ICS Newsletter: January 22, 2015

Upcoming Events

1/22 - ICS Family Supper

1/23 - Friday Morning Assembly in SMH - Kick off to Catholic Schools Week 2015, 8:30 a.m.; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day (any ICS shirt, jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

1/26 - 1/30 - Catholic Schools Week 2015 - Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service (*see below for more details for CSW 2015)

1/26 - Teachers vs. Students Games, p.m. activity schedule; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day (any ICS shirt, jeans or PE shorts, sneakers); Chick-fil-A Spirit Night, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m., W. Waters Ave.
1/27 - ICS Spelling Bee, a.m. activity schedule

1/28 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC
1/29 - 100th Day of School; 100 Riddles 

1/30 - Irish Cup Activity

2/4 - School Mass with ICS Households, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Class Pictures

2/5 - NO SCHOOL, DOSP In-Service for all teachers (*please note that this is a Thursday and that we do have school on Friday)

2/6 - First Friday Morning Assembly, a.m. activity schedule; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day (any ICS shirt, jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

2/6 - 2/13 - ICS Spring Book Fair
2/10 - Club pictures

2/11 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Grade 6 Focus 11 Retreat at St. Lawrence

2/12 - 1/2 day of school; Irish Cup Activity; Conferences 1:00 - 4:30 and 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

2/13 - 1/2 day of school; Grandparents' Day

2/14 - Incarnation Catholic Church Valentine's Day Dinner-Dance

2/16 - NO SCHOOL, Presidents' Day

2/18 - Ash Wednesday, School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/19 - ICS Speech Contest, a.m. activity schedule

2/21 - ICS Scrapbooking Day

2/24 - Individual Spring Picture Day

2/25 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/26 - ICS Family Supper

2/27 - 1/2 day of school, Mid-Point of Quarter 3

3/2 - 3/6 - Iowa Assessment, Grades 2 - 8


Prayers

We pray for a greater respect for human life from conception until its natural end. We pray in a special way today, the Catholic Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, for the unborn. May God protect them and may He help our world show more support to the most vulnerable in our society. 

We pray in thanksgiving for the gift of Catholic education at Incarnation Catholic School. We remember and lift up all of the teachers, administrators, staff, students, families, and priests past and present that have helped and are helping to make ICS the AMAZING school it is. 

We pray for our ICS 8th graders, the Class of 2015, as they enter their last semester here at ICS! May they recognize the blessing that they are to our school, and may they continue to share their gifts and talents with their ICS family for the next semester and beyond! 

We pray for Isaac Rosa's (Gr. 4) grandfather, Pablo Avilez, who is in critical condition due to a heart illness. May Mr. Avilez and the Rosa family feel God's healing hand, love and strength during this difficult time. 

Have a prayer request? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org. Prayers will run for two weeks unless otherwise specified.


Thank You
Thank you to Fr. Michael, Fr. Philip and Fr. Jairo for their pastoral leadership of our Parish and School and for all of the support our ICC priests lend to ICS! We are incredibly blessed to have a group of priests so dedicated to Catholic education! May God continue to bless you, Incarnation priests, in your respective ministries!

Congratulations
Congratulations to the following students, winners of various contests sponsored by ICC Knights of Columbus over the past month:


-Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest: Kayla Kramer and Lizzie Newcom 


-Social Justice Essay Contest: Kara Artz, Julianna Marquinez, Avery Altamirano and Kaela Sanchez

-Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest: Kemuel Henderson, Kayla Kramer, Avery Altamirano, Maddie Maroney, Michael Contreras, Keyarra Henderson, Jarred Arnold, Valerie Lamarre, Steven Sargeant and Gladys Alvarado

ICS Athletics

ICS Boys' Basketball teams, JV and Varsity, continue to play well during the first part of their respective seasons! Good luck in their games this afternoon at Villa Madonna - GO IRISH!

Good luck to our ICS Girls' Flag Football team as they begin league competition next week with three games: Tuesday 1/27 at Nativity; Wednesday 1/28 at Incarnation (vs. St. Peter Claver); and Thursday 1/28 at ICS (vs. Corpus Chrisit). GO IRISH! 

For more information about the Irish Athletics Program, especially for a list of the upcoming schedule, please visit Coach Garofolo's Coach's Corner website.

ICS Family Challenge

May God bless all parents and families with the strength, wisdom, patience and grace to be the guides our children need. Help us to pray together, play together and eat together!


Run for Love Shoe Drive
Our joint service project with the Academy of Holy Names - Run for Love Shoe Drive - is still 'running'! From now until February 13, ICS will be collecting closed-toe shoes. All types, styles and wear of shoes (used is fine) are accepted. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Main Office. Run for Love - bring in shoe donations today!


Box Tops for Education
The deadline for the next period of turning in Box Tops is February 26. Thank you for helping ICS earn free money to use on the purchase of supplies. 

Help Needed
We still need help with collecting funds after Masses this weekend (1/24 and 1/25) for the upgrading of teacher and student computers.  Volunteers are needed for all masses (4:30 p.m. on 1/24; 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on 1/25). If you are able to help after any of the masses (for a commitment hour), please contact the Front Office (813.884.4502).

Similarly, we are hoping to have school representation at the upcoming Church fundraiser, the St. Valentine's Day Dance. If you are interested in attending yourself or sponsoring a table for faculty and staff to attend, please contact Mr. Zelenka (icsmzele@icstampa.org). 

Other upcoming opportunities to serve include: Scrapbooking Day, Grandparents' Day, Carnival, Payday Sweepstakes Raffle. Consult your ICS Newsletter for updates!


Catholic Schools Week 2015 - Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service
In celebration of all that makes ICS who we are, we plan to participate in the following activities next week. If you have any questions, please contact the school office:

Day	Schedule Type	Dress	Activity
Monday	PM Activity Schedule	ICS Spirit Attire	Clean Your Room/Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader
Tuesday	AM Activity Schedule	Black/Yellow w/ Jeans	Spelling Bee
Wednesday	Mass Schedule	Formal School Uniform	Mass
Thursday	HH Schedule	Green Day w/Jeans	HH – 100 Riddles
Friday	PM Activity Schedule	Priory Colors/Athletic Bottoms	Foxes & Hounds

Monday

·      ICS Spirit Day

·      PM Activity

o   Clean Your Room

§  Pre-K – 2^nd

o   Are you Smarter Than a 5^th Grader?

§  3^rd – 8^th Graders vs. 8 Teachers

Tuesday

·      Black and Yellow Top, Jeans, Sneakers

·      Spelling Bee

Wednesday

·      Formal School Uniform

·      Mass

·      Adoration After Mass (and throughout the week    as classes in the chapel)

Thursday

·      Green Top, Jeans, Sneakers,

       Household Activity

o   100 Questions

Friday

·      Priory Colors (H = blue, O = yellow, M = green, E = white), Athletic Bottoms, Sneakers

·      PM Activity

o   Fox & Hounds; Jump Rope competitions

Grandparents' Day 2015
ICS Grandparents' Day 2015 is slated for Friday February 13. Please see the flyer in today's packet for important RSVP information. Registering for this event is essential so that we can adequately plan for this great day of connecting with this important group of people. As a way to shower our love on our ICS Grandparents, we are planning to offer a catered breakfast. As such, a small fee of $5 per person (Grandparents and students) will be charged in order to make this possible. 

If you have any questions about Grandparents' Day 2015, please contact the Front Office. 


Friday Morning Assembly
Please consider coming to take part in our Friday Morning Assembly tomorrow (1/23) at 8:30 a.m. in St. Michael Hall. This time of prayer, celebration and inspiration is a great community event. We hope to see you there - all are welcome!

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!

IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, WE AT INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL:

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.

ICS Newsletter: January 15, 2015

Upcoming Events

1/16 - End of Quarter 2 / Semester 1

1/19 - NO SCHOOL, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/21 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

1/22 - ICS Family Supper

1/23 - Friday Morning Assembly in SMH - Kick off to Catholic Schools Week 2015!

Ms. Noto speaks to ICS students about her mission work in Africa.

1/26 - 1/30 - Catholic Schools Week 2015 - Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service

1/27 - ICS Spelling Bee, a.m. activity schedule

1/28 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

1/30 - Irish Cup Activity

2/4 - School Mass with ICS Households, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Class Pictures

2/5 - NO SCHOOL, DOSP In-Service for all teachers (*please note that this is a Thursday and that we do have school on Friday)

2/6 - First Friday Morning Assembly, a.m. activity schedule; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day (any ICS shirt, jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

2/6 - 2/13 - ICS Spring Book Fair
2/10 - Club pictures

2/11 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Grade 6 Focus 11 Retreat at St. Lawrence

2/12 - 1/2 day of school; Irish Cup Activity; Conferences 1:00 - 4:30 and 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

2/13 - 1/2 day of school; Grandparents' Day

2/14 - Incarnation Catholic Church Valentine's Day Dinner-Dance

2/16 - NO SCHOOL, Presidents' Day

2/18 - Ash Wednesday, School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/19 - ICS Speech Contest, a.m. activity schedule

2/21 - ICS Scrapbooking Day

2/24 - Individual Spring Picture Day

2/25 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/26 - ICS Family Supper

2/27 - 1/2 day of school, Mid-Point of Quarter 3

3/2 - 3/6 - Iowa Assessment, Grades 2 - 8


Prayers

We lift up our 2nd graders in prayer as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this Saturday. May they feel the transformative love, peace and grace bestowed upon recipients of this Sacrament of Healing.  

We pray for ICS Students, Ana Hernandez, Leah Hernandez-Benitez, Kamila Muraharisetti (3rd graders), who will be attending a retreat this weekend for Girl Scouts. The theme this year is "Make A Difference For Jesus". The retreat is sponsored by the Catholic Committee on Scouting for Girls, Diocese of St. Petersburg. May God bless the volunteers putting this together and all attendees this weekend. 

We continue to pray for ICS 1st Grade and PreK students, Liam and Kian Diaz, and their younger brother, Levin, as they were baptized last weekend! May God continue to bless you!

We pray for the Baker family. 

Have a prayer request? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org. Prayers will run for two weeks unless otherwise specified.


Thank You
Thank you to Coach Garofolo for all of his efforts with the ICS Fall Sports' Banquet this past Friday. Special thanks as well to Mrs. Owens for her help with coordinating the night. Please see below for a list of all of the students who received special honors during for their efforts throughout the first half of our Irish Athletics year. 

Congrats!
Congratulations to our National Geographic Geography Bee contestants (listed below), and to our school champion, Isabella Edbrooke (Grade 7)!

4th: Olivia Cimorelli and John Trinh

5th: Alejandro Osorio and Mateo Vera

6A: Sam Persach

6B: Max Al-Ali

7A: Carlos Rueda

7B: Isabella Edbrooke

8A: Marc Martin-Romero

8B: Steven Sergeant

ICS Athletics

Congratulations to the ICS Boys' Basketball teams. Varsity is 2-0 to start the season! JV is also doing well! GO Irish!

ICS Girls' Flag Football recently started practicing and looks forward to another successful season.

As was mentioned above, congratulations to the following student-athletes who took home Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player and Coach's Award honors this past Friday:

*2014-15 ICS Most Valuable Players

J.V. Soccer- Nick Do

Varsity Soccer- Tyler Field

J.V. Girls Volleyball- Maddie Maroney
Varsity Girls Volleyball- Maureen Tanner

J.V. Girls Basketball- Ashlyn Straughn 
Varsity Girls Basketball- Maureen Tanner

Boys Track & Field- Gentry Burks

Boys Cross Country- Alex Mazza

Tennis- Max Al-Ali

*2014-15 ICS Irish Coaches Award

J.V. Soccer- Ryan Stewart
Varsity Soccer- Zac Cayon

J.V. Girls Volleyball- Kaela Sanchez
Varsity Girls Volleyball- Jennifer Lopez

J.V. Girls Basketball- Kayla Kramer
Varsity Girls Basketball- Lia Morrissey

Boys Track & Field- Adam Reciniello

Boys Cross Country- Jackson Coulman 

Bowling- Maria Paula Owens, Malio Mayo

Billiards- Sam Persach, Maureen Tanner

Golf- Maureen Tanner, Jarred Arnold 

Tennis- Maddie Maroney

Boys Volleyball- Carson Phillipp

*2014-15 ICS Most Improved Players

J.V. Soccer- John Coulman
Varsity Soccer- Marc Martin-Romero

J.V. Girls Volleyball- Jessica Anastasia
Varsity Girls Volleyball- Natalie Robles 

J.V. Girls Basketball- Sophia Torres
Varsity Girls Basketball- Keyarra Henderson

Boys Track & Field- Carter Campbell

Boys Cross Country- Ethan Ostrander

Tennis- Amanda Lockhart 

For more information about the Irish Athletics Program, especially for a list of the upcoming schedule, please visit Coach Garofolo's Coach's Corner website.

ICS Family Challenge

It is through an unbroken chain of witnesses that we come to see the face of Jesus. But how is this possible? . . . Persons always live in relationship. We come from others, we belong to others, and our lives are enlarged by our encounter with others. Even our own knowledge and self-awareness are relational; they are linked to others who have gone before us.

-Pope Francis I

We thank God for the gift of family! Be sure to let your family members know how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for the gift of faith! 

Early Childhood Playground, Phase 2
Thank you to the many donors for Phase 2 of our Early Childhood Playground project. Rubberized mulch has been ordered and will be delivered and installed by the end of next week! Thank you to all who helped make this a reality!


Run for Love Shoe Drive
In conjunction with the Academy of Holy Names and a mission trip AHN seniors take to the Dominican Republic, ICS will be collecting closed-toe shoes. All types, styles and wear of shoes (used is fine) are accepted. The drive will "run" from January 12 - February 13 as the Academy students travel on their mission trip in March. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Main Office. Run for Love - bring in shoe donations today!


Box Tops for Education
The deadline for the next period of turning in Box Tops is February 26. 


Altar Server Training

Altar Sever Training  will take place this coming  Wednesday, January 21st at 3:30 p.m. All interested and as well as current altar server will meet Mr. Woodward at the picnic tables outside of the middle school wing at 3:30 p.m. 

Altar Server training will take place in the Church and will last until 5:00 p.m. Pick up at 5:00 p.m. will take place outside of St. Michael Hall. It is important for both new and returning Altar Servers to attend practice since many small details regarding the way we serve Mass have changed. Coach Garofolo has given all athletic participants permission to attend Altar Serving training for approximately 30 minutes, prior to attending their scheduled practices. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Woodward. 

Family Supper

Our next ICS Family Supper event with Households will be next Thursday January 22. So that we can adequately prepare for lunch on that day, please be sure to return your order form next Tuesday January 20. Please make a note so that you're sure not to forget because we don't have school on Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. See the form in today's packet for details. 

Help Needed
As we move into the 2nd semester, please take advantage of the many opportunities to complete your service and fundraising commitment obligations. 

Specifically, Fr. Michael would like for ICS to host a collection of funds next weekend (January 24 and 25) for the replacement of teacher and student computers. Volunteers are needed for all masses that weekend (4:30 p.m. on 1/24; 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on 1/25). If you are able to help after any of the masses (for a commitment hour), please contact the Front Office (813.884.4502).

Similarly, we are hoping to have school representation at the upcoming Church fundraiser, the St. Valentine's Day Dance. If you are interested in attending yourself or sponsoring a table for faculty and staff to attend, please contact Mr. Zelenka (icsmzele@icstampa.org). 

Other upcoming opportunities to serve include: Scrapbooking Day, Grandparents' Day, Carnival, Payday Sweepstakes Raffle. Consult your ICS Newsletter for updates!

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!

IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, WE AT INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL:

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.

ICS Newsletter: January 8, 2015

Upcoming Events

1/9 - Geography Bee, 8:30 a.m., St. Michael Hall; ICS Fall Sports' Awards Ceremony, 7:00 p.m., St. Michael Hall
1/14 - School Mass with ICS Households, 8:30 a.m., ICC
1/16 - End of Quarter 2 / Semester 1

1/19 - NO SCHOOL, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/21 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

1/22 - ICS Family Supper

1/23 - Friday Morning Assembly in SMH - Kick off to Catholic Schools Week 2015!

1/26 - 1/30 - Catholic Schools Week 2015 - Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service

1/27 - ICS Spelling Bee, a.m. activity schedule

1/28 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

1/30 - Irish Cup Activity

2/4 - School Mass with ICS Households, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Class Pictures

2/5 - NO SCHOOL, DOSP In-Service for all teachers (*please note that this is a Thursday and that we do have school on Friday)

2/6 - First Friday Morning Assembly, a.m. activity schedule; Irish Incarnation Spirit Day (any ICS shirt, jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

2/6 - 2/13 - ICS Spring Book Fair

2/11 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC; Grade 6 Focus 11 Retreat at St. Lawrence

2/12 - 1/2 day of school; Irish Cup Activity; Conferences 1:00 - 4:30 and 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

2/13 - 1/2 day of school; Grandparents' Day

2/14 - Incarnation Catholic Church Valentine's Day Dinner-Dance

2/16 - NO SCHOOL, Presidents' Day

2/18 - Ash Wednesday, School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/19 - ICS Speech Contest, a.m. activity schedule

2/21 - ICS Scrapbooking Day

2/24 - Individual Spring Picture Day

2/25 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC

2/26 - ICS Family Supper

2/27 - 1/2 day of school, Mid-Point of Quarter 3

3/2 - 3/6 - Iowa Assessment, Grades 2 - 8

Prayers
We pray for ICS 1st Grade and PreK students, Liam and Kian Diaz, as they prepare for their Holy Baptism to take place this weekend, along with their younger brother Levin. May the Holy Spirit be with Liam, Kian and Levin as we welcome them into the Church! Congratulations!

We pray for the family of Andres Krubek, Paula Ruiz and Valeria and Sebastian Ramos as they mourn the loss of their great-grandmother, Mrs. Alicia Jimenez de Jimeno. May God grant the family His love, peace, and strength.

We continue to pray for the healing of Mr. Saul Torres, Sr., the grandfather of Sebastian, Sarah and Sophia Torres.

We pray for peace and an end to all violence.

Have a prayer request? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org. Prayers will run for two weeks unless otherwise specified.


Thank You
Thank you to Ms. Maniscalco for her efforts with our ICS Advent Program, Lessons and Carols, and to all of the faculty, staff, students and parents who made the entire evening such a huge success!

Thank you as well to all members of the school community who contributed to Fr. Michael's request for help in funding Phase Two of our Early Childhood Playground. See below for more information about contributing to this worthy cause.  

We thank Mrs. Gonzalez, the Primary teachers and members of the ICS National Junior Honor Society for their work in coordinating our Winter Wonderland festivities for our PreK to Grade 2 students. 

ICS Athletics

ICS Boys' Basketball is in full swing and begins competition soon.

ICS Girls' Flag Football recently started practicing and looks forward to another successful season.

This Friday January 9 at 7:00 p.m. in St. Michael Hall we will host our Fall Athletic Awards' Ceremony. Please contact Coach Garofolo with any questions or for more information: garofolov@icstampa.org.

For more information about the Irish Athletics Program, especially for a list of the upcoming schedule, please visit Coach Garofolo's Coach's Corner website.

ICS Family Challenge

The very word “Church”, from the Greek ekklesia, means “convocation”: God convokes us, He impels us to come out of our individualism, from our tendency to close ourselves into ourselves, and He calls us to belong to His family. 

-Pope Francis I

Take advantage of the gift of the new year to focus on your family. Go to Church together. Pray together. Eat together. Play together. 

Early Childhood Playground, Phase 2
As was announced at our Advent Program, ICS is in the process of continuing to enhance our playground for our PreK and K students. Additional rubberized mulch is needed and we have plans to install a "sound wall" to help spark even more creative play. 

If you are interested in making a donation to this important cause, please send a check (made payable to Incarnation Catholic School) or money into the Main Office in an envelope marked, "Playground". Donations are needed by the end of next week (January 16) so that we can install the mulch as soon as possible. Again, we thank you for your prayerful consideration. If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact the Main Office. 


Run for Love Shoe Drive
In conjunction with the Academy of Holy Names and a mission trip AHN seniors take to the Dominican Republic, ICS will be collecting closed-toe shoes. All types, styles and wear of shoes (used is fine) are accepted. The drive will "run" from January 12 - February 13 as the Academy students travel on their mission trip in March. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Main Office. See the flyer in today's packet for more details. 


Box Tops for Education
Please see the flyer in today's packet for more details about the next submission of Box Tops for Education. Sending in Box Tops found on many grocery and household items affords ICS money to go toward supporting the needs of the school. The deadline for the next period of turning in Box Tops is February 26. 



Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!

IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, WE AT INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL:

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.

ICS Newsletter 12.18.14

Upcoming Events

12/18 - Family Supper; ICS Advent Program, 7:00 p.m., St. Michael Hall
12/19 - 1/2 Day of School; Skating Party / Winter Wonderland; NO AFTERCARE AVAILABLE
12/22/14 - 1/2/15 - Christmas Break
1/5 - Classes resume
1/7 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC
1/9 - Geography Bee, 8:30 a.m., St. Michael Hall
1/14 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC
1/16 - End of Quarter 2 / Semester 1

Prayers
We pray for Andres Krubek, Paula Ruiz and Valeria and Sebastian Ramos as they mourn the loss of their great-grandmother from Puerto Rico, Mrs. Alicia Jimenez de Jimeno. May God surround their family with His loving arms to offer His peace, comfort and love. 

We continue to pray for the healing of Mr. Saul Torres, Sr., the grandfather of Sebastian, Sarah and Sophia Torres. Mr. Torres, Sr. has been critically ill for the past two months. May God's healing hand be with Mr. Torres, Sr. and may God provide strength and peace to the Torres family. 

We pray for the success of this evening's Advent Program. May Jesus's Holy Name be glorified through our singing, our gathering and through our celebration!

Similarly, we pray for a successful Skating Party and Winter Wonderland tomorrow. May students be safe and joyfully engage with each other in celebration of our AMAZING school!

We pray for those who will benefit from our Metropolitan Ministries drive as well as all of those who will go without food, shelter and companionship, especially during the winter months and especially during the Holiday season.  

We pray for peace in our world, in our homes and in our hearts. 

We pray for our ICS community as we anticipate our school's feast day - Christmas! Emmanuel, God is with us! May we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus into our world, our hearts and again at the end of time through the mystery of the INCARNATION!

Have a prayer request? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org. Prayers will run for two weeks unless otherwise specified.


Thank You
Thank you to Ms. Maniscalco for her AMAZING efforts to prepare our students and school for tonight's Advent Program: Lessons and Carols. We look forward to celebrating the gift of our faith this evening through the gift of music! Great work, Ms. Maniscalco!

ICS Athletics

ICS Boys' Basketball is hard at work preparing for the start of their season when we return from Christmas break. We wish them the best of luck and keep them in our prayers as they begin their season in 2015. 

For more information about the Irish Athletics Program, especially for a list of the upcoming schedule, please visit Coach Garofolo's Coach's Corner website.

ICS Family Challenge

The “home” represents the most precious human treasures, that of encounter, that of relations among people, different in age, culture and history, but who live together and together help one another to grow. For this reason, the “home” is a crucial place in life, where life grows and can be fulfilled, because it is a place in which every person learns to receive love and to give love. 

-Pope Francis I

GO: Love.

ICS Advent Program
Our ICS Advent Program is tonight, Thursday December 18. Students should be at the school no later than 6:30 for a 7:00 p.m. start time. Dress code for 3 - 8 is solid white on top and black on the bottom (no leggings and nothing above the knee). PreK through 2nd should wear their "Christmas best!". Students should report to their Homerooms by 6:30. 

The program will take place in St. Michael Hall at 7:00 p.m. Seats are first come, first served. There is no cost for attendance. 

The ICS Advent Program will take the form of "Lessons and Carols"(for details, visit here: http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons.html). This scripture based prayer service set to music is set to be an AMAZING night of Christmas spirit! 

The entire event should take less than 60 minutes. After their performances, students will report back to their Homerooms. For security reasons, parents / families should go to their student's homeroom to pick them up after the conclusion of the Advent Program. Students will not be released to parents from the stage. 

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Maniscalco: maniscalcos@icstampa.org or contact the Main Office.  

Friday 12/19
Tomorrow we will host our Winter Wonderland (Grades PreK - 2) and Skating Party (Grades 3 - 8). Permission slips for either event are necessary in order for students to participate. 

The Winter Wonderland event for Grades PreK - 2 will be held at ICS from 8:30 - 11:30. Drop-off will BEGIN at 8:00 a.m. and pick-up will begin at 11:30 a.m. from the Pavilion. 

The Skating Party for Grades 3 - 8 takes place at Skate World (7512 Paula Dr., Tampa, FL 33615) from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Drop-off and pick-up occur at and from Skate World. Drop-off BEGINS at 8:45 and pick-up will last until 11:15 a.m. 

This counts as a day of of school for our students; attendance will be taken. However, the absence will not count toward any penalty (specifically 8th grade Perfect Attendance Awards). 

There is no Aftercare available on Friday December 19. 

If you have any questions about either event, please contact the Main Office!

Many thanks to all who helped in our drive to support Metropolitan Ministries!

Merry Christmas!
On behalf of Fr. Michael Suszynski and our ICS Faculty and Staff, we wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the joy of the Incarnation fill your hearts and homes this Christmas season.

On a personal note, I regret to inform you that I will not be in attendance this evening for our Advent Program: Lessons and Carols, as I have to attend to family matters in Cleveland, OH. I apologize for my absence and I will miss being a part of this school-wide event. Students have worked hard. Ms. Maniscalco and the teachers have organized an outstanding program. Again, I am sorry that I will not be able to attend. The entire ICS community will be in my thoughts and prayers tonight and always. I greatly appreciate your understanding.

Merry Christmas! See you in 2015!

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!

IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, WE AT INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL:

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.

ICS Newsletter 12.11.14

Upcoming Events

12/11 - Reconciliation Grades 3 - 8 
12/12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
12/16 - Family Supper order forms due; forms for Winter Wonderland / Skating Party due
12/17 - School Mass, 8:30 a.m., ICC
12/18 - Family Supper; ICS Advent Program, 7:00 p.m., St. Michael Hall
12/19 - 1/2 Day of School; Skating Party / Winter Wonderland; NO AFTERCARE AVAILABLE
12/22 - 1/2 - Christmas Break

Prayers
We continue to pray for Mrs. Hall and her family as they mourn the loss of her Aunt Rose. May God continue to surround Mrs. Hall and her family with His loving arms during this difficult time.

We pray the recovery of Raymond Campis, the father of ICS graduates Denise and Ashley, as Mr. Campis will be underwent open-heart surgery on December 8. 

We continue to lift up in prayer Mrs. Irene Martinez, the administrative assistant at Incarnation Catholic Church, as both her father and brother are suffering from illnesses at this time. We pray for quick recovery for both of these men and we pray for Mrs. Martinez and her entire family. 

We pray for the healing of Mr. Saul Torres, Sr., the grandfather of Sebastian, Sarah and Sophia Torres. Mr. Torres, Sr. has been critically ill for the past two months. May God's healing hand be with Mr. Torres, Sr. and may God provide strength and peace to the Torres family. 

We pray for those who go without food, shelter and companionship, especially during the winter months and especially during the Holiday season.  

We pray for peace in our world, in our homes and in our hearts. 

We pray for our ICS community as we anticipate our school's feast day - Christmas! Emmanuel, God is with us! May we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus into our world, our hearts and again at the end of time through the mystery of the INCARNATION!

Have a prayer request? Send it to: icsmzele@icstampa.org. Prayers will run for two weeks unless otherwise specified.


Thank You
Thank you to Mrs. Yvette Rosario for all of her hard work and dedication for last weekend's Santa's Breakfast! Thank you to the many families and students who both attended and worked the event. Almost $2000 was raised for the school while at the same time spreading Christmas cheer! GO IRISH!

ICS Athletics

The Varsity Girls' Basketball team concluded their regular season with a winning record! The Lady Irish won the final three games of their regular season schedule to end the year with more wins than losses! Great work, Irish! 

ICS Boys' Basketball is hard at work preparing for the start of their season when we return from Christmas break. We wish them the best of luck and keep them in our prayers as they begin their season. 

For more information about the Irish Athletics Program, especially for a list of the upcoming schedule, please visit Coach Garofolo's Coach's Corner website.

ICS Family Challenge

"I don’t think we’ve fully embraced the radical, transformative power of families who are learning to live in the both-and, who are striving to love everybody first. Can you imagine a world in which an entire generation of children, when asked “Who mattered the most in your family?” could sincerely answer, “We all did.” Can you imagine a generation of kids growing into a generation of adults who, when asked, “And who matters the most in the world?” could answer, “We all do.'"

-Dr. Kelly Flanagan,  Ph.D.

Love your kids. Love your spouse. Love. 

GO: Love.


ICS Advent Program
Our ICS Advent Program is on Thursday December 18. Students should be at the school no later than 6:30  for a 7:00 p.m. start time. Dress code for 3 - 8 is solid white on top and black on the bottom (no leggings and nothing above the knee). Students should report to their Homerooms by 6:30. 

The program will take place in St. Michael Hall at 7:00 p.m. Seats are first come, first served. There is not cost for attendance. 

The ICS Advent Program will take the form of "Lessons and Carols"(for details, visit here: http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons.html). This scripture based musical program is set to be an AMAZING night of Christmas spirit! 

The entire event should take less than 60 minutes. After their performances, students will report back to their Homerooms. For security reasons, parents / families should go to their student's homeroom to pick them up after the conclusion of the Advent Program. Students will not be released to parents from the stage. 

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Maniscalco: maniscalcos@icstampa.org. 

First Friday Morning Assembly Awards

Congratulations to the following students recognized last week at our First Friday Morning Assembly:

-St. Sebastian Student - Athlete of the Month: Gentry Burks, Maureen Tanner

-Cross-Fit Leadership Award: Ximena Sanchez

-Incarnation Inspiration Awards: Lizzie Newcom, Kaela Sanchez, Maddie Maroney, Sebastian Torres, Shawna Balco, Shane Oliva, Jose Hernandez - Benitez, Vinnie Amato, Valentino Gomez, Jeremy Rosa, Elias Matos, Alex Gomez, Matthew Graterol

Congrats, Irish! Keep up the good work!

Advent
As we prepare for Christ's coming this Christmas into the world (the Incarnation), into our hearts (prepare Him room) and anticipate His coming again at the end of time, please join ICS in the following Advent activities:

1. #WasteNotWantNot: The school community has been challenged to ensure that food is not being wasted during ICS lunch periods. As we live in such abundance, a "throw it away" culture easily arises - I don't like this, I don't want any more of that - instead of being thankful for the blessings lavishly bestowed upon us. Encourage your students to not waste any food this Advent and prayerfully consider engaging in this challenge yourself. Share your stories of not wasting with #WasteNotWantNot or via our ICS Family Challenge (above). 

2. Metropolitan Ministries Drive: ICS has started our annual Advent/Christmas service project. This year we will be collecting new, unwrapped toys, canned food and new clothes for Metropolitan Ministries. Many of you have generously contributed to this worthwhile cause in the past. The people who will receive these much-needed gifts have SO LITTLE and they are very grateful! This year, there is an even bigger need than ever before. Please consider buying one extra gift next time you go shopping. You will be glad that you did! Thank you for your support and generosity. 

3. Pray: Advent is a great time to attend Mass with more fidelity (if you're not already a weekly attendee) or to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (especially if you haven't been in a while). Pray as a family - before meals, before bed, in the morning before leaving for school / work, or anytime. God will bless your efforts - have faith!

4. Stay tuned next week for a final Advent challenge that will be issued to students. Families, as always, are encouraged to participate as well! 


Next Friday 12/19
Please see the flyers in today's packet regarding next Friday's Winter Wonderland (Grades PreK - 2) and Skating Party (Grades 3 - 8). Permission slips for either event are necessary in order for students to participate. 

The Winter Wonderland event for Grades PreK - 2 will be held at ICS from 8:30 - 11:00. Drop-off will BEGIN at 8:15 a.m. and pick-up will last until 11:30 (starting at 11:00 a.m. from the Pavilion). 

The Skating Party for Grades 3 - 8 takes place at Skate World (7512 Paula Dr., Tampa, FL 33615) from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Drop-off and pick-up occur at and from Skate World. Drop-off BEGINS at 8:45 and pick-up will last until 11:15 a.m. 

This counts as a day of of school for our students; attendance will be taken. However, the absence will not count toward any penalty (specifically 8th grade Perfect Attendance Awards). 

There is no Aftercare available on Friday December 19. 

If you have any questions about either event, please contact the Main Office!

IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, WE AT INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL:

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.