Curriculum Night is Next Week

Dear Jackman ICS Families,

Curriculum Night 2017

Our Curriculum Nights are on:

* Thursday, September 28 (Nursery to Grade 2), from 6:00pm to 7:30pm

* Thursday, October 5 (Grade 3 to Grade 6), from 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Curriculum Night is one of the most important Parent Education Evenings of the year for parents and teachers. This is your opportunity to learn about what your child’s class will be experiencing, and accomplishing this year. Questions you may have about what is taught and how we teach will be addressed. All the Specialty Teachers who work with your child will be there. Although it is not an interview about your child (these interviews are coming in November), Curriculum Night gives you the fullest picture of the year your child is in, the teachers your child is with, and the expectations and plans for learning at your child's grade level.

On Sept. 28, we will begin by meeting in the Grade 4 classroom at 6:00 pm for a short presentation about our school's approach to curriculum, and why we teach what we teach. Then you will hear directly from each of our specialty teachers. At 6:45 pm, we will proceed to classrooms to hear from your child's grade level teacher. Our evening will close at 7:30 pm. On October 5, we will begin in the SK classroom and follow the same schedule.

Curriculum Night is a parent evening. We are offering free babysitting to any family who would like to bring children and leave them with sitters during the 6:00pm to 7:30pm event. A pizza dinner will be provided for the children (ordered from Pizzaiolo - nut free). Please send a water bottle for your child. We will need to hear from you the Monday before your curriculum night, if you would like to be on our list for childcare, so that we can have staffing in place. Please be in touch with Holly Huizenga holly.huizenga@utoronto.ca to rsvp and please inform her of any dietary needs for your child/ren. Thanks to the PA for funding the babysitting and pizza!

In short, parent/guardian attendance at Curriculum Night is expected for each child.

More Lab School Info

Our Grade 5 and 6 students have stories to share and memories that will last from their trip last week to Sandbanks Provincial Park. This, like so many school events, is an experience that expands children's independence, social skills, problem-solving, and joy in learning. Across the grades, these are attributes we work hard to foster and we thank you for your support of these important goals.

This week, Kobe Shinwa University Education and Psychology students and professors spent time in our Nursery to Grade 5 classes and attended workshops by JICS teachers (Nick, Judith, Chriss and myself) to learn about our approach to education

Speaking of Japan… Carol Stephenson (SK teacher) and I will be travelling to Kobe to visit the University’s Kindergarten School, November 20 – 24, 2017. In addition to our time in Kobe, Carol and I will travel to Tokyo to join a small group of selected international educators at Tokyo Gakugei University to take part in a Japanese Lesson Study Immersion Program. “Lesson Study” is a form of collaborative teacher professional development originating in Japan and used by JICS lab school teachers for over 10 years. We are looking forward to taking part in a seminar on Japanese mathematics instruction – mondai kaiketsu gakushuu (teaching through problem solving) and experience mathematics lesson study at two Japanese schools. If you are interested to learn more about Lesson Study, see: Building and Sustaining Professional Collaborations, Using Japanese Lesson Study to Improve the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

On Monday, individual and class photos were taken. Many thanks to parent volunteers Janina Schuster, Victoria Webster, Andrew Cain, Andrea Sharpe, Amy Cheung, Cleophee Eaton, James Davis, Craig Kodama, and Julia Rackall for your help on that busy and smile-filled day. I also want to thank Parents’ Association Volunteer Coordinators: Awet Sium and Amy Cheung.

We followed in Terry's footsteps! On Wednesday, the JICS community (JK – Gr 6) enthusiastically took part in the Terry Fox Run. We are very proud of our Grade 3 students (and teacher, Shanti!) for giving leadership to this annual event. Many thanks to the many parent volunteers who cheered us on, held signs, and ensured our safety, including Jenn Lambert and Jessica Goldberg (Grade 3 parents) took the lead, Gerald Kernerman, Leah Vosko, Rudyard Griffiths, Holly Coll-Black, Rupert Duchesne, Upasana Sharma, Navneet Sharma, Shone Joos, Jon Newton, Beth Corcoran, Ian Randall, Kate Strasburg, Noam Tomczak, Suresh Singh, Nicole Koziel, Alene Toulany, Amy Cheung, Kelly Weaver, Lorena Barrientos, Tracey Thomson, Alex Maynard, Tracy Pryce, Thecla Sweeney, Leticia Nogueira Do Amaral, Angela Cole, Sheri Allain, Erin Kirby, Cecily Eaton, and many more!

I know the children would like to thank the PA for the refreshing treat served at the end of the Run.

Parent Education Event at The Mabin School

Our friends at The Mabin School have invited Jackman ICS Parents to an informative evening with Dr. Jean Clinton on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 7:00pm - “PARENTING FOR RESILIENCE AND THE POWER OF RISK” Dr Jean Clinton is a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster, division of Child Psychiatry. She is renowned locally, provincially, nationally, and more recently internationally as an advocate for children’s issues. Her special interest lies in brain development, and the crucial role relationships and connectedness play therein.

Important Dates in View:

Thursday, September 28: Curriculum Night (Nursery to Grade 2).

Thursday, October 5: Curriculum Night (Grades 3-6).

Tuesday, October 17: HOLD THE DATE: Parents' Association Council Meeting + Parent Education Event. More details coming soon.

Thursday, October 19: Stratford Trip for Grades 2-6. All day event. More details coming soon! Wednesday, November 1: Parent/Teacher Interviews - more details will be sent soon

Friday, November 10: Professional Development Day - School Closed. Daycare Open 8:00-6:00pm Monday, November 13: Mid-term Holiday - School Closed. Daycare Open 8:00-6:00pm Wednesday, November 15: Parent/Teacher Interviews - more details will be sent soon

All the best,

Richard

Richard Messina

Principal

Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education | University of Toronto

416-934-4509 | richard.messina@utoronto.ca

twitter: richardmessina2 @JackmanICS