Report Cards, Fall Newsletter, News from the Parents Association, Festival of Lights, Upcoming Parent Groups, 2026-2027 Re-Enrolment Info & More!
- JICS Office
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Festival of Lights Celebration - December 19, 9:00-10:00am
Report Cards - Available now on your MySchool Parent Portal
Read about our successful Book Night!
JICS Fall Edition Newsletter!
Upcoming Parent Groups with Dr. Zia Lakdawall
Kids Who Care Club - December Updates
More exciting JICS news from this week!
Holiday Celebrations throughout the JICS classrooms
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. Last Day of School
The Fall Term ends Friday, December 19 at 12:00pm (6:00pm for registered daycare users). There is no hot lunch program. The JICS building is closed during the holidays.
2. Holiday Greetings
Wishing everyone a holiday season filled with joy, peace, and cherished moments. We are excited to welcome everyone back on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Thank you for the Holiday decorations, Paige!
3. Festivals of Lights - JICS Holiday Sing-Along - December 19, 9:00-10:00am
Join us for a luminous celebration at the JICS Holiday Sing-along on December 19th, from 9:00 to 10:00 am! As we bid farewell to the Fall Term, we are crafting a special morning where parents/caregivers are invited to join us in the school auditorium. Led by our music teachers, Bailey and Russell, with song lyrics provided, this communal singing experience invites children, parents, and teachers alike to revel in togetherness. From Diwali and Hanukkah to Christmas, Yaldā Night, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa, we will unite in song to honour the diverse festivities that brighten this season.
4. Report Cards
Yesterday you received notice that your child’s report card is ready to be downloaded. We are excited to introduce the new report card format. At JICS, we believe that all ideas are improvable. This report card is designed to offer a more comprehensive, personalized, and growth-focussed view of your child's learning journey. It reflects our commitment to fostering meaningful communication, celebrating achievements, and supporting the development of essential social/emotional and academic skills.
You can download your child's report card from your MySchool Parent Portal.
If you have one (1) child attending JICS
Log into your Parent Portal.
Click on Assessment Reports in the left-hand menu.
Click on Grade Report (Term 1) – Year 2025-2026 to open the report card in a new tab.
Right Click on Grade Report (Term 1) – Year 2025-2026 to download and save the report card to your computer.
If you have two (2) or more children attending JICS:
Log into your Parent Portal.
Select child from the “Current Student” drop down list in the left-hand menu. Repeat steps 2-5 for each child.
Click on Assessment Reports in the left-hand menu.
Click on Grade Report (Term 1) – Year 2025-2026 to open the report card in a new tab.
Right Click on Grade Report (Term 1) – Year 2025-2026 to download and save the report card to your computer.
5. JICS Fall Edition Newsletter
At JICS, we believe in fostering a strong partnership with parents by providing abundant information. That is why we offer weekly or biweekly teacher class-specific summary emails, Thursday's Parent Information Posts, First Term and Final report cards, parent-teacher interviews/meetings, and more.
Our JICS Newsletter serves as a window into the wider school experiences, offering insights you might not have come across otherwise. A special thanks to Krista for her dedicated work in publishing it! Crafted to be enjoyed by both parents and children, we highly recommend taking a peek at the captivating Fall Newsletter together.
To access the Fall Newsletter, use the password provided in the Parent Information Post email. It's a fantastic opportunity to share and explore together!
6. News from JICS Parents' Association (PA): Making a JICS parents app to Streamline access to important school information
The PA executives have been thinking about how our community disseminates information. We all love and read Richard’s weekly posts, which are full of beautiful and important updates and keep us connected to our children’s school lives. The parent handbook is a tome of important information that the school publishes with care and thought.
We have developed a prototype of a JICS app and are looking for an expert in the field of app development to help us develop this concept into a useful tool for parents to easily search for info, ask questions and keep up to date. We are reaching out to our lovely parent community! If you are, or can recommend someone, who would volunteer their time to help us further develop our app concept, please e-mail paexecjics@gmail.com.
7. Online Playful Math - Research Study from the Robertson Program & Mathematical Thinking Lab
Is your child in Grade 4, 5 or 6? Participate in Online Playful Math!
We are conducting a research study to explore how Online Playful Math, a small-group program that uses guided math games, helps students develop a strong understanding of fractions. Weekly classes are led synchronously by trained instructors from the University of Toronto and focus on helping students feel more confident and capable in math.
What’s involved?
Two 1-hour synchronous online classes per week for 8 weeks (Jan–March or March–May 2026)
Three 45-minute online assessments spread across the session
Requires access to a computer or tablet, Zoom, and reliable internet
Students must be new to Online Playful Math (first-time participants only) and must be in Grade 4, 5 or 6
Benefits
Free, synchronous small-group math sessions each week
Instruction led by highly trained U of T instructors
A $15 gift card for completing the program
Register by December 29
This project is a collaboration between the Robertson Program, led by Dr. Larisa Lam and the Mathematical Thinking Lab, led by Dr. Zack Hawes.
Spread the word! Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may be interested.
8. Upcoming Parenting Groups with Dr. Zia Lakdawalla
Looking for parenting support in 2026? Dr. Zia Lakdawalla, a JICS parent education guest speaker and Director of Foundations for Emotional Wellness (https://ffew.ca), is hosting workshops for parents of children and teens. Please see the flyer below for more information.
9. Re-Enrolement for 2026-2027
Re-enrolment forms for the 2026–2027 school year were emailed out last week. To secure your child's place, please submit the completed form along with the non-refundable $5,000 deposit to the office by January 14, 2026. Before deciding to re-enrol, we encourage you to review the JICS values, philosophy, and mission.
Please note that beginning January 15, 2025, the Admissions Team will offer any unclaimed spots to new applicants.
10. JICS at the Movies
Join us for an unforgettable evening of cinema, conversation, and community as we continue to celebrate the JICS Centennial with an exclusive screening of Steal Away, which recently captivated audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Monday, January 12, 2026
🕡 6:30 – 9:45 p.m. 📍 Innis College Theatre
2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5
General Admission – $50
Includes the film screening, wine reception, Q&A, and light refreshments.
A $25 tax receipt will be issued per ticket.
About the Film
Director Clement Virgo returns with a bold, mesmerizing, and erotically charged new film — a sociopolitical and psychosexual fairytale-like adventure that takes viewers on a shadowy, treacherous, and thrilling ride.
Written by Tamara Faith Berger and produced by JICS’s very own Damon D’Oliveira, Steal Away is a daring exploration of desire, power, and survival that captivates the senses and challenges perception.
Content advisory: coarse language, horror, mature themes, nudity, sexually suggestive scenes, violence
Pre-Screening Reception 6:30 – 7:15 p.m.
The magic begins before the movie! Our exclusive Centennial Wine Reception, generously sponsored by Halpern Enterprises, is the perfect way to start the evening. Sip, savor, and socialize with delicious bites and fellow supporters as we raise a toast to 100 extraordinary years!
Screening + Exclusive Q&A 7:15 – 9:45 p.m.
The film experience doesn't end with the credits! Stay for a rare opportunity to hear directly from the powerhouse trio who brought Steal Away to life—director Clement Virgo, screenwriter Tamara Faith Berger, and producer Damon D'Oliveira as they reveal insights into their creative process and bold storytelling vision!
All proceeds from this special Centennial event support the JICS Endowment Fund, ensuring that future generations of students continue to benefit from the innovative, inclusive education and research that defines the JICS Lab School.
Your ticket purchase will have a profound impact on supporting economic diversity, which ensures that students from all financial backgrounds have equal access to JICS — Canada's #1 independent Lab School with a public purpose.
We are excited for you all to experience this evening of memorable cinema while greatly contributing to the Lab School’s mission to create a diverse and rich learning environment for the next 100 years!
Save the date, spread the word, and let’s make this event a resounding success!
11. Book Night Success
A heartfelt thank you to all the JICS families who made the return of Book Night an incredible success last week! We are thrilled to share that our Another Story book sales raised an impressive $1,310. Your support will enable us to expand our collection with a rich variety of diverse books, continuing to enrich the reading experiences of our community. Thank you for making this event a resounding triumph!
12. Kids Who Care Club - December Updates
This term, the JICS Kids Who Care Club has been busy making a difference through three branches: Environment, Children’s Health Issues, and Community Outreach.
The Environment Branch supported children and families affected by Hurricane Melissa by collecting donations delivered through the Jamaican Canadian Association and by raising funds for UNICEF Canada’s hurricane relief efforts.
The Community Outreach Branch organized a Toy Drive for the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, delivering many toys to be shared with children at the centre’s holiday celebrations.
At Book Night, all club members worked together to raise funds through homemade crafts, Children’s Rights Bingo, and online donations. The Children’s Health Issues Branch led fundraising efforts in support of SickKids Hospital.
The total amount of funds raised will be announced at the Festivals of Light Holiday Singalong tomorrow.
We are incredibly grateful to all the students, families, and staff who supported these initiatives. Thank you for helping our students put care into action!
Dropping off donations for UNICEF Canada's Hurricane Relief Fund & Christie Refugee Welcome Centre
13. Natural Curiosity Announcement
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.
Please take a look at their December Newsletter which highlights exciting news, upcoming events and more resources to support environmental education and incorporating Indigenous perspectives. This month's newsletter also includes Winter Solstice Resources.
14. STEAM Moments from the Week!
The Grade 2 Cardboard Arcade, Grade 6 Authors sharing their stories, Grades 1-6 Printmaking and Collage Art, Grade 4/5 Math Experiments, and more!
Upcoming December Events
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 – 6:30PM JICS at the Movies “Steal Away”, Innis College, UofT
Wed 14 – Re-enrolment form and deposit due date
Tues 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day