Wonderful parents!

We really have some wonderful parents at ICS! They volunteer their time in prayer groups, the classroom and at special events like High School Career Day. They volunteer their skills to beautify the campus and behind the scenes at Drama productions. They contribute food to events like Thanksgiving lunch and yesterday's Teacher Appreciation Lunch. Yes, parents appreciate their children's teachers, but we also appreciate our parents! Thank you parents!

Here's a write-up in the Secondary Weekly Connection about Career Day:

Below are some snapshots from the Teacher Appreciation Lunch yesterday hosted by Grade 5 and Secondary parents. The teachers really enjoy this time of fellowship and food!

T-H-A-N-K  Y-O-U

An abundance of food!

Some lovely notes of appreciation from the students

Gospel Dinner follow-up

Dear fellow ICS Parents,

On behalf of the 2013 Gospel Dinner Committee, I want to express my appreciation to your sponsorship, hosting of tables and intercession/prayer ministry leading up to our March 8 dinner at Regal Riverside! The evening symbolized unity in our community, and through the singing and worship and Marlon's testimony and Rev. Ng's special family message, many lives were changed and dozens returning to the Lord! Praise God!

As we give thanks to the Lord, I want to invite your prayer and participation to our next PA/Prayer Team sponsored event: April 16, 2013 Tuesday 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 5/F chapel Time with ABBA Praise and Prayer Gathering (We invite the whole ICS community to join but in particular hoping to see at least 100 fathers in attendance) Please mark your calendar to attend and invite more fathers to join. A father and son team will lead worship. Fathers will take the lead to pray for the ICS community. See you there!

Pastor Fai On behalf of PA ExCo and 2013 Gospel Dinner Committee

Some comments -

“We rejoice with those who made decisions. It was also a wonderful testimony to our students that their parents take seriously their responsibility to serve and transform their communities. Well done!”

“Many, both Christians and Non-Christians, young and old, were touched amazingly by the Father's unfailing love for all last night.”

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Blessings from the PA this Chinese New Year!

Parents decorated both campuses for Chinese New Year - there were a lot of lanterns hung up and down the hallways and on the podium. There were beautiful bulletin board displays up as well. Parents provided CNY Teacher Appreciation Lunch and sponsored a "Tray of Together-ness" for the teachers as well.



Throughout the Chinese New Year season, it is customary to offer guests an assortment of treats from a Tray of Togetherness - a circular tray filled with an assortment of symbolic foods to provide an auspicious beginning to the New Year.

The never-ending circular form symbolizes together-ness, hence the tray is called the 'Tray of Togetherness'. If items on the tray add up to the number 8, eight is a lucky number and symbolizes fortune.

Candy (糖果; tángguǒ) - safety, good fortune and 'sweeten' the new year
Seeds - lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, etc. - having a large number of children 籽 [zǐ]
Peanuts (花生; huāshēng) - health, long life, birth of prosperity, continuous growth, multiplication in wealth and good fortune, stability
Walnut (核桃仁; hétàorén) - happiness of the entire family
Cashew nut (腰果, yāoguǒ)- gold, money (the nut's shape symbolizes the gold bar of ancient times)

You also see foods like:

Oranges - In Chinese the word for "orange" (cheng2) sounds nearly identical to the word for "gold," so oranges are eaten to promote wealth in the New Year.

Dumplings - Filled with pork or vegetables — dumplings are classic Chinese New Year treats, symbolizing prosperity in the new year. They are often shaped as ancient Chinese money, called ingots, to symbolize wealth.

Noodles - Long noodles are eaten at Chinese New Year to symbolize long life, and can be prepared in many ways.

Fish - The pronunciation of fish in Chinese —yú(2) sounds just like the word for "surpluses," and fish is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year to symbolize abundance. The fish can be steamed or fried, but it must be whole to fully symbolize completeness and good fortune in the coming year — the tail and the head represent "happy endings and beginnings." In many families, a part of the fish is not eaten and is left on the plate to signify the "surpluses" the family hopes to receive.

Parent Resource Library Review

Would you like to watch a Christian movie together with your family over the Chinese New Year holidays?

The Parent Resource section of the ICS Secondary Library has over 100 books and videos that can be borrowed. An initiative of the Parent Association, it was started to be a blessing to families of ICS, and has books in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. There are DVDs suitable for all ages, including “3-2-1 Penguins”, “Hermie”, “Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed” by Veggietales,

as well as Christian films including “The Nativity Story”, “The Blind Side”, “Courageous”, “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof”.

Come to the Secondary Library between 8am and 5pm, and borrow something that will bless your family!

Gospel Dinner - You're invited!

Dear ICS Community,
On behalf of the Parents Association and School Administration we invite YOU to take part in Gospel Dinner 2013, featuring guest speaker Rev. C.C. Ng and ICS Show Choir.
We apologize for giving out details a bit late. Our initial venue is closing down and had to cancel our reservation unexpectedly in December, but praise God for giving us peace and helping us to scramble and then secure Regal Riverside, Shatin in mid January to host the March 8 event ! So now ...
YOU can support our event by:

1. Prayer, prayer and more prayer ... (can also join our prayer team that evening)

2. Purchasing one or more tables to invite friends from our ICS community, your church, your work place or your neighborhood to attend.

3. Donate a table so we can invite more people from our community to hear God's message.
Look forward to seeing you or getting an email from you saying you are praying for us! We REALLY need each other to make this event glorifying to God!
Please see details in attached poster or contact us at icspaexco@gmail.com
In His Service,

Ps Fai Chan
P.A. Chair on behalf of P.A. Gospel Dinner Committee  

True meaning of Christmas

The Parent Association Executive Committee wish all our parent community at ICS a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


May our spirit be filled with His joy and glory and trust in His love day by day in 2013!

FIR TREE - the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.
STAR - the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise.

CANDLE - symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.

WREATH - symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.

SANTA - symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.

HOLLY LEAF - the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.

GIFT - For God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

CANDY CANE - represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.

ANGEL - angels heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men.

BELL - lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.

Holiday Season at the Kindergarten

The Kindergarten Reps hosted a lovely teacher appreciation Thanksgiving lunch.

An ICS family donated a Christmas tree and parents decorated the Kindergarten campus for Christmas soon after as well as helped prepare a Christmas gift for the whole staff of 200+. The MPR looked festive with decorations depicting the Christmas story and the children were adorable when presenting their Christmas skits and singing songs! We are thankful for all the parents that help!