Topics covered in this post:
March Break
COVID-19 Update
Staffing-Nursery
Readathon
PHA Dance – Fundraising Results
Hot Lunch Program
Tree Tapping at JICS
Books and Bookshelf in Reception
Upcoming March Events
Upcoming April Events
1. March Break
We wish everyone a fun and safe March Break, March 9 to 20. The daycare will be open for registered students March 9 to 13. School and daycare will reopen on Monday, March 23. If you are looking for a fun family outing, UofT has organized an exclusive event for UofT families at Young People’s Theatre. See here for more info.
Deepta Rayner, President of the Parents' Association, would like to wish the JICS community a happy and safe march break from everyone in the PA!
2. COVID-19 Update
Below is an update from Toronto Public Health with regards to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa:
At JICS together with public health agencies, we continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available. Additional helpful information can be found at the Government of Canada website
3. Staffing Information
Nursery teacher, Norah L'Esperance, will be taking a leave of absence for the 2020-2021 school year as she and her family will be spending time in Brazil, where her husband is from. We wish Norah all the best in this family adventure! We have placed an ad for an exemplary one-year Nursery teacher. The hiring committee: Chriss, Judith, Carol, Marcia, Kenisha, Deepta Rayner (PA President and parent representative), Dr. Rhonda Martinussen (JICS Director) and Richard (chair of the committee). If there are qualities of the new teacher you would like the committee members to consider in their decision making, please email Deepta or Richard. JICS staffing information for all grades and specialties will be shared in April.
4. Read-A-Thon
Dear JICS Families!
March is a special month for families and for READING!
The 26th annual JICS READ-A-THON kicks off this week, and will run until the first week of April.Your child will bring home a form this week. They can set goals for their reading, and collect pledges for what they read over this month.
This will look different depending on your child. The commitment to reading can be by book, by chapter, or by books shared (picture books/information books). Help your child document each day that they read, and collect pledges from family members and friends based on READING. The funds gathered go directly toward visiting authors, illustrators, and storytellers, and to purchasing books for the library.
Thanks for your continued support of the Jackman ICS Library!
Krista
5. PHA Parent Dance – Fundraising Results!
Congratulations to the planning committee of the Patrick Harvie Arts Fund Dance on Feb 21. Our community raised $9,742.64. The PHA Committee is already at work identifying ways to enrich the arts programming at JICS and exploring artists for our artist-in-residence program. Thank you to all!
6. Hot Lunch Program
Visit the www.thelunchmom.com website to place your order for the Spring Term. Choose “Find Your School” and select JICS
7. Tree Tapping at JICS
There was much excitement at the afternoon recess as the children gathered to watch one of the trees being tapped for sweet water. JICS parent Doug Anderson along with Gr 2 teacher, David Osorio, drilled into a Norway Maple (at the north west corner of the playground) and attached a tube to collect the sweet water. We look forward to tasting the sweet water from a tree right on our property (identified by JICS student, Isaac). This is part of the JICS mission of providing “land-based education”, viewing our environment through indigenous ways.
8. Books and Bookshelf in Reception
JICS received a special gift from Ignite the Spirit of Education Foundation: a beautiful handcrafted bookshelf with a thoughtful selection of Indigenous resources (picture books, novels and information books) for the JICS children and teachers to borrow. This assortment of books will add to our current collection of Indigenous books in the JICS Library.
9. Upcoming March Events (Read-athon Month):
Thurs 5 – OISE Dean’s Advisory Board for the Lab School Meeting with parent reps Nadia Thomas and Hasina Lookman; alumni parents Fred Cassano and Grant McCutcheon.
Mon 9 - Fri 13 – March Break (week 1) School closed. Daycare open. Register
Mon 16 - Fri 20 – March Break (week 2) School and Daycare closed.
Mon 23 – Spring Term begins. Daycare opens at 8:00am; School opens at 8:45am
Tues 24 – Parent Education Event: Robbie Case Memorial Lecture with Dr. Herb Ginsberg, Columbia U. 6:00pm Register
Wed 25 – First day of Wednesday Afternoon Program-Spring Term
Thurs 26 – School-wide lice check, courtesy of the JICS Parents’ Association
Thurs 26 – Parent Education Event: Robbie Case Memorial Lecture with Dr. Doug Clements, University of Denver 6:00pm Register
Tues 31 – Grade 6 & Grade 7 Reunion “Pizza Night” to learn about transitioning to new school 3:30-5:30pm
10. Upcoming April Events:
Wed 1 – Gr 1 Parent Breakfast
Fri 2 – (TBC) Parent Ed “Coffee and Conversation” Engaging Families in Preparing JICS Students for the Future. 8:30-9:30. Room 120
Tues 7 – Daycare Board meeting 5:30-7:00 Room 120
Wed 8 – Passover begins
Thurs 9 – Last day of teacher candidate Winter Internship and Block 3 practicum placement in JK-Gr 6
Fri 10 – Good Friday. School & Daycare closed.
Mon 13 – Easter Monday. School & Daycare closed.
Wed 15 – Parent/Teacher Interview day
Mon 20 – PA Meeting 6:00pm
Mon 20 - Fri 24 Earth Week
Wed 22 – Fri 24 International Association of Lab Schools Conference at JICS
Fri 24 – PD Day. School closed. Daycare open.
Wed 29 – Fri 1 Gr 5 & Gr 6 Ottawa Trip
Wed 29 – Parent/Teacher Interview day
Thurs 30 – JK Parent Breakfast
Thurs 30 – 2nd tuition payment due (50% of balance). Make cheque payable to University of Toronto
As a part of their learning during Black History Month, the Grade 6s worked on a project to create beautiful giant portraits of Black History figures. You can find them hanging all around the school:
