Our Community

Whether our families are from New York or far away, they all become a part of our big IPS family. That is by design. While the relationships between teachers and children and amongst peers are the most important at school, IPS fosters relationships among families (including caregivers) and between families and our staff. This expansive sense of community supports our educational mission during the school day and beyond.

Before the start of the school year, each new family is paired with a current IPS buddy family who serves as an information resource and as an introduction to the IPS community. Drop-off and pick-up are times for parents and caregivers to get to know one another, but there are also numerous community-gathering events that take place at school. These include celebrations for United Nations Day and the winter solstice. IPS has the best potlucks! Parents are welcome to join class trips.

Culture Shares are a special IPS tradition. All families participate throughout the year by coming into the classroom to share about a celebration or tradition from their culture or something from their own family culture. This can be anything from how a family celebrates the Indian holiday of Diwali, to Greek name day celebrations, to talking about a family’s country of origin or tradition of making pancakes every Sunday morning.

The IPS Parents Association comprises all parents and is led by parent volunteers. The PA organizes activities inside and outside of school throughout the year for children and parents. Some of our PA events include the Welcome Picnic in Central Park, Book Fair, Ronald McDonald House Day of Service, and our annual Spring Benefit party just for parents.

There are many ways for parents to be involved with the school. We hope you will help us create a vibrant, inclusive environment.