International Cooperative Nursery School

Nuts and Shellfish in Shared Food

2008-09-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

ICNS has students with severe nut and shellfish allergies. When bringing shared food to school (e.g. food for potlucks, birthday celebration, special treats, etc.), please refrain from bringing food that contains nuts or shellfish of any kind.

Thank you!

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt
ICNS Board President

Recommendations for the ICNS Transition

2008-09-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Dear ICNS Parents,

I just received a letter from Vice Chancellors Relyea and Rue regarding their acceptance of the recommendations made by the ICNS Transition Workgroup.

Many of you have expressed particular concern over whether or not UCSD's new part-time program will accommodate Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedules. I am pleased to learn that the two-day and three-day options will be offered in this new program.

You should receive an invitation letter shortly. In the meantime, I will forward a copy of the letter to you via email.

Best regards,

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt
ICNS Board President

**

September 2008 Newsletter

2008-09-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

A Message From the ICNS President

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.

By now you have received a letter about ICNS closing the doors at its current location in March 2009. Should you have any questions or concerns about this transition, please feel free to contact me by email at palomoschmidt@gmail.com. If you are interested in helping us find a new home for ICNS, please contact Christine Dunn (codunn@gmail.com) or Sophie Piconi (sophiepiconi@gmail.com).

Best Regards,

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

ICNS Board President

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.

TRANSITION UPDATE

Heads up—Very soon you will be receiving an invitation letter to UCSD’s new part time, multi-age program. ICNS families, including community members, will have first right of refusal to join this new program.

Parking Reminder

Please remember that ICNS parking is not permitted in the International Center lot. Please use the ten-minute loading zone when dropping off or picking up your child. If you expect to be at school longer than ten minutes, there are metered parking spots on Myers Drive, in the Gilman lot (located at Gilman and Villa La Jolla), or in the Grove parking lot (located one block South on Gilman).

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

VISIT THE 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, pictures and funny antidotes about the children. Please bookmark http://icnsblog.blogspot.com/ and visit often.

WELCOME POTLUCK

Our Parent Coordinator, Eri Kato is planning at welcome back potluck for Friday, September 19^th from 12:00-2:00. For more details, see the evite that was sent to you by email.

Reminders

Please be sure to sign your child in when you pick them up and drop them off.
Remember to clean out your child’s cubby and file folder each day.
Don’t forget to sign up for your coop days, weekend clean up. The sign up sheet is locate in the sign in binder located by the door.
If you haven’t signed up for a committee by the middle of the month, a committee will be assigned to you.

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 19^th – Welcome Back Potluck

October 22^nd and 23^rd – School Photos

November 7^th- Fall Festival

November 26th – Stone Soup

November 27^th & 28^th – Thanksgiving Break

December 19th - Winter Celebration

December 22^nd to January 2^nd – Winter Break

ICNS Yearbook

2008-05-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow I.C.N.S. Families,

Hello everyone! :-) Angie Serrano and I (yearbook committee) are writing to you with an important message about our new school yearbook!

We want to inform you of a last minute decision to raise the price to $10.00.

We advertised a price of $5.00 but really, truly underestimated the cost of producing it. We talked about it a lot and went back and forth, wanting to honor the advertised price and are hoping for your understanding. We know you all signed up for a $5.00 yearbook but we are certain you'll be very pleased with the quality product you are purchasing. A printed copy is now available at the preschool if you'd like to see it before making your decision.

We are including a description of the yearbook and hopefully that will help you make your decision. We want to thank all the parents who shared their pictures with us. We truly appreciate your kindness. Due to some FABULOUS last minute additions..production is slightly behind schedule but we'll be ready to start selling starting Wednesday. We'll be at the school between 12:00 and 1:00 and again at 4:00 starting Wednesday and going until Monday. If you miss us, that's ok....we'll get you your copy! On Wednesday there may be a limited supply but we'll be fully stocked by Thursday. Read all about the yearbook:

2007-2008 I.C.N.S. Yearbook
1. It's a Power Point presentation that you can view on your computer very easily.
2. It's also a DVD. You can see the pictures on your TV with a DVD player....(you'll see all the pages but not as a Power Point).
3. The yearbook has over 50 pages with an average of at least 6 pictures per page...sometimes up to 12 pictures. The pictures begin in Summer of 2007 and go up to the Mother's Day celebration this very last week!
4. EVERY current student and most former students have their picture in the yearbook with their name underneath their picture. This is great because we didn't receive a class composite picture of all the kids at school with our school pictures this year.
5. There are pictures from all the potluck dinners we had this year.
6. There are very beautiful pages with things like the Fall Festival (beautiful costumes), the day the firetruck came, field trips, etc.
7. The yearbook can easily be printed to paper with your own computer or at a print shop like Kinko's.
8. There are indoor and outdoor candid shots showing just how engaged our kids are at preschool. You see how much they are learning and doing!
9. The yearbook pages are in chronological order so that you can see how our kids have grown throughout the year.
10. The beautiful pictures showing all the diverse personalities are saved in jpeg format.

We hope you'll understand our very last minute decision. We are really excited for you to see your yearbooks! Contact us with questions, we'd be very glad to answer them.

Yours truly,
Laura Fisher Semerad (Kaden's mom) and Angie Serrano (Hugo Hidalgo-Serrano's mom)

May Date Night

2008-05-14T19:33:00.003-07:00

Dear ICNS Families:

Sign-up for DATE NIGHT this SATURDAY from 3-7pm!!! Look for the sign-up sheet on Wednesday morning. The kids will get to play, make a craft, eat dinner, and watch a movie with popcorn! Children 18 mo. and up are welcome! Sign-up soon LIMITED SPACE...ONLY 10 spots available...See you Saturday!

Cost: $25.00 One Child
$40.00 Two Children

Thanks for you participation!!!
Isa Sabey
ICNS Vice President

Additional Spring Fling Thank Yous

2008-05-14T19:33:00.001-07:00

Hello All,
I realized yesterday that in my last e-mail I forgot to thank a few very important people. SO, on behalf of Isa and myself, thank you to the following individuals for donating hand-made items and services to our auction!

Emma Johnson- For the wonderful parent/child and child/child aprons.
Andy Estep- for the homemade "Three Billy Goats Gruff" set.
Chris Augsburger- for the adorable homemade shirts with matching handbags.
Autumn Nelson- for offering a Behind the Scenes Tour of "Lion Camp" at the Wild Animal Park.
Isa Sabey (who insisted I not list her but I can't help it!) - for the beautiful handmade quilt.

Thank You to everyone for helping to make the Spring Fling a success!

Susie Yount

Mandatory Parent Meeting Reminder

2008-05-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

This is a reminder of the Mandatory Annual Parent meeting at ICNS on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

There will be a s a $50.00 fine assessed for any family not represented at the meeting, so please make every effort to attend.
Remember that only 1 parent in the family needs to attend the meeting. We prefer to have your presence and voice instead of your money.
Even if you will not be here next school year, you are vital and very necessary to our continued operation.
We must approve next years budget and vote on the Board of Directors for next school year and address any other necessary school business.
Child Care will be available, but we will also need some help form the parents depending upon how many children attend.

Spring Fling Thank You!!!

2008-05-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

On behalf of Isa and myself, I would like to send a huge thank you to all of the volunteers who so graciously helped to make a very fun and very successful Spring Fling! Together, we raised money for the school and had a great time doing it!

The Fundraising Committee (who worked for months to get us those great donations!):

Fiona Chatwin
Christine Odegaard
Edwardo Fricovsky
Jacques Verstraete
And although this thank you is on behalf of Isa, I cannot help but thank her personally here, as she so graciously worked for months to compile donation after donation, THANK YOU Isa!

The Social Committee (who planned for months and devoted their entire Saturday to the Spring Fling with smiles on their faces!)

Therese Oppedall
Maureen Feeley
Nina Florholmen

The Babysitters

Miss Sherry
Michelle, Nikki, and Melanie from the Preuss School
Keya Bandyopadhyaya
Ben Sabey

Music

Jude Weirmeir- Thank You to Jude Weirmeir for the very beautiful and very wonderful music!

Others

Billy and Autumn Nelson - A huge thank you for setting up the catering, it was delicious! As well as for all of the help you provided before, during, and after the event.

Eri and Hiro Kato- Thank you for being an extra set of hands before, during, and after the event!

Geir Florholmen- Thank you for so graciously picking up the children's pizza!

Kerstey (Christine Odegaard's friend) for helping at the wrap party!

Again, on behalf of Isa and myself, thank you so very much for helping to make the Spring Fling a successful and enjoyable fundraiser!

Susie (Ella and Maya's mom)

ICNS Gets Some Little Visitors

2008-05-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

Brisa's mom, who works at the Wild Animal Park, brought an armadillo and a tarantula into school on Thursday. Here's are some pictures of the big event.

Summer Afternoon Classes Available

2008-04-18T13:43:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Please note that afternoon classes will be available for summer classes. The registration form states that separate afternoon classes are not available, but due to the high number of requests for afternoon classes, they will be available. That means you can enroll you child to attend only in the afternoon. Please contact me immediately if you want/need to change your enrollment choices for summer.

Connie Justice

April Date Night Canceled

2008-04-18T13:43:00.001-07:00

Due to lack of available staff, there will be no Date Night for the month of April. Date Night for May is tentatively scheduled for May 17th. We’ll have more information as the date nears.

Stephanie Palomo Schmidt
ICNS Board President

April Garden News

2008-04-15T18:12:00.001-07:00

APRIL GARDEN NEWS:

Klaus (Lily's father) and Andy (Oscar's father) built a sturdy new fence for the ICNS school garden. It hasn't been painted yet but you can see how nice this will be for our children. Summer plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, and maybe even some flowers will be going into the garden beds over the next few weeks.

Also, we've begun the "smelling garden" in the play area-- herbs and scented plants in containers. We hope to organize more of these small, moveable gardens around sensory themes (like touching, smelling, tasting, colors). We could use donations of pots and/or soil for this endeavor.

Please feel entirely welcome to visit the school gardens, and even bring the children out for simple activities (you can play with animals, sing songs, etc-- it doesn't just have to be gardening!). Also, thanks to all of you who have been using the school composter. We will have some wonderful material with which to enrich our planting beds. When you coop don't forget that all plant materials (like fruit and veggie waste) can go in there, as well as leaves, eggshells, and even paper (ripped into small pieces). Kids should be able to separate out their compostable waste if you tell them what it is!

Happy Spring!
Emma (Oscar's mom), on behalf of the ICNS Garden Committee

ICNS Announcements

2008-04-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

The school photographs are due back to school on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. Please return any unwanted photographs along with payment for wanted photographs today.
Priority registration for current families will end on Thursday, April 17, 2008. Registration will open to the public and be a first-come, first-serve.
Register today for Summer and or fall classes.

Sign Up for Spring Fling

2008-04-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hello ICNS Family,
Just a reminder that I will be outside of ICNS tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16th, from 11:30-1:30pm, to sign up anyone who would like to join us at the Spring Fling! The cost is just $15 per person through April 25th, then $20 at the door on May 3rd. We're going to have delicious Italian food along with a wonderful array of items to bid on at the silent auction so come one, come all! Babysitting is also available during the Spring Fling for $10 for the first child and $5 for each additional child to be paid on the night of the event. Dinner and crafts will be provided for the kids. Just a reminder, the Spring Fling is on Saturday, May 3rd, from 5-8pm. I hope to see you all there!
Susie Yount
ICNS Parent Coordinator

Summer and Fall Registration

2008-03-28T21:11:00.001-07:00

Registration Announcement
Registration for summer and/or Fall classes will begin Thursday, April 3, 2008 for families currently enrolled in ICNS. Enrollment will open to families outside of ICNS on Thursday, April 17. 2008

April 3, 2008 Private enrollment only for families currently enrolled in ICNS.

April 17, 2008 Open enrollment for all families; enrollment will be on a first-come, first-served basis until all classes are full.

May 30, 2008 School year ends. Our current school year will end on Friday May 30, 2008 and we will begin a summer program on Monday, June 2, 2008- Friday, August 22, 2008 .

June 2, 2008 Summer sessions begin. The summer will offer 4 separate sessions with each lasting for 3 weeks. You may register for 1, or more summer sessions OR You may register for September classes only, OR you may register for summer and fall classes. Summer dates are listed below.

Session I June 2 – June 20 Session II June 23- July 11:

Session III July 14 – August 1 Session IV August 4-August 22

Sept. 2, 2008 Fall classes begin

If you want your child to continue attending ICNS during the summer and / or in September, please complete a registration form accordingly and, submit it to ICNS with the appropriate registration fees. Registration fees are non refundable.

Open House: April 3rd

2008-03-28T21:10:00.001-07:00

The International Cooperative Nursery School, is hosting an Open House on Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m.. We invite new and interested families to come observe the program in action, learn about our philosophy, meet the teachers, and Board Members and decide if this is the right place for your child.

We want to give new and interested families an opportunity to "check us out" before we begin summer and fall registration on April 17, 2008. Feel free to bring your child with you to the Open House so you can see just how your child might interact in our program.

Parking is not available in the ICNS parking lot. For other parking options at UCSD please visit http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,16122,00.html .
.
RSVP, your intentions to attend the Open House to Connie Justice at icns@ucsd.edu or at 858-455-9310. Include your preferred time of 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. in your RSVP. If you are unable to attend the April Open House, let me know and I will notify you of future Open House dates. I look forward to meeting you at the Open House

Sincerely,

Connie S. Justice, Director
International Cooperative Nursery School
858-455-9310

Committee Log

2008-03-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hello ICNS families!

I hope you are all enjoying a happy and safe spring break. This is just a friendly reminder about your ICNS committee responsibilities and the $20 fine that will be assessed if you do not fulfill these responsibilities. I will be taking down the March Committee Log In at the end of the day on Monday March 31st and anyone who does not have an entry recorded on this chart will be assessed a fine of $20.

That being said, I realize that since we only have one day left in March once we come back from the break, some of you may not have the opportunity to fill in what your contributions have been before the deadline, particularly those of you who attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays or later on in the week. Since March has been cut short for spring break, for this month only I will accept emailed reports of your committee contributions. You may email me at lesliesorensen@gmail.com up until Monday March 31st, midnight.

Thank you to each of you who have contributed to your committees this month and recorded something on the Log In. We have a wonderful school and our children are benefiting from all the great work you do!

Leslie Sorensen, ICNS Recording Secretary

COMMITTEE OPENINGS -- INCLUDING A BRAND NEW COMMITTEE OPPORTUNITY!

2008-03-01T22:14:00.001-08:00

Introducing our brand new committee -- The Date Night Committee! ICNS Date Nights are a great fundraiser for our school! Members of the Date Night Committee will help the teacher assistants watch children at the school while parents go out on a date. Having parents serve on this committee will allow for more children to be accommodated on Date Nights, therefore earning more money for our school and giving more parents the opportunity to go out. The plan is to hold Date Nights about once per month.

All committee openings are listed below. If you are interested in serving on any of these committees, please let me know. If you are new to the school and have not yet signed up for a committee, you must do so in order to avoid the newly instituted $20/month fine!

Gardening Committee
Animal Care Committee (this basically means the fish!)
Laundry Committee (Mondays)
Date Night Committee

Leslie Sorensen
Recording Secretary

NEW POLICY REGARDING ICNS COMMITEES

2008-03-01T22:13:00.001-08:00

Hello ICNS parents! It's time for another committee update. First of all, thank you so much to each family who has been contributing to their committee and writing down what they did on the Committee Log-In chart, located by the sign in sheets. We really appreciate all you do to help our school run efficiently. Unfortunately, not everyone is doing their committee work. This is a real problem. We are a parent co-operative and therefore dependent upon the work that each of the parents contribute. When parents fail to fulfill committee responsibilities it means that essential tasks are left undone and that other parents, teachers or the director must step in and take over their work.

In an effort to ensure that each family is fulfilling their obligation to complete 3 hours of committee work per month (as stated in the contract each family signed upon enrollment at the school), the Board of Directors voted to establish a fine that must be paid by each family that has not fulfilled their committee obligations for the month. The best way to track if families are contributing to their committees is by what you write down on the Committee Log In. Beginning March 1st I will check the log in at the end of each month, and if there is no entry next to your name, a fine will be assessed. Please log in your committee contributions on this chart to avoid a fine. It was determined that a fine of $20 will be assessed for each month if committee responsibilities are not fulfilled. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Board has determined that this is necessary in order for our school to run as efficiently as possible and to ensure that each of our parents are contributing. Think of the positive environment we will be creating for our children if each parent steps up to fulfill their committee assignments! Thank you so much for your help in this and I sincerely hope that no one incurs this fine!

Complete your committee work each week/month
Record your completed work on the Committee Log In sheet
Ask questions if you are unsure of your committee responsibilities
Pay a fine if you fail to complete your committee responsibilities

Leslie Sorensen
Recording Secretary

Calling All Musicians!

2008-02-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Dear ICNS Family,
Do you play the piano? Guitar? Or any other
instrument that might be used to make our Spring Fling
Dinner and Silent Auction a success??? We are looking
for two musicians to play "background" music at our
event. We have two time slots, 5-6pm, and 6-7pm. In
return, your family will be admitted to the Spring
Fling for FREE (your child/children will qualify for
FREE childcare at ICNS). If you are interested,
please contact Susie Yount at susieyount@yahoo.com.

Many Thanks!
Susie Yount
ICNS Parent Coordinator

The Importance of Play

2008-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Emma Johnson, Oscar's mom, sent along this recent New York Times article about the importance of child's play. Emma writes, "It may be 'preaching to the choir' in a play-based school, but a good reminder that educators (and parents) should be taking play seriously!"

Taking Play Seriously (NYT, February 17. 2008)

We hope you enjoy reading it.

School Closed on Monday

2008-02-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

In observance of President's Day, ICNS will be closed Monday, February 18, 2008. Regular school hours will resume on Tuesday.

ICNS Open House

2008-02-13T08:15:00.001-08:00

Dear Parents,

The International Cooperative Nursery School, is hosting an Open House on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m.. We invite you to come observe the program in action, learn about our philosophy, meet the teachers, and Board Members and decide if this is the right place for your child.

You indicated an interest in our Nursery School earlier this school year, and we want to give you and your child an opportunity to "check us out" before we begin summer and fall registration in April. Feel free to bring your child with you to the Open House so you can see just how your child might interact in our program.

Parking is not available in the ICNS parking lot. For other parking options at UCSD please visit http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,16122,00.html .
.
RSVP, your intentions to attend the Open House to Connie Justice at icns@ucsd.edu or at 858-455-9310. Include your preferred time of 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. in your RSVP. If you are unable to attend the February open house, we will notify you of the future March open house. I look forward to meeting you at the Open House

Sincerely,

Connie S. Justice, Director
International Cooperative Nursery School
858-455-9310

Valentine's Day Celebration

2008-02-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

Valentine's Day this year is Thursday, February 14th. Valentines Day is a day to celebrate friendship and love. Often this done by exchanging Valentine cards. Valentine cards are small note cards with expressions of friendship and love. They can be home-made or they can be purchased at many stores (Target, Walmart, Rite Aide, Longs Drugs, Von's, Ralph's, Albertson's, etc.). We will have a small Valentine’s Day celebration for the children at ICNS on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 AND Thursday, February 14, 2008 during their normal class time.

Children who will participate in the Valentine Card exchange should bring to school signed Valentine cards, but please do not address them to a specific child, as this will make it easier for the children to pass out.
24 cards for the morning classes and 24 for the afternoon classes.
Children who attend both morning and afternoon classes on one or both days, and are participating in the valentine exchange, should bring in cards for each class
Each child will have a turn in passing out their valentine cards to the other children in their class.
Children do not HAVE to bring Valentine Cards to school. They will participate in the celebration as well.

If you have any questions, speak to Ms. Connie or any of our Teachers.

Date Night!

2008-02-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Dear ICNS Parents!

Now is the time to mark your calendars for our February Date Night Fundraiser! Support the school and get some extra time to go shopping, out to a nice meal, or catch a movie with a spouse or friend!

When: Saturday, February 16th from 3-7pm

Who: Miss Sherry and Miss Jennifer (our own wonderful and talented assistants will be tending the children)

What: Drop the kids off at ICNS for dinner, a movie, and craft for the kids!

Cost: First Child $20/Sibling $10 (the sibling must be at least 18 months old). Must pay cash or check at time of drop off.

LOOK FOR THE SIGN-UP SHEET NEXT TO THE ATTENDANCE BINDER...IT WILL BE THERE TOMORROW AFTERNOON! Important to note that we will only have 10 SPOTS AVAILABLE...

Hope to see you there! Please feel free to contact me with further questions...

Isa Sabey
(Chloe's Mom and ICNS Vice President)

Parent Information Night

2008-01-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

Due to the large number of new ICNS families, we will be hosting a Parent Information Night at 5:30 on January 31st. Connie and the board will be there to give an overview of the school and answer any questions our families may have. Returning families are also invited to attend. This orientation is an opportunity to help acquaint you with the school and your membership responsibilities, and to meet other families, the teachers and board members.

Limited child care may available.

Laundry Committee Opening

2008-01-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hello ICNS families! I just wanted to let you know that there are two openings on the Laundry Committee that it would be great to get filled. We need someone who can take the laundry on Mondays and someone who can take it on Thursdays. Word has it from past members of this committee that it is a great committee to belong to! The work is regular and it is easy to just grab the laundry on your way out and then bring it back the next time your child has school. Please let me know if you are interested in signing up for this committee -- it would be greatly appreciated!

-Leslie Sorensen, Recording Secretary

School Closed on Monday

2008-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

ICNS will be CLOSED
Monday, January 21, 2008
In Observance of
Martin Luther King’s Birthday

ICNS Winter Celebration

2007-12-20T14:28:00.001-08:00

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

2007-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

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

2007-10-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

*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

2007-10-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

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

-Stephanie Palomo Schmidt

SDFD Visits ICNS!

2007-10-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

2007-09-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-17T10:22:00.001-07:00

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!