JICS Centennial Collection Merchandise, School Wide Clothing Swap, Kids Who Care Club Announcements, Book Fair, Book Night, and more JICS News!
- JICS Office
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
JICS Merchandise on sale until November 14 - HERE!
Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting - Wednesday, November 19, 7:00-8:30pm (Zoom)
School Wide Clothing Swap
Pictures from our thoughtful Remembrance Day Assembly
Announcements & initiatives from the Kids Who Care Club
More exciting JICS news from this week!
Moments from JICS!
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
Last Day to Purchase - JICS Centennial Collection Merchandise
Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting - Wednesday November 19, 7:00-8:30pm (Zoom)
The JICS Kids Who Care Club honour World Children's Day with a Drive for the Christie Welcome Centre
Parent Education Night: Caregiving in the Era of Smartphones and Social Media
Learn Cree with Natural Curiosity: A Journey of Reconciliation
Remembrance Day Assembly at JICS
1. Last Day to Purchase - JICS Centennial Collection Merchandise
Our exclusive JICS Centennial Collection, created in collaboration with an alumni-owned business, is on sale now. Every purchase supports the JICS Lab School Endowment Fund, which provides tuition support to help ensure that JICS remains a diverse and inclusive community where every child can thrive.
What’s Available: Adult and youth t-shirts and sweatshirts, tote bags, baseball caps, and kids’ toques—something for everyone in the family!
Order Deadline: Friday, November 14 at 11:59 PM
All items are made-to-order. Please allow 2–3 weeks after the deadline for processing and school pick-up.
See Before You Buy!
Samples will be on display in the reception this week—perfect time to try on for size, colour or style!
Shop the Collection: https://paperbackpost.com/pages/jics-centennial
Learn more about the Endowment Fund: Read here
Don’t miss out—grab your JICS Centennial gear and wear your school pride while supporting our community’s future!
2. Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting - Wednesday November 19, 7:00-8:30pm (Zoom)
Created by JICS parents for JICS parents, these meetings are designed for conversation and advocacy for families at JICS with BIPOC children. All parents of a BIPOC student at JICS are welcome. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 7:00pm - 8:30pm on Zoom.
The intention of this Group is to create a safe space where parents of BIPOC children can socialize, share community, identify issues, and be a sounding board for one another. We also discuss how the JICS BIPOC parents can support the teachers and help with the school's cultural celebrations.
Please reach out to Adrienne.chan@sunnybrook.ca, our WhatsApp Group administrator, if you would like to be added to the Parents of JICS BIPOC Kids WhatsApp Group. We aim to be a resource for you, year-round.
3. School-Wide Children Clothing Swap - Friday, November 21
As the weather cools, join us in making wardrobes more sustainable! The Parents' Association is excited to host our third annual clothing swap on Friday, November 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 120 near reception.
How to Participate: Drop off gently used child-sized clothing and winter gear with Paige at reception anytime through November 20th.
During the Swap: Come to JICS any time between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on November 21st in Room 120 and browse the selection of gently-used clothing for anything your child may need
After the Swap: All remaining items will be donated to local families in need.
4. The JICS Kids Who Care Club honours World Children's Day with a Drive for the Christie Welcome Centre
Dear JICS Lab School Community:
Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have the right to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate for their age. In honour of World Children’s Day on November 20, the United Nations’ annual day of action for children by children, for the second year, the JICS Kids Who Care Club is launching a Fun Drive for children aged 0-18 who are guests at the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre.
Here is a list of items that the Christie Welcome Centre staff have told us their guests would appreciate. We invite you to bring donations to the reception area in the school. Please note that they are requesting new, unused items only.
Plush toys/stuffed animals for babies (with embroidered eyes)
Early learning toys
Dolls
Soccer and basket balls
Musical instrument toys
Bracelet makers
Pretend play sets
Building blocks
Cozy blankets or slippers for teen girls
The drive will continue until November 28, when all donated items will be delivered to the Centre. This deadline is firm as the staff will be wrapping them up and giving the gifts to their clients during a holiday celebration.
Thank you!
The Grade 6 leaders of the Kids Who Care Club, Community Branch
5. Book Fair and Book Night
Two beloved JICS community annual events return this year – the Book Fair and Book Night!
On Tuesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 3, books will be available for sale in our foyer. The highly recommended bookshop, Another Story, will supply books for both children and adults, with 20% of the sales benefiting the JICS Library. Parents, please support our library while doing your holiday shopping!
Back by popular demand, we will host a "Book Night Pyjama Party" on Wednesday, December 3, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in our gym, designed for Nursery to Grade 6 children and their families. This evening will feature activities for all ages to enjoy.
6. Lebanese Heritage Month
Lebanese Canadians have, for generations, made significant social, economic, cultural, religious, military, philanthropic and political contributions to our social fabric and to the strength, resilience, and diversity of our communities. Lebanese people around the world celebrate Lebanese Independence Day in commemoration of their nation gaining independence on November 22, 1943. We invite Lebanese Canadian members of our community to share your traditions and culture with us at JICS. Please contact your child’s teacher.
7. Parent Education Night: Caregiving in the Era of Smartphones and Social Media
If you missed the fantastic presentation by psychologist Dr. Zia Lakdawalla, Director of Foundations for Emotional Wellness, and Rebecca Snow, co-founder of Unplugged Canada’s Toronto chapter, about supporting children and teens to navigate the world of smart phones and social media, good news! The talk was recorded and you can access it here: https://www.jicsfamily.com/parent-ed
We highly recommend all parents view this wonderful talk by Dr. Zia Lakdawalla and Unplugged Toronto coordinator, Rebecca Snow. It covers important information and strategies to:
Set healthy limits around phones and social media
Build stronger real-life connections with their kids
Delay smartphone use with confidence
Support collective action through the Unplugged Pledge
Help your child thrive in a wired world — it’s never too late to unplug and reconnect.
If you are interested in more support to manage or delay your children’s screen time, consider joining a follow-up meeting with our in-house school psychologist, Dr. Trina Epstein.
8. Learn Cree with Natural Curiosity: A Journey of Reconciliation
Natural Curiosity is pleased to offer an Introductory Online Nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree) Language Course this winter, fostering Indigenous perspectives and intercultural understanding within our community.
Our Winter 2026 Course is open to everyone – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants who wish to learn to uplift language revitalization. Online learning sessions begin January 6th to March 3rd.
Unable to commit to the course but want to help make Indigenous language learning more accessible? Your donation to Natural Curiosity directly supports language revitalization, ensuring more learners can access these vital programs.
9. Remembrance Day Assembly at JICS
Remembrance Day Assembly, 2025
10. Parent Volunteer Opportunities at JICS!
There is now an easier way to volunteer at JICS! Simply visit the JICS Parent Volunteer Opportunities page on the JICSfamily website. The entire year of volunteer opportunities is listed along with dates so you can schedule these opportunities into your calendar well in advance of the event. You will then receive a reminder and instructions three days prior to the event. Plans change? No problem, just email and let us know and we will take you off the list.
Thank you in advance for your gift of time to the school. Please email Casey at Casey.dabiet@gmail.com with any questions.
Upcoming November Events
Hindu Heritage Month
Mon 17 - Class Rep Social
Wed 19 – Meeting of Parents of BIPOC Children 7:00 PM
Thur 20 – Final Day of Block 1 of MA CSE Teacher-Candidate Placement
Fri 21 – Final day of Teacher-Candidate Internship
Fri 21 – JICS Children’s Clothing Swap
Fri 28 – Final Day of Drive for the Christie Welcome Centre
Upcoming December Events
Tues 2 – Giving Tuesday
Tues 2 & Wed 3 – JICS Book Fair
Wed 3 – 6:00-7:00pm Book Night Pyjama Party – gym
Mon 15 – Hanukkah begins
Fri 19 – 9:00am Holiday Singalong “Festivals of Light”
Fri 19 – Last Day of Fall Term Dismissal at 12:00 (Daycare open for registered users)
Mon 22 – Winter Holidays begin
Sun 21 – Winter Solstice & Yalda Night
Thur 25 – Christmas
Fri 26 – Kwanzaa begins
Upcoming January Events
Mon 5 – Start of Winter Term. School and Daycare open.
Wed 7 – Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox)
Mon 12 – 6:00PM JICS at the Movies “Steal Away”, Innis College, UofT
Wed 14 – Reenrolment form and deposit due date
Tues 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day