New Family Experience

Dear new ICS families,

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to welcoming your family to the ICS community on Wednesday. 

We are expecting your family on Wednesday for the New Family Orientation; please let us know if you will not be able to attend the orientation, so we can schedule a personal family orientation and update your child's first day of school.

New Family Orientation for All Families: Wednesday 8 January, 7:30-9:30 AM

Please attend the orientation with your child on Wednesday morning. ICS Addis is located in the Old Airport area of Addis Ababa. Please come to the Main Gate (gate #1). You can see a map of the area here. 

7:30 - 8:00 AM: Registration Fair Open - meet the leadership team and complete administrative requirements

Includes Admissions, Health Office, Athletics and Activities Office, Cashier, IT, PTO, Security

Grade 1-12 Families

8:00 AM: Families go with sectional leadership (elementary, middle and high school) for orientation with counselors and principals

9:00 AM: Parents return to the Registration Fair / students in grades 1-12 remain in class

3:20 PM: Pick up students in grades 1-12

Early Years Families: Open House

8:00 AM: Early Years families go with Ms. Dani, Lower Elementary School Deputy Principal, to tour the campus and visit the early years learning spaces. Parents stay with children to become comfortable in the environment. Families who have not yet had their Hopes and Dreams conferences will complete these with the teachers.

10:00 AM: Parents and students leave by this time.

Thursday 9 January: first day of school for students in EY3, EY4, and EY5.

What to bring for orientation:

• Birr cash for lunch deposit (optional) - lunch prices and more information here
• Middle school only: 8500 birr (cash or international credit card) for laptop deposit
• High school only: laptop (drop off at IT at the Registration Fair)

What to bring for the first day of school:

Students should bring a healthy snack to eat, a home lunch (if not eating school lunch), a water bottle and a backpack.

The detailed stationery/supply lists are available on the Welcome to ICS site:

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Communications from ICS

The IT Team will be at the Registration Fair to help you access your parent email and the ICS platforms for parents. High school students should drop their laptops off at the IT table.

Parent Email Address: all communications from ICS will be sent to your ICS parent email address once your child starts school. The IT Help Desk has sent the login details to your personal email from ithelpdesk@icsaddis.org.

Parent Platforms: use your ICS parent email address to sign into the parent platforms (use "Sign in with Google").

PowerSchool (administrative platform): https://icsaddis.powerschool.com/public

Access Forms in PowerSchool to submit your child's physical exam, medical information and your local contact information

Toddle (learning platform): https://web.toddleapp.com/

Lunch and ID Cards

Students may eat school lunch or bring home lunch. School lunch is paid using the student ID card. Each student has an ID number which is printed on their ID card. IDs for elementary school students stay in their classrooms, while middle and high school students carry their IDs with them.

Parents and students who provided electronic photos for their IDs can pick up their cards at orientation. For all others, you will take your photo for your ID at orientation.

School Hours 

• EY3-EY4 Half Day - 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
• EY3-EY4 Full Day, and EY5-Grade 12 - 8:00 AM-3:20 PM (Wednesdays: 2:00 PM dismissal)

Drop Off and Pick Up:

Morning Drop Off Time: 7:30-8:00 AM

Morning Drop Off Locations: by your youngest child

• Early Years 3-5 and Grade 1: Gates #4 (drive in) and #5 (walk in)
• Grades 2-5: Gates #1 (drive in) and #6 (walk in)
• Grades 6-12: Gates #6 (walk in) and #15 (drive in)

Afternoon Pick Up Time: 3:20 PM / 2:00 PM on Wednesdays

Afternoon Pick Up Locations: by your youngest child

• Early Years 3-5 and Grade 1: Gate #5
• Grades 2-5: Gate #1 / cafeteria (must be picked up by an adult or older sibling)
• Grades 6-12: Exit from Gates #1 or #6

Student Store

View items available at the Student Store here, including stationery, water bottles, ICS gear and much more. 

Parents may visit the Student Store during orientation, or on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 3:30 and 4:30 PM. The store will also be open on Wednesday morning during orientation.

Virtual Presentations from the Leadership Team

Our principals made virtual presentations for new families in August, and you can view the slideshows as well as the recordings of the presentations on the Welcome to ICS site here.

I hope that this information helps your family prepare for your orientation and the first day of school. You can also see this information and more on the Welcome to ICS site here. Please reach out if you have additional questions!

 

With best regards,

Jess, Meheret, Haile and Berhanu

Dear incoming ICS parents,

Visit the Parent Portal on the ICS website to see your first edition of the ICS Weekly, our primary communication from ICS to families. You will receive the ICS Weekly every Thursday, in your ICS parent email address inbox. As you can see, it includes stories, videos and photos from the week, as well as news items for each school section and schoolwide news. 

A few additional notes on communications (more information on the New Family Experience site):

Your ICS Parent Email Address

During the break, our IT team will create your ICS parent email address and share the login details with you (via email to your personal email address). Once your child starts school, all communications from ICS will be sent to your ICS parent email address. This allows us to protect data privacy for student and family information, such as class directories, as well as easy login to the ICS platforms.

Please set up your ICS parent email address when you receive the instructions from IT, so you are already connected when your child starts school.

ICS Platforms

Your ICS parent email address is a Google account and therefore you will use it to sign into the electronic platforms (using the "Sign in with Google" function).

PowerSchool: our administrative portal

Toddle: our learning platform

For now, enjoy the Weekly below to see what has been happening at ICS and what to look forward to in 2025!

-The ICS Admissions Team

Dear new ICS families,

We have just completed our last few days of school before the holiday break, with many celebrations of learning happening around campus. Students and some staff are looking forward to a well-deserved break, while other staff are preparing for a whirlwind of maintenance projects scheduled over the break to keep our campus green and safe.

If you wish, please introduce yourself and your family on ICS Addis New Families group on Facebook. I look forward to getting to know you all!

Parent IDs and Campus Access During the Break

The campus is open during the holiday break, including the track and playgrounds. If you wish to visit campus, you will need your parent ID. Parent IDs are being printed now and please contact us if you wish to pick up your ID before the orientation in January.

The library is open every Saturday, from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM. New families may visit the library and borrow books during the break.

Winter Reading Challenge

Students can participate in the library Winter Reading Challenge by reading or listening to books in any language and writing them on this sheet or a similar log.

Admissions Office

We will be available via email throughout the holiday, and you are welcome to contact us with questions or updates. Please note the shorter office hours of 9:00 AM-3:30 PM during the break.

You will hear from us during the week before school starts, with reminders about orientation and starting school.

New Family Orientation

We can't wait to welcome you to ICS! We are expecting many of you on Wednesday 8 January. Details about new family orientation are on the New Family Experience site HERE, and we will send a reminder in January.

Included on the New Family Experience site:

• Virtual Informational Meeting recordings from our school leadership
• Information about the student store, after school activities, library and more
• Supply lists and handbooks for each school section

Calendar

You can see the current school year calendar, and (hot off the press!) the 2025-26 school year calendar, on our website HERE.

Have a good holiday, if you are celebrating, and we are looking forward to welcoming you and your family to ICS Addis!

 

Sincerely,

Jess, Meheret and Berhanu

ICS Admissions Team

Dear new ICS families,

Greetings from ICS Addis! We have only a few more days remaining until our mid-year break. We will be in touch next week with details about preparing for your start of school at ICS in January. The New Family Experience page also includes general information about after school activities, school hours, invoices and more. 

Staying In Touch

Want to see what is going on at ICS? 

Check out our #EverydayICS videos! You can also catch a glimpse of an elementary school learning hub, our new virtual tour, and our latest Instagram posts.

Want to be in touch with other families? 

Introduce yourselves in the ICS Addis New Families Facebook group and/or request a Parent Ambassador from our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

Questions for us?

Join the Wednesday drop in Zoom call on 18 December, 4:00-4:30 PM East Africa Time (no drop in on 25 December or 1 January).

New Family Orientation: Wednesday 8 January

Mark your calendar for Wednesday 8 January, 7:30-9:30 AM, for the New Family Orientation for parents and students.

Early Years: Open house for early years parents and students, to become familiar with the campus. First day of school for students in EY3, EY4, and EY5 on Thursday 9 January.

Grades 1-12: Orientation for parents and students with leadership and counselors. Students will stay for the full day on Wednesday 8 January (pick up at 2:00 PM).

Families arriving later will have personalized family orientations.

We look forward to being in touch over the coming weeks and to welcoming your family to ICS soon!

 

Have a great weekend,

The ICS Admissions Team - Jess, Meheret and Berhanu

Dear new ICS Addis families,

Our educational staff are all back on campus today, preparing for the new school year to start next Wednesday! The campus is busy, with lots of excitement in the air.

Arriving in Addis Late?

If your family will not be in Ethiopia in time for your family to attend the orientation on Tuesday 13 August, please notify us so we can plan for your personal orientation and transition support.

Virtual Information Sessions: Thursday 8 August

• Presentations from the divisional leadership team for new parents
• All times are East Africa Time (UTC+3) and you will receive a calendar appointment.
• All sessions will be recorded and shared with you afterwards

Elementary School (Early Years-Grade 5): 3:00-3:45 PM. Zoom link HERE.

Middle School (Grades 6-8): 4:00-4:45 PM: Zoom link HERE.

High School (Grades 9-12): 3:00-3:45 PM: Zoom link HERE.

Upcoming Communications

Elementary School: for Early Years to Grade 5

Signups for Hopes and Dreams conferences (introductory family meetings with teachers) will be sent by email from the elementary school

Grades 1-5 Hopes and Dreams: Monday and Tuesday, 12-13 August

Early Years Hopes and Dreams: Wednesday and Thursday, 14-15 August

Middle and High School: for Grades 6-12

Middle School Counselor Meetings: signups will be shared on your child's Checklist in the admissions portal - stay tuned!

High School Counselor Meetings: signups are linked on your child's Checklist in the admissions portal (most families have already signed up)

Reminders: 

• These events and more are on the Transition and Orientation calendar HERE
• The New Family Experience site is HERE - most of your questions should be answered here

If you are not yet in Addis, remember it is the rainy season! Don't forget your umbrella and shoes to wear when it is wet, which is most days.

 

With kind regards,

Jess, Wongel, Meheret and Berhanu

ICS Addis Admissions Team

Dear new ICS Addis families,

Many of us are in the last days of our summer holidays and looking ahead to the start of the new school year with excitement. We are reaching out to you with a few reminders and a preview of what to expect before school starts. 

The following information is also included on the New Family Experience site HERE.

Reminder: Tuition Deadline - 31 July 2024

Invoices have been sent by email to all families. Contact the Business Office on accounts.receivable@icsaddis.org with any questions.

Parent Email Addresses

All ICS parents have an ICS parent email account through the Gmail platform. School email communication is sent to your ICS parent email address. Soon you will receive the login instructions from our IT Help Desk (help.desk@icsaddis.org).

New Family Orientation Events: Mark Your Calendars!

See the Transition and Orientation calendar HERE

Our new family orientation includes both virtual and on campus events. The purpose is to give you multiple opportunities to learn about ICS, to support your child's transition, to start developing relationships with our educators and to get familiar with the campus.

Virtual Information Presentations: Thursday 8 August 2024

• Presentations from the sectional leadership teams for new parents

• All times are East Africa Time (UTC+3).

• All sessions will be recorded and shared with you.

• Each Zoom link will be sent by email before the session.

Elementary School (Early Years-Grade 5): 3:00-3:45 PM

Middle School (Grades 6-8): 4:00-4:45 PM

High School (Grades 9-12): 3:00-3:45 PM

 

Family Meetings with Teachers/Counselors

Sign-ups for these family meetings will be sent to you by email during the week of 5 August.

Early Years Hopes and Dreams (individual meetings): 14-15 August

Grades 1-5 Hopes and Dreams (individual meetings): 12-13 August

Middle School Counselor Meetings (small groups): 12 August

High School Counselor Meetings (small groups): 12 August

 

On Campus Orientation for New Families: Tuesday 13 August 2024

During the on campus orientation, families can complete final enrollment items such as making lunch deposits and visiting the school store. Orientation includes touring the campus, meeting other families and school staff. More details will be shared separately.

• Elementary School Families (includes Early Years): 8:00-10:00 AM

• Middle and High School Families: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

First Day of School

• Grades 1-12: Wednesday 14 August

• Early Years: Friday 16 August

The ICS campus is quite busy over the next two weeks and family tours will not be available, as our team prepares for the start of the school year. However, you are welcome to visit the campus on the weekends. Parents must have an ICS ID for access during non-business hours. Contact ID@icsaddis.org if you want to pick up your ID before orientation.

If you have not already done so, please introduce yourself on the Welcome to ICS Addis New Families Facebook group, to meet other new families. 

You can also connect with the larger ICS Addis community (parents and employees) through the ICS Addis Community Facebook group; both this group and the Anything Important Telegram group are also good places to look for family employee recommendations, items for sale, etc.

You can see the emails previously sent to new families on the New Family Experience site HERE. More details will be shared on each orientation event closer to the date. 

With best regards,

Jess, Wongel, Meheret and Berhanu

ICS Addis Admissions Team

Dear new student and family,

We hope you are looking forward to joining the ICS community in August.

As a family with a new high school student, you will meet with one of the high school counselors before starting school at ICS. These are small group meetings for both the student and parent(s), on the ICS campus, to learn about your student's class schedule and the high school schedule and expectations, and to meet your counselor.

You can sign up for your meeting through the link provided on your Checklist in the admissions portal. The link shows the available dates and times for your grade level.

Please also note that the high school supply list has been updated to include the requirement of a lock for the student's locker. It can be a standard padlock with a combination or a key. We recommend purchasing a lock outside of Addis, if you can.

We hope you are in touch with your student ambassador. If you haven't heard from your student ambassador, let us know and we can follow up.

Sincerely,
Ms. Jess and Ms. Wongel
ICS Admissions

Dear new ICS families,

We celebrated our last day of school today and our students enjoyed a final week filled with step-up ceremonies, celebrations of learning and goodbyes. We look forward to welcoming your family and many others to our community in August!

School Break Hours

The ICS offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM-3:30 PM during the holiday. Please email or call ahead to set an appointment, as some staff may be on leave during this time. 

This email address will be monitored regularly during the summer, and the weekly drop in Zoom call will continue, every Wednesday at 4:00-4:30 PM EAT (UTC+3). 

ICS Numbers

011-371-1544 (Admissions Office and main reception)

0988-162-203 (Admissions Office) 

Campus Access

New families may access the ICS campus during the break. Please note the facilities that are open during the break HERE. Due to maintenance, most facilities except the playground are closed after 24 June.

Parents must have an ICS ID for access during non-business hours. Contact the Admissions Office to arrange a time to get your parent ID. 

Library Use and Summer Reading Challenge!

New families, both parents and students, may borrow books from the ICS library over the summer. The library is open on Saturdays in June only from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, and you will need your parent ID to enter campus.

Summer Reading Challenge!

All students are invited to join our summer reading challenge -- see the details HERE. They can read anything they want and in any language.

Calendar Dates: 

See the Transition and Orientation Calendar for all dates

New Family Orientation: Tuesday 13 August 2024

Elementary School: 8:00-10:00 AM

Middle/High School: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

Start of School

First Day of School for Grades 1-12: 14 August 2024

First Day of School for Early Years: 16 August 2024

You can also find this information on our New Family Experience site HERE, including previous emails sent to new families HERE.

We look forward to seeing you in August!

Sincerely,
Jess, Wongel, Meheret and Berhanu

ICS Addis Admissions Team

Dear new ICS families,

Thank you to many of you who joined the virtual sessions on Saturday. This is our last week of the school year, and emotions are high around campus as we say goodbye to good friends and look forward to seeing family during the school break. 

Our counselors use the RAFT model as a way to support children and adults through a major transition, like moving countries or schools. You can read an overview HERE and we hope that some of these ideas will help your own family as you prepare for this change.

The "T" of RAFT is "Think Destination". Use the resources on our New Family Experience site to learn about Ethiopia and to connect with other new families. Middle and high school students should have all received a welcome email from their ambassador, and encourage your student to stay in touch with the ambassador during the break.

Below are a few administrative reminders and details to help you plan ahead. At the end of the week you will also receive an email with information about the school break and campus access.

Information/Reminders

From the Health Office

Physical Examination: the physical examination form must be completed by a medical professional. You can have this completed in Addis or in your own country. The physical exam is submitted to the Health Office in August.

From the Admissions Office

Submit final school reports: please upload your child's final school report for the 2023-24 school year into the admissions portal.

Official Transcripts for Grades 10-12: final, official transcripts are required for all students entering grades 10-12. An official transcript must show all high school courses and grades/marks and be stamped and/or signed. Your current school may submit the transcript directly to ICS by email or you may bring a sealed envelope with a hard copy.

Tuition and Fees Invoices: Due 31 July 2024

The Business Office sends invoices to parents by email. Most invoices were sent last week; if you enrolled recently, the invoice will be sent soon. Please contact accounts.receivable@icsaddis.org if you do not receive your invoice.

Supply/Stationery Lists

The Student Store sells a variety of items for students and families. Options can be limited and expensive locally.

Elementary School (EY-Grade 5)

Middle School / MS Technology Information

High School / HS Laptop Requirements

Dress for Success for Middle and High School

You can also find this information on our New Family Experience site HERE, including previous emails sent to new families HERE.

 

With best regards,

Jess, Wongel, Meheret and Berhanu

Your ICS Admissions Team