HARLEM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL (HICS)
Dear Parents:
It has been a great privilege to have been involved in the founding and development of the Lower East Side International Community School, dba Harlem International Community School (HICS). Although we have faced seemingly insurmountable challenges over the 33 years of existence of this school, the joy of seeing expectant faces of so many parents seeking a school to refine the innate talents of their children and enhance positive character development NEVER diminish.
Over three (3) decades of experience have confirmed our original theory that kindergarten and primary aged children are cognitively receptive to curricula concepts devised for high school and college. Therefore, we continually expand the academic resources in our early childhood classrooms to include college level encyclopedia and dictionaries, world, regional, domestic and local maps, computers, U.S. Constitution, weather maps, Bible (HICS is a Christian School), thesauruses and reputable newspapers, among others. These resources do not negate or replace traditional pre-readiness skills instruction in all subjects and particularly phonetic exercises. The teacher draws the children's attention to the VISIBLE advanced resources DAILY, reminding them, by example, of the facts that these learning tools provide to confirm whatever they are studying. The teacher does the reading and explaining; never pressuring or requiring the students to do so. The objective is to succeed in fostering in students constant habit of seeking factual information to support whatever they are studying when they are very young; and to become familiar with these resources as a part of their daily lives. In this manner, we fulfill our mission to PRODUCE SCHOLARS.
By inspiring, encouraging, and finally, requiring students to prove the accuracy of everything they are learning, helps them to accept and apply to their lives the Biblical passage "You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free" (John 8:32).
Moreover, HICS' staff premeditated DAILY direct verbal attention to and concern for EACH student enhances the school's assumed role as surrogate parents.
Thank you for your interest in Harlem International Community School.
Sincerely,
Wallie Simpson, Founder and Principal
