Parent Lunch & Learn, Indigenous Learning at JICS, Hot Dog Night, Bike Parade, JICS Golf Tournament, Grandpals Day, & More!
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience
Grandpals Day Grade 1-6 - Tomorrow!
Lunch & Learn with Trina Epstein - Friday May 29th
Register for the 2nd Annual JICS Bike Parade - Thursday, May 14
One Month Until Hot Dog Night!
Kids Who Care Club - Book Drive & Cancer Research Fundraiser
Parent of BIPOC Children Group - Updates
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
JICS Centennial Golf Tournament - New Date Announced!
Early Years (Nursery, JK, SK) Grandpals Day - Wednesday, May 20
Indigenous Medicine Planting and Sacred Fire in Courtyard - Thursdays in May
Save the Date - Virtual Lunch & Learn with Dr. Trina Epstein - Friday May 29th, 12:00-1:00pm
Kids Who Care Club - Children's Health Issues Branch - Fundraiser
1. 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!
2. Enjoy the long weekend
The School (Nursery to Grade 6) and Daycare will be closed Friday, May 15 (UofT President’s Day) and Monday, May 18 (Victoria Day). We wish families, teachers, and staff a relaxing and joyful long weekend.
3. One Month Until Hot Dog Night!
June 3 is coming fast, and we have a lot of fun news to share. Here's your quick update.
Tickets prices go up May 20. Dont wait!
Early Bird prices are still available now, and every ticket sold before May 20 helps us plan a better night for everyone. Plus the class with the most early-bird tickets wins a pizza party, so you're not just buying a ticket, you're helping your kid's class win big!
LAST CALL for T-shirts is next week!
This is your friendly reminder that pre-orders close May 12. If you want your limited edition Centennial Hot Dog Night tee ready and waiting for you on the night, now's the time. After May 12, they're gone.
SURPRISE! You can dunk a teacher. Yes, really!
We're thrilled to finally let it out ... this year, Hot Dog Night has a dunk tank!! Buy your Dunk Tickets online now for your chance to send a teacher or staff member into the water. This is the opportunity your children didn't know they've been waiting their whole school career for! All proceeds from the dunk tank support the JICS Endowment Fund.
A raffle you don't want to miss!
We don't want to oversell it, so we'll just tell you what's on the table: courtside basketball tickets. TIFF Gala Opening Film tickets. A family art class. A family poetry party. And more. The full list is available at JICSHotDogNight.com. Raffle tickets are $5 each and all proceeds from the Hot Dog Night Raffle support the Patrick Harvie Art Fund.
How can you help make Hot Dog Night special?
Visit JICSHotDogNight.com to order your tickets and merch today.
We're counting down the days and can't wait to see you at Hot Dog Night!
Message brought to you by the JICS Hot Dog Committee, Loving Hot Dogs Since 1926
4. 2nd Annual JICS Bike Parade - Thursday, May 14
Meet at Christie Pits — Ride together, arrive in style! Start your morning right… on two wheels!
We’re rolling out the red carpet (ok fine, it's asphalt) for the second JICS Bike Parade! Join us Thursday, May 14 at 8:00 AM at Christie Pits for a joyful, police-escorted ride to school. Yes, you read that right — police escorts! It’s like the Tour de France… but with less spandex and more backpacks.
AND, you will be joined by cyclists Luke, Audrey, Jessica, Chriss, Richard and many more teachers!
The Route:
→ Starting at North West corner of Christie Pits
→ East along Barton Avenue
→ North on Brunswick
→ East on Wells Avenue
→ South on Kendal, around the roundabout, and straight to JICS!
Basically: short, sweet, super safe — and all about the vibes.
The Details:
→ Bikes only (no scooters or rollerblades — safety first!)
→ Parents must accompany their child or arrange to ride with friends
→ Led by our very own Luke a.k.a Captain Commuter
→ Parade ends at JICS — with glory, good vibes, snacks and probably a few helmet hair situations
Where to Meet:
→ Gather at the NORTH WEST CORNER of Christie Pits Park (before 8:00am)
→ The parade will depart from Christie Pits at 8:00am sharp
Why join?
It’s fun.
It’s safe.
It’s community.
And it’s a chance to practice bike safety and show off those biking skills (and that bell you insist on ringing every 3 seconds).
Interested?
So we know who's riding!
Let’s fill the streets with bikes, smiles, and JICS spirit! See you at the start line! 🚴♀️🚴🚴♂️
5. Grade 1-6 Grandpals Day at JICS - Tomorrow!
We are looking forward to hosting the grandparents and “grandpals” of Grade 1 to 6 students tomorrow after school. Registered guests have been emailed directly with event details. Students who are not participating will be dismissed at their regular pick-up time.
6. Early Years (Nursery, JK, SK) Grandpals Day - Wednesday, May 20
Grandpals Day for our Nursery, JK, and SK students will take place on Wednesday, May 20. We are pleased to invite grandparents and special family friends to join us for a joyful morning at JICS.
Guests are welcome to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to spend time in the classroom, followed by our Music Day performance at 9:00 a.m. in the gym, where all Early Years classes will be performing.
To ensure your child’s guest receives all event details directly (and to avoid any missed communication), please provide their name and email address using this link. We will send all information to them directly.
7. Indigenous Medicine Planting and Sacred Fire in Courtyard - Thursdays in May
Throughout the month of May, Doug Anderson (Author of Natural Curiosity) and Brad Ashkewe (Firekeeper) will be in the courtyard each Thursday afternoon (May 7, May 14, May 21, May 28), from 12:00pm - 4:00pm.
Doug and Brad will light the Sacred Fire, Feast the Bundle, and will be Planting Medicines around the school. Classes will visit the courtyard and work with Doug, Brad, and their teacher. Parents are welcome to join the fire alongside Doug and Brad.
8. Parents of BIPOC Children Group - Updates
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.
What & Why: 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. In everything, we aim to create a safe space to enjoy community, identify issues, support one another, celebrate differences, and be responsive to what families need.
When: Upcoming events - Save the Dates!
Monday, May 25 evening (Cancelled)
Friday May 29 at 3:30pm - Potluck Picnic in Sibelius Park (parents and kids!)
The picnic RSVP will be made available closer to the date.
Please kindly reach out to Adrienne Chan (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.
9. Save the Date! Virtual Lunch & Learn with Dr. Trina Epstein - Friday May 29th, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Save the date!
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!
Registration will be available closer to the date.
10. Kids Who Care Club - Children's Health Issues Branch Fundraiser
A message from the Kids Who Care Club: Children's Health Issues Branch
Dear JICS Families,
The Children’s Health Issues Branch (CHI) of the Kids Who Care Club is fundraising for Childhood Cancer Canada. We are fundraising for cancer research and to make sure that no childhood is lost to cancer. Every day, children are facing the unimaginable, which is why even a bit of money for research, or to put a smile on a kid's face, is worth it. We have set up an online fundraiser that is available to donate. It is open now and will end on June 3rd at 8:00 PM which is the date and time of our school event Hot Dog Night’s ending. We will have a booth set up at Hot Dog Night too. Please scan the QR code, or click below to access the fundraiser:
Thank you for your support of this important cause!
Bea, Arwen, Sam, and Tasha, leaders of CHI
11. Kids Who Care Club - Book Drive!
Dear Guardians and Educators,
The Kids Who Care Community Branch has put together a Book Drive to collect and donate books to the Children’s Book Bank
The JICS Lab School has a long history of supporting the Children’s Book Bank since its inception in 2008. Please enjoy this news story featuring our students, teachers, and parents!
This year we have exchanged emails with Kim Beatty, the founder of this organization, and announced the commencement of our Book Drive at the Wonderful Welcoming Month of Rainbow Assembly.
If you are willing to donate, you may bring your books to the reception in the box labeled “Book Drive Donations.” The books you donate must be in a good condition and a few suggestions which are needed the most are the following:
Baby books & board books (e.g. flap books, Eric Carle)
Books with diverse characters: stories reflecting our community
Preschooler books (e.g. easy to read books)
Non-fiction: Dinosaurs, animals, nature, space, Egypt, Cars, soccer, basketball
Popular Titles: Harry Potter, Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid,
Captain Underpants
Graphic novels & manga: all ages
The books that you are kindly donating can be brand new, or gently used but overall, in good condition. On the books, there should be no yellowing, water damage, rips or stains. Please do not bring in Textbooks, Encyclopedias, Workbooks, Damaged Books, Library Books, Self-published Books.
The Book Drive began on April 10 and is ending on June 4, 2026.
Thank you!
12. Natural Curiosity's #52WeeksOfReconciliAction
Parents: Are you ready to learn, connect, and act for reconciliation in 2026?
Natural Curiosity's #52WeeksOfReconciliAction offers a structured path for your learning journey. Each week features practical steps you can take to promote respect, understanding, and healing. Explore our Shared Resource List for weekly inspiration, reading materials, discussion prompts, and more! Also, please like and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to help spread the word.
Below are some examples of how the Lab School has contributed to the ReconciliActions.
Join us as we learn and grow together!
Wanakita Fun!
Some moments from the Grade 6 Camp Wanakita Trip last week
Upcoming May Events
Asian Heritage Month
Fri 8 – Grade 1-6 Grandpals afterschool visit
Thur 14 – Bike Parade. 8:00am Meet at Christie Pits and ride to JICS
Fri 15 – School & Daycare closed. UofT Presidential Day
Mon 18 – School & Daycare closed. Victoria Day
Wed 20 – Music Day. 9:00am performance for Nursery/JK/SK. 6:00pm performance for Grades 1-6.
Wed 20 – Grandpals Day (Nursery/JK/SK)
Thur 21 – Shavuot (begins at sunset)
Tues 26 – Games Day
Tues 26 – Eid al-Adha (begins at sunset)
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