fulfill the program requirements and maintain an 80% attendance rate will receive a $2,000 college scholarship. 

The seven-week program runs from July 9 - August 25 and meets three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) for two hour practices in Central Park. Both morning and evening practice sessions are offered. 

Young women are encouraged to apply for the program if they live in New York City; will be a senior at a public, publicly-funded, or parochial high school in New York City during the 2018-2019 school year OR are working toward their New York State High School Equivalency Diploma; plan on attending an accredited two or four year college or university in Fall 2019; are under 20 years of age; and have had little to no experience participating in physical activities.

To be considered for the NYRR Run for the Future program, you must complete the online application AND ask an adult who knows you well, such as a teacher, counselor or employer, to send in a signed letter of recommendation. Recommendations from relatives will not be accepted. Please share the recommendation details found here with the adult writing your letter of recommendation. 

The online application must be complete by April 1, 2018. 

Recommendation letters must be received in the New York Road Runners' office by April 1, 2018. Please visit nyrr.org/rftf for more information. 

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In addition to producing world-class road races like the TCS New York City marathon, New York Road Runners is one the largest providers of free youth fitness programming in the country, serving more than 215,00 youth in over 1,000 schools and community centers throughout New York City and across the country. 

ICE PAC Annual Meeting on Testing & Test Refusal ​​​​​​​

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“A Standardized Test is a Poor Substitute for Justice”: the Intersection of High-Stakes Standardized Testing and Race in NYC Schools

Wednesday February 7th 6:15-8:30 PM


For parents of children in all grades, but if you are new to ICE, you are especially encouraged to come. Over the last several years, the vast majority (over 80%) of ICE students in middle school grades  have refused the state ELA & Math tests when they are administered in the spring. Test content does not align with our curriculum and your children will receive no test prep. High school students at ICE take only one Regents exam (ELA), instead completing "performance-based assessment tasks," an alternative to the standardized Regents. There will be an opportunity for audience questions at the event, which is the only meeting currently scheduled for our community to discuss testing and test refusal ("opt out"). Don't miss it!

The presentation/panel discussion, which coincides with Black Lives Matter in Schools Week of Action, is open to the ICE community and beyond. (Our current RSVP list includes mostly folks from outside ICE, so come on out, ICE peeps!)  RSVP (not required, but very helpful for determining room size, how much literature to have on hand, etc.)



 

Donations from The Parent Body  

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Dear Parents/Guardians,
 
Thank you all for your generous contributions and matching funds to ICE. Your dollars are critical for ensuring the students and teachers get all the support they deserve.
 
We have received matching funds from Bright Funds Foundation and The Benevity Community Impact Fund but we are unable to process the payments. If the payments were made on your behalf please contact Kristi Craig at kirsti.craig@gmail.com  
 
When setting up matching funds through your company please remember, matching grants should be to ICE Foundation, Inc., not the Institute for Collaborative Education. You can review the Matching Contributionpage on the ICE Website.


Thank you,
ICE PTA
 

Camera & Cell Phone Drive 

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The Nepal and Malaysia International Youth Media Groups are asking parents, students, and friends to donate cameras or cell phones they no longer use

 No, we don't need the phones to make phone calls.
 We need the phones for their picture taking capabilities!
 Please be sure the phones – as cameras – work.
 It would also be helpful if each phone-camera donated has a charger.

The Nepal and Malaysia International Youth Media Groups will be sharing these used phones as cameras for the children they work with in Nepal and Malaysia. So please, if you have any old cell phones, smart phones, etc. with picture taking capability, please bring them to Jeffrey Romanov (the International Youth Media Advisor/Program Director) in Room 419B.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Jeffrey.

ICE PAC

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS & SPREAD THE WORD: IMPORTANT EVENTS ON THE HORIZON!

Here at ICE
ICE PAC's annual meeting on testing and test refusal falls during Black Lives Matter in Schools Week, so we are marking the occasion with “A Standardized Test is a Poor Substitute for Justice”: the Intersection of High-Stakes Standardized Testing and Race in NYC Schools. This presentation/panel discussion is open to the ICE community and beyond. Don't miss it! Wednesday February 7 6:15-8:30 PM

Please help us figure out what size room we need by indicating your interest here. 

Elsewhere
If you are reading this before Saturday, Jan 27, it's not too late to registered for the  for the annual Parent Action Conference, which takes place Saturday Jan 27 in downtown Manhattan. Past conferences have yielded a great, informative, and energizing day. Organized by Class Size Matters, NYC Kids PAC, and Community Education Council 2.  Details here!  

Any questions? Contact ICE PAC via Kemala.

Can't Miss Event @ ICE--Wed February 7th 

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Around the state, Regents exams are in full swing while 3rd-8th grade math & ELA tests are just around the corner. Meanwhile, whether it's the media covering the latest words coming out of the White House or our own kitchen tables, the topic of race and racism is on full blast.

It's the perfect backdrop for our February 7 PTA meeting, which will explore the connection between race/racism and high-stakes standardized testing in NYC's public schools. A panel of Brooklyn and Bronx educators will shed light on the historical origins of these tests and how they impact students and schools. We'll also hear about an alternative to business as usual (from an ICE teacher)! This event is open to the public, so please share this invite with friends from other schools, including those from the elementary schools your kids attended.  While not required, we ask that you RSVP by Feb 5 so we can determine what size room we need.