ICS Newsletter 4.17.14

ICS Newsletter 4.17.14

UPCOMING EVENTS

4/17 - 1/2 Day of School, Holy Thursday; Living Stations of the Cross (5th Grade), 8:30 and 9:30 in St. Michael Hall; Sacred Steps Running Club, 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.

4/18 - 4/25 - No School, Easter Break

4/30 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m.; National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony to follow Mass

5/2 - First Friday Morning Assembly, 8:30 a.m., St. Michael Hall; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day; ICS Hall of Honors Induction Ceremony, 7:00 p.m., St. Michael Hall

5/4 - First Communion Sunday

5/7 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m.; ICS First Communion Celebration to follow Mass

5/8 - Family Supper / Irish Cup Activity

5/14 - Household Meetings; School Mass, 8:30 a.m.

5/16 - Irish Cup Championship (formerly known as Field Day)

5/17 - ICS Dads Club Golf Outing

5/21 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m.

5/23 - 1/2 Day of School

5/26 - No School, Memorial Day

5/28 - Graduation Mass, 8:30 a.m.; 8th Grade Luncheon

5/31 - ICS Class of 2014 Graduation, 10:00 a.m.

6/6 - 1/2 day of school; School Mass, 8:30 a.m.; last day of school


PRAYER INTENTIONS

We continue to pray for the following people: 

-Sophia Castro 

-Mario Mora
-Lourdes Fernandez
-Mireida Abad

-Nilda Houellemont

-The Baker Family

Did you know that fasting, something that all adult Catholics should do tomorrow on Good Friday, is a great form of prayer? Offer up your fast tomorrow for one of the people mentioned above or for a personal intention not listed. For more information, please visit: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/lent/catholic-information-on-lenten-fast-and-abstinence.cfm

Also, please pray for our ICS students who will be received into our Church during the Easter Vigil, receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. May God bless and keep them! 

Have a prayer intention? Send it to icsmzele@icstampa.org                        

CELEBRATING SUCCESSES

Congratulations to the following students, recognized last week at our Friday Morning Assembly! AMAZING work, Irish!

-3rd Quarter Honor Roll Recipients:

-St. Sebastian Student-Athlete of the Month (March): 
Kenley Bruce (Gr. 7) and Alex Vazquez-Kersey (Gr. 8)

Cross-Fit Leadership Award: 
Ashlyn Straughn (Gr. 5)

Red Ticket Drawing Winners: 
Isabella Edbrooke (Gr. 6) and Katrina Otis (Gr. 4)

Incarnation Inspiration Awards:
McKinley Gorman (Gr. 2)
Oscar de los Rios (K)
Alex Mazza (Gr. 4)
Kayla Kramer (Gr. 4)
Emilie Vendrone (Gr. 4)
Alaina Garcia (Gr. 4)
Robbie Hipkins (Gr. 4)
Sophia Torres (Gr. 4)
Vivian Dinh (Gr. 8)
Adam Reciniello (Gr. 7)
George Morgan (Gr. 8)
Carson Phillip (Gr. 7)
Mary Sexton (Gr. 8)
Emily Hull (Gr. 8)

Do you know of a current ICS student or ICS graduate who has found success in the areas of academics, athletics, leadership, service or ministry that should be featured in our Newsletter? If so, please send notification to: icsmzele@icstampa.org        

HOME

Have a great quote about our school's theme, HOME? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org              

HALL OF HONORS

Friday May 2 will mark our second ICS Hall of Honors Induction Ceremony. Coach Jeff Pafunda and Mr. and Mrs. James and Sylvia Fernandez will be inducted as members of the Class of 2014. The event will take place in St. Michael Hall at 7:00 p.m. Any ICS parent still in need of volunteer hours for this school or looking to get a jump on hours for the 2014 - 15 school year should contact Main Office: 813.884.4502. Thank you in advance for your help!


IRISH CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

Our Inaugural Irish Cup Championship is set for Friday May 16, 2014. This all day event will supplant and enhance what used to be field day. ICS Priories will compete in various events testing their academic and athletic prowess and their problem solving and teamwork skills! 

Volunteers for this AMAZING event are needed! If you are willing / able to help (for commitment hours for 2013 - 14 or next year), please contact the Main Office. 

As a way to commemorate this monumental competition and capitalize on the excitement that our Household Initiative has generated, we would like to provide students with t-shirts corresponding to their Priory color. Anyone willing to help offset the cost of this possible Priory present through a donation should contact either Mr. Woodward or Mr. Zelenka. Along these same lines and in the absence of donations, we would look to ask families for $5 per shirt. If you have any thoughts, comments or questions about this potential expense, please let us know. 

More details about the Irish Cup Championship will be on the way! GO IRISH! May the best Priory win!


YEARBOOKS

You can purchase yearbooks online: https://ybpay.lifetouch.com The Incarnation Catholic School code for purchasing online is: 1687914. Cost is $35.00. 

You can also order through the Main Office. Checks should be made payable to Incarnation Catholic School.


MISSION DRIVEN

ICS is extremely proud of its mission to inspire life-long learners, challenge each individual to be a disciple of Christ, and strive to live our Catholic faith through service to each other and the community.

Did you know that ICS has embarked on many initiatives this year to become more closely aligned to the type of school it aims to be? 

-LIFE-LONG LEARNERS
ICS was the only school in the Diocese to take part in the Hour of Code: http://csedweek.org. 

ICS teachers have almost completed four years of training, study and implementation of using Understanding by Design as a way to plan, instruct and assess students: http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf. This method, which aligns with the Common Core State Standards, was adopted by the Diocese in 2012, giving ICS a two year head start over other area Catholic schools. Teachers have continued to enhance, refine and perfect their work with this research based planning, teaching and assessment method. 

ICS Administration has embarked upon improvements to its management of teachers, developing an innovative and research proven approach to forming teachers. Built upon the premise that formative assessment (frequent and short checks with feedback geared at improvement) is more effective at promoting growth than summative (longer, less frequent tests with summative feedback), this observation system models multiple sound educational approaches to teachers: http://www.slideshare.net/rhondacarrier/assessment-14069815?qid=8705697c-2779-4fed-8345-f05db7aa7ed3&v=qf1&b=&from_search=31.

-DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
Our ICS Household initiative has afforded our school opportunities to eat, pray and play together, a recipe for successful families. It has increased the number of student leadership positions within the school. Every middle school student has an opportunity to demonstrate responsibility and leadership every time that our Houses meet. Furthermore, ICS Households have given both teachers and students a broader perspective and appreciation for the various grade levels within our school community. 

A greater emphasis has been placed upon the faith lives of students. During Advent, ICS students not only participated in grade level retreats, but also spiritual exercises in Households. Lent has afforded ICS students and teachers chances to take "steps" with Christ along the path of the Crucifixion. Today the entire school will engage in faith-based activities: the Living Stations of the Cross, a presentation by students from the Academy of the Holy Names about their trip to the Dominican Republic with shoes collected by ICS (Run for Love Shoe Drive), and a reflection / prayer service about the Last Supper. 

-SERVANTS TO EACH OTHER AND THE COMMUNITY
In addition to the many traditional service projects here at ICS (Pasta for Pennies, Messiah Migrant Ministries Food Drive, St. Francis Pet Food Drive), ICS Middle School students have traveled to Metropolitan Ministries to as part of service-learning activities. Most recently, 6th grade traveled there to perform service. 

Upon their return, one sixth grader had this to say, 

"The people we served had so little, and we have so much. But, we complain more." 

What an AMAZING insight!

Hopefully you can see and have taken note of the school's commitment to continuously improve and to remain ever committed to Christ, the Reason for our AMAZING school. 


HOLY WEEK, TRIDUUM AND EASTER

The entire ICS community is invited to a parish-wide reenactment of Jesus's Passion tomorrow evening (4/18) in the ICS Pavilion at 5:00 p.m. For the first time since this Incarnation tradition began, it will be celebrated tri-lingually (English, Spanish and Filipino dialect). Rehearsals have taken place since January. All of our parish priests will be present. This is a wonderful opportunity of evangelization. 

The Veneration of the Cross will take place at 3:00 p.m. Spanish Veneration of the Cross will take place at 7:00 p.m. 

Please consult the Parish website: icctampa.org for more details about services, liturgies and opportunities for your faith development during the Triduum and Easter. Please consider taking advantage of this holy season as a way for your family to grow closer to Jesus. 

On behalf of the faculty and staff, and Fr. Michael and the priests, we wish you a very happy and blessed Easter! May the joy and hope of the Resurrection fill your hearts and homes! 

Sunday's coming...

In keeping with our tradition, we at Incarnation Catholic School:

Inspire life-long learning,

Challenge each individual to be a disciple of Christ, and

Strive to live our Catholic faith through service to each other and the community.

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5111 Webb Rd. * Tampa, FL 33615 * Tel: 813.884.4502 * Fax: 813.885.3734 * www.icstampa.org