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Dear JICS Families
We are just “one sleep away” from the start of another amazing year of learning at the JICS Lab School. We have missed you and we are eager to see the children!
The JICS Lab School appreciates and requires your cooperation. Our school opening is based on the assurance that all persons entering the school premises have taken proper precautions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
1. Daily Screening
We require that you screen your child by 8:00am prior to arrival at school each day beginning tomorrow, September 9, 2021. In addition to daily active screening, please note that all students will be monitored at school for possible signs or symptoms of illness.
Use the JICS online Daily COVID-19 Screening form found on the COVID Advisory section of our JICSfamily.com website: https://www.jicsfamily.com/covid-19-screening This is the same link JICS families used last year. The screening criteria has been updated using new TPH information. Please note that there is a separate link for Nursery children.
Lastly, don’t forget to PRESS SUBMIT at the end of the form so that we receive the results and know it is safe for your child to be at school. Thank you for your support.
2. Summer International Travel
The new TPH screening form (updated Sept 1, 2021) states:
If the child/student travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days:
The child/student must follow federal guidelines for quarantine and testing after returning from international travel.
If the child/student is fully vaccinated they may be exempt from federal quarantine. If the child/student is not fully vaccinated, they are not to attend school/child care for 14 days, even if they traveled with a vaccinated companion.
If your child has travelled outside of Canada, please inform your child’s teacher and Shama, our school office administrator, of the return date into Canada and the first day your child can attend school.
3. Rapid Screening Program
The JICS Lab School is participating in the Rapid Screening Consortium through the Creative Destruction Lab. This program adds an additional layer of protection to our school community members in addition to other preventative measures, such as hand hygiene, distancing, and mandatory vaccines for those who are eligible.
The Rapid Screening Program will be mandatory for all students and staff. All rapid screens will be completed at home twice a week for each JICS child.
We expect to receive our delivery of rapid screening kits next week. More information will be shared soon.
4. JICS Family Website & Weekly Posts
The JICS Family website has important information about the school and an archive of Weekly posts which we email to parents each Thursday and we expect parents to read.
5. Parking Reminders
There is no onsite parking available at JICS Lab School and the public streets around the building are largely no parking zones. A list of public parking lots near the school can be found on the visitor’s page of our website: https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/jics/address-directions/
The front of the school at 45 Walmer Rd is reserved for a Kiss and Drive program each morning to ensure the safety of all children arriving at school. This space is only for cars that are moving through in order to drop children off to JICS staff members who are outside on the sidewalk receiving students and taking them to the supervised playground.
Parents cannot leave their cars in the Kiss and Drive zone as it blocks all waiting vehicles from approaching the school and creates an unsafe drop off zone.
Parents are not to park or drop off on the west side of Walmer Road or in front of neighbours’ driveways. Families are requested to cross Walmer Road at the assigned crossing place at Walmer Rd and Kendal Ave.
All families are requested to use Walmer Road as a one-way street heading north. This eases congestion and blockages that often occur at peak times and improves safety for our children.
If you are picking up your child before dismissal, please enter the front doors of 45 Walmer Rd and remain in the reception area until your child is brought to you.
This information can be found in the 2021-2022 Parent Handbook. The Parent Handbook is filled with valuable information and we require all parents to read it and agree to it.
Thank you for your trust and encouragement. Take care of yourselves and each other. See you tomorrow!
All the best,
Richard
Richard Messina (he/him/his)
Principal
Upcoming September Events
Mon 6 to Wed 8 - Rosh Hashanah
Thur 9 – First Day of School & Daycare
Thur 9 to Thur 16 – staggered start for Nursery
Mon 13 – Hot Lunch Program begins (The Lunch Mom)
Wed 15 to Thur 16 – Yom Kippur
Tues 21 – Photo Day
Fri 24 – Terry Fox Run Day
Sat 25 – Franco-Ontario Day
Tues 28 – Lice Check (Thank you, PA!)
Thur 30 – Orange Shirt Day
