Parents of BIPOC Children Meeting, Upcoming Parent Education Event, Halloween Reminders, Diwali Celebrations, & More!
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Parents of BIPOC Children: Virtual Meeting - Monday, October 19, 7:00-8:00pm.
Register below!
Parent Education Webinar with Alyson Schafer - Tuesday, October 20, 7:00-8:00pm. Register below!
Celebrate Diwali with us at JICS!
Arriving to school - Reminders!
An announcement from Natural Curiosity
Moments from this week!
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. Parents of BIPOC Children Group: Virtual Meeting - Monday, October 19, 7:00-8:00pm
Please join the Parents of BIPOC Children Group for an online meeting to discuss the year’s plans.
When: Monday October 19th, 7:00-8:00pm.
We invite you to bring any topics or questions you’d like to raise!
Mission of the Parents of BIPOC Children’s Group: Through sharing safe space, collective/collaborative action, and celebrating differences that bring everyone together, we support and uplift the JICS parents of BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Colour) children and their families.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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.
2. Parent Education Webinar: Alyson Schafer on Firm & Friendly Parenting: Raising Cooperative Children Without Power Struggles - Tuesday October 20, 7:00-8:00pm
The JICS Parent Ed Committee is pleased to announce that family counsellor and acclaimed parenting expert, Alyson Schafer, is returning to JICS!!
Many of us enjoyed a memorable parent education session with Alyson on Firm and Friendly Parenting: Raising Cooperative Children Without Power Struggles in the Spring. For those of you who were unable to join us, the good news is that Alyson has offered to repeat that session over zoom on October 20.
Please join us on Tuesday, October 20 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:
1. Recognize their dominant parenting style
2. Learn why limits and boundaries are necessary for our children to flourish
3. Identify the dynamics of a power struggle
4. Learn a 4-step model to move from conflict to co-operation.
5. Tools and techniques to use immediately
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 inter
nationally, and in Canada you’ll find her on numerous media outlets.
Upcoming Parent Education Events:
November 18: The Four Goals of (Mis)behaviour and an Intro to Alyson’s Parenting Tool Kit
Join us for in-person parent ed event with Alyson Schafer at JICS with free onsite babysitting
Parent Social: 5:30-6:15pm
Alyson’s Presentation: 6:15-7:30pm
at the JICS Lab School, 45 Walmer Road
November 25, 2026: "Ask Me Anything" with Alyson Schafer for JICS Families
7:00-8:00pm on Zoom
Zoom link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/89188674610
3. JICS and Kobe Shinwa: Celebrating 60 Years
Richard Messina will travel to Kobe, Japan, to participate in the 60th anniversary celebrations of Kobe Shinwa University on Saturday, October 17. JICS Lab School and Kobe Shinwa have shared a valued relationship for 30 years, built on a mutual commitment to education, research, and international exchange.
The celebrations will bring together delegations from Italy, China, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Canada. The program will include a lecture entitled “The Evolution of Learning and the Future” by Dr. Juichi Yamagiwa, Director-General of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature.
Each year, JICS welcomes Kobe Shinwa teacher candidates and psychology students to visit our Lab School. Over the years, JICS faculty have also delivered lectures to students in both Toronto and Kobe. This longstanding partnership reflects the value of learning across cultures and sharing educational knowledge and practice internationally.
Chriss Bogert will be in Vancouver this weekend serving as moderator for the launch of the addiction recovery memoir, Today I Will Be Fearless, by Elana Epstein. Chriss has long been involved in supporting families affected by a loved one’s addiction and is honoured to participate in this event.
While Richard and Chriss are away, former Lab School teacher Zoe Donoahue will serve as Acting Principal.
4. Halloween at JICS
Parents, please join our JK to Grade 6 Halloween Celebration Assembly on Friday, October 30, at the witching hour of 9:00am, in our enchanted gym. Our music teachers, Suzanne and Russell will lead us all in some spooky songs and together we will make some Halloween magic!
For our little pumpkins in the Nursery, there is a morning of magical activities awaiting them in their own cozy classroom! Charlotte will share more information soon.
Children (and parents) are all invited to dress up in costumes.
The school doors will open at 8:35am as usual and the children are asked to make their way to the classroom. Once everyone is accounted for, each grade will fly/slither/float into the gym together.
There are many internet articles that provide helpful and culturally sensitive Halloween costume advice. Search: Halloween culturally insensitive costumes.
We are looking forward to making some wonderful memories on this special day!
Halloween 2025!
5. Halloween Candy
With Halloween and the winter holidays fast approaching, we want to share ways that can help make our school a safe and more inclusive place for students with food allergies. We prefer that students do not eat candy while at school. We avoid sweet treats, preferring wholesome snacks whenever possible. However, there is a place for sweets in our diets and parents may choose to occasionally pack individual portions in student lunches or snacks from home. Students are not permitted to share candy, treats, or gum with others. In preparing your child’s lunch and snack, please be certain that all ingredients listed are free of nuts and nut warnings.
6. Financial Support
The JICS Lab School is committed to needs-based financial support that will both enable increased diversity and retain current Lab School families. Tuition support is available to current students entering Grades 3-6 in the 2027-2028 school year. Application and assessment of financial need is made through an arms-length, confidential application to Apple Financial Services, and decisions are made by a sub-committee at the JICS Lab School. All applications and requests are confidential.
The deadline for applications to Apple Financial is November 10.
If you are interested in donating to the JICS Lab School Endowment Fund, please see here or speak with Richard Messina.
7. Nursery Class 2027-2028
Shama will soon be in touch with current JICS families who have children (born in 2024) who are eligible for our entry year beginning September 2027. To ensure that your child’s information is in our applicant database, please email Shama ASAP. We will host a Nursery Parent Information Session in the new year.
8. Terry Fox Run
We are proud to share the success of our recent Terry Fox Run. Thanks to the dedication of our parent volunteers who helped with route supervision and the enthusiastic leadership of our Grade 3 students, we have raised an impressive sum of $1144.90 toward cancer research. Your support and generosity in this important cause are inspiring.
9. Celebrate Diwali with us at JICS!
Diwali, the joyous Hindu festival of lights, is a cherished tradition here at our school. Our entire school community eagerly anticipates this special occasion each year, and we are truly grateful for the unwavering support of our parents. This year, we are delighted to announce that we will come together to celebrate Diwali on Friday, November 6. (More details coming soon.)
In the spirit of this vibrant festival, we kindly request that all JICS children come dressed in colourful attire, which may include kurtas, salwar kameez, dupattas, or lehenga choli. Of course, we also encourage everyone to express themselves through their preferred clothing choices throughout the festivities.
While Diwali spans five days in most of India (from Friday, November 6 to Tuesday, November 10), the main celebration falls on the third day (November 8). At JICS, we aim to decorate the school with vivid decorations, illuminating diyas, and crafting inviting flower-petal rangolis. It is a privilege to have such a wonderfully diverse community, where people from all backgrounds come together to embrace and share in the festivities.
If parents are interested in helping us to plan the assembly, please be in touch with Shama. Thank you to parents who have already been in touch!
If you have photos of you and your family celebrating Diwali that you are comfortable sharing with the school, please send them to Simone. Your photos will be shared with the whole school during our Diwali assembly on November 6th.
10. Arrival Information
Here are 4 reminders about drop-off to help ensure everyone safety. More information is available in the Parent Handbook.
The school doors/yard gates open for arrival at 8:35AM. If your child needs supervision before 8:35, please register for daycare.
There is no parking in front of the school from 8:35-8:45AM. Nursery families can park beginning at 8:45AM.
Please drive northbound on Walmer to the school and create a queue of vehicles.
Please do not block the driveway of our neighbours or the school’s bicycle-access driveway.
11. Natural Curiosity: 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning
4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning is now Cycles of Indigenous Learning! 🧡
This course has been updated to:
Shine more light on the local Land of the learner ☀️
Better empower participants in their learning journey
Acknowledge that this learning is best done in Cycles!
If you’ve already registered for or completed a ‘Season’, nothing will change – you will be onboarded into the correct ‘Cycle’. As always, this learning starts in the Fall (November) and runs until the Spring (May), with time to reflect in the summer.
As part of the 2026-2027 Cycles of Indigenous Learning, we invite you to join us for… Cycle 2: Learning from the Land, developed in partnership with Natural Curiosity.
Early Bird registration ends October 30th.
Upcoming October Events
Wed 14 – Parents’ Association “All Parents” zoom meeting. (7:00-8:00pm.) Details coming soon.
Mon 19 - Parents of BIPOC Children Virtaul Meeting, 7:00-8:00pm (Zoom)
Tues 20 - Parent Education Webinar with Alyson Schafer, 7:00-8:00pm (Zoom)
Fri 30 – Halloween at JICS
Upcoming November Events
Mon 2 to Fri 6 – Treaty Week
Fri 6 – Diwali Assembly (JK to Gr 6)
Tues 10 – Due date for applications to Apple Financial for 2027-2028 tuition support
Wed 11 – Remembrance Day Assembly (JK to Gr 6)
Wed 11 – Parent/Teacher Interview Afternoon (sign-up info coming soon)
Fri 13 – School closed. Daycare open to registered users. Parent/Teacher Interview Day (sign-up info coming soon)
Mon 16 – Midterm Holiday. School closed. Daycare open to registered users.
Wed 18 – Parent Education Event with Alyson Schafer: The Four Goals of (Mis)behaviour and an Intro to Alyson’s Parenting Tool Kit, 5:30-7:30pm
Thur 19 – Last day of MA CSE Block 1 Teacher-Candidates in JK to Gr 2
Wed 25 – Parent Education Event with Alyson Schafer: "Ask Me Anything" 7:00-8:00pm (Zoom)
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