Topics covered in this post:
1. Parent Education – JICS Research Night
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm
We are very excited for the return of the school’s Annual RESEARCH NIGHT 2023 and hope that every JICS parent will attend this important evening and parent social with free babysitting (courtesy of the PA). Please register now.
What: Research Night is an opportunity for parents to learn more about Lab School Research. This year we are honoured to have Dr. Eunice Jang and her team presenting to us about their BALANCE AI Study.
Where: JICS Lab School room 363 (in the Robbie Case Room on the third floor)
When: Wednesday, March 1st, 2023
5:30-6:30pm: Parent Pizza Social
6:30-7:30pm: Research Presentation by Dr. Eunice Jang
(Onsite babysitting will be available for parents who register by Friday, February 24th, 2023)
Topic:
Unlocking the Black Box: Promoting Your Child’s Self-Organized Learning and Development
Do you often feel your child is a black box? Do you wonder how to help your child become a self-organizing learner? Eunice and her research team focus on students’ growth in cognition and metacognition through mediational support for their self-organized learning. In this talk, Eunice shares insights into how children’s minds work in various learning contexts based on research. Eunice will also encourage parents to be more aware of what our children perceive we want for them – to learn something new or to get better grades – as this impacts their reading ability and performance in school.
Bio: Dr. Eunice Jang is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development. Her research is largely situated in the areas of language assessment, educational measurement, and program evaluation. Dr. Jang and her research lab are actively involved in various research projects funded by federal, provincial, and other sources. For more information: https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ejanglab/lab-members/eunice/
2. Outdoor Clothing
Children play outside in all-weather at JICS (including rain, snowy days, and very cold conditions). Please send your child with outdoor clothing appropriate to weather conditions.
“There is no inappropriate weather, only inappropriate clothing!”
3. Late Student Arrival
Being on time for school sets a child up for a successful day. Not only is punctuality a critical life skill, but it also communicates respect for the classroom community, the teachers, and each child's learning. Being late affects a child's connection to the learning that is taking place in the classroom. Entering a room where a class has begun, and students are already engaged in the work means missing part or all of the lesson and instructions, making it challenging for the child arriving late to transition and settle into the class. It may also disturb the other students and draw the teacher's focus away from the class. Sometimes coming late throws a child off as they realize what they have missed, which may affect their well-being throughout the day.
We hope all JICS Lab School students have the best possible start to their day. It is ideal for children to have time at the beginning of the day to gather with friends and chat, share news, and be ready and waiting when the teacher draws the class together as the school day begins. The school doors open for (JK to Gr 6) children starting at 8:35; the optimal time to arrive is at 8:35am. Any student arriving after 8:45am is considered late.
Your child/ren’s attendance record is published weekly on your FAM Profile: https://familyaccess.inresonance.com/oise-utoronto/index.php.
We understand that morning can be a challenging time of day for families. Yet, we know that arriving on time is possible from our experience with our "no late school entry policy" in 2020-2021. Please let Richard or Chriss know if you want to discuss your morning routines and strategies. We are happy to help! Alyson Schafer, a renowned Adlerian parenting expert, suggests that parents of older children release responsibility for their child's participation in this process (read more here). This approach requires parents to get themselves ready calmly and wait by the door for their child – leading by example rather than prodding from behind (a strategy Alyson echoes in this article). For some children, providing a simple checklist of what they must accomplish each morning with a clock or a timer may help them achieve independence. And sometimes what's required to maintain a calmer routine is for the morning process to start 15 minutes earlier for the whole family! Of course, everyone can better cope in the morning if they've gotten enough sleep the night before (Click Here for an excellent website with information about how much sleep children should get each night).
However you choose to organize the morning, it is in your child's best interest to prioritize being on time for school. We value our partnership with you as we work together to provide the best educational experience possible for your child/ren.
4. March Break Camp at JICS
Monday, March 20, 2023 – Friday, March 24, 2023
The ICS Daycare have planned a wonderful week of engaging activities for the children! We will have daily arts and crafts, outdoor sports and indoor games and fun things to do. We are offering March Break Camp to all of the JICS Children.
We are open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily. Two snacks are offered and parents will need to provide lunch.
The cost is: $325.00 for the week. No partial week is available.
If interested, please indicate by emailing us at ics.after.school.daycare@gmail.com, and use subject line “CAMP.”
5. Wednesday Afternoon Program: Spring Term
The final day of the Winter Term Wednesday Afternoon Program is Wednesday, March 8.
The first day of the The Spring Term Wednesday Program is following March Break. It begins on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 will run until Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
Registration will open Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 10am.
The Wednesday Program is committed to providing a spot for all children who wish to register, but we cannot guarantee each child their first choice. All inquiries should be directed to Sarah at sarah.murray@utoronto.ca.
Cheques are due to Shama in the School Office after completing registration by Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
6. Parent Education – Lunch and Learn with Ellie
Supporting Your Child through Transitions – Daily or Seasonal, Predictable or Unpredictable
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 from 12:30 – 1:30pm
Supporting Your Child through Transitions – Daily or Seasonal, Predictable or Unpredictable
Lunch & Learn Series with JICS Social Worker Ellie Lathrop
Change can be hard at the best of times. Children's school lives are filled with transitions, and then there are the daily routines, and ones connected to time of year. These can be tricky times to navigate. Join us for the JICS Lunch and Learn, 30 min talk (recorded) and 30 min (unrecorded) discussion and questions.
7. Visitors to the Lab School
The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School serves as a setting for the educational community to observe theoretical and research-based ideas in practice. We welcome visits to the Laboratory School by educators, administrators, policy makers, and researchers from schools and institutions around the world. In the past, we have hosted visitors from the Ministry of Education and other ministries, public school boards, teachers, and teacher-educators. During their visits, we present about our Lab School’s approach, provide curated tours through the school, arrange for in-class observational time, and exchange stories and ideas about best practice.
We welcome these visitors as an important part of fulfilling our public purpose: to explore and disseminate what’s possible in education. Since the School’s inception, we have made a noted contribution to the understanding of strong educational practices in elementary schools and Faculties of Education throughout the world.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we paused the visitor program, and are delighted to be able to resume this important part of our work as a Lab School. Here are some of the visitors we are welcoming this Winter:
Feb 16 – 11 educators from Royal Oak Community School, Niagara-on-the-Lake (including Head of School Julia Murray, former JICS Lab School teacher)
Feb 21 – 8 educators from Viola Desmond Public School, Halton District School Board
Feb 23 – 1 educator from St Padre Pio CES, York Catholic District School Board
Feb 27 to March 2 – students and professors from the psychology department at the Kobe Shinwa University, Japan
March 31 – 2 educators from As-Sadiqq Islamic School, Toronto
April 4 – 5 educators from Elm Drive Public School, Peel District School Board
8. Photos of the Week at JICS
Hip Hop Workshop with City Dance Corps
On Tuesday, February 21, City Dance Corps visited JICS for an incredible Hip-Hop dance workshop. There was a workshop for the Kindergarten classes, Primary Grades, and Junior Grades. It was joyous to dance as a community and learn some new dance moves.
This workshop was part of our school wide celebration for Black History Month. We recognize the importance of sharing and celebrating the artistic creativity, beauty, and expression that come from and are integrally linked to black communities and culture.
Thank you City Dance Corps for an amazing day and thank you Mike (our P.E. teacher) for organizing the workshop for the school.
🏐Grade 6 Volleyball Team 🏐
A huge congratulations goes out to our Grade 6 Volleyball team for competing in such a skilled and supportive way. They should be very proud of their performance and for representing JICS in such a positive way during TDSB competition.
Yesterday, the volleyball team travelled to Frankland Community School to play in the Conference Quarterfinals. The team qualified for the quarterfinals by finishing in the top-2 of their group tournament. Our team played their best game of the season showing such growth in skills and tactics. The game was a back an forth affair with two evenly matched teams. After splitting the first two sets, the game entered a tie-break third set. Frankland won the third set 15-13 and will advance to the semi-finals. While this marks the end of TDSB competition for the volleyball team, volleyball practice will continue until March Break. We can't wait to continue to build upon the skills and successes of the team in the remaining practices. Thank you everyone who came out to watch the team in action!
Pink Shirt Day
Wednesday was Pink Shirt Day. To celebrate students came dressed in pink and the GSA designed a lovely poster for the hallways. At JICS, Pink Shirt Day is a celebration of pink as a colour of love and acceptance of all people. Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate and thank you GSA for making the hallways so special!
Grade 4/5B Trip to Mackenzie House
This Thursday, Grade 4/5B had an opportunity to participate in a special Black History Month program at Mackenzie House, celebrating the life and work of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper. Her publication fought for the abolition of slavery and the rights of women, and helped people escaping enslavement adjust to life in Canada.
At the workshop, the children learned about this remarkable Black hero, and also tried their hand at printing using a historical printing press. As students of Black history, and as creators of their own publication, this will fit in perfectly with what we have been learning in class.
A huge thank you to Furqan, our Work Study student on Mondays and Fridays, for bringing the class this opportunity!
9. Upcoming February Events
Black History Month Mon 27 – Capoeira workshop with Mestre Sérgio Xocolate & Suzanne Roberts Smith for students
10. Upcoming March Events
Wed 1 – Research Night at JICS. 5:30-7:30pm. (Event Details and Registration here)
Wed 1 to Fri 3 – Grade 4/5 trip to Pinecrest Camp
Mon 6 to Tues 7 - Purim (begins at sunset on Mon 6)
Tues 7 – 12:30-1:30pm Lunch & Learn with Ellie (Register here)
Wed 8 – International Women’s Day
Mon 13 to Fri 17 – March Break (School and Daycare closed)
Mon 20 to Fri 24 – March Break (School closed. Daycare camp open)
Mon 20 – Nowruz (Persian New Year)
Wed 22 to Apr 30 – Ramadan (begins on Wed 22 at sunset)
Mon 27 – Spring Term begins (Daycare opens at 7:45am. School opens at 8:35am)
Wed 29 – Wednesday Program's Spring Term begins (Information here)
Thur 30 – School-wide lice check (Thank you, Parents’ Association!)
