Oct 26, 2023

PA Donations, Halloween Assembly, & Hindu Heritage Month

Updated: Nov 3, 2023

JICS at a Glance

While we expect parents read all the important information in the POST, here are this week's highlights:

Donation to JICS Parents' Association Due
Halloween Assembly - 9:00 AM in the gym. Parents welcome!
Hindu Heritage Month - Parents, help enrich our learning!
Tuition Support Applicants for 2024-2025 - due November 10th

Topics covered in this post:

Parents' Association (PA) - Have you donated?
Halloween
Islamic Heritage Month
November is Hindu Heritage Month
JICS Clothing - Sale Ends TOMORROW
All Weather Play
Financial Support
Junior Grade "Electives"
Grade 6 Field Trips to Kensington Market & Evergreen Brickworks
Upcoming October Events - Islamic Heritage Month & LGBT History Month
Upcoming November Events - Hindu Heritage Month

1. Parents' Association (PA) - Have you donated?

Our Parents’ Association exists to enrich the experience of JICS students. If you have not had the opportunity yet to make your PA donation for this year, please read more about this year’s plan here. Every JICS parent is a member of our Parents’ Association. It is only through financial contributions that the PA is able to support the school. Thank you to those who have donated. We have received donations from 67 families, representing 41% of our parent community.

Our community has raised $20,270.89 of $36,000.00 total.

Click HERE to make your contribution!

If you missed the “All Parents” PA Meeting, here is the budget information that was presented.

2. Halloween

We look forward to the children arriving to school in costume if they wish on Tuesday, October 31. The JICS faculty and staff are creating a special Halloween experience for all. Parents are encouraged to join us for the (JK to Gr 6) Halloween Costume Assembly in the gym at 9:00am. More Halloween information (costumes, candy, etc.) can be found in last week’s POST.

3. Islamic Heritage Month

Thank you, parents for helping us celebrate Islamic Heritage Month and deepen our understanding of the rich and enduring Islamic history by connecting with your child’s teacher this month. We extend an invitation to parents to enhance our educational journey by sharing your Muslim identity with us, not only in October but at any point throughout the year.

This week, award-winning singer/instrumentalist Maryem Tollar and drummer Naghmeh Farahmand enraptured the JICS students and faculty with their talents.

Maryem Tollar is a renowned Egyptian-Canadian vocalist, known for her world music performances. She was nominated for a 2010 Dora Award and was in the 2009 Dora Award winning production of The Children’s Crusade. She performs with several Toronto musical groups including: Al Qahwa and Turkwaz. Maryem was awarded the inaugural 2019 Johanna Metcalf Prize for Performing Arts.

Naghmeh Farahmand is an internationally renowned percussionist. She started playing the tonbak at the age of 6 under the supervision of her father, Mahmoud Farahmand, a well-known tonbak player. Naghmeh also found an interest in the daf and began learning Sufi and Kurdish rhythms from the daf masters Bijan Kamkar and Masoud Habibi. Naghmeh has performed worldwide. In 2016, she released her first instructional DVD on Persian rhythms entitled “The Iranian Daf."

4. November is Hindu Heritage Month

In 2016, the Government of Ontario declared the month of November each year as Hindu Heritage Month. Canadians of Hindu faith have greatly contributed to civic life in Canada for decades and they are a vibrant part of the growth and prosperity of Toronto, Ontario, and Canada. November is an opportunity for our community to celebrate the Hindu way of life, examine its impact and contributions to the world culture, and recognize values which promote compassion, mutual respect, and inclusion. At the JICS Lab School, we are always working to educate ourselves about the beautiful diversity that exists in the world to create respectful and accurate learning experiences for the children. We invite parents to enrich our learning by sharing your Hindu identity with us, this month, or any time in the year. Please contact your child’s/children’s teacher/s.

5. JICS Clothing - Sale Ends TOMORROW

Tomorrow is your last chance to purchase JICS clothing designed by Toronto mural artist, Al Runt. The Parents’ Association have devised a “Pay What You Wish” option for both children and adult items. Don’t miss out! To purchase JICS clothing, please click here.

6. All Weather Play

Children play outside in all-weather at JICS (including light rain, snowy days, and cold conditions). Please send your child with outdoor clothing appropriate to weather conditions. As we enter into a rainy season, please provide indoor shoes so that we are not tracking mud into the classroom spaces and the carpets they lay on.

7. Financial Support

Tuition support is available to current students entering Grades 3-6 in the 2024-2025 school year. The deadline for applications to Apple Financial is November 10.

8. Junior Grade "Electives"

Each Friday afternoon, the children in Grades 4 to 6, participate in an “elective” run by JICS teachers and administrators. These fun, non-academic learning experiences (e.g. baking, cartooning, ping-pong) are designed to develop interpersonal skills and build multi-age relationships. The elective choices and the group formations change every cycle.

Please enjoy some photos from Lego & Board Games, Bracelet Making, Cartooning, Hat Making, Dungeons & Dragons, Baking, Courtyard Explorations and Wild & Wooly Creations.