JICS at a Glance
We've condensed the important highlights for your convenience:
Parent Education - Lunch & Learn: Supporting Your Child's Relationship with Food- Thursday, April 11, 1-2 pm - Register Here
Topics covered in this post:
1. Solar Eclipse - Monday, April 8, 12:00pm Dismissal
On Monday, April 8, 2024 a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Southern Ontario from approximately 2:00pm to 4:30pm. Notably, this time coincides with our dismissal time. To ensure the well-being of students, school will close at 12:00pm. Additionally, afterschool daycare services will be canceled, and the school building will be closed from 12:00pm onwards.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in prioritizing the safety of our students during this extraordinary event.
2. Parent Education - Lunch and Learn: Supporting Your Child's Relationship with Food
Join us for the next Parent Education Lunch and Learn on Thursday April 11th from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, with Registered Dietician Jessica Zupan. Jessica’s talk will be on feeding your children with a focus on relationship with food and overcoming common feeding difficulties. As usual, we will have 30 min of recorded presentation, followed by 30 min of discussion and questions (unrecorded). Jessica is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor and Registered Dietitian who specializes on helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with food. Using a mindfulness and intuitive eating approach she provides clients with the opportunity to explore and understand their relationship with food while also supporting their health.
3. Eid Mubarak to You and Your Family!
Enjoy a blessed time during this Eid.
Eid al-Fitr (Holiday of Breaking the Fast or the Festival of Sweets) is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha). The religious holiday is celebrated by Muslims in the JICS community and worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. It falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar.
4. Parent Teacher Interviews
The Spring interviews are an opportunity for a conversation with your child’s teacher who will share observations about your child’s academic profile as well as their social emotional development.
Interviews are short - usually 20 minutes. Teachers are preparing to describe observations of progress to date and may share information from the specialty teachers. In addition to the classroom teacher, your interview time may include one or more of the following: teacher-candidate/intern, Special Ed teacher, and/or Chriss or Richard. At the JICS Lab School, the classroom teachers work collaboratively with the admin team, the specialty teachers, the interns, and the Spec Ed teachers. We meet weekly to discuss the progress and needs of children. Students do not have to be identified on the Spec Ed Caseload to benefit from this shared building of understanding. Our Special Ed teachers spend much of their time in the classroom and offer supports to all children; they provide a long-term multi-year view of the progress and development of children.
Please note that the interviews are designed as an adult-only experience so that teachers and parents can speak frankly and openly about the child’s needs and strengths.
The following are the links to sign up for your Spring interview with your child’s/children’s teachers. The dedicated interview dates are Wednesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 24. Your child’s teacher may list other available days/times. This is a change from what was previously communicated in our school calendar, and we thank members of our community for helping us to make the adjustments to avoid a conflict with the celebrations of Eid.
Parent-Teacher Interview Sign-Up Links
5. Second 2024-2025 Tuition Payment Due
The second tuition payment is due on April 19, 2024. This payment is non-refundable and representing 50% of the balance tuition balance. Please make your cheque payable to the University of Toronto.
Nursery 2024-2025 Tuition is $18,723
A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 was paid at the time of acceptance.
50% balance due April 19 = $6,861.50 (non-refundable)
Full Day (JK to Grade 6) 2024-2025 Tuition is $29,092
A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 was paid in January 2024 or at time of acceptance.
50% balance due April 19 = $12,046 (non-refundable)
Shama is available in the school office each school day, 8:00am to 4:00pm. She is happy to receive post-dated cheques in advance of April 19.
The final tuition payment is due September 1, 2024.
6. Staffing Update for the 2024-2025 School Year
As we continue to finalize staffing decisions for the upcoming academic year, we would like to share the following updates:
Nadia Dharsee, Grade 6 Teacher: Nadia Dharsee has decided to return to TDSB for the next school year. Nadia, who initially joined the JICS teaching community in 2019-2020 as our Phys Ed teacher, transitioned to the role of Grade 6 teacher in September 2021. Reflecting on her time with us, Nadia expressed gratitude for the enriching experience, stating, “I learned a tremendous amount about security, inquiry, and building community within the classroom. I will miss working alongside such dedicated staff and inspiring students. I am proud of the contributions I have made to the Grade 6 classroom and program.” We extend our best wishes to Nadia as she embarks on the next chapter of her career and look forward to maintaining a connection with her. A hiring committee has been formed to fill the open teaching position.
7. International Day of Pink
Wednesday April 10th marks the International Day of Pink. The Day of Pink focuses on standing in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the continued fight for equality and acceptance. This year the theme is Visibility. At JICS we are proud that through our GSA, instructional pedagogy, and student, parent and staff community, visibility is part of who we are on a daily basis. To celebrate this important date we have invited Fluffy and Fay to our school for a Drag Storytime. It will take place at 11 am.
On April 10th we invite students to wear a particular colour of the rainbow if possible:
JK students: Red
SK Students: Green
Grade 1 Students: Orange
Grade 2 Students: Purple
Grade 3 students: Yellow
Grade 4/5 Robin’s Class: Black
Grade 4/5 Zoe’s Class: Blue
Grade 6: Brown
And of course we welcome anyone to wear pink as well! On the Day of Pink we intend to celebrate visibility in all its forms- being seen, acknowledged, respected and listened to.
8. 30th Annual JICS Read-a-thon
March 1-April 12
Your donations will be used to replace lost and broken books, purchase new books, and to support authors, illustrators, and storytellers to visit with students.
We are so grateful to our supportive community! Donations of $25 or more will be rewarded with a personalized book plate placed in a new library book.
9. Hot Dog Night
HOTDOG NIGHT! HOTDOG NIGHT! HOTDOG NIGHT!
Dear wonderful parents of the JICS community,
We are deep in planning for what is going to be yet another amazing JICS event. So mark your calendars for June 5 or potentially June 6 (rain date) for HOTDOG NIGHT!
As part of the planning process we are reaching out to our community to ask if you have the ability to donate games, prizes, non-alcoholic beverages, food or snacks. If you have something to offer, please contact Lucia Remedios by email Lucia@analoguegallery.com or phone (416) 505 - 4970, as it would be greatly appreciated. The PA has the ability to issue charitable receipts for donations.
It's the inaugural HOTDOG NIGHT in our new playground and we want to make it memorable! We are excited for HOTDOG NIGHT and hope you are too!
Sincerely,
The Hotdog Night Committee
10. Photos from This Week
Please enjoy some photos from this week, featuring the Grade 3s proudly sharing their "Self-ologies" with parents and caregivers and JICS Parent Skate Night.
11. Upcoming April Events
Fri 5 – Parent Education, 5:30-7:30pm: Why Evidence-Based Hope Matters: Supporting our children's wellbeing and resilience in the face of the climate crisis with Dr. Elin Kelsey - RSVP here
Mon 8 – Solar Eclipse – School dismissal at 12:00. After-school daycare cancelled.
Tues 9 – Eid al-Fitr (begins at sunset)
Wed 10 – International Day of Pink & Special Guests: Fay and Fluffy
Wed 10 – NEW: cancelled Parent Teacher Interviews due to Eid
Thur 11 – Parent Education: Lunch and Learn with Ellie, Register Here
Sat 13 – Vaisakhi
Mon 15 to Fri 19 - La Semaine De La Francophonie at JICS
Wed 17 – Parent Teacher Interviews
Fri 19 – Due date for 2nd JICS tuition payment
Mon 22 to Fri 26 – Earth Week at JICS
Mon 22 – Passover begins
Wed 24 to Fri 26 – International Association of Lab School Conference in Muncie, Indiana
Wed 24 – New Date for Parent Teacher Interviews
