Report Cards, Gala Photos, Staff Video
- JICS Office
- Jun 19
- 8 min read
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Report Cards are available for download in your new Parent Portal
Complete all 2025-2026 Questionnaires in your Parent Portal by June 30, 2025
Check out the Spring Term Newsletter
Sign up here to water the JICS garden over the summer weeks
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
1. See you in September!
This is our last Weekly Parent Information POST. We wish all JICS families a joyful and refreshing summer and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 2!
2. 2024-25 Report Cards & 2025-2026 Questionnaires
Report cards are available to download from your new Parent Portal.
If you have not yet logged into your Parent Portal, please search your email for the email from MySchool (email address no-reply@msm.io) that contains your username and password. It was sent on June 5th.
What you will find when you log in:
New Families and Nursery to Grade 5:
Questionnaires (annual school registration forms) – to complete by June 30, 2025 for 2025-2026
Nursery to Grade 6:
Report Cards – to download for your records
Grade 6 families: this is a great chance to download all reports on file for your child for any future need.
If you have not yet done so, please complete your Questionnaires for next year, also available on your Parent Portal. Please complete all Questionnaires by June 30, 2025, so that Shama can share the important information with your child’s teacher.
If you have any questions or suggestions for us regarding the new Parent Portals, please do not hesitate to reach out to Shama in the School Office.
3. New Siblings on the JICS Application Database
This year, many JICS parents were blessed with a new addition to their family. Congratulations! Please complete an application to ensure your newborn’s information is in our application database if you have not already done so.
4. Spring Term Newsletter
The JICS Second Term Newsletter was viewed 300 times and now we are delighted to announce that the JICS Third Term Newsletter is ready for you to download. We invite you to read it with your child. This is an opportunity to “peak into” the school and learn about the Spring Term experiences that you may not know about. Use the password provided in the Weekly Info Email to access the newsletter. A huge thank you to Krista for editing and publishing the Newsletter and to all the student contributors and teachers for your help.
5. Our Public Purpose
At JICS, we are proud to be at the forefront of shaping elementary education and advancing teacher training on a global scale. Our commitment to sharing knowledge and driving innovation is reflected in the wide range of initiatives we lead and support.
Recent Highlights:
We are thrilled to celebrate a major achievement in educational research. The paper “Education for Sustainable Development: A Cross-Community Knowledge Building Approach”—authored by JICS teacher Jessica Haber, along with Lydia Cao, Marlene Scardamalia, and Ahmad Khanlari (all from OISE), and Pere Bolunda (Col·legi Sant Pau Apòstol)—was presented at the 2025 International Conference of the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and received the Outstanding Long Paper Award from the prestigious International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).
Congratulations to Jessica and the entire research team on this remarkable accomplishment!
The Sara Jackman Playground has just won its first award! It received a national honor for small-scale public landscapes—recognized “for outstanding achievement in the profession of landscape architecture.”
6. A Historic Milestone for JICS: Gala Raises $202,000 and Inspires Transformational Giving
We are thrilled to share that, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our community, the JICS Centennial Gala raised an astounding $202,000—double our original goal of $100,000!
This incredible achievement is a testament to the deep commitment of our families, alumni, and friends who share a passionate belief in the power of economic diversity within our school. Your support ensures that JICS continues to offer an inclusive, transformational education to students from all financial backgrounds. Every dollar raised will directly enhance our tuition support programs, making our community richer, more dynamic, and truly reflective of the world we want our children to inherit.
The Gala was not only the inaugural celebration of our 100-year legacy of educational excellence, but a bold investment in our future. We are especially proud to announce (again) a transformational gift from the Radlett Foundation, which has committed $500,000 to the JICS Endowment Fund—a powerful endorsement of our mission and the momentum generated by this unforgettable evening.
To date, over $1.8 million has been raised for the JICS Lab School Endowment Fund, which plays a vital role in sustaining and expanding our commitment to economic diversity. These funds help ensure that children from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds can access and thrive in our unique educational environment—one built on inclusion, innovation, and excellence.
This success would not have been possible without the leadership, creativity, and dedication of our exceptional Gala Committee co-chairs: Lucia Remedios, Dr. Ken Montague, and Sam Molyneux. Our deepest thanks also go to the outstanding committee members: Beth Corcoran, Casey Dabiet, Meg Graham, Leslie-Anne Morris, Elaine Lam, Erin Hershberg, and the many others who gave so generously of their time, energy, and hearts. Their vision brought the Gala to life—and to new heights.
We are also deeply grateful to our parents, alumni, and community supporters who participated, donated, and bid enthusiastically in support of our cause. Your collective spirit turned the Gala into a true celebration of our shared purpose.
If you would like to join us in supporting economic diversity at JICS, donations can be made here: www.jicsfamily.com/donate
Thank you for being part of this historic journey.
Photos from the Centennial Gala & Auction:
7. JICS Staff Video
The teachers and staff surprised the Grade 6 students and their parents with this funny video at the graduation ceremony. We have received many requests to share the link so that children can watch it again. Thank you, Nick for producing, writing, casting, directing, filming, and editing the film.
8. Toronto Public Library Summer Reading Club and Programming
Looking for something to do with your children this summer? Visit your local public library and join the TPL Summer Reading Club!
https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/reading-club/. This is a program that is designed for kids of all ages, interests, and abilities, inspiring children to explore the fun of reading in English and French. Part of their Summer Wonder lineup of programming for children, the Toronto Public Library’s Summer Reading Club runs from June 21 to August 30.
9. TPH End of the School Year Letter to Families
June 9, 2025
Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Families,
Re: Stay Healthy, Active and Safe this Summer
As the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close, Toronto Public Health (TPH) would like to share some important information and health tips to help families stay healthy, active and safe over the summer months.
Protect You & Your Loved Ones Against Measles
Measles continues to spread in Ontario and around the world. Measles is a very contagious virus that spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. The measles vaccine is safe and effective to prevent the spread of measles. One dose provides about 85 per cent protection and two doses provide more than 95 per cent protection.
Take this time to check your child’s and your family’s measles vaccinations in their yellow vaccine card, online at ICON or speak with your primary health care provider. Anyone born in 1970 or later should have two doses of vaccine. Students who are not up to date with their measles vaccinations can miss school or summer camps if there is a case of measles at their school or camp.
Visit toronto.ca/measles for more information.
Stay Up to Date with Vaccinations and Report them to Toronto Public Health
With summer fast approaching, we encourage parents and students to stay up to date with all vaccinations, as outlined in the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). This includes vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), meningococcal disease and varicella (chickenpox).
If students in grades 7 to 12 missed one or more school-based vaccines in Grade 7 (hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal), they can still receive them for free until the end of high school through primary health care providers or at a Toronto Public Health (TPH) summer vaccination clinic. Appointments can be made at TPHBookings.ca.
Preparing for Kindergarten
Starting kindergarten is an exciting time! TPH has information for parents and caregivers to help your young one have a healthy start to school. You can also find this information in the Healthy Start to School booklet.
Sun Safety and Hydration
This summer, the #BeSunSafe program is back, providing sunscreen and shade tents for City of Toronto camp and park recreation programs and free sunscreen at various locations across the city. Protect your skin when enjoying the summer weather by:
Seeking shade and limiting time in the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. or when the UV index is 3 or higher.
Wearing clothes that cover as much skin as possible including a wide-brim hat and sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.
Using sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Reapply every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.
Make water your drink of choice this summer. Very hot weather can pose health risks. Encourage children to drink plenty of fluids because they may not feel thirsty while at play.
Staying Active and Preventing Injuries
Encourage everyone in the family to be active together. Children five to 17 years of age need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day (three- to four-year-olds need even more active time!). Reduce the “non-active” time children spend on computers, electronic games or watching TV to less than one hour per day for three- to four-year-olds and less than two hours per day for five- to 17-year-olds. Less is better!
Stay safe this summer while enjoying wheeled activities (bikes, scooters, inline skates/roller blades, skateboards). Wearing a properly fitted helmet will help protect your head. A head injury can permanently change the way a child walks, talks, plays and thinks. Children and youth under 18 are required by law to wear a helmet when cycling in Ontario. TPH encourages all people participating in wheeled activities to wear a helmet, regardless of age.
Did you know? E-Scooters are not allowed to be ridden in the City of Toronto regardless of your age and e-bikes are only allowed in Toronto for those 16 years and older. Visit the City of Toronto’s Electric Scooters & Electric Bicycles webpage for more information.
Resources for Teens & Parents
Sexual Health
You can continue to access sexual health resources, services and supports this summer, including:
Sexual Health Support for Parents & Caregivers has resources on bodies, boundaries, safety and raising sexually healthy children and teens.
Sexual Health Infoline Ontario (SHILO) provides free, anonymous and inclusive information, support and referrals on sexual health topics by phone or e-Chat. It’s available seven days a week and is staffed by counsellors who provide services in multiple languages.
Safer Partying and Substance Use
As the school year comes to a close, TPH is sharing Safer Partying information to raise awareness about the risks of alcohol and drug use and encourages safer celebrations during prom, grad night and year-end events. TPH also has information and resources to help prevent youth vaping or help them quit.
Questions?
For more information, please contact us at publichealth@toronto.ca or 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Service is available in multiple languages.
Wishing everyone a safe, active and healthy summer!
Sincerely,
Joanne Figliano-Scott
Chief Nursing Officer
Director, Community Health & Well-Being
Photos from the Week
Last Days of School
Upcoming June Events
Canada's National Indigenous History Month & World Pride Month
Fri 20 – Report Cards posted online
Mon 16 to Fri 27 – Daycare Camp. Register.
Mon 30 – Building closed. President’s Day-UofT
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