Hello Dragon Families,

As we step into this season of gratitude, we want to express our appreciation for all the wonderful moments we’re sharing this school year.

Congratulations to the newly selected cast of our very first musical production, Year to the Beast! These talented students will be dedicating countless hours to rehearsals in the weeks ahead, building their skills and working together to bring this production to life on the big stage. We are so proud of their commitment and can’t wait to see all their hard work pay off in a spectacular performance.

We’d also like to extend our congratulations to our newly elected School Site Council members, Arlene Wu and Irene Tong! We are confident their leadership and dedication will help shape important decisions for our school community.

A special thank you to everyone who attended our recent ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) meeting! Your participation and input were instrumental in forming our ELAC team, and we look forward to working together to support our English learner students and families.

In an effort to improve communication, we are excited to announce that we’re streamlining how we connect with families. Starting February 2025, we’ll be introducing a new feature allowing you to provide feedback via text message. We hope this addition makes it even easier for you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Stay tuned for more details as we prepare to launch this program!

We are looking forward to focusing on Gratitude this month! One way to think about Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and even our happiness! Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

11/18-11/22 Parent Conference Week - Minimum Day All Week (12:40pm dismissal)

11/26 Minimum Day (12:40pm) - Trimester Awards

11/27 Thanksgiving Break

12/4 Coffee with the Principal

12/20 Minimum Day 12:40 Dismissal

Winter Celebration / Student of the Month

Winter Break 12/23 - 1/10

Our brand-new elementary school library officially opened on November 4, and it's already buzzing with excitement! Students are diving into story time sessions in both English and Mandarin, enhancing language skills and exploring diverse tales!

Students can now check out library books—two at a time! When it's time to return them, we encourage families to foster independence by letting their children take charge of bringing the books back to ICIA to their homeroom teacher or the library drop off bins in the PODS & library.

Michelle Dominguez, our passionate and knowledgeable librarian and a proud mother of two middle and high schoolers, is so excited to finally open the doors to leading an adventure in pages from books. Mrs. Michelle is dedicated to making reading a magical experience for all our students. Let’s make wonderful memories, one story at a time!

ICIA DRAGONS PTO UPDATE

THANK YOU to our incredible PTO for organizing a fantastic Trunk or Treat event! The creativity and community spirit made it a night to remember, and we’re so grateful for everyone’s efforts in making it such a success.

📬 Don’t forget to check out the latest PTO newsletter for important updates on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved with our school community. Your support and participation make a huge difference! Be sure to stay connected with the latest news to make this year memorable for our students. Thank you for being such an integral part of the ICIA family!

Have you met Maribel Paz? She joined ICIA as an Instructional Assistant and is now our office assistant and attendance clerk. With her deep understanding of our school community and experience with the students, she’s a wonderful addition to the front office team, where her kindness and organizational skills help make each day run smoothly. Be sure to stop in and say hi or shoot an email to attendance@iciacademy.org if your child will be absent!

Welcome Maria Loera to the ICIA team as our new office assistant! Maria brings a warm smile, a dedication to helping others, and a knack for keeping things organized. She’s excited to support our students, staff, and families, making the front office a welcoming space for all. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Coding and STEAM after school Coming Soon !

For all afterschool programs. Families will need to register directly with all after programs. Please remind your child in the morning of their class to help our staff with pickup. After class, the instructor will bring them to room 15 for pick up. Late pick ups will incur the daily drop in fee.

For more information, please check them out here: https://www.iciacademy.org/programs/enrichment-classes

Should you have any programs and have a contact interested in coming to ICIA to have afterschool classes, please email contact@iciacademy.org to start an introduction.

Attention 4th Grade Parents:

We are excited to invite you to the Elementary Science Olympiad Division A Kickoff Meeting! This is a fantastic opportunity for 4th-6th graders to dive into the world of science, teamwork, and discovery as ICIA forms its first Science Olympiad team!

What is the Science Olympiad?
The Science Olympiad is an engaging, hands-on competition for students in grades 4-6. Participants select a strand of 3-4 events from various scientific categories, including Biology, Technology & Engineering, Physical Science, Earth & Space Science.

Details:
Kickoff Meeting Location: Sierra Vista (just steps from the ICIA campus)
Date: Wednesday, December 11
Weekly Virtual and Live Sessions: Monday through Thursday (1-hour sessions)
Duration: 8 weeks (starting in January)
Competition: Sierra Vista Invitational, hosted right here at the ICIA campus!

Learn and grow with guidance from the National Championship team from Sierra Vista.
Prepare for an exciting competition with peers in your community.
Explore scientific concepts through hands-on activities and problem-solving challenges.

Parent Coordinator Needed!
We are seeking a parent volunteer to serve as the team coordinator. This role involves organizing the team, helping with communication, and supporting students' preparation.

Interested?
A form will be sent to you. Please complete this interest form by Tuesday, December 3, to sign up your student or express interest in being the parent coordinator.

Let’s inspire a love for science and teamwork in our students! See you at the Kickoff Meeting

We are currently working with CENG to facilitate online Coding Classes after school as part of Dragon's Den. However, CENG is currently offering free Coding classes for the Spring that all 3rd and 4th grade ICIA families can take advantage of. Click the flyer for more information.

We’re excited to share more about Project Lead the Way, an innovative program we’re exploring to deepen our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum. This initiative focuses on hands-on, project-based learning, aiming to spark curiosity and develop essential skills in our students.

Our dedicated teachers are working with an added layer of complexity: delivering this content in Mandarin, making it both a language immersion and a STEAM learning experience. Before we can formally adopt a full STEAM program, implementation requires careful planning, resources, training, and fidelity to ensure its success. Currently, we are in the early phases of weaving STEAM elements into our curriculum, gradually building the foundations to potentially become a STEAM-designated school in the future.

To learn more about Project Lead the Way, please click the link below. Thank you for supporting our journey toward an enriched, bilingual learning experience for all students!

Our Family Handbook is also in Chinese now. Please refer to this as this is the latest and greatest rules and policies at ICIA.