Incarnation Catholic School (Tampa, FL)

Thursday, October 15, 2015

ICS Newsletter: Thursday October 15, 2015

Upcoming Events

October

15 - No School, Diocese of St. Petersburg In-Service Day for Teachers

16 - No School
21 - School Mass with Households
23 - End of Quarter 1; ICS Movie Night
28 - School Mass; ICS - Culver's Spirit Night
29 - 1/2 Day of School (Conferences)
30 - 1/2 Day of School; Halloween Storybook (PreK - Grade 5) and Crazy Hair (Grades 6 - 8) Day

November

4 - School Mass

5 - Family Supper with ICS Households

6 - First Friday Morning Assembly; Irish Incarnation Day (Any ICS shirt, Jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

7 - ICS Auction

11 - School Mass with ICS Households

18 - School Mass

19 - Kindergarten – 8^th Grade Thanksgiving Celebration; Classroom level Thanksgiving celebrations

during lunch / recess

20 - Irish Cup Activity, p.m. activity schedule

21 - ICS Family Fun Run

23 – 27 - NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break
30 - ICS - Chick-fil-A Spirit Night and Christmas Concert (at Chick-fil-A)

December

2 - School Mass with ICS Households

4 - First Friday Morning Assembly; Irish Incarnation Day (Any ICS shirt, Jeans or PE shorts, sneakers)

8 - School Mass, Immaculate Conception

10 - Family Supper with ICS Households
14 - ICS - Culver's Spirit Night

16 - School Mass

17 - Advent / Christmas Program

18 - ½ Day; ICS Winter Wonderland; NO AFTERCARE AVAILABLE

21 – 31 NO SCHOOL – Christmas Break

For a comprehensive look at all of the many activities we have planned for this school year, please visit our ICS Calendar Page.

Prayers

We offer a prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the HOPE and gift of new life! Mrs. Gonzalez and her husband are pregnant with their first child! We pray for a healthy baby, mom (and dad)! Send Mrs. Gonzalez a note of congratulations here: gonzalezl@icstampa.org. May God continue to bless you, Mrs. and Mr. Gonzalez, and we can't wait to meet your new baby! Congratulations on this AMAZING news!

We continue to pray for Mr. Woodward, ICS School Counselor, and his family as they struggle with the loss of Mr. Woodward's maternal grandfather. We send Mr. Woodward and his family our love, thoughts and prayers.

We also continue to hold the Lockhart family (Amanda, ICS Class of 2015) in our hearts as they grieve the loss of Amanda's grandfather. May God provide the Lockhart family love and compassion during this time of sadness.

We maintain our prayers for the Stavish family (Tristan and Ashton, Grades 4 and 2) as they deal with the loss of their great aunt (Mrs. Stavish's aunt). We ask for the Lord to usher peace, healing and strength during this difficult time.

We hold fast in lifting the Delgado family up in prayer (Natalie, Grade 5) as they mourn the loss of Natalia's paternal grandfather. May God surround the Delgado family with love and strength.

We continue to pray for safety and shelter for all people and property throughout the remainder of the 2015 Hurricane Season.

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

Hope Will Rise

Today's Hope Will Rise quote is a tweet from the Contemporary Christian Music band, Rend Collective. Consider that the words, images and media content around us tells us stories - are they stories of HOPE and life or of darkness and sin? Dance in the darkness, sing in the shadows and find joy!

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for joy...and believe that HOPE WILL RISE.

ICS Irish Athletics
ICS Girls' basketball will continue to practice next week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We wish our Lady Irish Varsity and Junior Varsity Basketball teams the best of luck in their upcoming basketball seasons. Go Irish!

ICS Boys' track will have a meeting and first practice on Wednesday October 21.

ICS Billiards Club for any 5th - 8th grade student is at Pinchasers on Tuesday October 20.

Please contact Coach Garofolo if you have any questions about anything related to ICS Irish Athletics: garofolov@icstampa.org.

Conferences
Family - Teacher Conferences is slated for Thursday October 29. There are two sessions: 1:00 - 4:30 and 5:30 - 7:00. Forms to request a meeting with a teacher were sent home this week. If you did not receive a form and would like to schedule a conference, please contact that teacher directly or call the Front Office: 813.884.4502.

Due to our new academic program in Grades 1 - 5, families of students in those grades may not be able to schedule a conference for Conference Day. Teachers will do all that they can to accommodate all families who desire a conference. Based on the fact that some of our teachers teach multiple grades and others have over 30 students in Religion, Science and Social Studies classes, a conference may need to be scheduled on a day other than October 29. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

Thank you for your partnership in educating our children!

ICS Halloween Celebration - Storybook Characters and Crazy Hair

Students should adhere to the following guidelines for our Halloween Celebration on Friday October 30.

*Storybook Character Costumes:
-Pre - K to Grade 5

-Any easily identifiable character from literature: Cinderella, Aladdin, Harry Potter, Fancy Nancy, Clifford, etc. No blood, weapons, etc. The purpose of our dress is to promote school spirit, promote a love of reading and have fun. It is not to scare or sicken. Thank you for maintaining this rationale for this celebration.

*Any student not participating in Storybook Character Costume Day should wear their regulation school uniform.

*Crazy Hair Day:
-Grades 6 - 8

-Horrible hair -- different size ponytails, braids, curls, spikes, messy, wigs, rubber bands, colors, etc. ALL HAIRDOS MUST BE DONE AT HOME.

-Students in grades 6 - 8 are permitted to wear Spirit Shirts, jeans and sneakers. School uniform is the alternative.

More details about the events of our Halloween Celebration on 10/30 will be coming soon. Please remember that it is a 1/2 day of school.

If you have any questions, please contact the Front Office: 813.884.4502.

ICS Home and School Trunk or Treat
As part of our Halloween Storybook Celebration on October 30, ICS will sponsor Trunk or Treat for our students. Please see below for more information. A hard copy of the form will be sent on Monday October 19.

Under the Stars Movie Night

Next Friday, October 23 is Under the Stars Movie Night. Cost is $10 per family and concessions will be sold. The ICS Pavilion will open at 6:30 with the movie, Monsters University, starting at 7:00 p.m. Please contact the school office if you have any questions or need more information. We hope to see you there!

ICS Auction
Invitations for ICS Auction 2015: "An Evening of Southern Elegance" were sent in the mail last week and should have been delivered by the United States Postal Service at some point earlier this week. Please be sure to RSVP early! We hope you will be able to attend this evening of fun, food, fellowship and fundraising!

Our ICS Auction Sponsorship list continues to grow! Thank you to our (long) list of sponsors!

Platinum: Oliva Tobacco Company

Gold: BAST Floors and Staircases

Silver: The Al-Ali Family
Silver: Moore Dental Care

Bronze: Law Office of Hernando Bernal, Jr., P.A.

Bronze: The Grandparents of Molly Caballero
Bronze: Whitco Insurance Agency

Bronze: Westchase Pizza & Pasta Company

Bronze: Rehabquest Therapy Services, Physical Therapy

Bronze: Hernandez Family

Bronze: Tampa Community Hospital

Bronze: Wood, Smith Henning & Berman, LLP

Bronze: Meadow Wood Property Company
Bronze: Future Home Realty - Karin Rueda

Bronze: The Wood Team

Friends of ICS: Vigo Importing Company
Friends of ICS: The Graves Family
Friends of ICS: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School
Friends of ICS: The Morello Family

Supplies Sponsor: Pepin Distributing Company

Vendor: Carraba's Italian Grill

We have also secured Carraba's as our caterer for the event!

Please click here to visit our ICS Auction page for forms and more details about becoming a sponsor / making a donation. Send an email to: auction@icstampa.org with questions or to see how you can help with planning this event!

Set-up: Remember that only ICS Auction Committee members will be a part of set-up on Saturday November 7 (the day of the event). Volunteer opportunities for Auction set-up for non-committee members are available on both Thursday and Friday, November 5 and 6.

Clean-up: Please consider signing up to help clean-up on Sunday November 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sign-up: Contact auction@icstampa.org if you would like to volunteer for clean-up (November 8) or set-up on November 5 or November 6.

Please pray for the success of this important ICS event! Thank you to the many volunteers who have already logged many hours preparing for an outstanding night!

Congratulations
At our most recent First Friday Morning Assembly on October 2, the following students were honored, awarded and recognized:

Red Ticket Winners:
8th Grader, Alex Belsha
4th Grader, Julia Artz
1st Grader, Jaclyn Sabella

Scholastic Book Winners:
Kindergartener, Khloe Vargas-Marin
1st Graders, Evan Matthews; Fernanda Borges-Hernandez; Ramil Muraharisetti
4th Graders, Analyssa Betts, Ana Hernandez, Christopher Newcom, Ashton Tran
6th Grader, Nadia Falcone
7th Grader, Lizzie Newcom
8th Grader, John Coulman

Congratulations! Go Irish!

10/22/15 Lunch Clarification
The October Lunch Menu inadvertently listed this upcoming Thursday October 22 as a Family Supper day. We do not have a Household Family Supper scheduled for this upcoming Thursday. The menu, though, will remain the same (Pizza, Hotdog, etc.). Our next Family Supper event is slated for Thursday November 5. Thank you for your patience.

Sacramental Prep Reminder
Families preparing for their son/daughter/children to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are reminded of the first Reconciliation Workshop this Saturday October 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in St. Michael Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Philomena Johnson in the Parish Office: 813.885.7861 or pjohnson@icctampa.org.

We pray for all students who will receive these Sacraments throughout the course of this year! We are so excited for these children to encounter Jesus in these ways! Congratulations, good luck and God bless you!

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

Inspire disciples of Christ,

Challenge each individual to be a life-long learner, and

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

Thursday, October 8, 2015

ICS Newsletter: Thursday October 8, 2015

Upcoming Events

October

8 – 19 - St. Francis Pet Food Drive

8 - Picture Retake Day
9 - Normal dress (ICS Spirit Shirts will not be ready by Friday; this special spirit day will be postponed for a later date, which is still to be determined)
12 - Creative Writing Club, 3:15 - 4:00 p.m.
14 - School Mass; Kindergarten – 8^th Grade Angel Ceremony
15 - No School, Diocese of St. Petersburg In-Service Day for Teachers

For a comprehensive look at all of the many activities we have planned for this school year, please visit our ICS Calendar Page.

Prayers

We pray for the Mr. Woodward, ICS School Counselor, and his family as they struggle with the loss of Mr. Woodward's maternal grandfather. We send Mr. Woodward and his family our love, thoughts and prayers.

We hold the Lockhart family (Amanda, ICS Class of 2015) in our hearts as they grieve the loss of Amanda's grandfather. May God provide the Lockhart family love and compassion during this time of sadness.

We pray for the Stavish family (Tristan and Ashton, Grades 4 and 2) as they deal with the loss of their great aunt (Mrs. Stavish's aunt). We ask for the Lord to usher peace, healing and strength during this difficult time.

We pray for the grandmother of Dominick Maggio (Grade 4), Concetta Chavis, and the Maggio family as Mrs. Chavis is in the hospital. May God grant Mrs. Chavis full health and comfort the Maggio family as they offer their support to Dominick's grandmother.

We lift the Delgado family up in prayer (Natalie, Grade 5) as they mourn the loss of Natalia's paternal grandfather. May God surround the Delgado family with love and strength.

We continue to pray for Gustavo Chaviel, ICS graduate of the Class of 2015, and his family as they mourn the loss of Gustavo's step-father, Mario Mora. May God surround Gustavo and his family during this difficult time.

We lift up in prayer all families. May God strengthen the bonds of love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness in this foundational unit of society.

We continue to pray for safety and shelter for all people and property throughout the remainder of the 2015 Hurricane Season.

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

Hope Will Rise

Today's HOPE WILL RISE quote once again comes from Pope Francis. May we, through our care for creation, allow hope to rise within our hearts, homes, school and world!

May our love and tenderness open up a horizon of HOPE. May it break through heavy clouds and may bring the warmth of HOPE. May HOPE RISE because of us!

ICS Irish Athletics
See below for our Irish Athletics calendar:

Irish JV Soccer:
*Thursday October 8 vs. Trinity at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.

Up next for the girls is basketball. Practices are already underway. Contact Coach Garofolo with questions: garofolov@icstampa.org.

The boys will be beginning track and field soon. Stay tuned right here for more information, or call the School Office: 813.884.4502.

Thank you for your support of Irish Athletics! Go Irish!

Social Media / Digital Communications
Recently, CNN aired an investigative special called, "#Being13: The Secret Lives of Teens". The program offered an inside look at the dangers facing our young people today as they navigate the unchartered waters of growing up in the digital age. While the program did contain explicit language and delved into content not suitable for children, it may provide an awakening as to the types of communication used by many teens in today's world. An article about the program can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/health/being-13-teens-social-media-study/. You can also find links to the clips from actual program through this site as well.

Another source that can assist parents and families in helping their children in the digital age can be found here: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Children-And-Media-Tips-For-Parents.aspx

Overall, the most important component to helping our children through these types of communication is parent / family involvement. Limit cell phone / device usage. Check internet search histories, text messages and pictures. Talk to your children about what is happening between and among the people with whom they communicate. Follow / Like them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Consider modeling appropriate device usage yourself (don't use it in the car, at dinner, etc.).

A parent / family training session is in the works to help us keep our children safe in the digital world. Stay tuned.

ICS Auction
New sponsorships keep rolling in! Thank you to our latest sponsors (logos for these will be posted next week):

Platinum - Oliva Tobacco Company (ICS Family)
Silver - Moore Dental Care (ICS Family)
Bronze - Meadow Wood Property Company; Law Office of Hernando Bernal Jr., Esq. P.A.
Friends of ICS - Morello Family (friend of the Moore family); Graves Family (Grandparents of Chandler Moore)

Thanks to our existing ICS Auction sponsors listed below! If you would still like to be become a sponsor, contact us at auction@icstampa.org.

Gold - Bast Floors (ICS Family)

Bronze - Attorney Jason Klein from The Law firm of Wood, Smith, Henning, and Berman, LLP (ICS Family); Westchase Pizza and Pasta (ICS family, 4th Grade); Tampa Community Hospital; Future Home Realty- Karina Rueda (ICS family, 8th Grade); Hernandez Family - ICS 4th Grade

Beverage Sponsor - Pepin

Friends of ICS - Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School; Vigo

We have also secured Carraba's as our caterer for the event!

Please click here to visit our ICS Auction page for forms and more details Send an email to: auction@icstampa.org with questions or to see how you can help with planning this event!

Please note this important set-up change: Only ICS Auction Committee members will be a part of set-up on Saturday November 7 (the day of the event). Volunteer opportunities for Auction set-up for non-committee members are available on both Thursday and Friday, November 5 and 6.

Clean-up: Please consider signing up to help clean-up on Sunday November 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Contact auction@icstampa.org if you would like to volunteer for clean-up (November 8) or set-up on November 5 or November 6.

ICS Spirit Shirt Day - Hope Will Rise
As mentioned above, we will not have our new ICS Spirit Shirts in time for a special dress day for tomorrow, Friday October 9. We will postpone this celebration for those who ordered a new Spirit Shirt for a later date.

Students should be in normal dress - formal ICS uniform or ICS PE uniform - for Friday October 9.

ICS Halloween Celebration - Storybook Characters and Crazy Hair

Students should adhere to the following guidelines for our Halloween Celebration on Friday October 30.

*Storybook Character Costumes:-Pre - K to Grade 5

-Any easily identifiable character from literature: Cinderella, Aladdin, Harry Potter, Fancy Nancy, Clifford, etc. No blood, weapons, etc. The purpose of our dress is to promote school spirit, promote a love of reading and have fun. It is not to scare or sicken. Thank you for maintaining this rationale for this celebration.

*Any student not participating in Storybook Character Costume Day should wear their regulation school uniform.

*Crazy Hair Day-Grades 6 - 8

-Horrible hair -- different size ponytails, braids, curls, spikes, messy, wigs, rubber bands, colors, etc. ALL HAIRDOS MUST BE DONE AT HOME.

-Students in grades 6 - 8 are permitted to wear Spirit Shirts, jeans and sneakers. School uniform is the alternative.

More details about the events of our Halloween Celebration on 10/30 will be coming soon. Please remember that it is a 1/2 day of school.

If you have any questions, please contact the Front Office: 813.884.4502.

Donations NeededThe school is in need of the following donations. Please contact the Front Office if you are able to help.

Office Supplies: paper cups, snack bags for ice, band-aids and paper towels

Art Supplies: yarn, clean egg containers

Thank you in advance for your consideration. Based on the nature of your donation, you could qualify for a commitment hour. Contact the Office for more details: 813.884.4502.

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

Inspire disciples of Christ,

Challenge each individual to be a life-long learner, and

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

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

ICS Newsletter: Thursday October 1, 2015

Upcoming Events

October

1 – 19 - St. Francis Pet Food Drive; BJ's form due; ICS Student Council Meeting

2 - First Friday Morning Assembly; Irish Incarnation Day (Any ICS shirt, Jeans or PE shorts, sneakers); ICS - Culver's Spirit Lunch; order forms for the 15 - 16 ICS Spirit Shirt are due
3 - Sabor Latino

7 - School Prayer Service (all diocesan priests are at Convocation) in St. Michael Hall; ICSSC Installations
8 - Picture Retake Day
9 - ICS Spirit Shirt Day - students purchasing a new spirit shirt may wear it on Friday 10/9!
14 - School Mass; Kindergarten – 8^th Grade Angel Ceremony
15 - No School

For a comprehensive look at all of the many activities we have planned for this school year, please visit our ICS Calendar Page.

Prayers

We pray for Gustavo Chaviel, ICS graduate of the Class of 2015, and his family as they mourn the loss of Gustavo's step-father, Mario Mora. May God surround Gustavo and his family during this difficult time.

We pray in thanksgiving for the ministry of Pope Francis I! May God continue to bless our Holy Father and may he continue to shepherd the faithful and the world!

We pray for families everywhere and of every shape and size. May families take intentional time to eat, pray and play together and may God strengthen their bonds of love and loyalty.

We continue to pray for the Ramos family (Melissa and Sophie) as they mourn the loss of their uncle. May God's strength and love surround the family and help walk with them through this trial.

We continue to pray for safety and shelter for all people and property throughout the remainder of the 2015 Hurricane Season.

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

Hope Will Rise

Today's Hope Will Rise quote comes to us from Pope Francis during his World Meeting of Families homily. May ICS families and the ICS family be places which teach children to be excited by every gesture aimed at overcoming evil! May we be families that show that the Spirit is alive and at work!

May ICS and your families be places where Hope Will Rise!

ICS Irish Athletics
Congratulations to the ICS Varsity Volleyball team on their playoff win! What a great way to end the season! Great work, girls! GO IRISH!

ICS Varsity Soccer enters playoff action next week. Stay tuned for dates and times.

See below for our Irish Athletics calendar.

Irish Varsity Soccer:
*Week of October 5, League Tournament (games TBA)

Irish JV Soccer:
*Friday October 2 vs. Trinity at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.
*Thursday October 8 vs. Trinity at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m. (subject to change due to Varsity playoffs)

For more information, please call the School Office: 813.884.4502.

Sports' General Information
For away games, student-athletes for all sports will be picked up in the front of the school (Church parking lot) and will be dismissed from the gate closest to the flag pole. For safety reasons, parents will not be allowed into the facility; instead student-athletes will be released to parents through the gate by the flag pole.

Thank you for your support of Irish Athletics! Go Irish!

ICS Home and School Association

A list of potential volunteer opportunities was sent in last week's Thursday envelope. Please contact the Front Office if you would like to get involved in any of these events. Be sure to plan out your 20 hours of commitment back to ICS so that you don't end up scrambling for hours at the end of the year. Please visit this link: http://incarnationcatholicschool.blogspot.com/p/ics-home-and-school-association.html for more details.

Remember the following regarding Family Commitment to your Incarnation Catholic School:

Fundraising Requirements:

*Families must raise a total of $150 between our two biggest school fundraisers – Auction and the Payday Sweepstakes Drawing

*This can be done in any combination –

-$75 to Auction, 8 tickets ($80) to the Drawing;

-$150 to the Auction;

-$150 to the Drawing

Volunteer Requirements:

*Families must complete at least 20 hours of service throughout the course of the year.

*8 hours must be completed in conjunction with the Auction and/or Carnival, with at least 4 of those hours being at the Carnival.

*Families will be billed at $25.00 per hour for any hours not fulfilled.

Your commitment to Incarnation Catholic School through your time and talent is essential in order for our school to continue to grow and advance. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of how you will commit to help ICS this year.

BJ's Fundraiser

The deadline to apply for a BJ's Membership and help support ICS (as ICS will get a portion of the proceeds) is today! Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity! If you have any questions, please contact the Front Office.

ICS Auction

More and more sponsorships are coming in for this year's Auction! Thanks to our new sponsors listed below (all bronze level):

1. Westchase Pizza and Pasta (ICS family, 4th Grade)
2. Tampa Community Hospital
3. Future Home Realty- Karina Rueda (ICS family, 8th Grade)
4. Hernandez Family - ICS 4th Grade (Families can sponsor, too - you don't need to own or be associated with a business!)

Thanks to our sponsors who pledged early, too!

Gold - Bast Floors (ICS Family)

Bronze - Attorney Jason Klein from The Law firm of Wood, Smith, Henning, and Berman, LLP (ICS Family)

Beverage Sponsor - Pepin

Food Sponsor - Carraba's

Friends of ICS - Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School; Vigo

Please click here to visit our ICS Auction page for forms and more details Send an email to: auction@icstampa.org with questions or to see how you can help with planning this event!

As part of our enhancements to this year's event, set-up will be more streamlined than in year's passed. In this way, only ICS Auction Committee members will be a part of set-up on Saturday November 7 (the day of the event). This is a change from the volunteer form sent last week. Volunteer opportunities for Auction set-up for non-committee members are available on both Thursday and Friday, November 5 and 6.

ICS Newsletter in Spanish (ICS boletín en español)
Remember that the Spanish version of the ICS Newsletter can be accessed here: http://incarnationcatholicschool.blogspot.com/p/el-boletin-en-espanol.html

Just bookmark that link and check it every Friday for updates. A link to the Spanish version will also be sent in the Thursday email blast announcing the publication of the ICS Newsletter. So that we can properly translate this information, the Spanish version will be posted by Friday.

Sacred Steps Running Club
Students in Grades 2 - 8 are eligible to participate in our Sacred Steps Running Club. This group combines both physical and spiritual training. In addition to running, students review a piece of scripture and pray together. The SSRC will meet on Wednesday's this year, with our first workout beginning on Wednesday October 7. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hall: hallk@icstampa.org. A flyer was sent in last week's packet. Contact the Front Office if you need a new one as this form is required for your child's participation.

ICS - Culver's Spirit Lunch
Remember tomorrow is our first Spirit Lunch with our neighbor, Culver's. Orders were due on Tuesday. Any student who did not submit an order should be sure to pack lunch for tomorrow.

The ICS kitchen will be open with miscellaneous items that day, along with our typical snacks and drinks. A full lunch, though, will not be served by the ICS kitchen.

ICS Spirit Shirts - Hope Will Rise
Tomorrow is the deadline to submit your order for our new ICS Spirit Shirt - the first piece of memorabilia with the new ICS logo!

Cost is $10.00 per shirt. Claim a part of history and show off the new ICS logo with pride! If you've lost your form, just send in the right amount of money based on the number of shirts you want to order and let us know the sizes! Or contact the Office for another form.

An opportunity to wear the new ICS Spirit Shirt will be scheduled once we have received them (and is tentatively scheduled for Friday October 9).

Sabor Latino
This Saturday October 3, Incarnation Catholic Church will sponsor its annual Sabor Latino! Come out to St. Michael Hall on Saturday for food, fellowship and fun! See the flyer below for more details:

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Incarnation Catholic School, Tampa

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

Inspire disciples of Christ,

Challenge each individual to be a life-long learner, and

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

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

ICS Newsletter: Thursday September 24, 2015

Upcoming Events

September
24 - Family Supper with ICS Households *see below for more details
25 - ½ Day of School
28 - ICS Chick-fil-A Spirit Night - 5:00 - 8:00 p.m., W. Waters Ave. location - tell your cashier you want to support ICS!
29 - Culver's Spirit form due to office (ICS - Culver's Spirit Lunch on 10/2)
30 - School Mass

October

1 – 19 - St. Francis Pet Food Drive

2 - First Friday Morning Assembly; Irish Incarnation Day (Any ICS shirt, Jeans or PE shorts, sneakers); Culver's Spirit Lunch *see below for more details; order forms for the 15 - 16 ICS Spirit Shirt are due

7 - School Mass; ICSSC Installations
8 - Picture Retake Day
9 - ICS Spirit Shirt Day - students purchasing a new spirit shirt may wear it on Friday 10/9!
14 - School Mass; Kindergarten – 8^th Grade Angel Ceremony
15 - No School

For a comprehensive look at all of the many activities we have planned for this school year, please visit our ICS Calendar Page.

Prayers

We pray for the Ramos family (Melissa and Sophie) as they mourn the loss of their uncle. May God's strength and love surround the family and help walk with them through this trial.

We continue to lift up the Elkins family (Emma and Allison) as they mourn the loss of Mrs. Elkins's grandmother. We pray that God provide peace and solace during this difficult time.

We pray for safety and shelter for all people and property throughout the remainder of the 2015 Hurricane Season.

ICS prays for Pope Francis I as he wraps up this trip to North America. May his visit inspire our country to reinvigorate its moral foundations and strengthen its families.

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

Hope Will Rise

Today's Hope Will Rise quote comes from the Constitution of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (the order that founded the University of Notre Dame). The full version can be found here: https://www.holycrossusa.org/spirituality/constitutions/
Contextually, the quote can be found here:

Whether it be unfair treatment, fatigue or frustration at work, a lapse of health, tasks beyond talents, seasons of loneliness, bleakness in prayer, the aloofness of friends; or whether it be the sadness of our having inflicted any of this on others … there will be dying to do on our way to the Father...

We must be people with hope to bring. There is no failure the Lord’s love cannot reverse, no humiliation He cannot exchange for blessing, no anger He cannot dissolve, no routine He cannot transfigure. All is swallowed up in victory. He has nothing but gifts to offer. It remains only for us to find how even the cross can be borne as a gift.

May we be people with hope to bring and may Hope Rise at ICS this year and always!

ICS Irish Athletics
***ICS Irish Athletic Updates!
The ICS Varsity Volleyball team will play in the first round of the HCYSL (Hillsborough Catholic Youth Sports League) Tournament this Monday September 28 at 4:00 p.m. at ICS. Come out on Monday after school to support your Irish Volleyball team! Good luck and go Irish!

The Varsity Soccer team will have practice on Monday September 28. This is a change from the original schedule, so Varsity Soccer team members are asked to take note of this change and be ready for practice on Monday.

See below for our Irish Athletics calendar.

Both our Soccer and Volleyball teams have each earned victories thus far this season. Keep up the great work, Irish! Thanks to our coaches for their work in developing our student-athletes!

Irish Varsity Soccer:
*Thursday September 24 vs. Corpus Christi at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.
*Tuesday September 29 vs. Villa Madonna at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.
*Wednesday September 30 vs. Mother Teresa of Calcutta at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.
*Week of October 5, League Tournament (games TBA)

Irish JV Soccer:
*Thursday September 24 vs. Academy at the Lakes at Academy at the Lakes (A), 4:00 p.m.
*Friday October 2 vs. Trinity at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m.
*Thursday October 8 vs. Trinity at ICS (H), 4:00 p.m. (subject to change due to Varsity playoffs)

Irish Varsity Volleyball (JV games are played immediately after the conclusion of the Varsity):
*Week of September 28 - League Tournament, games TBA

Golf

The ICS Athletics Department is sponsoring a student Golf event this Saturday 9/26/15 from 9:00-10:30 am at the Eagles Golf Club (address below). The cost is $15.00 per student and will be collected at the golf course. If the students do not have golf equipment, they will provide equipment for them. Students in grades 1 - 8 are eligible.

The Eagles Golf Club

16101 Nine Eagles Dr.

Odessa, 33556

For more information, please call the School Office: 813.884.4502.

Sports' General InformationFor away games, student-athletes for all sports will be picked up in the front of the school (Church parking lot) and will be dismissed from the gate closest to the flag pole. For safety reasons, parents will not be allowed into the facility; instead student-athletes will be released to parents through the gate by the flag pole.

Thank you for your support of Irish Athletics! Go Irish!

ICS Home and School Association

A list of potential volunteer opportunities is included in today's packet. Please contact the Front Office if you would like to get involved in any of these events. Be sure to plan out your 20 hours of commitment back to ICS so that you don't end up scrambling for hours at the end of the year. Please visit this link: http://incarnationcatholicschool.blogspot.com/p/ics-home-and-school-association.html for more details.

Please remember the following regarding Family Commitment to your Incarnation Catholic School:

Fundraising Requirements:

*Families must raise a total of $150 between our two biggest school fundraisers – Auction and the Payday Sweepstakes Drawing

*This can be done in any combination –

-$75 to Auction, 8 tickets ($80) to the Drawing;

-$150 to the Auction;

-$150 to the Drawing

Volunteer Requirements:

*Families must complete at least 20 hours of service throughout the course of the year.

*8 hours must be completed in conjunction with the Auction and/or Carnival, with at least 4 of those hours being at the Carnival.

*Families will be billed at $25.00 per hour for any hours not fulfilled.

The deadline to apply for a BJ's Membership and help support ICS (as ICS will get a portion of the proceeds) is next Thursday October 1. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity! If you have any questions, please contact the Front Office.

ICS Spaghetti Dinner
Many thanks to Mrs. Gonzalez, Ms. Whitaker, and Mrs. Fernandez for their leadership with our ICS Spaghetti Dinner. These three ICS culinary artists were the minds and hands behind the marvelous meatballs, scrumptious sauce and the execution of the event! Thank you!

Thanks as well to our many teacher servers and parent volunteers. Additionally, we thank the many families who attended! We hope you left feeling full from both food and spirit!

Finally, thanks to Vigo for its donation of pasta for the event and for Publix for making a donation to help offset the costs!

ICS Fall Book Fair
We thank Mrs. Lorena Al-Ali for her hard work and dedication with the ICS Fall Book Fair. With the absence of a Media Specialist at this time, Mrs. Al-Ali worked closely with our very own Mrs. Gonzalez to coordinate the event! Thank you, Mrs. Al-Ali and your team of helpers! Reading is the gateway to knowledge. Thanks for giving our students access to books to help them grow academically!

ICS Auction

The ICS Auction Committee is hard at work preparing for this year's annual event. We are excited to recognize the following sponsors who have already stepped forward to support the students, teachers and families of ICS:

Gold - Bast Floors (ICS Family)

Bronze - Attorney Jason Klein from The Law firm of Wood, Smith, Henning, and Berman, LLP (ICS Family)

Beverage Sponsor - Pepin

Food Sponsor - Carraba's

Friends of ICS - Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School; Vigo

Please see the flyer in today's Thursday envelope for details on how you and/or your company can become a sponsor / donor / advertiser for this event!

Please click here to visit our ICS Auction page for forms and more details Send an email to: auction@icstampa.org with questions or to see how you can help with planning this event!

ICS Newsletter in Spanish (ICS boletín en español)
Remember that the Spanish version of the ICS Newsletter can be accessed here: http://incarnationcatholicschool.blogspot.com/p/el-boletin-en-espanol.html

Just bookmark that link and check it every Friday for updates. A link to the Spanish version will also be sent in the Thursday email blast announcing the publication of the ICS Newsletter. So that we can properly translate this information, the Spanish version will be posted by Friday.

Thursday Envelopes
Thursday is a big day regarding communications between Incarnation Catholic School and its families. Not only is Thursday the day of the week that the ICS Newsletter is disseminated, it is also the day that the school sends hard copy flyers in its "Thursday Envelope". Please be sure to check with your youngest child (or only child if you only have 1!) on Thursday for these important forms and flyers!

Please be sure to send the envelope back so that we can continue to use them to communicate on Thursdays!

Pictures
If you placed an order, one of the many things you will find in today's Thursday Envelope is a packet with your child(ren)'s school pictures. Picture Retake Day is October 8. If you have any questions about school pictures, please contact the Front Office: 813.884.4502.

Sacred Steps Running Club
Students in Grades 2 - 8 are eligible to participate in our Sacred Steps Running Club. This group combines both physical and spiritual training. In addition to running, students review a piece of scripture and pray together. See the flyer in this week's Thursday Envelope for the form and more details. The SSRC will meet on Wednesday's this year, with our first workout beginning on Wednesday October 7. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hall: hallk@icstampa.org.

Background Screening and Safe Environment Program Training
In order to access students during the school day and/or volunteer to work with them in other settings (sports, field trips, etc.) you must complete a Level II Background Screening through the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

For details about getting screened and/or to set up an appointment, please visit this link: http://dosp.org/safe-environment/fingerprint-based-background-screening/

In addition to having a Level II Background Screening through the Diocese, volunteers who wish to supervise children (chaperone, volunteer aide, coach, etc.) must also complete the Diocesan Safe Environment Program. This training must be done in person to begin with and then it can be renewed once online. The initial training is good for 5 years.

If you need to check the validity of your Safe Environment Program training, please contact the Front Office: 813.884.4502.

Safe Environment Program Information: http://dosp.org/safe-environment/training-programs/sep-program-for-access-to-children/

Sign-up for initial training: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=dosp&cid%5B%5D=84231&PHPSESSID=6b3e1bdc60d1bbbe187f083b43d7ea1f

Re-certify: http://www.shieldthevulnerable.org

Thank you for your efforts to keep our children safe and to maintain a secure campus!

ICS - Culver's Spirit Lunch
Remember that our first Spirit Lunch with our neighbor, Culver's, is on Friday October 2! The cost of the lunch is $6.00 and a portion of each lunch purchased comes back to ICS!

Order forms are due back to the school by September 29 - no exceptions - as we have to get Culver's our order by then. The ICS kitchen will be open with miscellaneous items that day, along with our typical snacks and drinks; but, the main meal on the 2nd of October will be Culver's!

Any student who will not be participating in the ICS - Culver's Spirit Lunch should plan to pack their lunch that day.

ICS Spirit Shirts - Hope Will Rise
Included in last week's packet was an order form for our 2015 - 16 ICS Spirit Shirts. This is the FIRST EVER shirt with our new school logo on it and it also has our 2015 - 16 theme: Hope Will Rise!

Cost is $10.00 per shirt. Claim a part of history and show off the new ICS logo with pride! If you've lost your form, just send in the right amount of money based on the number of shirts you want to order and let us know the sizes! Or contact the Office for another form.

Order forms are due next Friday October 2. An opportunity to wear the new ICS Spirit Shirt will be scheduled once we have received them (and is tentatively scheduled for Friday October 9).

ICS Social Media
Are you on Facebook or Twitter? If so, Like or Follow us accordingly. ICS uses Facebook and Twitter as ways to engage current families, alumni and the broader community about the life of ICS students, updates about our school, events and other information pertaining to the Catholic education at ICS.

Follow us on Twitter:

Follow @ICS_Tampa

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Incarnation Catholic School, Tampa

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

Inspire disciples of Christ,

Challenge each individual to be a life-long learner, and

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