Letter from Pete

Dear ICE Families –

At this time of year our school is abuzz with energy – students of all ages are busily working on cycle projects, including our 11th graders who are fully immersed in research and data collection for two graduation requirements. It’s a great part of our culture that 11th graders gather students from classrooms to take part in their Neuroscience research projects. Along the way the younger kids learn about scientific investigations and see the models of focus and intensity in the older students. It becomes a rite of passage for all children here that they conduct professional scientific research.

On that note I want to congratulate our current 12th grade students on an amazing year of college acceptances. This cohort of students may be our most successful yet as they are accepted into elite public and private universities at an unprecedented rate. Additionally 7 of the 8 12th graders who entered the New York Science and Engineering fair made it to the final rounds – outperforming all other NYC high schools including the specialized high schools by a large margin. In the final rounds ICE students received a total of 11 awards – including one “First Award” – the highest possible honor.

Academic achievement is something I constantly encourage along with the ICE teaching staff, but we also focus on community engagement and activity whenever possible. I want to highlight the recent community lunches that the ICE Community Service Club has organized. Each week we serve fresh, healthy and homemade lunches to 75 to 150 students in a large classroom. This activity has been a highlight because it brings students together who normally would not sit and share a meal, and it encourages our kids to eat healthy home cooked meals.  Special thanks to Marlyn and Danya who have organized this event and all of the parents who have prepared and donated food to the cause.

Parent engagement has always been a linchpin that keeps ICE a cohesive community that thrives beyond all expected limitations. It is the time, money and effort donated by you parents that enables Mark and I to send every child on every trip, to fund improvements in technology, to hire additional music, art and theater teachers and to keep ICE operational as a school using a small administrative team.

Thank you for giving – and for choosing to make ICE your community.

Pete