Eid Mubarak! Parent Education Event with Alyson Schafer, Lunch & Learn with Dr. Trina Epstein, Parents of BIPOC Children Potluck, Hot Dog Night, Staffing Update, and More!
- 42 minutes ago
- 7 min read
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience
Upcoming Parent Education Event - Tonight - register here!
Lunch & Learn with Trina Epstein - Friday, May 29th - register here!
Photos and videos from our Music Day & Night
Register for the JICS Golf Tournament - here!
7 Days Until Hot Dog Night!
Games Day Fun! Thank you to the Grade 6 Class!
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
Eid Mubarak!
1. Street Parking
We value our positive relationship with our neighbours, and this week we received several concerns from residents on Walmer Road and Kendal Avenue regarding vehicles blocking driveways and parking illegally in ways that make two-way traffic difficult.
Some neighbours also shared that, when they attempted to speak with drivers, the interactions were not respectful.
We ask all families to help us maintain a safe and considerate environment for both our community and our neighbours. There is no need for families with children in JK to Grade 6 to park in the morning, as staff supervise the Kiss and Drive area in front of the school each morning. For end-of-day pick-up, families may use the paid parking lot located behind Walmer Road Baptist Church.
Parking enforcement officers will be ticketing illegally parked vehicles.
Please share this information other care-givers who pick up your child. Thank you for your help.
2. Parent Education Event: Alyson Schafer on Firm & Friendly Parenting: Raising Cooperative Children Without Power Struggles - This evening: 5:30-7:30pm
The JICS Parent Ed Committee is pleased to announce that family counsellor and acclaimed parenting expert, Alyson Schafer, is coming to JICS!!
Please join us on tonight to hear Alyson share her parenting insights on
Firm & Friendly Parenting: Raising Cooperative Children Without Power Struggles
In our efforts to be kind-hearted parents, we often side step conflicts by ignoring the need to create and enforce limits and boundaries with our kids. In this talk, Alyson Schafer will help parents:
Recognize their dominant parenting style
Learn why limits and boundaries are necessary for our children to flourish
Identify the dynamics of a power struggle
Learn a 4-step model to move from conflict to co-operation.
Tools and techniques to use immediately
Free babysitting is available for this event. Please let Chriss know if you would like to register your child for babysitting.
About the Speaker:
Alyson Schafer is a family counsellor with over 20 years of clinical experience and is one of Canada’s most notable parenting experts. She is the author of 3 best-selling parenting books, including “Honey, I Wrecked The Kids” and hosts Canada’s number one parenting podcast “Parenting The Adlerian Way”. She speaks and teaches internationally, and in Canada you’ll find her on numerous media outlets.
3. Virtual Lunch & Learn with Dr. Trina Epstein - Tomorrow: 12:00 - 1:00pm
On Friday, May 29th from 12:00 - 1:00pm, Dr. Trina Epstein (Psychologist at JICS) will be leading a Virtual Lunch & Learn. The focus of the session will be cognitive flexibility (stretching our brains!). Trina has been working in each of our classrooms to help students learn and understand what it means to have cognitive flexibility. She will be sharing this work and providing tips for how parents can keep this "brain stretching" going at home!
4. Parents of BIPOC Children Potluck - Tomorrow!
Who we are: Created by JICS parents for JICS parents, the BIPOC Group welcomes all parents of a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or Person of Colour) student at JICS.
Why: Foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the JICS community.
What: Through sharing safe space, collective/collaborative action, and celebrating differences that bring everyone together, we support and uplift the JICS parents of BIPOC children and their families.
How: Virtual and in-person meetings, socials, social media group (WhatsApp), and connecting with the Teacher’s Equity and Inclusion Committee. Potential activities include advocacy, coordination for cultural celebrations, and fundraising for special causes and campaigns. In everything, we create a safe space to enjoy community, identify issues, support one another, and celebrate differences.
Upcoming event: Family Picnic at Sibelius Park – Friday, May 29, 3:30pm
Contact Info: Please kindly reach out to Adrienne.chan@sunnybrook.ca our Group WhatsApp and Technical Administrator, or Carissa Wong (647-882-7017) our Group Chair, if you have any questions, comments, or would like to be added to the Parents of JICS BIPOC Kids WhatsApp Group.
5. JICS Hot Dog Night is 7 Nights Away!
1 WEEK UNTIL HOT DOG NIGHT!
Winning class for PIZZA LUNCH!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADE 1 CLASS AND GRADE 3 CLASS! You have won a Pizza Lunch!
Last Call! Get your tickets! Get your tickets here!
Sun will be shining! Kids will be running. Fun will be had!
Raffle Tickets: Super amazing prizes. Basketball game tickets, poetry workshop, swim classes, TIFF tickets, art classes, and lots more! Check the full list online. Proceeds going to the Art Fund.
Dunk tickets: Cat is out of the bag! Dunk a teacher or your principal supporting an amazing cause: the endowment fund! Thank you to our brave volunteers: Richard, Luke, Walker, Simone
Need to know for June 3rd!
It’s cool to care for our Earth! Bring your water bottle there will be water filling stations.
Don’t drive! There will be very limited parking. Other forms of commuting highly encouraged.
The JICS Hot Dog Night Committee Loving Hot Dogs Since 1926
6. JICS Centennial Golf Tournament
New Date Announcement – Friday, October 2, 2026!
The JICS Centennial Golf Championship — Fore the Future has been rescheduled to Friday, October 2, 2026 at Angus Glen Golf Club. All previously reserved tickets and sponsorships will be honoured for the new date.
The new fall date opens the door to broader participation from our JICS family, alumni, and partner community because a centennial only comes once, and we want as many of you on the course as possible!
Join us for a full day of championship golf on the renowned South Course, featuring curated food and beverage experiences, premium contests (including Beat the Pro and Closest to the Keg), and an evening reception as we celebrate 100 years of impact from the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study.
Tickets:
• Foursome – $2,000 (Early Bird: save 10% when booked by June 15)
• Individual Golfer – $600
• Evening Reception – $100
All skill levels are welcome.
🏆 Winning foursome picks ONE grade to receive a pizza party with a very special guest 🍕 plus bragging rights to lead the school in an assembly activity of their imagination!
🎓 If Grade 6 wins, they get a special reunion pizza party back at JICS this fall.
👉 Register today or explore sponsorship opportunities
We look forward to seeing you on the course!
7. Staffing Update from Principal Richard Messina
As principal, one of my most important responsibilities is ensuring our school is staffed with exceptional educators. This complex process involves many considerations, including confidential information. At the JICS Lab School, we approach every staffing decision with great care and thoughtfulness to ensure that each grade and specialty subject is led by outstanding teachers.
Our 2026-2027 staffing plan has been thoughtfully designed to ensure excellence in teaching and learning. We are excited about the year ahead and the outstanding team leading our classrooms:
Nursery – Charlotte Henderson. RECE: Debbie Young, Susan Scott, Alicia Robillard
JK – Marcia Bumbury. RECE: Kenisha Peters
SK – Carol Stephenson
Gr 1 – Erika Stein
Gr 2 – Jessica Haber
Gr 3 – Michael Martins
Gr 4/5 – Raadiyah Nazeem
Gr 4/5 – Audrey Madsen
Gr 6 – Walker Kitchens
Art – Tara Rousseau
Music – Bailey Grineage and Russell Hersen
French – Tania Debss and Christel Durand
Library/Land-Based Education – Krista Spence
Physical Education – Luke Van Ryn
Inclusive Education – Judith Kimel, Nick Song
STEM – Nick Song
Drama – Sarah Murray
Principal – Richard Messina
Vice Principal – Chriss Bogert
JICS Director – Dr. Eunice Jang
Business Officer – Jun Cheng
School Office Administrator – Shama Joshi
Administrative Assistant & In-House Supply Teacher – Simone Serafini
Special Programs Teacher – Victoria Sandic
Receptionist – Paige Lancaster
Lunch Room Supervisor – Luis Alves
*Combined Grade 4 & 5 Classes: At JICS Lab School, we recognize the immediate and long-term benefits of combined grades at Grade 4 and Grade 5. These classes provide students with opportunities to develop new relationships and engage with learning in unique ways. Our intentionally diverse environment fosters the development of crucial social skills and helps students appreciate and value diversity, including diversity of ideas. The team (classroom teachers, inclusive education teachers, and administration) is currently designing two balanced Grade 4/5 cohorts for the 2026-2027 school year. Parents will be notified of the assignments by the end of June.
8. JICS Daycare June Camp
Week 1: June 15-19 More information can be found HERE!
Week 2: June 22-26 Register until June 9 at ics.after.school.daycare@gmail.com
9. Clay on Display!
We will be holding an end-of-year display of hand-built clay sculptures from JK through Grade 6 next week, from Tuesday, June 2nd, through Friday, June 5th. All Grades will have their work for you to enjoy in the McCain Pavilion, overlooking our gymnasium. Please drop by if you can and see the wonderful pieces our students have created.
10. Birds of Anishinaabe Aki Returns
Birds of Anishinaabe Aki Returns June 16 | 5:00–6:30 PM
Natural Curiosity is excited to come together again with Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andrés Jiménez, and Junaid Khan (Creators Garden Birds) for another exploration of the ecological knowledge held within Anishinaabemowin bird names.
Discover how these names reflect relationships, responsibilities, and the roles birds play in the natural world, offering insights beyond western scientific naming. Whether you’re new or returning, there’s always something to learn.
This offering will be:
✨ Free for all Indigenous participants
✨ Offered on a sliding scale for non-Indigenous participants
These registration fees help to cover the costs of future Indigenous language courses, including paying teachers, facilitators and Elders appropriately, and makes the learning available to those whose language was stolen.
Photos from the Track & Field Meet
Videos from Music Day & Night!
Upcoming May Events
Asian Heritage Month
Fri 29 – Parents of BIPOC Children Potluck Picnic at Sibelius Park
Upcoming June Events
Canada's National Indigenous History Month & World Pride Month
Wed 3 – Hot Dog Night 6:00-8:00pm
Thur 11 - Grade 6 Graduation Ceremony 1:30pm. Guests: JK to Gr 5 students and Gr 6 parents.
Fri 12 – Last day of school. Noon dismissal. “Graduates Clap-Out.” Daycare until 6:00pm.
Fri 19 – Report Cards posted online
Mon 15 to Fri 26 – Daycare June Camp