Dear Parents
We can hardly believe that we are in our last days of the Fall Term! In each of our classrooms, this term has been full of engagement, deep learning, and joy. Our final day of the term is on Friday, December 21. We hope you will join us on that morning for our annual Festivals of Light Sing-along (see below). Dismissal on December 21 is at noon. Daycare is open to registered users until 6:00PM.
Staffing News:
We will be hiring a new Physical Education teacher for the remainder of the school year. Michael Martins will teach Grade 5 beginning January as we recently received the unfortunate news that Mary Jane Miller needs to go on an unexpected medical leave. Michael taught Grade 5 prior to his current role in the gym.
We are confident that we will find an excellent Physical Education teacher very soon. An ad has been placed and we always receive many applications. In the meantime, we are covering Phys Ed internally with classroom teachers teaching their own gym classes.
We know that change can be stressful for students, parents, and staff. We are so fortunate at JICS to have a deeply compassionate parent and teacher community who has already begun to reach out to offer their well wishes to Mary Jane and show their appreciation to Michael. The teachers will be explaining this news to the children in developmentally appropriate ways. Thank you, all. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions.
“Festivals of Light” – Friday, December 21 at 8:45 am
We hope you will join us on our last morning together this term as we gather in the auditorium for our cherished annual sing-along. Together we will sing songs representing the diversity of celebrations that take place during this time of year. We ask that parents and guests join the children in their classrooms upon entry and together we will transition to the auditorium at 9:00 am where JICS music teachers, Russell and Suzanne, will lead us in a community sing!
Food Drive
The JICS student ECG Club (Emergency Care Group) are researching and trying to raise awareness about hunger in our local community. They have sent home paper bags with each child to collect non-perishable food items, toiletries and personal hygiene products and bring them to school. The members of the ECG Club will deliver the donations to the local food bank.
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found collection is growing. If your child is missing an article of clothing, please check the rack outside the nursery room. All found items that have name labels in them have been returned to the child.
Hello Snow!
Should you be concerned about adverse weather conditions and/or school closure, information can be found on the University of Toronto Snow Line at 416-978-7669 (978-SNOW). Please add this number to your contacts list. The Laboratory School remains open if the University of Toronto (St. George/Downtown Toronto Campus) is open.
Information about school closure can also be found on the twitter feed on the front page of our school website.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
December 17-21: Fall Report Cards mailed home
Friday, December 21: Holiday Sing in auditorium 9:00 AM. Meet in classroom at 8:45 AM. School closes at noon for Winter Holidays
Monday, January 7: Daycare and School opens for Winter Term
For more important dates, please refer to our School Calendar
Members of the JICS Tech Club pose with their completed projects:
JICS student-run Dance Club practicing in the gym:
