Category Archives: Principal & Teachers Corner

Introducing Persian Dance Troupe (PDT) instructors

 

Tara Manzari

My name is Tara Manzari, I’m 19 years old and I’ll be a sophomore at UMBC for the 2018-2019 school year. I’m currently studying biochemistry and music with plans to go on to medical school. I love Persian dance and am both honored and excited to be working alongside Elica jaan this year, which I hope will be the first of many. I’ve been dancing since I could remember, and I’m truly excited to be getting a chance to be teaching it. I love dancing, writing, playing violin and traveling. I’m ecstatic to be teaching, meeting, and working with all the dancers this year. I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do.

Elika Semnani

My name is Elica Semnani, I’m 18 years old, and I will be a freshman at Montgomery college where I will be majoring in Government and Politics. I am very excited to be teaching dance this year alongside my good friend Tara! I have always loved Iranian dance I have been in Persian Dance Troupe since I was eight years old. I love camping, reading, writing, and traveling. I’m really looking forward to meeting you all and getting to know your dancers! I know this is going to be a great year and I can’t wait! 

2018-2019 Iran Arbabi Scholarship

Iran Cultural and Educational Center

Iran Arbabi Scholarship Program
2018-2019 Academic Year

 

Introduction
The Iran Cultural and Educational Center (ICEC) was established in 1989.  ICEC’s mission is to create a nurturing environment that strengthens the sense of connection, pride and appreciation of Iranian culture, heritage and history.

On the occasion of its 25th Anniversary and in recognition of Khanom Iran Arbabi-Amin’s tireless efforts, dedication and leadership as founder and director of ICEC, the “Iran Arbabi Scholarship Fund” was established. This scholarship is awarded annually to one or more deserving recipients.  

Eligibility Requirements

The Iran Arbabi Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to students of Iranian descent entering or attending an accredited post-secondary institution.  Applicants should be residents of Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia.  Applicants must excel academically.  Applicants must have a verifiable record of participating in activities within the Persian community. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or be lawfully residing in the United States.  The recipients may use these scholarships to attend an accredited college or university of their choice in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia. Scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline.  Scholarships may be used for undergraduate or graduate school.  Applications are screened in the summer by an independent committee that consists of a panel of distinguished scholars and chaired by a member of the ICEC Board of Trustees. Finalists are interviewed by members of the selection committee. Scholarship winners are selected based on the information received through the application and interviews.

Basic Requirements

Applicants should meet the following requirements to be eligible for the Iran Arbabi Scholarship. They must:

  • Be of Iranian descent
  • Be a U.S. citizen or lawfully reside in the United States
  • Submit verification of participation in activities in the Persian community (e.g. attendance at a Farsi language school, participation in Persian art or cultural group (music, dance, theater, etc.), volunteer activities for Persian community based charity, membership in a Persian student association, etc.)
  • Attend, or be accepted for attendance at, an accredited American college or university in a full-time undergraduate or graduate degree program.
  • Possess a high school diploma, or the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma.
  • Have good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or higher)
  • Complete and submit a Scholarship Application Form, including:
    1. Two letters of recommendation; at least one letter should be from a teacher or other school professional
    2. A one page essay about his/her dreams and aspirations
    3. A one page essay : How has your cultural heritage formed the person you are,  and in what way will this serve you as an asset to promote Persian language and culture in the future? 
    4. An official transcript with the school seal on it

Important Application Dates

May 1, 2018 – ICEC starts accepting applications for the 2018-2019 school year. The  Application Form will also be available for download from the ICEC website at http://iraneducationalcenter.org/scholarship-application/

June 15, 2018 – Final postmarked deadline in order to be considered for the 2018-2018 Scholarship Program.  Application materials must be mailed in one packet to:

Iran Abrabi Scholarship Program
Iran Cultural and Educational Center
12030 Gatewater Drive
Potomac, MD 20854

Transcripts and letters of recommendation should not be sent separately. Incomplete, e-mailed, or faxed applications will not be considered.  Winners of the scholarship will be notified by August 31, 2018 and names will be posted on the ICEC web site.

Scholarship Conditions

The Iran Arbabi Scholarships may be used to supplement existing benefits from the student’s college or university, or from other foundations or organizations. Recipients may use the scholarship to cover the costs of tuition, fees, room, and board. Funds are dispersed directly to the college or university.

Financial need may be taken into consideration in awarding a scholarship.  If the Scholarship Committed determines that financial need will be taken into consideration, the applicant may be required to provide financial information at a later time.  Such financial information would include, but necessarily be limited to, federal income tax returns of the applicant.  If the applicant is claimed as a dependent on the federal income tax return of another person, then that other person’s financial resources will be considered in assessing financial need.  DO NOT INCLUDE COPIES OF FEDERAL TAX RETURNS WITH THE APPLICATION PACKET.  IF THEY ARE SUBSEQUENTLY REQUIRED, THE APPLICANT WILL BE SO ADVISED.

A minimum of 1student will be granted an Iran Arbabi Scholarship and will receive $2000.00 for the 2018-2019 school year ($1000.00 for Fall 2018 semester and $1000.00 for Spring 2019 assuming the GPA requirement of 3.0 and full-time status is maintained).  The Iran Arbabi Scholarship is for the 2018-2019 school year only.  ICEC reevaluates the community needs, its funding resources, and adjusts this program on a yearly basis. 

A recipient’s scholarship can be revoked if the student:

  • fails to graduate from high school;
  • fails to enroll in an institution of higher education in the year for which the scholarship was awarded;
  • fails to comply with the rules, regulations or conditions of the institution the student attends; or
  • receives the scholarship through error or contrary to law.

Retroactive payment of the scholarship is not permitted.

Nowruz1397

Dear Friends,

Words cannot convey the extent of our gratitude for your dedication to the ICEC community and to the success of another uplifting Nowruz celebration.

Once again, the current and former students and parents came together to offer our community the most refreshing event in celebration of Nowruz.

Thanks to your dedication, exemplary management and months of group work, the 1397/2018 Nowruz celebration was an event that will stay with our children throughout their lives. Their heartfelt exuberance during the performances reflected their sense of pride in their cultural heritage.

You met regularly prior to the event, assigned the countless tasks to committee members, including food and supply orders, program booklet, tickets, accounting, managing the dining room, welcoming at the doors, photographing and many more. You worked with the county to secure the venue, and coordinated the backstage management with the onstage performances and the sound system. You beautifully decorated the stage, hallways, dining tables, and the Haft Seen Table, and selected the most meaningful poems for the masters of ceremony who clearly enjoyed being on stage. You prepared students for delightful class performances and creatively adapted an epic narrative of Persian mythology that helped the young performers enchant the audience. You skillfully choreographed dances and rehearsed with students of all ages to ensure their impeccable performances on stage, and you selected, arranged and practiced the best pieces of Persian music leading to astounding performances of the young musicians. You created a warm and welcoming environment in the dining room with music, food, without forgetting the Haji Firooz, and you arranged for fire department wonderful volunteers to help during the event. You invited the County Executive whose proclamation recognized Nowruz as a county cultural event. Your efficient coordination and hard work all helped make this year’s Nowruz celebration an exceptional success.

Throughout the years your support has been crucial in strengthening our cultural heritage. The vibrant ICEC community, as we know it today, is testimony to your resolve in preserving our cultural heritage by passing it on to the second and third generations. This year’s Nowruz celebration was another reminder of that resolve for which we are more than thankful to you.

Iran Arbabi

با بهترین شادباش های نوروزی

School Communications

Parents of Current and former ICEC Students and ICEC Friends and Alumni

Welcome to new school year,

We will communicate with you through Iran Cultural and Educational Center (ICEC) website and ICEC email group.

Please check this website regularly for information and updates.

The information regarding unexpected school closing due to inclement weather condition or any other reason will be posted here.  You may also check school operation section in the middle of the home page, as shown below, to find out about schools closing.
 
operating
 

ICEC Emails:

The emails that you receive from us are two types:
  1. Emails from the teachers as a means of communication to inform you about the instruction and other relevant class activities;
  2. Emails from ICEC, to communicate events, news, and school operation status.

Please check your email and also spam or promotional folder to see if our emails are there and move them to your inbox.  At the bottom of ICEC emails, there is an option that you can use to update your preference to get email from different committees or use unsubscribe option if you are no longer affiliated with the ICEC and wish to be removed from the email list. 

mailchimp

 
  If you have any questions please email info@iraneducationalcenter.org
 

2017 Professional Development

On Saturday, September 9th, the ICEC staff took part in a half-day professional development conducted by Dr. Myriam Met, the internationally acclaimed leader in the field of second language acquisition and standards-based instruction.  IMG_0245The combination of brain research supported theory and hands-on practice workshop aimed to model how language skills are acquired through meaningful tasks.  The participants were able to identify that Generating interest through meaningful tasks is paramount to active listening and thus learning.IMG_0246

Dr. Met used gradual release of responsibility approach (I do, We do together, You do in small groups – guided practice-, and You do individually) to engage the participant in the process of learning and to help them apply what they have learned through small group tasks.

IMG_0248

2017-2018 Scholarship

It is with great pleasure to announce that the Iran Arbabi Scholarship for the academic year 2017-2018 was awarded to Miss Yasmine Talaminaei.  Miss Talaminaei’s application was carefully reviewed by an independent panel of experts selected by the Board of Trustees of Iran Cultural and Educational Center. Miss Talaminaei’s outstanding academic achievements, her tireless participation in activities within the Persian community and her commendable involvement in ICEC’s educational and cultural activities were major factors in her selection. The amount of this year’s scholarship, as approved by ICEC Board, is $2,000 for a full academic year payable in two equal installments (one per semester/quarter).   For more information about the Program please visit:2017-2018 Iran Arbabi Scholarship Program   

Nowruz 1396

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

Donation to ICEC (CFC, United Way)

It is that time of year again

Let’s Direct Our Donations to ICEC

Dear Parents,

We are in the midst of donation season. Please consider designating your contributions through United Way of National Capital Area and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) to Iran Cultural and Educational Center (ICEC) using designation codes (United way:8643) and (CFC:24136). You can use the links at the bottom to donate.

ICEC pledges to use the proceeds of any financial support to achieve its goals through providing Persian language classes, celebrating Iranian traditions and other inherently cultural and educational events.

Thank you for your continued support of ICEC and its commitment to preserving Persian language and Iran’s diverse cultures by providing our young learners a nurturing and rich learning environment.

Please, share this information with your friends and family.

Respectfully,

ICEC

CFC

Iran Cultural and Educational Center Code: 24136

CFC_2ApprovedCharity_2C

United Way

Iran Cultural and Educational Center Code: 8643

UW-logo

 

Parents’ Visiting Day

Dear Parents,

Iran Cultural and Educational Center (ICEC) would like to invite you to visit the classes on Saturday, October 22, 2016.

Visiting the classes will be an opportunity for you to meet the teachers and become familiar with the program of studies.

The schedule for visiting classes:

  • 9:45 –  9:50 A.M. Welcome remarks by school officials
  • 9:55 –  10:10 A.M. Visiting kindergarten, first, and second grades.
  • 10:15 –  10:30 A.M. Visiting third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight grades.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 22, 2016.

 

بازدید از کلاس های مرکز 

,مادران و پدران گرامی 

مرکز فرهنگی و آموزشی ایران از شما دعوت می کند در روز شنبه 22 اکتبر سال 2016 از  کلاس های فارسی این مرکز دیدن کنید

روز بازدید از کلاس ها بهترین زمان برای آشنایی شما با آموزگاران فرزندانتان و آگاهی از برنامه های آموزشی مرکز خواهد بود

برنامه روز شنبه 22 اکتبر سال 2016 به ترتیب زیر خواهد بود 

 از ساعت 9:45 تا 10:50 بامداد:           خوش آمد گوئی سرپرست مرکزفرهنگی و آموزشی ایران

از ساعت 9:55 تا 10:10 بامداد:           بازدید از کلاس های آمادگی ، اول  و دوم

 از ساعت 10:15 تا 10:30 بامداد:           بازید از کلاس های سوم ، چهارم ، پنجم ، ششم ، هفتم و هشتم

شرکت شما خانواده های گرامی در این برنامه سبب پشت گرمی و تشویق فرزندانمان و پیشبرد هدف های این مرکز خواهد بود

                                                                                              با سپاس

                                                                                              مرکز فرهنگی و آموزشی ایران