Topics covered in this post:
School Closure Update
Top 10 Ways to Encourage Learning At Home
Parent Education with JICS Social Worker
Parents' Association Meeting
JICS “Family Zoom-bilee”
Grade 6 Graduation
Long-Distance Photos!
Upcoming May Events
Upcoming June Events
1. School Closure Update
As you know, The Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce announced this week that the 2019-2020 school year will remain online and students across Ontario, including JICS students, will not be returning to their schools. We certainly anticipated this and we hope that we prepared you for that reality at the Parent Information Night but we realize that some of us were holding out hope that we would have some time together in the building before the end of the school year. Sadly, that is not the case. This announcement allows us to focus with certainty on the remainder of the school year and make sure it is joyful and fun and it allows us to look forward as we plan and prepare for September.
You will need to come by and pick up your child's personal items from their cubbies and their work and artwork. We are in the process of finalizing those details for you and we will share information shortly. We anticipate that in June parents will able to sign up for time slots to come to 45 Walmer Rd to pick up those items for your children.
Individual classroom teachers will also be in touch regarding a teacher-and-parent “check-in”. This is an important opportunity for teachers to gather information to prepare the receiving teacher as we look to the year ahead.
As we look ahead to September we want you to know that we will share specific and detailed information with you as soon as possible for whichever reality we face: social distancing in the school, continued imposed remote-learning, or a hybrid of the two model.
Our decisions regarding programming will continue to reflect our belief that students have different needs at different developmental stages. Our approach is both rigorous and flexible, encouraging the construction of knowledge of the world and of the self. Along with academic learning, we strive to balance social, psychological, and emotional growth to support the healthy development of the whole child. The daily and weekly in-school or remote-learning experience of the child will be intentionally designed in keeping with our principles:
engage the whole child, believing that each learner is an individual who brings body, mind, emotions, relationships, and experiences to learning.
create a secure environment that allows self-expression, exploration, investigation, and creativity to flourish.
believe that learning is a rigorous process of inquiry, driven by curiosity, discourse, assessment and reflection, in pursuit of idea improvement and purposeful innovation.
believe that all learners deserve time to learn deeply, reflect on their learning, and make meaningful connections.
believe that education should be a joyful process.
meet the improved health and safety protocols as they relate to COVID-19.
2. Top 10 Ways to Encourage Learning At Home
Professionally Speaking is the publication of the Ontario College of Teachers. A poll of the top 10 ways that Ontario teachers can encourage families to keep learning going at home is shared in the most recent edition:
Read every day.
Encourage children to cook.
Work on co-operation and problem-solving with board games, card games, and puzzles.
Design and build something with household objects.
Paint, draw, and do crafts.
Explore ideas and topics that genuinely interest each child.
Set aside time for journaling or creative writing.
Discuss and unpack current events in age-appropriate ways.
Care for plants or keep a pet healthy and happy.
Listen to or create music.
3. Parent Education with JICS Social Worker - TONIGHT
Please join us tonight at 7:00pm for “Responsive Parenting During Stormy Times” – a webinar for JICS Families with Social Worker, Ellie Lathrop, MSW, RSW
(Information about the zoom link and password was sent in email.)
Please RSVP here for this event if you wish to receive the zoom link.
4. Parents Association Meeting
Date: Tuesday May 26 at 7pm
Please join the final PA Meeting of the 2019-2020 school year. Thanks to all current PA Executives for their support this year! Beginning in July, the PA will have 4 vacancies: Treasurer, Parent Education, Volunteer Coordinator and Communications. If you have an interest in any of these roles, please reach out to the PA at PAexecJICS@gmail.com.
5. JICS “Family Zoom-bilee”
A JICS community live-streamed end of year celebration event will take place on Thursday, June 4 at 7:00pm. Please mark your calendars. All event information, including details about participating can be found on the event page!
Below are a few ways you can participate, please share these with your children.
All submissions are due by Thursday, May 28th.
DANCE! We need your dance videos - we want to see you dance moves and show them at the Zoom-bilee! You can use your dance from your Phys Ed assignment or record a whole new video. Upload them here!
SING! Help us sing 'With a Little Help from My Friends' in our JICS Music Video! Here's how: Hey JICS, Many of you already know that we are going to record a video of JICS kids singing the Beatles' song 'With a Little Help From My Friends'. We would love you to join in this video! Everyone is welcome to sing all the verses or the chorus. Add your voice in 3 easy steps! 1. Practice singing along to my recording of 'With a Little Help From My Friends' with the lyrics. If you are using a phone you can download the MP3 file. 2. Record a video of you singing the whole song or parts of the song using a recording program while listening to my recording at the same time. (You can use: Photo booth on MAC, Voice Recorder on phone, etc) * You MUST use headphones so that we can only hear YOUR voice, not my recording! * If a parent and child are singing together- use ear buds (one in each person's ear) so you can stay together with me! 3. Upload your personal video to the JICS Zoombilee Music Video Dropbox!
Any questions? Please email me at rleonband@gmail.com
Can't wait to hear our voices together!
Russell
Again, please make sure to upload any submissions by THURSDAY, MAY 28 so they can be edited together by June 4th!
6. Grade 6 Graduation
For the first time in JICS history, the Grade 6 Graduation will be live-streamed for the entire JICS student and family community to observe. Join us on Thursday, June 11, 1:30pm to celebrate the class of 2020! Details coming soon.
7. Long-Distance Photos!
Send photos to Tory for future posts: tory.mccracken@utoronto.ca
8. Upcoming May Events
Thurs 21 – Parent Ed Webinar: Responsive Parenting During Stormy Times by JICS Social Worker, Ellie Lathrop. 7:00pm
Tues 26 – Parents’ Association Zoom Meeting. 7:00pm
9. Upcoming June Events
Tues 2 – Daycare Board Meeting
Thurs 4 – JICS “Family Zoom-bilee” A community live stream end of year celebration event. 7:00pm (formerly known as Music Night) Event information here
Thurs 11 – Grade 6 Graduation Ceremony live stream 1:30pm
Fri 12 – Last day of school
Tues 30 – Report Cards mailed home
