ICS Georgia

Our first volunteer day of the semester is on the calendar! Join Ms. Suzanne, Ms. Bell, and the ICS Garden Committee to help beautify the gardens and do some basic grounds projects. Garden or construction experience is not necessary, and kids are welcome! Invite your friends. 👨‍🌾✂️🌳

Saturday, September 14
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

All adults and non-ICS students must have a volunteer release on file: bit.ly/VolunteerAtICS

It was the parents' turn in the classroom last week...School is in session! 📖🎒

Looking forward to seeing our ICS families tomorrow for Title I Curriculum Night! 📚

This is a great opportunity for parents to get a glimpse of what's been going on inside the classroom these past three weeks, from IB to specials to family programming.

Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at ICS!

"We are at a pivotal point where the decisions we make today will impact ICS’s trajectory for decades to come. Charting new territory is not just a slogan; it is a call to action. It’s about embracing change, fostering creativity, and cultivating a culture of excellence and innovation." 🗺️

Read more about our theme for the 2024-25 school year in a message from Executive Director Fran Carroll !
icsgeorgia.org/charting-new-territory

There's so much to celebrate as we enter another year of ICS!

Join us for light bites, drinks, and a celebration of another year of education for our diverse Beloved Community. We invite you to join us at our annual impact report unveiling and celebration next Friday, August 23 at Refuge Coffee Co. This event is free to attend but donations are appreciated! Get your ticket and we'll save you a seat
bit.ly/ICSImpactCelebration. 💙 ✨

Day 2 of school mood 🥳 🔍 🚌 🎒📚
Thanks to everyone for a great first day back yesterday! Bus rider parents, be sure you're on ParentSquare for information about bus stops and tracking links. Please call the front office if you have any questions or need help getting the app!

New buses! This year we are partnering with Cooper Global, Atlanta's Limo Company to offer school bus transportation to students in the Clarkston/Stone Mountain neighborhoods. We're especially excited about the three routes offering...

🚌 Heat and A/C on the buses!
🚌 A tracking app for parents to monitor the bus status
🚌 Arrival at school by 7:45 a.m. in time for breakfast and a timely departure at 3 p.m. (unlike in previous years, these buses are prioritized just for ICS students...no waiting on other schools to finish their routes!)

You can register as a bus rider at Meet the Teacher.

To see if your address is eligible and other transportation FAQs, visit https://icsgeorgia.org/family-engagement/

Can you believe this time next week we'll be done with Day 1 of school?! 😮

We are so excited to see you all this Thursday at Meet the Teacher from 12-4 p.m. — families can come see the classrooms firsthand, register as a bus rider, get to know our afterschool vendors, pick up uniforms, and finalize all the enrollment paperwork so we'll be ready to roll next Monday!

Student Contact Forms are due! Remember, we need one PER STUDENT before you can meet your teacher!
👉🏽 Fill it out now at bit.ly/ICSContactForm

Whether you need translation services or just assistance with getting on ParentSquare, someone at ICS can help at one of these times:

📚 Friday, 7/26 6:15-7:00 (English)
ICS Playground

📚 Monday, 7/29 1p-4p (English, Burmese)
ICS Front Office

📚 Wednesday, 7/31 1p-4p (Nepali, Arabic, Dari/Farsi/Pashto)
ICS Front Office

What goes on in the building in the summer? A lot of school supply sorting, staff training, board meetings, and, most of all, getting excited to welcome our students back! The first day of school is Monday, August 5 📅 🌤

Our Atlanta Track Club Kilometer Kids students have been able to run all summer long after a successful race last May, thanks to some new running shoes! 👟
A huge thank you to our partners at Go Play Shoes and the Bennett Thrasher Foundation as well as all of our race sponsors!

Check it out!

ICS Runs with Go Play Shoes & Bennett Thrasher Foundation! ICS celebrated Dash At Dawn 5K and Fun Run on May 11, 2024. We're so thankful to Go Play Shoes & the Bennett Thrasher Foundation for allowing 90 of our Kilom...

Did you know? This year our cafeteria is 100% Halal and also 100% free for all of our students — no application needed! 🎉

We are pleased to announce that ICS has been able to find the budget to offer 100% Halal meat this year. We are happy to try it out and hope it is something we can continue indefinitely, as we know this impacts many of our students!
ICS has also qualified as CEP, which means we will serve free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.
And of course, we will continue serving a fresh fruit or vegetable snack, often with produce from the garden, as a part of the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program!

A huge thanks to Ms. Bell for coordinating these efforts, keeping us fueled, healthy, and ready to learn! 🌶️🌽🥦

📢 We're Hiring a Special Education Paraprofessional! 📢

Know someone passionate about making a difference in the lives of students with diverse backgrounds? We're looking for a dedicated and compassionate individual to join our teaching team this month for the 2024-25 school year, so spread the word!

To apply:
🔗 1. Read the job description:https://content.icsgeorgia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/28190519/SPED-Paraprofessional-Job-Description.docx-1.pdf
✉️ 2. Send your resume and cover letter to [email protected].
✍ 3. Fill out the online application and note you're interested in the SPED Paraprofessional position! https://forms.gle/enS3bs4xdJHSXyo1A

Hi new ICS families! You're invited to come next Friday and meet your ICS leadership team and hear about what to expect this school year. Afterwards, enjoy some popsicles and playground time!

📅 Join us Friday, July 26
💬Meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria (for Kindergarten + New to ICS Families)
☀️Popsicles at 6:15 p.m. on the playground (for All ICS families!)

P.S. Do you have enrolled students but didn't get this message yet? Be sure you are on our new parent communication platform ParentSquare where you can hear about other ICS upcoming events! Message us to get an invite!

One thing's for sure, these 5th Graders are world changers and change makers! For the last project of their IB PYP career, students researched an issue within their community and how it relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They displayed their findings at an exhibition in formats ranging from stickers and art projects to petitions and live demonstrations.

We're so excited to see what our global citizens do next! 🌎 💪🏾️

Just some field day JOY for your feed! 👟 ⛅
There's no better warm-up for the race tomorrow than a day of outdoor fun. For those of you who will be Dashing with Dawn, we'll see you bright and early! Otherwise, have a wonderful weekend!

runsignup.com/ICS5K

We're always proud of our of the month! Each month at Community Gathering, we honor a scholar from each class for their leadership traits with a special lanyard and pin. Here are some students from April who exhibited the IB trait of being a "risk-taker!"

📣 Last call for the Swag Store, and we're having a sale! 📣
Starting next year, we're moving into an in-house order form system to get your ICS gear, so this weekend is your last chance to order your spirit gear before the store closes for the summer! Through May 7, enjoy 20% off our t-shirts, water bottles, stickers, and did you see we added athletic tanks?

🛒 Shop online at bit.ly/ICSSwag

Mark your calendars and set your early alarms: Coach Dawn wants YOU to come run with her at Dash at Dawn next Saturday! 🌅
Can't run/walk but want to be a part of the day? Sign up to volunteer! You'll still get a cool shirt and get to cheer on your friends.

Runner registration: runsignup.com/ICS5K
Volunteer registration: bit.ly/ICS5KVolunteer

Today, we celebrate more than just a principal; we honor a beacon of inspiration, dedication, and leadership! We know it's a huge undertaking to guide our 475 elementary students on their path to becoming global citizens and also to mentor 50+ teachers and school staff to reach their full potential as educators. 🍎

Wishing you a day full of celebration and kid hugs (and free of fire drills)! Happy School Principal Day to our incredible Principal Diamond Jefferies! 🌍 💎

Who doesn't love a good field trip? From the High Museum to the Aquarium, here are some of our scholars' favorite places they've explored around the city this semester! 🚌👩‍🏫🌈

You're invited to our 2024 IB Exhibition: Global Inquirers and Change Makers! Our 5th Graders have been hard at work addressing a challenge in our community through an IB lens. These presentations are always so inspiring, so come check out their creativity and research in action, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 9!

It's Milestones season! This week Ms. Flores shares how ICS reframes our state-mandated standardized testing to our families. 📝
icsgeorgia.org/overcoming-testing-anxiety

"Just like the beauty of spring can also bring allergy symptoms to some, testing may be intended to to see student growth and achievement but can also bring symptoms of anxiety and stress to many...However, we also know that this test is not the ultimate demonstration of a student's learning, achievement and growth. It is one data point amongst many that allow us to see a student’s learning journey. Students are more than this one test!"

Good luck to our Georgia educators and students these next weeks! Do you have any tips on how you handle stress and anxiety around exams? Leave them in the comments!

Congratulations to the ICS Science Olympiad Team! After performing brilliantly at the Dekalb Regional Elementary School Science Olympiad, they are advancing to the state competition! Wish them the best of luck as they compete at Kennesaw State University on May 4! 🧑‍🔬 🔬 🧫 🧬

We 💚 the Decatur YMCA!! Thank you so much for your help mulching, painting, and planting this past weekend. Our gardens are looking great, just in time for our Earth Day Garden Party! Hope to see you at ICS, this Friday at 5:00p 🌎 ✨
And if you want to participate in more Earth Day fun, the YMCA will host a FREE Healthy Kids Event on Saturday from 11:00-2:00 p.m.
Decatur Family YMCA
@

Have any spare or broken cords laying around? Help EcoAvengers make a difference in recycling these materials safely, and help our school win a prize for the most collected! Our cord drive will run until April 18. Then our students will sort, clean and send to Live Thrive - Center for Hard to Recycle Materials!

We caught the eclipse from ICS! Thanks to everyone for coming out and turning an "independent learning day" into a fun community learning opportunity!
🌑 🌒 🌔 🌕 🌖 🌘 🌑

We hope to see you soon! Come down to the Soccer Field and enjoy the Solar Eclipse with the Beloved Community! Just bring your blanket, and we've got free solar glasses (while supplies last)! Sun Chips and Moon Pies will also be available for purchase!

Please note that parents MUST attend with their children.

Spread the word—as our school grows, we're seeking to expand our stellar SPED team at ICS! 🏆

Special Educational Paraprofessionals equip students to meet instructional, educational, behavioral, and social-emotional needs based on individualized education plans.

Find out more information at icsgeorgia.org/careers

Congratulations to our Science Olympiads! We had six events win medals at this past weekend against other local elementary schools. Students competed in all sorts of science-based challenges like building a car out of pasta, launching a bottle rocket, catapulting a tennis ball, and answering astronomy questions!

We're so proud of our future physicists, astronomers, researchers, and engineers 📡 🔭 🧪 🔬 🧫 🧬