Safe Arrival, Parent Education with Trina, STEAM Night, JICS Centennial Family Skate, Teacher Professional Development, and More!
- JICS Office
- 56 minutes ago
- 7 min read
JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Safe arrival at JICS during winter months
Register for our Parent Education Night with Trina Epstein - Feb 3
An announcement from Natural Curiosity
JICS Centennial Family Skate - March 23
STEAM Night Announcement - Feb 11
Topics covered in this post:
(Click to navigate straight to a section)
Parent Education: Understanding Anxiety in Children: The Value of Leaning into Discomfort
STEAM Night (Formerly Known as Art Night)
1. Safe Arrival: Winter Kiss and Ride
With snowbanks on the sidewalks and reduced roadway space, it is especially important that all parents, caregivers, and family members strictly follow the Kiss and Drive drop-off protocol during the winter months.
If you are driving, please note the following:
Treat Walmer Road as northbound only during drop-off.
Staff on duty will assist children out of vehicles; for efficiency and safety, parents are asked to remain in their cars.
Please do not park in front of the school.
Please do not block our neighbours’ driveways at any time.
These procedures help keep everyone safe and ensure a smooth and timely arrival for all students. More detailed information can be found in the Arrival & Dismissal Procedures section of the JICS Parent Handbook.
2. Parent Education: Understanding Anxiety in Children: The Value of Leaning into Discomfort
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026
NEW Parent Social: 5:30-6:00pm - JICS Room 363
6:00-7:00pm - JICS Room 363
Light Refreshments will be served.
Anxiety continues to be the most common mental health challenge in children. Even when anxiety does not reach clinically concerning levels, we can all agree that it is something everyone experiences from time to time. Witnessing anxiety and distress in our children can be hard to bear and, as such, there are some common traps that we might fall into, including trying to remove obstacles and supporting avoidance. Even though it’s normal and natural to want to avoid the things that cause us stress, the remedy is to “lean in” and expose ourselves to the very things that cause us anxiety. This makes the goal for supporting our anxious children, helping them to “lean in” by fostering resilience and capacity.
Come hear about the various presentations of anxiety in children and the most adaptive ways for you, as parents, to think about it and respond to it. This talk will cover developmental considerations so it is worth attending whether you have young children, youngsters on the brink of graduating elementary school, or anywhere in between.
TRINA EPSTEIN, Psy.D., C.Psych. is a psychologist who was thrilled to join JICS in September 2025 where she supports students, parents, and teachers. She also maintains a private practice where she treats children and teens with a wide array of mental health challenges and offers consultation to parents and schools. She worked for many years at the Toronto Western Hospital where she provided assessment and treatment to children and adolescents with Tourette Syndrome and its associated problems (e.g., ADHD, OCD, ASD, anxiety, etc.), conducted research, and supervised students. She is the co-author of The Adventures of Stretch More, a children’s book about a collaborative parenting approach.
3. JICS Lab School Birthday Party
Monday February 9 marks the 100th day of school - Right in the middle of our centennial year at JICS! To celebrate this exciting milestone and our school’s 100th birthday, JICS is hosting a 100th birthday party on Friday February 6 (the 99th day of school!). Students will enjoy a day of fun-filled festivities.
Students are invited to dress in the school colours (blue and white) or show their spirit by wearing JICS merchandise. The celebration will kick off with a lively puppet show performance by Hugh Phillips. In the afternoon, students will head to the gym for a high-energy Soca dance lesson and dance party with instructor KJ McKnight.
Between these special events, students will also enjoy extra time with their special friends! Please note that regular hot lunch and home lunch will still be served as usual.
4. STEAM Night (Formerly Known as Art Night)
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
5:30-6:30pm - JICS Lab School
On Wednesday February 11 the JICS Lab School will host our very first STEAM Night.
In place of our traditional Art Night, the JICS Lab School is excited to present STEAM Night: Special Focus Art, Math, highlighting the powerful connections between creative expression and mathematical thinking.
Families will follow a defined tour route to explore the incredible artwork created by the students, displayed throughout the first floor of the school. The tour will lead you to the school gymnasium, where each classroom teacher will have engaging Math ‘stations’ set up for families to explore. The event has been designed as a child and parent event. We kindly ask that families stick together (children and caregivers) as they move through the exhibits and stations, ensuring a shared experience of appreciation and discovery.
5. African Heritage/Black History Month
February marks Black History Month in Canada, inviting Canadians to engage in festivities and events that honour the rich legacy and achievements of Black Canadians, both past and present. At JICS, we integrate the celebration of Black History Month into our curriculum developmentally across grades and showcase it through whole-school events such as assemblies involving community members. Our commitment extends into specialty classes like Library, Music, and Visual Arts. We encourage parents to contribute suggestions to help our students gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of Black Canadians and their indispensable role in the community.
Feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers with your ideas or to the Black Heritage Committee members: Marcia, Jessica, Raadiyah, and Kenisha.
6. JICS Centennial Family Skate - Monday, March 23
We are excited to announce the JICS Centennial Family Skate, taking place on Monday March 23rd from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Varsity Arena (299 Bloor Street West). Mark your calendar and join us for an evening of joy, warmth, and community spirit.
Junior grade students enjoying their first skating session of the year!
7. JICS at the Movies
Monday, March 2nd, 2026
🕡 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
📍 Innis College Theatre
2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5
You’re invited to join us for a special evening of film, conversation, and community as part of the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Centennial celebrations.
Our next edition of JICS at the Movies presents a screening of the acclaimed documentary The Making of a Japanese, followed by an in-depth Q&A with the filmmaker.
About the Film
The Making of a Japanese is a warm, intimate, and quietly captivating documentary that takes viewers inside a Tokyo public elementary school to explore how early childhood education shapes culture in Japan. Filmed over the course of a year, the film follows first- and sixth-grade students as they learn not only academics, but also responsibility, cooperation, and respect for others.
Through small, revealing moments — students cleaning their classrooms, serving lunch, or carefully placing their shoes — the film offers a fascinating look at an education system that places trust and responsibility in children from a very young age. The balance between individuality and community is tested daily, creating moments that are both deeply human and unexpectedly moving.
Directed by Japanese American filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki, The Making of a Japanese is a gentle yet powerful portrait of childhood and the everyday rituals and reveal larger truths about community, responsibility, and identity. Praised by The New York Times as a “Nuanced portrait that trys to explain why Japan is the way it is, while also showing the potential costs of those practices.,” the film invites audiences to reflect on education, belonging, and the values we pass on — long after the final scene.
Registration information coming soon!
8. Professional Development
At JICS Lab School, professional development is a vital part of our culture and our commitment to excellent teaching and learning. Teachers are actively encouraged to seek out meaningful learning opportunities that deepen their practice and enhance student learning. Below are examples of recent professional development experiences across our community.
This week, Marcia Bumbury, JK teacher, attended the Black Education Symposium “Affirming Blackness in Academia: Past, Present & Future” at OISE, University of Toronto. The symposium brought together scholars, educators, and community members for powerful conversations about the ongoing journey of affirming Blackness in academic spaces. The symposium explored historical foundations, present-day challenges, and future possibilities, centring both scholarship and lived experience. Being part of these discussions was deeply affirming for the participants and reinforced the importance of cultivating academic environments where Black identities, knowledge, and voices are recognized, valued, and celebrated. Marcia’s participation reflects our commitment to equity-focused learning and to creating classrooms where all children see themselves valued and represented.
Audrey Madsen, Grade 4/5 teacher, is currently participating in a multi-session professional development series on the ThinkSRSD program and recently completed the third of four sessions. SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development) focuses on explicit instruction in close-reading strategies and the writing planning process to support organization and content development. Designed to strengthen writing across subject areas, the program emphasizes student self-assessment, goal setting, and reflective practice. A key component of ThinkSRSD is the use of positive self-talk, helping students build perseverance, confidence, and resilience as they work through the challenges of writing. Audrey has begun integrating these strategies into her Grade 4/5 classroom, supporting students as they stretch their thinking and develop as confident writers.
Grade 4/5A SRSD Work
9. The Natural Curiosity Program January Newsletter
The Natural Curiosity program plays a crucial role in advancing the Lab School's public mission. It assists educators in understanding the importance of Indigenous perspectives in environmental education across the curriculum.
Please take a look at their January Newsletter which highlights exciting news, upcoming events and more resources to support environmental education and incorporating Indigenous perspectives. This month's newsletter also includes great Educational Resources for outdoor winter activities. Sign up to receive Natural Curiosity’s monthly newsletter here.
Upcoming February Events
Tues 3 – 5:30pm - Parent Social, 6:00pm Parent Education Understanding Anxiety in Children: The Value of Leaning Into Discomfort with Dr. Trina Epstein. Register here
Fri 6 - 100th Day of School - The JICS Lab School's Birthday Party
Wed 11 – STEAM Night: Special Focus Art, Math
Thur 12 – Valentine’s Day at JICS
Fri 13 – Midterm Holiday. School closed. Daycare open.
Mon 16 – Family Day Holiday. School and Daycare closed.
Tues 17 – Lunar New Year
Tues 17 – Ramadan (begins at sunset)
Tues 24 to Fri 27 – Gr 4/5 overnight trip to YMCA Camp Pine Crest
Wed 25 – Anti-Bullying Day/Pink Shirt Day