Parents' Association Meetings, Class Gatherings, Arriving Safely to JICS, Blue Jays Spirit Day & More!
- JICS Office
- Oct 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 7
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Toronto Blue Jays Spirit Day - Friday, October 3
Parents' Association (PA) "All Parents" Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 7:00pm
Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting - Thursday, October 23, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Information about Class Gatherings (formerly known as Class Breakfast)
Announcement from Natural Curiosity
Tribal Vision Dance performance at our Truth and Reconciliation Assembly
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. G'mar Chatima Tovah
Wishing everyone a good final sealing on this holiest day in Judaism.
2. Toronto Blue Jays Spirit Day - Friday, October 3
Show your Blue Jays pride! Wear your Blue Jays gear (caps, jerseys, etc.) or simply dress in blue and white as we cheer on the team. The Jays kick off Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday—let’s send them our support!
Go, Jays, Go!
3. Parents' Association (PA) "All Parents" Meeting - Wednesday, October 8, 7:00pm
All JICS parents are automatically members of the Parents’ Association. Our first meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00 PM on Zoom. We encourage all parents to join us to:
Meet the PA Executive Team
Learn about volunteer opportunities and ways to connect with the school community
Share ideas for Parent Education workshops and hear about upcoming plans
Review the PA budget, goals, and opportunities to support enhanced Arts Programming
We look forward to seeing you there!
4. Class Gatherings (formerly known as Class Breakfasts)
Class Gatherings are beloved traditions. While formerly these would have been pot-luck style breakfasts, this year we are restricting what food will be shared during Class Gatherings (hence the name change). As explained in the 2025-2026 Parent Handbook, the aim of this change is to ensure that any food items served are safe for all the children in the school, not just the children in a specific cohort, protecting the health and safety of any siblings attending the event.
Please refer to the approved food items list for Class Gatherings. This list will be updated each year when all the health and dietary information has been collected for the children currently attending the school, and may be revised periodically. The list will consist of allergen free snack items that may be brought in for class events (e.g. most fruits and vegetables, and product brands such as Made Good, Freeyum), as well as coffee and tea for the adults. You can find the most updated list of allergens, and of foods that are allowed, on the jicsfamily website: https://www.jicsfamily.com/class-gatherings
Homemade or home baked items are not permitted at Class Gatherings.
Other details to note for Class Gatherings:
Class Gatherings usually start a little earlier than our usual school day begins, so parents and children alike can enjoy some time together and then move on to the rest of their day’s activities.
Siblings are required to return to their classrooms by 8:45am so as not to be marked as absent or late for their learning time.
Please send your proposed date for a Class Gathering to Richard and Chriss in advance.
As with all events at school, hosts of Class Gatherings are asked to follow the JICS Green Events Guidelines (found in the Parent Handbook) to minimize waste.
5. Safe Arrival - Driving to JICS
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.
We have received complaints about vehicles heading south using our neighbor's driveway for U-turns, which is both unsafe for families walking on the sidewalk and not respectful to our neighbours.
6. Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting - Thursday, October 23, 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 Thursday, October 23, from 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.
7. Announcement from Natural Curiosity!
The Natural Curiosity program plays a crucial role in advancing the Lab School’s public purpose by supporting educators with understanding the importance of Indigenous perspectives in environmental and all education.
We have currently sold over 18,000+ plus copies of our educator resource, Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition: The Importance of Indigenous Perspectives in Children's Environmental Inquiry. If you want to learn more about Natural Curiosity’s four-branch environmental inquiry framework, deepened by Indigenous perspectives, please view or download this gift copy of the "Intro and Preface" or purchase a copy of the entire book today! It is available in both English and French.
8. 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 October Events
Islamic Heritage Month
Wed 1 to Thur 2 - Yom Kippur
Wed 8 - Parents' Association "All Parents" Meeting - 7:00pm
Mon 13 – Thanksgiving Day. School & Daycare closed.
Thur 16 – Running Club (Grades 4-6) TDSB South Conference —Winston Churchill Park
Mon 20 – Diwali
Thur 23 – Parents of BIPOC Children meeting. 7:00-8:30 PM. Zoom.
Fri 31 - Halloween
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