ON THE GROUND WITH ICEI
We find ourselves facing another year of uncertainty. In these difficult days, ICEI is committed to being an island of sanity and consistency, attentive to the professional needs and emotional well-being of our students, faculty members, and parents.
Even amidst these challenges, ICEI continues to grow and expand our reach. We are thrilled to announce our entry into our first schools serving the Negev Bedouin communities in the town of Hura, another milestone in our mission to improve education across all sectors of Israeli society. We are also piloting our exciting new Municipal Model in Umm el-Fahm, where we will be operating programs in 9 schools, further deepening our impact in Arab communities.
In total, we are welcoming 14 new Arab and Jewish schools to the ICEI family and will be serving an unprecedented 61 schools nationwide. This expansion is a testament to the strength of our partnerships with the Ministry of Education’s Department of Elementary Education and Department of Arab Education, as well as numerous local authorities, and donors around the world.
We remain optimistic and dedicated to providing groundbreaking initiatives to our partner schools and to being here for each other, united in our goal to help every school and every student succeed.
We thank you for your continued support and partnership in realizing ICEI’s vision. With the new school year having just begun and Rosh Hashana approaching, we extend our warmest wishes for a Shana Tova U’metuka to our Jewish schools and partners and wish all members of the ICEI community a year that brings sweetness, peace, and renewed hope to all.
With warmest regards,
Launching ICEI’s New Multilingual Web Presence
ICEI is proud to unveil our brand new Hebrew website to complement our revised English website which went live last year – a reflection of our recent growth and new levels of expertise and professionalism. These carefully designed platforms will allow us to reach educational stakeholders, principals, and prospective partner schools while strengthening our connections with philanthropic partners and stakeholders around the world. Our next endeavor will be the development of an Arabic website, further expanding our reach. In the meantime, check out the new English and Hebrew website with the latest updates.
Celebrating ICEI’s “Champions of Reading” on the LightSail Digital Reading & Teaching Platform
ICEI recently hosted an exciting new literacy event: “Champions of Reading Day,” celebrating the top LightSail users and inspiring ongoing reading engagement. LightSail is a digital reading platform that provides access to hundreds of Hebrew titles targeting grades 5-6, as well as interactive teaching and learning tools for students and educators. This pilot event was a huge success, motivating kids to markedly increase their volume of reading.
“From the moment the competition was announced, teachers reported a serious increase in reading activity,” said Orly Dohan, ICEI’s Pedagogical Supervisor organizing the celebration. “LightSail usage rose dramatically in the schools that were participating in the competition, and the winners included a mix of kids who had already been prolific readers along with many others who had stepped up their reading for the competition.”
On June 26th, 70 fifth and sixth-grade LightSail readers from three northern ICEI schools taking part in the Meisharim Program enjoyed a day out in Lavi forest. The event brought together the top readers from each class for a day of literary-themed team-building games and treasure hunts.
Stepping Up: Summer Programming for Displaced Students
ICEI partnered with Hotam (Israel’s branch of Teach for All), to provide educational programming for a two-week summer camp for displaced students from Nir Oz, one of the kibbutzim that was hit hardest on October 7th.
ICEI’s team of educators, including literacy coaches and an experienced teacher, created a detailed plan designed to foster a stronger connection with books and reading while remaining attentive to the social and emotional needs of the students. Working in improvised spaces on Kibbutz Gal-On, ICEI and Hotam staff created a host of book-inspired activities that put the focus firmly on learning and summertime fun. We were grateful to be able to provide our support and enjoyed the opportunity to create positive experiences around books and stories during such a difficult time.
Building Bridges with Summer Hebrew Ulpan
“We strive to provide each child with an opportunity for self-realization by making teaching methods accessible, ensuring education tailored to their needs and abilities,” explains Sarah (Sissy) David of Maanit elementary school in Ramle. Maanit’s diverse student body includes Jewish immigrants from around the world and a recent sizable influx of local Arab students from non-Hebrew speaking homes after one of the local Arab elementary schools was shut down.
After working together for six years, Maanit partnered with ICEI to run a successful summer ulpan for non-native Hebrew speakers. Through this initiative, the school helped close the gaps that keep these students from excelling academically.
Students from grades 2-5 engaged in immersive language learning through experiential activities, including acting out the books they were reading, which enriched their vocabulary while also encouraging them to engage socially. The program has already attracted attention from local media, and the school and ICEI staff hope to see its results reflected in students’ performance and confidence throughout the school year.
New Team Members Fuel ICEI’s Transformative Expansion
To support the addition of dozens of new schools, ICEI has recently expanded its staff, including new literacy coaches, principal mentors, and pedagogical supervisors. As major initiatives advance, ICEI created specialized roles, including a LightSail program manager and a manager for our Nazareth office. We have also welcomed new members to our data evaluation team who can provide direct support to educators in the field in Arabic and develop more qualitative research methods.
Among the talented professionals joining ICEI is Yoav Sinai, our new Director of Marketing. With extensive experience in business development, strategy, and educational innovation, Yoav brings valuable expertise to help expand ICEI’s reach and impact. We also welcome Rose Shaaban as a Principal Mentor for ICEI’s Tamkin schools. With a doctorate in Arabic literature and 37 years of experience in education, including 16 years as a principal, Rose’s deep understanding of school administration and alternative pedagogies will be instrumental in guiding principals as they adopt ICEI’s programs.
As we welcome new team members, we also bid farewell to Pedagogical Supervisor Meyrav Rotem. We thank Meyrav for her contributions and wish her success as she takes on the role of school principal. We know that Meyrav will prove an exceptional school leader!
Get to know the entire ICEI team on our new website.
