2015 - 2016 Diamond ICE + TIE
Pilot Program Description
Our mission is to help each and every student
learn and grow. We work hard to support all
students towards mastery of essential content
and skills, trying to get each student what they
need, when they need it.
As part of this, Diamond faculty voted to pilot the use of additional
support time within the school day. This year all students at
Diamond will participate in one ICE block and one TIE block each
week.
Goals:

Provide regular/predictable time for support/intervention

Provide extra opportunities for skill-building (leadership,
academic & social/emotional)

Provide for student choice and voice

Provide enrichment/extension opportunities in order to allow
students to strengthen strengths and explore affinities/interests

Provide time for collaboration and community-building

Reduce student & faculty stress

Get students into their requested courses, particularly required
courses

Reduce unintentional study halls
ICE + TIE Pilot
What is ICE?
ICE stands for Intervention, Community-building, and Enrichment/Extension.
Everyone in the school participates in ICE at the same time, adults and
students alike. For each “Module” (4 – 6 weeks long) we create a list of
offerings. Here is a sample of offerings from last spring’s final module:
A Capella Singing
Giant Monster Mask Making
Animation using IPADs
Improv
Apollo Guided Study
Keyboarding
Chess
K2 Flex Time (team teacher support)
Chinese Yo-Yo
Math Challenges
Science Olympiad
Origami
Current Events
Quiet Reading
Debate
Motivation Through Sports
Freedom Math Support
Zumba
Drawing Class
Independence Extra Help
Students write down their preferences, and we work to schedule them into
one of their top choices. This year we will explore an on-line sign-up system,
to help facilitate the offering of more modules.
Parents can volunteer to offer a course, to share a passion or area of
expertise. (We provide a faculty partner during the class time.) Let the school
know if you would like to join us for a module! Students can also facilitate
offerings, with faculty support. This has provided a wonderful opportunity to
build leadership skills, while helping us enrich our program.
ICE allows students to work on making good choices, whether that be seeking
out extra support or exploring a strength or trying out a new interest.
(Students can also ask for something to be offered.) It has allowed us to
group students by interests across grades, and to build connections among
students, faculty and the community.
Our first module will begin on October 13, and last for 6 weeks (one block a
week.)
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What is this new “TIE” block?
TIE stands for Team Intervention & Extension. This block is designed to
provide every student with built-in extra access to their team teachers. Each
student will participate in one TIE block a week. When your child has a TIE
block, he or she will stay with team teachers (English, Math, Science and
Social Studies). It will be a chance to touch base with any of those teachers:
to ask a question, do some review, get support with assignments, or do some
make-up work. It will also be a time for students to collaborate on projects or
assignments, or to support one another in studying and review.
While half of the team has TIE, the other half has a regular “off-team” class
(e.g. Drama or Engineering or Health). This allows us to keep the numbers
lower for better teacher-student connection. This new schedule design has
also helped us get students into the classes they are meant to have, and has
thereby reduced the number of children in study halls.
TIE blocks will begin in the first week of school, and will take place every
week thereafter. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your Team
Leader or guidance counselor for clarification.
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