Dear Friends and ICEC Community,

Words cannot covey my gratitude for your continued support to help make this year’s Nowruz celebration another unforgettable event. Special thanks to the parent-volunteers who worked closely with the ICEC staff to prepare students for their classroom performances and announcements, to the Committee members who oversaw different aspects of the overall event including the reception and behind the scene coordination, and to the former students and parents who outside the school hours worked with the students for their enchanting music, play and dance performances. Thanks also to the friends and families, the Iranian-American community at large, who joined us in celebration of the spring and Nowruz 1396 – 2017.

Once again your tireless work and well-coordinated planning, within a very short time this year due to several school closings, resulted in an uplifting event that had left nothing to chances. Throughout the program, we heard nothing but praise for the exceptional quality of the performances, management, services, and reception. In the ICEC community, the Nowruz celebration has become a lasting tradition that brings together former and current students and parents and through which each member assumes a crucial role to ensure its success. The success of this year’s Nowruz celebration was another example of your group work and excellent coordination and management. The tremendous amount of work involved at each stage of planning and execution is a reflection of your commitment and dedication.

For two hours, our children showcased the best of our cultural heritage, surpassing expectations with their performances. They were comfortable in their roles and clearly enjoyed being onstage. The very emotional and beautifully arranged and performed “Ey-Iran” song, along with thoughtfully selected and skillfully-recited poems, in addition to informative pieces about this centuries-old tradition, by the masters of ceremony, set the stage for the rest of the evening.  Throughout the program, students performed with talent and exuberance. The class performances, dances, pieces of music, and play all reflected not only the well-nurtured talents of our children, but also their sense of pride in embodying their attachment to more than one culture.

Each year, the Nowruz celebration is a reminder that ICEC is much more than a language school. Throughout the years, your love of our cultural heritage has strengthened our common goal of building a community in which the sense of belonging and pride is apparent in every aspect. Surely, our children will be the future ambassadors of cultural awareness and understanding and will strive toward building a much more peaceful world; a world in which mutual respect and empathy will replace discrimination and violence. We owe this future to the next generation. And this is the ultimate goal that connects us together and inspires our to continue along this road with commitment and resolve.

Once again, on behalf of Dr. Alizadeh Taeb and my colleagues at the Center, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the former and current students, the Nowruz Committee members who made this event possible and friends and families who joined us celebrate Nowruz 1396 – 2017.

Our very sincere thanks also to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service’s volunteers for their invaluable support and assistance throughout the event.

نوروزتان پیروز