“We are Family” – The ICS Back-to-School Picnic and Movie Night
Tomorrow, September 13, Immanuel Christian School will have its 19th Annual Back-to-School Picnic and Movie Night.
This is an event that gives current and former ICS families, faculty and staff an opportunity to get together for fun, food and fellowship – not to mention an outdoor movie complete with glow sticks! (Even more exciting … this year’s movie is The Lego Movie!)
As a parent of three ICS alumni, the Back-to-School picnic was something my kids looked forward to with GREAT anticipation every September. It was their opportunity to get together with classmates outside of school, to just run around or hang out. They got to see their teachers outside of the classroom – a rare event for most students – and discovered that they were, in fact, real people who had lives outside of this building. It was also an opportunity for my husband and me to connect with parents whose children were friends with our children. Our kids are now in high school and beyond, but they still look forward to coming to the Back-to-School Picnic to reconnect with their ICS friends.
I’ve seen the ICS Picnic grow from its humble origins of a simple gathering of families to its current state – an event complete with vendor tents for small businesses to market their products, inflatable moon bounces and slides (fun for kids and adults alike), and the coolest movie screen I’ve seen since the drive-in movies my parents used to take me as a kid. There’s an excitement you can feel when you arrive – the kind that says “Come on in, we’re so glad you’re here! Memories are being made here. Friendships are being made here. Family is being reunited here.”
The Back-to-School Picnic is an outward manifestation of what goes on at ICS all the time – true community building. When you are part of ICS, you are part of a family. And we attribute this to one thing: the fact that we are joined by our common relationship with Jesus Christ. We really ARE family.
I sure hope to see you there!
This post was written by Jenny Britton, former ICS parent and current employee.
(Before you head out tomorrow, make sure you check our website or FB page for weather-related Picnic updates.)