- Apr 25

School Calendar 2024-2025, Grandpals Day, & Leafs Day Tomorrow!

JICS at a Glance

We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:

School Calendar 2024-2025 - View here
Grandpals Day - Friday, May 10th, 2:00-3:30 pm, Register Here
Leafs Day Tomorrow - Wear blue tomorrow to show support for the Toronto Maple Leafs!

Topics covered in this post:

School Calendar 2024-2025
Grandpals Day
Asian Heritage Month
JICS 30th Annual Read-a-thon Update
Leafs Day - Tomorrow!
Hot Dog Night
Photos of International Francophonie Day Assembly with Guests Voyage African
Upcoming April Events
Upcoming May Events

1. School Calendar 2024-2025

The holiday calendar for the 2024-2025 school year is now available to JICS families. You can find it in the “News and Events” section of the JICSfamily.com website and it will be included in the 2024-2025 Parent Handbook when it is published.

View the 2024-205 Calendar Here

2. Grandpals Day

Get ready for a heartwarming afternoon at JICS Parents Association's upcoming GrandPals Day on May 10th, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm! This special event, organized by the JICS Parents’ Association is a perfect opportunity for GrandPals, or another family friend or relative, to join us at the JICS Lab School for quality time with their grandchild(ren).

Here's what you need to know:

GrandPals Day is all about creating cherished memories, exploring our school, and bonding over refreshments and snacks. Principal Richard Messina will kick off the event at 2:00pm with a warm welcome in the Gymnasium. From there, GrandPals will have the chance to spend time with their grandchild(ren) in their classroom(s), participate in activities, and tour our wonderful school and new playground. Nursery children who attend afternoon daycare and their Grandpals are welcome to take part!

Parents, if you think your GrandPal(s) would be interested, please register them HERE or feel free to forward this email. Kindly RSVP by May 5th to ensure we can accommodate everyone.

If you have any questions about GrandPals Day, feel free to reach out to Richard (Richard.messina@utoronto.ca).

Email Richard

3. Asian Heritage Month

The month of May is an opportunity for all to learn more about the many achievements of Canadians of Asian descent who, throughout our history, have contributed so much to Canada. Asian Heritage Month has been a focus of celebration in many communities across Canada since the 1990s. In December of 2001, Senator Vivienne Poy proposed a motion that was adopted by the Senate of Canada, designating May as Asian Heritage Month nationally. During May of 2002, the Government of Canada made this motion official by signing a declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.

Who is of Asian Descent?

The definition of "Asian" may be inclusive and broad, and applies to people who come from or whose ancestors come from:

East Asia - China, Hong Kong S.A.R., Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan.
South Asia - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Central Asia - Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Southeast Asia - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
Western Asia - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

What Can We Learn?

Like all cultures, Asian heritage is a diverse and ever-changing concept that has varied meanings to the different communities and generations. During Asian Heritage Month we are invited:

To celebrate traditional as well as contemporary Asian-Canadian culture, which includes poetry, dances, sports, music and art;
To learn about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of the diverse Asian heritage that makes up our Canadian communities;
To understand the historical journeys and ongoing struggles of diverse Asian communities;
To recognize individual and institutional racism both past and present, that have impacted the lives of many groups; and
To engage with students through lessons and discussions of prominent past events, current issues of racism and discrimination that continue to impact the many Asian communities living in Canada and to bear witness to the resistance and resilience of such groups.

At JICS, growing and learning among individuals who share widely divergent life stories, and appreciating their respective cultures, is an invaluable aspect of a true education. Nurturing a respectful and inclusive school culture means paying close attention to individual experiences, our curriculum, admission work, and our daily lives at the Lab School. We partner with families to help children broaden their view of themselves and others by ensuring that they encounter mirrors of their own background and experience, as well as windows of difference. We invite parents to enrich our learning by sharing their culture and identity with us. If interested to help, please be in touch with your child’s teacher. We have planned exciting learning opportunities which we will share with you soon.

It is important to recognize that Asian Canadian history is part of Canadian history and like Black History Month is not only highlighted during a particular month but integrated as much as possible throughout the school year. We thank parents for your support and for sharing your expertise to enrich out learning.

Asians in Canada have a long history in the labour movement. Asian migrants and Asian Canadians have faced discrimination, exploitation, and danger in many of Canada’s workplaces. Even today, many of our Asian communities experience racism and Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination on individual and institutional levels. Workers of Asian descent have demonstrated resilience and have organized in order to disrupt laws and practices that were racist and discriminated against certain minority groups.

Helpful Links to Resources:

Government of Canada—Important Events in Asian Canadian History
CBC website: Canada’s Asian Heritage Month - RCI celebrates and highlights the Canadian histories and issues pertinent to Asians in Canada. This Website includes an audio-clip of Vivienne Poy speaking about the origins of May as Asian Heritage month. This website also offers resources that focus on Japanese Canadian, Chinese Canadian and Vietnamese Canadian histories.
Canada's Asian Heritage Month - This website highlights how different Canadian provinces are acknowledging and celebrating Asian Canadian history during the month of May.
NFB Asian Content Films - NFB films that focus on Asian Canadian and Asian Diasporic content.
The Canadian Encyclopedia—Racial Segregation of Asian Canadians
Government of Canada - Asian Heritage Month website highlights resources such as posters and videoclips featuring histories and current content pertaining to Asian Heritage and Canadians of Asian descent.
Radio Canada International: Asian Heritage Month website provides information on Asian Heritage celebrations in major countries across Canada.

Thanks to The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario for the information above.

4. JICS 30th Annual Read-a-thon Update

We are delighted to announce $5,415.20 was raised this year!

Thank you for your generosity. These funds will also be used to bring in authors, illustrators, and storytellers.

5. Leafs Day - Tomorrow!

"Friday, April 26th will be Leafs Day at JICS. Wear as much blue, white, or Leafs 'merch' [any sportswear] as you can to celebrate the playoffs and the Leafs!"

Sincerely,

Grade 3 Leafs Super-Fans