Update on Richard
Richard is recovering well at home. The operation went very well. All he remembers is the medical fellow informing the surgeon that Dr. Rajeev Muni called, from New Orleans, to ensure that the Principal of his children's school gets some extra special attention. Richard thanks you all for your well wishes and is very happy to communicate through email or by phone.
UNICEF and the Grade 4's
During October the Grade 4s have been learning about UNICEF and its various initiatives around the world, in order to lead the fundraiser for the school this year. Through class discussions, videos and poster making, the Grade 4s have learned about the key topics of education, water access, child protection and emergency support.
The students collaborated to create impactful posters for around the school using their learned knowledge from their UNICEF topics. The students created and presented tableaux on their various topics of UNICEF to the school at the Hallowe'en assembly. Envelopes have gone home with students and the deadline for donation submissions is November 28. Thank you for your support!
Update from the JICS Lab School Library:
The Library Committee has met and has decided to post-pone Book Night until we are in our new building. We will not be holding it on November 30, as previously planned. We are sorry for the change, but we look forward to creating a special event later in the Winter, in which we will celebrate our love of reading and stories with JICS families.
We will still be running our 'Indigo Flipgive Fundraiser' and appreciate you using this portal for any Indigo Bookstore holiday purchases this year. By purchasing e-gift cards, 20% of the sales goes toward the JICS Library. Here's the link: https://indigo.flipgive.com/f/518565. We thank you for your continued support of the JICS Library!
Water Sampling Results
We are happy to let you know that our annual water testing is complete and the results are in. All samples tested came back with excellent results:
"Standing" results - all below 0.73
"Flushed" results - all below 0.41
Lab School Staff PD
Our annual November professional development learning began after school last Thursday with a talking circle led by Doug Anderson, a Lab School parent and author of the Indigenous lens in the second edition of Natural Curiosity http://www.naturalcuriosity.ca/aboutus.php?m=b. Doug is helping the staff to understand the implications of the Indigenous lens and to begin to take up the challenges and opportunities it presents.
On Friday, the teachers gathered again for a productive and rejuvenating day of professional development. In the morning, Dana Chapman, a former Lab School teacher who is now a yoga therapist http://www.beebirch.com, delivered a workshop on mental health and wellbeing. We learned about Dr. Gordon Neufeld's healthy alarm system and Dana shared many practical strategies for reducing children’s anxiety and supporting wellbeing in the classroom. She showed us how we can help our students to use their minds to their advantage, and their breath for a variety of purposes, to relax and feel calm, but also to feel alert, focused, and ready for learning.
The afternoon was spent with Doug Anderson, who shared his vision of supporting teachers on the journey of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into their practice, and talked about his work on the land with students, teachers, and families. We feel very grateful and fortunate to have this incredible opportunity to learn from and with Doug. The conversations that Doug led on Thursday and Friday were deeply thoughtful, inspiring, and rich with ideas and potential. We are also considering how we as a community can shape, or reshape, and care for the outdoor natural spaces in and around our school property, to deepen the children's connection with a sense of place, and to strengthen our bonds as a community.
Reminder: Daycare AGM
Each year, the Daycare holds their Annual General Meeting and hosts a complimentary buffet-style dinner for families, staff and members of the board. This year the Daycare AGM will be on Monday, November 27 at 5:30pm. To reserve your spot, please email Anne Marie at am.lopez@utoronto.ca and for more information about the AGM and Dinner, please click here.
All the Best,
Chriss
