ICNS Winter Celebration

It was wonderful seeing so many of the ICNS families celebrating the holidays last Friday. The pinata was the highlight for many of the children.

Here's a picture of ICNS big brother (and alum) Mariano breaking the pinata open while ICNS students and family members look on.


...And the subsequent rush to collect goodies from the pinata.


Happy Holidays!
Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Remembering ICNS Teachers

In case you're like me and would like to recognize the ICNS teachers with a card or small gift this holiday season, you might want a list of you child's teachers and assistants so that you don't forget anyone. Here it is.

• Sylvia (Everyday)
• Vera (Everyday)
• Sherry (Everyday)
• Janelle (Monday-Thursday)
• Michelle (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• Bailey (schedule varies)
• Rosalia (Tuesday, Thursday - beginning this week)

-Stephanie

ICNS Babysitting Fundraiser

Do you need a few hours to get holiday shopping done? Take in a movie? Dinner with your spouse or friends? Get some studying in?

Well, look no further...

On Saturday, DECEMBER 8th from 3:00pm-7:00pm Miss Caroline, Miss Janelle and Miss Baily will be tending the children at ICNS!

First Child: $20
Sibling: $10

We will provide activities, dinner, and a movie for the children...This is FOUR hours of babysitting and such a good cause!!!

***You will need to sign-up your child/children on the RSVP list next to the attendance binder this coming week! We only have about 10-15 spots available! Don't delay:)

Thank you for supporting our school!
Isa Sabey
ICNS Vice President

Relocation Update

Dear ICNS Families,

I know that many of you are eager to find out the status of our relocation efforts. I am happy to report that I just received a letter from Penny Rue, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, in response to a letter we sent to Chancellor Fox on November 13th. In her letter, Vice Chancellor Rue writes, “Please rest assured that the International Cooperative Nursery School will not be asked to vacate the space it occupies unless an appropriate alternative space is identified.” She goes on to affirm UCSD’s commitment to childcare on campus and hopes that discussions regarding our relocation take place early next year, if not sooner. In the meantime, our own relocation group continues to meet on the weekly basis.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Connie or me.

Best wishes,

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt
ICNS President

Winter Break

ICNS will be closed for winter break from Monday, December 24th through Friday, January 4th. We will reopen on Monday, January 7th.

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

School Pictures are in!

You can pick up your pictures at school and keep the packet for up to 7 days. You can choose to order any number of sheets from the packet or nothing at all. Before the end of
the seven days, please return those pictures you do not want to purchase, along with payment for those pictures you do want to purchase. These instructionsare also clearly listed on the school picture packet itself.

When I was first handing out the packets on Wednesday I had misread the time limit for which parents could keep the packets, and thus told some families that they could keep the packet for up to two weeks. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the instructions: please return the packet to school within 7 days. THANK YOU!

Susie Yount
ICNS Parent Coordinator

School Closed on Monday

REMINDER: ICNS IS CLOSED MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2007 IN OBSERVANCE OF VETERAN’S DAY.

We look forward to seeing our friends again on Tuesday and Wednesday.

October Newsletter

*We apologize for getting this month's newsletter out so late. The local wildfires and subsequent school closure threw us a little off schedule. A printed version of the newsletter will be in student folders by the end of the week.

Curriculum
The children are learning about Community Helpers (fire fighters, doctors, nurses, police officers etc) and Fall activities. They continue to practice friendship, sharing and using kind words (this may take all year)

During November the Pumpkin Patch will convert into a Vegetable and Fruit Market to compliment our study of foods, and nutrition. It will also lead into into our annual Thanksgiving Celebration of "Stone Soup."

Chancellor Fox Visits ICNS
Chancellor Fox visited ICNS for the first time on Monday, October 15^th. She toured our entire facility and observed the children playing in small groups. She showed great interest in the world map indicating where each of our families comes from – illustrating how international we really are. Prior to her visit, Chancellor Fox was briefed on the history, structure, and needs of ICNS and we hope that her visit helps to speed up our relocation. Our relocation group continues to meet on a weekly basis and will follow up on the Chancellor’s visit this week. We will continue to keep our parents informed as progress is made in this area. Again, we are confident that ICNS will find a wonderful location within the next few months.

Thank you to all of the families who helped with the special weekend cleanup in preparation of Chancellor Fox’s visit. The school looked beautiful.

ICNS Scholarship/Reduced Tuition Opportunity
ICNS is seeking a parent to assist Connie with administrative duties for ten hours per week in exchange for reduced tuition. Duties will include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Answering the telephone
• Checking, filtering, and responding to email messages
• Data entry
• Office Supply Management
  
• Filing
• Photocopying
• Light bookkeeping

The director and the board will interview interested parties. Please contact Connie Justice for more information.

Fall Festival
Due to the fires, we have postponed our Fall Festival until this Friday (November 2nd) from 4:30 to 7:30. The Fundraising and Social Committees have been working hard to provide all of our families with a fun-filled night to remember. We hope that you and your family will join in the fun.

Late Tuition Notice
Your child’s tuition is due on the first of each month and is considered late after the 5^th.

At our last meeting, the board voted to institute a late fee for late tuition. Beginning November 2007, tuition received between the 6^th and the 10^th of the month will result in a $5 late fee. Tuition received on or after the 11^th, will result in a $25 late fee. Checks should be made payable to ICNS and may be placed in the tuition envelope located outside the director’s office.

Parking
At the October Friends of the International Center board meeting, the board thanked ICNS’ families for remembering to use the 10-minute loading zone for pick-ups and drop-offs instead of parking in the International Center parking lot. Please remember that ICNS parking, other than cooping parents, teachers, and staff is prohibited in the International Center parking lot and double parking is never allowed. The Friends of the International Center stressed that this is most important on the first Thursday and the second Tuesday of each month when they hold monthly meetings.

Checking Files
lease remember to check your child’s file folder when you pick up each day.

ICNS Blog
Please visit the ICNS blog for the latest news and information about our school. Recent posts include pictures from the firefighters’ visit, information about the Fundraiser at Dream Dinners, and a post (with pictures) about our beautiful garden.

http://icnsblog.blogspot.com/

Important Upcoming Dates
November 2, 2007 Fall Festival at ICNS 4:30-7:30 bring your friends
November 12, 2007 Veteran's Day -School Closed
November 21, 2007 Stone Soup- School Wide celebration - more details to follow.
November 22, 2007 Thanksgiving Day- School Closed
November 23, 2007 Thanksgiving Holiday- School Closed

School will Reopen on Monday

We're happy to announce that school will reopen tomorrow morning (Monday, October 29th). We are looking forward to see everyone.

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Another offer of support

In case anyone needs a place to stay, we just received this message from Emma Johnson.

Hi,

Oscar and I are leaving town until Sunday. However, Andy, Oscar's dad,
will still be here and working at the La Jolla Playhouse. We do have an
extra bedroom if there are any ICNS families who need a place to stay.
The air quality here isn't great (we are right by the university) but
we do have a comfortable double bed, wireless internet, and plenty of
toys and books. If you need somewhere to stay, call Andy at (619)
991-0083

-Emma

School Closed for the Remainder of the Week

School will be closed for the remainder of the week. We hope to reopen on Monday, October 29^th. Please check your email and this blog for the latest updates.

We’d also like to know how everyone is doing. If you are able, please post a note in the comments to let us know how are you are, if you’ve been evacuated, what you might know about ICNS families that are unable to post, etc. We hope that everyone is doing well in spite of the craziness caused by these fires.

On a related note, I just received this message from Christina Augsburger (Julian’s mom)

I just wanted to see if any ICNS families needed help due to the fire. We live in North Park and the air quality is somewhat better than up by school, I imagine. I don't know if any of the families live in the evacuation areas, but you can post at the ICNS blog that if anyone needs anything, they can send me an email at:

csaugsburger@gmx.at

I could watch a few kids at my house if someone needs some help with childcare.

At the moment it looks like some people are going to camp out in our backyard, so I can't offer to take anyone else in, but I suppose anything helps!

Hope you are fine,

Chris

Fall Festival Postponed

Due to the fires, we've decided to postpone the ICNS Fall Festival by one week. The Fall Festival is tentatively rescheduled for Friday, November 2nd from 4:30 to 7:30. We hope that you will still be able to make this fun-filled event. We will keep you posted if we have to reschedule this event again.

Take care,

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

School Canceled for Tuesday

Due to the surrounding fires and poor air quality, we've decided to keep the school closed on Tuesday. We hope that everyone in our ICNS family is safe and doing well. Again please check your email or the ICNS blog for the latest information.

Thank you,

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

School Canceled Today

Dear ICNS families,

Due to air quality concerns, we have decided to cancel school today. We hope to reopen tomorrow. Please check your email and the ICNS blog for the latest update. We apologize if this causes an inconvenience to our families, but the health and safety of our students is our primary concern.

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt
ICNS Board President

October Garden News

Look outside in the children’s garden and you can see the work the gardening committee has just done. On October 7^th four families worked together to reorient the planting boxes so that they receive more sun, and to allow for larger gatherings in the garden (so we can better share planting, playing, singing, stories with the children in the garden space…). We’ve also planted seeds, as well as seedling plants that children started during the past few weeks.

A successful summer harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and eggplant, and a few carrots and beans provided fresh delicious veggies for snacktime several times per week this summer. Now we are eagerly looking forward to our winter garden. We still have sweet pepper plants growing, and we’ve planted strawberries, two kinds of peas, two kinds of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, beets, kohlrabi and radishes. We hope some of them grow well and allow the children many more opportunities to experience the excitement—and delicious taste—of home-grown food. We will continue to plant seeds in seedling trays with the children every 1-2 weeks, providing more plants for the garden, as well as a very visible experiment in what happens when you plant seeds in soil and add water and sun.

If you coop—please compost! We moved the composter so that it is very convenient—just outside the garden door. Composting is like magic—all non-animal food waste (and dried leaves, woodchips, and other plant waste) is transformed into dark black crumbly earth with which we can replenish the soil. If you don’t know how to compost—just check out the “how to” signs in the kitchen. Take a couple of kids with you to dump the scraps. Slide open the door at the bottom and look at what is going on in there. Children can certainly learn to set aside the compostable scraps from their own food, particularly if adults model it for them.

When you are at the school—ask your kids to show you the garden. In addition to plants, you may find some interesting insects out there too. Also, check out the concrete slabs with children’s handprints—they were students of ICNS in the 1970s!

-Emma Johnson

Dream Dinners

The Dream Dinners fundraiser took place last Tuesday, but don’t worry if you missed it. If you visit Dream Dinners any time in October and tell them that you are there for the ICNS’ fundraiser, they will still donate some of the proceeds from your visit to our school.

My Dream Dinners experience was better than I imagined. First, I had a fabulous time with the other ICNS parents. Second, the three dinners that my family has eaten so far have been absolutely delicious. Finally, the meals were easy to prepare and the best part is that I didn’t have to prep the food or clean up after myself.

Thank you Isa Sabey for organizing this event and introducing me to Dream Dinners. I plan to return very soon.

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Picture Day Reminder

Please remember that Thursday, October 18th (tomorrow) and Friday, October 19th are picture days at ICNS.

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

SDFD Visits ICNS!

A friendly crew of San Diego firefighters brought their fire engine to ICNS on Friday. It was quite an exciting day for our students, teachers, and parents.

Miss Sylvia directs students and parents.

Engine 35 turns the corner.

ICNS students take it all in.

The very tall firefighter models his gear.

Miss Connie tries on a fire fighter’s jacket.

Reuben and Nathan enjoy the inside of the fire engine.

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Free Vacuum Filters

Since we have upgraded our vacuum cleaner (to one that works!) we have some leftover filters that someone from ICNS may be able to use. If you would like any of these items, please drop a note in the maintenance coordinator's box at school (outside Ms. Connie's door), and Chris will get back to you or place the filter in your child's cubby.

1 Kenmore Exhaust Replacement Filter HEPA Media

3 Vacuum Cleaner Belts (B-70) for Hoover Dial-A-Matic, GE Model U-8, or Kenmore Upright

3 Kenmore Electrostatic Champer Replacement Filter for Canister Vacuums

1 Vacuum Cleaner Bag, style F &G for Eureka Upright

Also please remember to check the vacuum bag when you are co-oping and change it as needed.

Thanks!

Christina (Julian's mom)

LA JOLLA FIRE DEPARTMENT TO VISIT ICNS

Dear Parents,

The La Jolla Fire Department will visit ICNS on Friday, October 12, 2007 at 9:30-10:30 a.m. All children are invited to attend.

If your child does not attend school on Friday mornings, you may bring your child to school to see the firefighters and their fire truck-but you must stay at school with your child.
I hope everyone will be able to attend.

Connie Justice

October Tuition Reminder

Tuition reminders have been printed and will be placed in each student's folder by the end of the week. For future reference, tuition is due on the first of each month and considered late by the fifth. Please make your check payable to ICNS and place it in the tuition folder location outside the director's office.

Thank you!

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Today at ICNS

I had the opportunity to drop into ICNS today to take a few pictures and I wanted to share what I saw.

Friends swinging together on the tire swing:

Friends offering rides:

Miss Michelle offering comfort:

A student creating a masterpiece with sand:

Children cooking up something delicious!

Ava and Adrian brightening my day with their smiles:

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Committee Openings and Log-In

Hello ICNS Families! I just wanted to let you know the latest information on our Committees as the school year is now in full swing. First of all, thank you to so many of you who have been so willing to sign up for committees and contribute to ICNS in very meaningful ways. Thank you also to the several families who were flexible in their committee assignments and were willing to fill a committee that was perhaps not their first choice, as the needs were greater elsewhere. I think it has definitely contributed to a very smooth start to our school year and the overall positive feeling at the school, which so many have commented on. We really have a great group!

There are still a handful of families who need to sign up for committees, and here is a list of the openings we still have:

Art Filing & Library -- someone to cover Tuesdays
Computer Support
Disaster Preparedness
Marketing/PR
Newsletter Writer/News Editor
Office Assistant -- 2 openings
Laundry - Thursdays
Social -- we could probably use another 1 or 2 people to help out with this committee

Lastly, I wanted to let you know about the Committee Log-In that you may remember my having talked about at the Parent Orientation in August. I will be posting it on the table next to the sign-in book and co-op sign ups, as I can find room. Please take a minute to jot down what your contribution to your committee has been this month. This will be very helpful for ICNS to demonstrate to UCSD how central parent participation is to our program and it’s also a great way to help nurture our sense of community as we see what each family has been able to contribute to our school.

Thank you so much for all that you do. Please feel free to contact me at lesliesorensen@gmail.com with any questions.

Leslie Sorensen
Parent Coordinator

Who Are All The Adults In The Classroom

There always seems to be a lot of adults in the ICNS classroom. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell who is working, who is co-oping, who is volunteering, and who is visiting. On most days the adults in the classroom consists of:

” Three(3)teachers who may include Ms. Sylvia, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Rosalia, Ms. Baily, Ms. Caroline, and hopefully soon to include Ms. Vera. (the teachers work various days and hours, and Ms. Sylvia is always here) and;

” Two(2)Co-op parents, and;

” Three students from the Preuss School who, as part of their senior class requirements, are performing community service work at ICNS on Monday and Wednesday afternoon 1:00-2:00, and again on Friday mornings 8:30-9:30 and/or;

” Two (2) students form the University of Pheonix are performing field experience requirements for work in Human Services or Education and/or;

” Two (2) students from a a local community collegee performing their work practicum at a child care facility, and/or;

” Various parents who stay to be a part of their child’s day at ICNS and;

” Visitors observing ICNS program on Wednesday or Thursday.

The next time you stay in the classroom for any reason, please be sure to make yourself a name tag that identifies you by name and capacity (teacher, volunteer, parent coop, etc.) Thank you in advance for identifying yourself.

Connie Justice, Director

September Newsletter!

Note: A copy of this newsletter was placed in each students file at school.

On behalf of the International Cooperative Nursery School Board and staff, I’d like to welcome you and your family to the 2007/2008 school year. We have many wonderful activities, themed learning experiences and get-togethers planned for the coming months. We are so thrilled to have you as part of our ICNS family.

My name is Stephanie Palomo Schmidt and I am the new president of the ICNS board. I joined the board a few weeks ago after enjoying a wonderful year as a first time ICNS mom. I am the mother of three-year-old Nathan and future ICNS student, thirteen-month-old Mattias. My husband and I are UCSD alumni and I come to the ICNS board with a multiple subject teaching credential. Creating meaningful social and educational experiences for our children is one of our highest priorities and we have found that ICNS helps fulfill that goal.

CURRICULUM

During September our focus with the children and families begins with the various stages and feelings of separations, new routines and schedules. We move the focus to Self, Families, and Friends as the children become comfortable with the school and the teachers. In October we will learn about Community Helpers fall and the harvest.

For those of you are who are wondering about the “letters and numbers of school”, please be assured that the children work on these skills daily. When the children count their toys, friends, crackers or shovels, they are developing an understanding of each number concept and not just mastering the rote skill of counting. They will need number concepts for future math skills. When the children use play dough or build with Legos or string beads, they are exercising and developing their hand muscles- the very muscles they will need to write words. They are also strengthening their eye-hand coordination, which is also necessary for future writing. Likewise when the children paint or draw they are learning to manipulate and control various writing utensils. Reading to children is the number one motivator for children to read. Reading singing and just talking to children helps them to develop language skills and vocabulary. Both of which plays a large role in reading and reading comprehension. The next time you observe your child at play, look for the many things your child is also learning.

Finally, we will be making a letters and numbers book at school and need lots and lots of cut pictures from magazines and news papers. Thank you in advance for cutting lots of pictures and sending them to school.

RELOCATION UPDATE

The International Center, where ICNS is located, is in desperate need of space and is unable to expand the existing buildings. Therefore, they have asked ICNS to move within the next few months. The ICNS board is taking the relocation very seriously and we are working closely with the university to find a suitable new home for our school. Other than the well being and safety of our children, the relocation is our top priority.

In the coming weeks and months, we may be calling on our parents to help us in any way you can to ensure the best possible outcome for ICSN. This may include a letter-writing campaign or attending special meetings.

In a letter drafted to Connie and me last week, the Friends of the International Center wanted to make it clear that in no way do they intend to harass or frighten the ICSN families or staff. Thank you for your patience on this matter. We are confident that we will find a new location soon and we will do our best to make the transition as smooth as possible for our families.

ESCRIP

If you have not signed up for escrip, please do so today, before you finish reading this newsletter. Help ICNS raise money without having to spending extra money. Register your grocery cards, debit or bank cards today. Its fast, easy and best of all, it is free for you. Each time you use your registered grocery cards, credit cards or debit cards, at participating merchants, ICNS receives cash donations from those merchants.

To sign up for escrip (Von's, Albertson's, debit or credit card etc):

log onto www.escrip.com

1- at the top blue line click on welcome-

2- on the top blue line, click on sign up

3- enter group ID = 139985679

4-click on International Cooperative Nursery School

5- enter the programs you wish to support, ICNS should already be listed

6. You can contribute to up to 3 organizations –please make ICNS one of them.

To register your Ralph's grocery card:

log onto www.Ralphs.com

1.-left side, click on Community Contributions

2. middle of page-Participants-sign up

3. agree/disagree

4. enter NPO number =81733.

5. complete remainder of forms etc .

Thank you ijn advance for your participation

BOARD VACANCY

Sadly, our board treasurer will be relocating at the end of the month and we are in need of a replacement. If you have a background or interest in finance and accounting and you would like to join a great group of parents in making a difference at ICSN, please contact Connie or myself.

VISIT THE NEW ICNS Blog!

In an effort to improve communication with our families, we have set up an ICNS blog. We hope to update the blog often with up-to-the-minute news, updates on our relocation efforts, pictures and funny antidotes about the children. Please bookmark http://icnsblog.blogspot.com/ and visit often.

WELCOME POTLUCK

Thank you to all of the families that participated in the welcome potluck last Friday. We had a packed house and everyone enjoyed a delicious array of food. I’d especially like to thank Susan Yount, our Parent Coordinator, for throwing such a fun event. If you haven’t already done so, please share your potluck recipe with Susan.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, October 9, Dream Dinner - more information to come from our Vice President, Isa Sabey

Friday, October 26^th 4:30-7:30 October fest

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

Dream Dinners Fundraiser

We are happy to host an exciting and delicious fundraiser for our ICNS families. Helping our busy families get dinner on the table in a quick and healthy way!

Dream Dinners provides everything you need to assemble delicious dinners for serving your family in the weeks ahead. They help families eat together more often, and now they help us raise dollars for our fundraiser.

It is just this simple:

1. Visit http://www.dreamdinners.com/

2.Register for you session: Tuesday October 9th at 7pm (private party code: ICNS)

3. Select your dinners from the monthly menu

4. Arrive and asseble your Dream Dinners

5. Upon Arrival mention this fundraiser!

***October 2007 Menu***

• body+soul Moroccan Chicken With Pumpkin
• Herb Crusted Flank Steak
• Chicken Mirabella
• Italian Stuffed Shells
• Peanut Crusted Fish Fillet
• Pork Chops With Sweet Ginger & Apples
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Shrimp And Sausage Jambalaya
• Chicken With Honey, Garlic and Orange
• Mexican Meatballs
• Coconut Chicken
• Pulled BBQ Pork With French Rolls
• Apple Crisp

*Dream Dinners is located in Solana Beach at 230 Lomas Santa Fe. Dr. (12 minutes from ICNS)

*If you are interested in taking a "sneak peak" you may attend one of the sessions on Monday, September 24th at 9am, 10am, 11am, and 7pm OR Tuesday, September 25th at 5:30pm. This is an opportunity to attend a session and make a meal for FREE. Try it out to see if you are interested! Don't forget to tell them that you are there from ICNS!

I have been using Dream Dinners for a year and it has helped my family save money and time. It is fun, fast, and so simple. I can anwser any questions you might have concerning this great service. Any questions?

Please email Isa Sabey at isa.sabey@gmail.com

Thank You,
Isa Sabey
ICNS Vice President

Welcome to the ICNS Blog

In an effort to maintain up-to-date communication with our families, ICNS has entered the world of blogging!

We hope to update this blog often with the latest information about our school, pictures and antidotes about the school day, and reminders of upcoming events.

Please bookmark this blog or subscribe to the RSS feed. You will be hearing from us again very soon!